Last year was an amazing year for video games. It seemed like every single month had a new release that was Game of the Year worthy, and the games got better and better as the year went on. No matter what genre or type of game you were into, 2025 delivered certified bangers.
To show what we mean, we've gathered various members of the SuperPod Network community to share their favorite games of 2025.
Make sure to drop a comment below and let us know what your favorite game or games of 2025 are! Make an account for free and comment away.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Thrak here and my GOTY for 2025 was Shinobi: Art of Vengeance released August 29th for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. 5 days after my b-day as well. I played through this on the Series X and was looking forward to it since it was announced at the Game Awards along with revivals of Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage and Golden Axe. This was developed by Lizardcube, a French studio who made Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4 under Sega’s license but those were published by Dotemu. This time, Sega got to publish this game having been impressed with their work. This game is an action platformer with some light search-action elements.
Each area has the ability to backtrack to find new things, but it is not necessary in order to beat the game. The graphics are in a 2D hand-drawn art style and they are gorgeous. A mixture of the classic Shinobi look of Revenge and 3, but with a modern spin. The controls are fantastic, movement speed is great, jumping feels accurate with the double jump not having the weird timing of past games (IYKYK) and the combat is a blast. Everything feels fast and fluid but without losing control and having FUCKING NO SOULSLIKE ELEMENTS makes this for a fresh experience as well.
Growing up a Sega Genesis fan, the Shinobi games were highlights for me on the system with Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master being a Top 5 Genesis game for me. Art of Vengeance feels like Shinobi IV in every way and I can’t recommend it enough. It did fly under the radar due to the sheer volume of quality games, but do not skip out of this one.
~ Thrak
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World is exactly what I wanted from a next-gen Mario Kart game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had nearly every track and character from previous games, and following that up with a new game felt almost impossible. But World proved me wrong.
World stays true to its namesake, delivering this huge island littered with various tracks and fun set pieces and lots of nooks with collectibles and challenges. The Free Roam mode is such a chill time, letting you drive around with your friends and hang out, basically acting as one huge social hub. The Grand Prix is still here, and it's still great, Battle Mode rules, but the big new addition - Knockout Tour - is one of the most addictive and intense racing game modes that I've ever sunk my free time into.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S ALSO LOTS OF UNLOCKABLES. You've got tons of characters and costumes and stickers and vehicles to unlock that reward you for putting in your time.
This game is worth every penny, and I can't wait to see what they'll add to it in the future (if they do make DLC for it, that is).
~ Aaron
Avowed
There weren't many games I completed this year but Avowed was one of them. Not only did I complete it, it was a game I thought about when not playing it. I simply could not wait to jump back in and finish the mystery of what was happening. The story was captivating and the choices you made truly affected the world.
The combat felt refreshing and fun! I usually avoid using magic when playing these types of games, but Avowed made using magic worthwhile by having many different types of spells. There were also spell books in the game that you could equip and read from to perform spells you had not mastered/learned yet. I found myself using magic along with swords/axes infused with magic abilities as well. The player can also use pistols/rifles but I did not dabble much with them.
As I mentioned before, the choices you make shaped the world. You constantly were given choices at major events throughout the story and depending on your decisions characters and the environment would change drastically. There's even a side quest that seems insignificant at the moment but depending on your decision, a whole city will be burned to the ground or not! If you have not tried out this wonderful game yet and are fans of Skyrim-like games, I cannot recommend Avowed enough. Will you save the Living Lands, or let them crumble? The choice is yours!
~ Grant
Dispatch
Dispatch ended up completely catching me off guard this past year. This episodic adventure game, created by developers with roots in Telltale Games (of The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us fame), snuck in just before the end of the year and left a lasting impression on me. Whether it’s recency bias or not, the impact was undeniable. From a writing standpoint, the game is exceptionally well done, filled with sharp, confident dialogue and a cast of characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. The humor, in particular, landed perfectly for me. It’s very specific and certainly not for everyone, but I laughed out loud more times than I can count.
