With its touching narrative, creative battle system and striking art direction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 shows that there is still room for innovation in turn-based RPGs, especially when you mix real-time action. Refining every element of the genre with care, Sandfall Studio's game delivers an engaging and mature experience that deserves attention.

More than just an excellent representative of the adventure genre, Blue Prince is proof that a game doesn't need a combat system or require quick reflexes to be challenging from start to finish. The title developed by the Dogubomb studio and published by Raw Fury is on the same level of quality as young classics such as Return of the Obra Dinn and What Remains of Edith Finch, requiring players to pay great attention to detail in order to proceed through a mansion that will take us down different paths each day, requiring constant adaptability. Full of mysteries and with a story that surprises from start to finish, Blue Prince is a brilliant chapter in adventure games and, even with a smaller scope, has everything it takes to be remembered as one of the best releases of 2025.

South of Midnight is one of the hits that Xbox Game Studios has been crying out for. With a simple but captivating narrative, the game presents good characters and moves you with clear and profound messages. Despite the somewhat repetitive combat, the game is fun in its simplicity and finds its brilliance in a restrained and great folkloric world, governed by beautiful songs and led by the excellent protagonist Hazel.

Assassin's Creed Shadows takes players to feudal Japan on an intense journey of revenge and honor. With Naoe and Yasuke, the gameplay balances stealth and brutal combat in a world rich in historical detail. Despite a few technical stumbles, the game delivers an immersive and engaging experience, reaffirming the franchise's legacy.

Such creativity, inventiveness and irreverence, characteristics that define Josef Fares and Hazelight, make Split Fiction a formidable experience on every level. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the best game of the generation so far. With a touching narrative, captivating characters and a very entertaining gameplay, the game is the culmination of several lessons learned by the developer who mastered the cooperative games and proves that the clamor for It Takes Two is no coincidence.

A strong contender for game of the year, Monster Hunter Wilds marks another great success for Capcom with its most popular franchise. With a grand and impressive world, a huge variety of biomes and fights against breathtaking monsters, the new chapter in the franchise offers some of the best and most varied gameplay of the entire generation of consoles, rewarding players who explore the enormous possibilities that Monster Hunter Wilds has to offer. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran of the series, it will be hard not to be charmed by yet another brilliant piece of work from Capcom.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's new game brings back the best of the Yakuza franchise and pirate games. Humorous, unusual, with frantic combat and full of extra content, the crazy experience of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii shows that the game doesn't know the words “limits” and “boredom” and provides an extremely entertaining journey for new and old fans alike.

Avowed delivers a solid and accessible action RPG, with a vibrant world and dynamic combat, but without the depth or complexity that many expected. Its predictable narrative works, and exploration is rewarding, although repetition and the lack of impact of choices limit immersion. If you're looking for a successor to Pillars of Eternity, you may be disappointed, but for those who want a fun adventure without excessive complications, it could be a good choice.

Henry is a fun character who, especially alongside Hans Capon, makes for an entertaining partnership. The medieval map is a technical milestone with gigantic regions and a population and animals that really seem to have life. The quests are mostly quite interesting and, apart from a few accessibility issues and some rather boring combat, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is probably the best medieval RPG without dragons and other medieval fantasy elements.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins greatly reduces the scope of playable characters by concentrating on a single protagonist, but with access to a huge arsenal at his disposal and an entertaining campaign from start to finish. The game once again stands out for its good story, beautiful visuals and great combat system, but the repetitiveness of the missions and the fact that the protagonist is overshadowed by all the historical characters in the series, such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Diao Chan and Guan Yu, prevent Koei Tecmo's hack and slash from reaching its full potential. Even so, the game shines with its gameplay, captivating plot and delivers the best title in the franchise since Dynasty Warriors 4.

Enigma of Fear, although directly related to the expanded universe of the RPG Paranormal Order, stands on its own with eye-catching artwork, creative investigation mechanics and an engaging story augmented by evidence carefully placed in mysterious rooms. However, it fails when it tries to transport curiosity to certain action and/or adventure elements that end up hindering the fluidity of the gameplay because they don't work at the pace they should.

Without going overboard or using any extravagance, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD revitalizes the Nintendo Wii classic with decency. You can still have fun and stress out equally, but in a satisfying way in the excellent platforming challenges and the beautiful scenery worthy of the masterpiece it is known for. The addition of the Nintendo 3DS-exclusive stages gives it an air of novelty, but it's still too little to justify the full price of a title that hasn't even been localized into Brazilian Portuguese. In short, the game is a timid addition to the catalog of a franchise that deserves more and has been forgotten since 2014, when Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was released. Who knows, maybe on the Nintendo Switch 2 we'll see our beloved Donkey Kong shine again.

