Top Video Games Of 2025: We may as well wrap up this article by mentioning just one game - Grand Theft Auto 6! After a wait of a dozen years (yep, a dozen!), Rockstar Games seems finally ready to bring GTA 6 to fans and we can't wait any longer. However, beyond GTA 6, the year 2025 promises a lineup of blockbuster titles that are mostly dominated by sequels to wildly popular franchises.
So, without further ado, here are the top games set to release in 2025:
GTA 6
- Release Date (expected): 2nd half of 2025
- Developer/Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S
The highly anticipated continuation of Rockstar’s iconic Grand Theft Auto franchise is finally on the horizon. After years of speculation, GTA 6 is expected to deliver an expansive open world, engaging storylines, and its trademark mix of chaos and dark humour.
Set in the fictional Florida-inspired map of Leonida, of which Vice City is a part, players can look forward to an immersive, dynamic environment with new characters, improved graphics, and the freedom to explore and create mayhem at their will.
Judging by the trailers and leaks, you will get to play as two characters, which seems to be the flavour of the season. Will it trump GTA 5's adrenaline-pumped 3-character mission designs? We'll find out soon.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Release Date: February 14, 2025
- Developer/Publisher: Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft
- Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, iPadOS, macOS
Speaking of dual-protagonist titles, Ubisoft's favourite child Assassin's Creed is now back after a brief hiatus with Ghost of Tsushima, err... I mean a brand new adventure set in 16th-century Japan, where you will get to play as Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai (who is based on a real historical character, in case you were prepping your hate tweet).
So far, only Assassin's Creed Syndicate allowed us to play as two characters, as Odyssey and Valhalla only let us choose either a male or a female protagonist but there was no change in the story or missions no matter which character you chose. This time around, we expect to play around with both the characters, who will bring their own set of skills and specialities to help tackle maps.
Of course, the trailers remind one of a certain Ghost, but let's give Ubisoft a chance here and see if they didn't squander yet another chance to reboot the franchise after the Mirage debacle. If nothing else, you can expect some top-tier stealth-based gameplay accompanied by industry-best parkour moves.
Ghost of Yōtei
- Release Date: TBA (2025)
- Developer/Publisher: Sucker Punch, Sony
- Platform(s): PS5
Speaking of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei is what I'm truly looking forward to the most in 2025. Not only was the predecessor one of the most stunning games I have played ever on the PS4 or the PS5, it also had a surprisingly touching storyline that justified the moniker of the game and the protagonist's journey to perfection.
Set in the breathtaking snowy mountains of Hokkaido, this action RPG promises intense samurai combat, mystical encounters, and a gripping storyline rooted in local mythology. Of course, Yōtei is set 329 years after Tsushima, so you might not expect to see good ol' Jin Sakai in the game. But the new protagonist Atsu is expected to bring some new touches (including a new musical instrument, the shamisen) along with story choices that will have way more impact on the world than the previous game.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
- Release Date: TBA (2025)
- Developer/Publisher: Kojima Productions, Sony
- Platform(s): PS5
Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding was a strange beast. On one hand, you could very easily dismiss the game as just being a yawnfest of a walking simulator. However, once you spend a certain number of hours, you start to see the absolute brilliance in terms of level design, storytelling, or maddeningly impressive mechanics that it delivered - that quite frankly not a whole lot of other games have managed to deliver since then.
And whatever issues the original release had, Kojima fixed all of them and added a number of more fun additions in the Director's Cut version later on.
So, now, we have another DS title on the horizon. If the trailer is anything to go by, the sequel will likely continue the first game's surreal exploration of connection and isolation, featuring returning characters (along with their quirks) and new faces to uncover the mysteries of this haunting universe.
I don't know what to expect of this one. But I'll be damned if I don't play On The Beach on day one.
Mafia: The Old Country
- Release Date: Q3 2025
- Developer/Publisher: Hangar 13, 2K
- Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Mafia games are probably the closest gamers can get to living out a fully fledged Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola movie. With Mafia II still being one of the best crime-arc stories ever told since Goodfellas (I'll not hear otherwise), small wonder then that The Old Country has made it to this list.
Set in post-WWII Eastern Europe The Old Country comes as a prequel to the very first game in the series. It will have you step into the shoes of a young immigrant navigating the underworld of organised crime in a gritty, atmospheric setting.
Expect the same mix of action, intrigue, and rich storytelling, combined with the charm and danger of a newly reimagined criminal empire. All this game really needed was a young Ray Liotta.