2025's Most Anticipated Games - Stephen's Picks
2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in video games of all time. No matter whether you play on PC, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X|S, or the Nintendo Switch, and maybe the upcoming Switch successor, you’re going to have a lot to play in 2025. Given that, we couldn’t simply pool the team’s thoughts into one top 10 countdown of the most anticipated games, so we solicited 10 from each person to discuss. Today, hear what Stephen has to say about their 10 most anticipated games of 2025.

10. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
While it’s been stated it will launch in English at the same time, I’m tempering this entry just in case – but hot diggity dog if I’m not excited to receive a full remake of Trails in the Sky! Looking absolutely gorgeous, this is something I’d always presumed was ‘too big’ to receive a remake, given the translation of it and it’s sequels very nearly killed the translator. But having nearly the entire Legend of Heroes series on a single handheld console is the thing dreams are made of. Here’s hoping Falcom can do the same thing with Ys and some of its other franchises in the next few years to boot.

9. Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
Remember Level 5? I do, when they used to actually localise the Yokai Watch series, and I still had faith they’d make Dark Cloud 3….
Anyway, they’re back! With TWO titles in 2025 – one an Inazuma Eleven game that was announced in 2016, and a new Professor Layton game which is the one I’m more excited about. Over a decade since the last proper Professor Layton game (in which we play as the titular Professor), I’ll be interested to see how the Switch handles much of the puzzling which was quite inventive on the DS and 3DS thanks to the dual screen setup. Layton is also the sort of game my wife would enjoy playing which is quite rare indeed and something we can enjoy together, provided we don’t argue too much about the solutions and whether we should spend some hint coins.
8. Monster Hunter Wilds
One More Time, as some robotic French musicians once put it. Wilds will surely be the Monster Hunter title that finally gets me hooked on this series, whose premise I’ve loved since day dot but have fallen off within a dozen hours of play every time. I didn’t get around to World and now almost 7 years after it launched, I think I’m finally in the headspace to see what all the fuss was about – I don’t think I’ve had more recommendations for a game than I did with Worlds, so Wilds releasing this year is fortuitous indeed.

7. GreedFall 2: The Dying World
Spiders is up there with Frogwares as my favourite ‘euro-jank’ developer, European developers that punch hard above their weight and are making double to triple A feeling games often with single A budgets. GreedFall is a great series to revisit after Spiders managed their Soulsborne tribute in Steelrising. With some all time greats in KOTOR and Dragon Age: Origins cited as inspiration, GreedFall 2 might not be the most technically accomplished or expansive RPG to hit the market in 2025, but thanks to the developer it will surely be an engaging and interesting title.

6. Mafia: The Old Country
Because I don’t honestly believe for a second that GTA6 will really launch in 2025, Mafia: The Old Country will be my go-to for third person criminal activity. Having enjoyed every entry in the series up to now and feeling like Mafia III was so close to being such an excellent expression of the formula, it’s great to see Hanger 13 have another chance to get it just right. While I might miss the trappings of a newer setting, the move to Unreal Engine 5 and a commitment to cultural authenticity ensure this is one I’m going to make time for in 2025.
5. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
So I play as Majima, I’m a pirate AND it uses the old beat-em-up style Yakuza combat? You had me at Pirate Majima. While I’m slowly working through Infinite Wealth, there is room in my heart for another title, even if I really should finish one to not spoil the other. We continue to be spoiled each year with more Yakuza/Like a Dragon and leaning into some of the sillier aspects of the series in spin-offs seems like the perfect way to keep fans like myself happy in between the larger entries – a different LaD experience as opposed to a watered down one is exactly how I’d like Sega to continue.
4. Avowed
I want Avowed to be good, I really do – but something is making me temper these expectations somewhat, hence it isn’t higher on this list. Obsidian are capable of amazing work and because I haven’t played Baldur’s Gate 3, no modern RPG has overtaken The Witcher 3 for me just yet. The absence of a full open world is a feature, not a bug for my tastes these days (Oh lord how Indiana Jones and the Great Circle benefitted from this so very much) which furthers my interest in Avowed, alongside what looks to be some cool combat and character development ideas. With release just around the corner, it’s also nice to have something to look more readily towards rather than other titles that may release in 2025.

3. Hollow Knight: SilkSong
It’s been just over 5 years since I last played a demo of SilkSong at PAX AUS 2019, which was expected to release sometime in 2020. Of course, that year didn’t go as planned for anybody, so here I am half a decade later and still hoping that this year will finally get it into my hot little hands – perhaps as a Switch 2 launch title? Who knows, but it wouldn’t surprise me given it sold incredibly well on the platform.

2. Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II
If any developer knows how to keep me on the hook, it’s Falcom. I’m currently enjoying Ys X: Nordics, have just picked up Tokyo Xanadu ex+ for the Switch and have one more LoH game I’m VERY excited about for next year, but not quite as much as this one. For me, the Trails series strikes just the right balance with its storytelling beats, interesting combat and social systems with some of the best worldbuilding in the genre. I can’t wait to see how the Daybreak duology concludes!

1. The Sinking City 2
I absolutely devoured the first game and have a lot of respect for developer Frogwares and the many challenges they’ve faced in developing their games. Following on from their more recent Sherlock titles, it’s clear Frogwares are only improving their output, with the original Sinking City their most ambitious title to date. It looks like they will be trying to raise the bar with The Sinking City 2, and I’m all for some Lovecraftian euro-jank goodness in 2025.
So that concludes Stephen’s list of their most anticipated games of 2025. What are some of yours? Hit us up via social media to let us know what games you are keen on in 2025!