The RPG does what it sets out to do and lets few things slip. Infinity Nikki is a more evolved version of what all fans of dress-up games from the 2000s loved. With thought-provoking gameplay, a detailed world to explore and plenty of content, the game is one of the best surprises of the year.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a true homage to the best games in the adventure genre that were a hit in the 90s, but with a series of technical improvements provided by the new generation of consoles. With a setting rich in detail, an extremely rewarding sense of exploration and a story that maintains excellence from start to finish in the journey of pop culture's most famous archaeologist, the title closes 2024 on a high note and recaptures the spirit of the classic Indy movie trilogy of the 80s. More than just relying on the name of the Indiana Jones franchise, The Great Circle delivers one of the best games of the year and reinforces MachineGames' excellence as a developer.

Fantasian Neo Dimension enchants with its masterful soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu and its ability to capture the essence of Final Fantasy in an anime style full of charm and a lore with enormous potential. However, the title stumbles over uncharismatic characters and a generic approach that prevents the narrative from reaching its full brilliance, ultimately presenting nothing new.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is great when it's not mired in sameness and technical flaws. In the moments when the game is working as it should, I found great narratives, had fun fighting soldiers and monsters and enjoyed exploring the regions of the Exclusion Zone. If played calmly and after major corrections, STALKER 2 can be a very satisfying experience, but at the moment it has become one of the most stressful gaming experiences of my life.

LEGO Horizon Adventures adapts the universe of the Sony franchise well and brings lightness and humor to the PlayStation Studios production, although it is a duller adaptation than the original series. When compared to the other LEGO games, the game falls short due to some overly simplistic level design decisions. The story tries to be funny in a forced and flawed way, the gameplay is repetitive and tires you out after 30 minutes.

Despite a few stumbles, Mario & Luigi: Brothership manages to deliver a comeback worthy of the franchise. The game strikes a balance between fun and challenge, and it's a great duo job to control Mario and Luigi at the right time to progress through obstacles and face enemies in an exciting combat system.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a good game, but it's not even close to the original title. Although the plot is interesting and leaves the door open for a sequel, the new entry in the famous franchise lacks something that made the first game so impactful: a moving story that makes players identify with it. As a result, Double Exposure fails to be as memorable as its narrative predecessor. While the original Life is Strange perfectly balanced the relationships between the characters with the mystery of the story, Double Exposure seems to put aside the more social commentary of the games in the franchise and put more emphasis on superpowers and their possibilities. A new proposal that has yet to prove itself.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard may not be the perfect culmination of a 10-year wait, but it entertains with mistakes and successes in a story that condenses as much as possible about Thedas with new and old faces while presenting different gameplay styles and standing out when it allows the player to escape from the main objective.

The Lake House adds to Alan Wake 2's incredible ecosystem in a simple way, but maintains the quality of Remedy's work. What was great is still great, and now all that's left for fans of the franchise and the developer is to wait for the brilliant new adventures and horrors that Sam Lake and his team are preparing.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is the best version of one of the best games in the franchise, with the addition of a great Shadow campaign. All this makes it the definitive Sonic game so far.

Without saying a word, Neva takes the player on an adventure full of emotions. With breathtaking visuals and excellent audio work, the game tells a story about love and coming of age in such a beautiful way that it's hard to hold back tears. Although everything revolves around putting an end to the evil that plagues that world, the combat is very simple, but just the right amount of challenging to present the player with a certain level of difficulty. As for the game's progression, after a slightly slower start, the game picks up a good pace that doesn't let the player lose interest or get bored.

Mario Party Jamboree is the most fun and complete game in the franchise, combining nostalgia and evolution with mastery. In this game, you'll find adventure, fun and plenty of competition. However, the lack of chat in online mode can hinder gameplay, as can the many fun motion control games, which can be a problem for those using the Switch Lite. In short, it's the game every Mario fan needs to have, and it will keep you glued to the screen.

Silent Hill 2 Remake is a breath of fresh air and a revitalization of a nearly dead video game franchise. Everything that survival horror has to offer is present here in one of the best and most profound narratives in history. The game masterfully recreates the town of Silent Hill while expanding and making familiar locations and moments even scarier, and shows that Bloober Team can, indeed, make incredible horror games.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero honors the legacy of Budokai Tenkaichi and is a legitimate successor to the PlayStation game trilogy, in both a good and bad way. With a plethora of characters and transformations, agile gameplay and extravagant combos, the game sometimes falters with its camera system during fights and recounts the events of the anime in a somewhat rushed manner. Even so, the possibility of creating different outcomes for the most striking moments in Akira Toriyama's work adds a welcome touch of novelty to a game that, although far from perfect, impresses with its beautiful visuals and entertains with combats that seem straight out of the anime and a huge amount of content to be unlocked.

With an excellent political plot that brings impactful reflections into dialogue with contemporary reality, a cunning villain, magnificent soundtrack, Homeric combat and captivating characters, Metaphor has established itself as one of the masterpieces of the fantasy JRPG and one of the candidates for the 2024 Game of the Year (GOTY) award, as well as bringing back memories of Final Fantasy 9 and other emblematic titles in the genre.

Subverting the franchise's standard narrative, Echoes of Wisdom sets the titular princess out to save the kingdom - and Link - from the forces of evil. Even without wielding a sword and shield at all times, Zelda uses the greatest weapon she possesses: wisdom, and there's nothing more “Zelda” than that.