A huge reason Dispatch worked so well for me is its main character, Robert. Voiced brilliantly by Aaron Paul, Robert feels deeply human. He’s battle-hardened, sharp-witted, and unapologetically confident, yet capable of real compassion when it matters most. Well, if you play him that way, that is.
The strength of the writing, the unforgettable characters, and how much this game made me laugh and reflect easily outweigh the few shortcomings I think this game had. That’s why Dispatch earned its place as one of my top games of the year, and why I’m already diving into another playthrough to explore new narrative choices and spend more time with its fantastic cast of characters
~ Nomad
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Growing up, I was always intimidated by Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1. It just looked like too much to understand and too complicated to learn. But when my podcast cohost Geoff and I got review codes for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (which still feels kinda surreal) I was excited to jump in with both feet and give it a shot. What I found was not only a new love for SRPGs but probably one of my favorite Final Fantasy games ever. I was completely compelled by the story, characters and world. I loved the battle and class system. It’s a perfect balance of easy to learn but challenging to master. Not to mention the all-timer soundtrack from the brilliant Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata as well. It was also a wonderful way to bond with Geoff over one of their all-time favorite games. They are basically a human strategy guide and I was always able to ask them any questions I had when I got stuck. They had a knack for giving me suggestions and guidance while always being encouraging and never making me feel foolish. It’s a masterful game that has me excited to dive even deeper into the SRPG genre.
~ Matt Storm
Battlefield 6
I've been waiting for Battlefield 6 for over a decade now. I had given up hope. Battlefield 1 and 5 weren't my jams and Battlefield 2042 was a disaster. I thought the franchise was dead.
I'm so happy I was wrong.
At first glance, Battlefield 6 appears to be just the long awaited “sequel” to Battlefield 3 and 4, but the developers made a lot of smart changes that make it special and stand out on its own. Every class can equip every weapon type, a pretty huge change over every previous game, but classes get bonuses for using “proper” weapons that they are tied to. The maps are undoubtedly smaller than previous entries, but each match feels so focused, with minimal downtime, but enough space to not feel like you're running into enemies every few seconds.
Yeah there's a battle pass now and an in-game store where everything costs FAR too much for a game you already paid $70 for, but I have genuinely never looked at either of those things since the game came out. That was about 12 weeks ago and I'm still playing at least every other night. I would not at all be surprised if I continue to play Battlefield 6 until I take my last breath, letting out one last “ha, suck it noob" as the controller falls to the floor and I crumple sideways in my gaming chair.
~ Tommy
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
World building is a precious element of JRPGs; a well-realized setting can mark the difference between player investment and total death. The Trails in the Sky series is often heralded for this…and rightly so! While I will make plain my preference for the original, the Trails in the Sky FC Remake is reverently faithful to almost everything that made the original a darling among the genre’s fans. I’m not finished with it just yet, but I’m eating up being back in this world.
It’s not just world building, of course. The battle system has been updated as well, fitting for the preponderance of modern players who would rather go for an action-oriented style. Personally, I'm thankful to say that turn-based combat is still an option. The balance between the two is quite nice, allowing your hack-and-slashing to mow over weaker enemies and gain advantages on stronger ones before the transition to turn-based. All bosses are turn-based, though. Sorry chumps, strategy is still king (and you’ll need it — this isn’t a “brain off, strongest attacks with an occasional potion” sort of game).
Remakes are polarizing, but Trails does so much right: care toward the slow-paced intimacy that lets the world bloom; characters with pluckiness and heart, attitude and sentimentality; and the music! I’d take seven more paragraphs if I could to gush over this OST. The Trails remake would be a fantastic point of introduction into the series for those with interest, and while it will never replace the somewhat quaint but endearing original in my opinion, I’m so glad that this remake was handled with finesse and quality. Highly recommend!
~ Rick
