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[daclynk]

with the year almost being over, let's look back at the 12 highest-scoring new games of 2025 according to opencritic:

it's important to note that they don't include ports, remasters, enhanced/expanded re-releases, expansions or DLC in their yearly hall of fame.

here's the top 20 including all releases:
1. Hades II (95)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (94)
3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (92)
4. The Séance of Blake Manor (91)
5. Donkey Kong Bananza (91)
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong (91)
7. Split Fiction (91)
8. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (90)
9. Simogo Legacy Collection (90)
10. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (90)
11. Blue Prince (90)
12. Monster Hunter Wilds (89)
13. Keep Driving (89)
14. Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4 (89)
15. Sektori (89)
16. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (89)
17. Battle Suit Aces (89)
18. Shujinkou (89)
19. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (88)
20. The Talos Principle: Reawakened (88)


Edit: Lock if old.

 

[geary]

Does not includes ports… Next line, Zelda TotK.

 

[DeepEnigma]

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (94)

 

[Mr Moose]

Monster Hunter Wilds (89)

 

[nowhat]

Great to see Sektori up there. There are these "one man projects" that turn out to have so many people working on it, but in this instance, it literally is (with his brother taking care of the soundtrack).

 

[HRK69]

Hades 2 baby

 

[mèx]

I still need to try Hades II, I got it as a gift so it's on the list.

Trails in the Sky 1st at 8th is extremely based.

Pipistrello making the top 20 is pretty good too, game is awesome.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

they don't include DLC in their yearly hall of fame.

1. Hades II (95)
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong (91)

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Trails in the Sky 1st keeps getting robbed and this is proof. I haven't even heard of Seance of Blake Manor but I guess I need to check it out.

 

[Hookshot]

Hades 2 is literally more of the same and suffers from the exact same issues as the first one. It's fun until you get sick of the limited zones and enemies. Doubling it's size and having the options to make the bosses much harder still doesn't alleviate that. Odd that it's the highest rated game of the year.

 

[Hudo]

I don't "get" Hades 2. But then again, I also didn't "get" Hades 1.

 

[bender]

I've the ones I've played, I'd consider Banaza, Monster Hunter, and Split Fiction grossly overrated. Maybe Blue Prince too.

 

[NeverYouMind]

 

[The Cockatrice]

Hades 2 is a fantastic game, tho its story was weaker than the first, but everything else is improved in every way. I keep hearing and reading things about Blue Prince, but the roguelike stuff is kinda pushing me away as I've heard it can take 100 hours or so or more depending on shitty rng which is exactly what I dont want from a puzzle game...still not sold on it.