A Look Back at 2025

Introduction

2025 was dominated by two titles in part because of their greatness but also because I found little motivation to step away. This is my shortest "Best of" list to date for that reason, though it was not for a lack of trying. This year I tried VR for the first time (that didn't last very long), I played a multiplayer game for the first time in a couple years, I tried some Factorio-lite automation games, I revisited an old nemesis, and much more. But at the end of the year, one game stands head and shoulders above the rest, while a particular series, that I finally got around to playing, won me over with its narrative as games so rarely do for me. So, without further ado, here's a look back at 2025.

The Best of 2025

7. Half-Life: Alyx

On one hand Half-Life: Alyx is a really fun Half-Life game and on the other it's a VR game. So, while I'm docking it points because I didn't fully enjoy the VR experience, Half-Life: Alyx probably doesn't get made if not for VR. It's a bit of a catch 22 and thus I'm a bit conflicted with how I feel about it. I guess I'm glad I waited five years, bought the game on sale, and played it using a used Quest 2 that I'm going to be selling here shortly.

Half-Life: Alyx

My First VR Game

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Why is Half-Life: Alyx #7?

It's Half-Life, unfortunately it's also VR. And while the novelty of it is incredible, that wore away for me rapidly and turned into an exhausting slog, mainly because of the VR.

6. The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle has been sitting around in my library, untouched, for ages. I remember over a decade ago when I was really into Portal 1 and 2, I was looking for more puzzle games to scratch that itch and this one came up. For some reason I never got around to playing it until now. But why now? Well, I hurt my right forearm/elbow rendering using a mouse very unpleasant, almost as unpleasant as playing Factorio with a controller. So, I've been looking for controller compatible games as I take a Factorio hiatus. The Talos Principle was already in my library, and it plays well with controller, therefore here we are. Now what do I actually think of it, it only took me a decade and hurt elbow/forearm to get around to it...

The Talos Principle is pretty great! It's dozens of bite sized puzzles back to back to back, with some philosophical ponders sprinkled on top. 75% of the puzzles are easily solvable in the first five minutes and none are patronizingly easy after a concept is introduced. The story and lore is all additive or optional. So, the net effect is a puzzle game with a great flow to it very much like the aforementioned Portal 1 and 2. Unlike Portal, The Talos Principle is structured in a more open manner. If you get stuck on a puzzle, just dip out and try something else. It reminded me of The Witness in this sense. Like Portal though, the puzzles themselves have a specific box they're contained to, making them easier to grasp. The Witness' puzzles sometimes felt unsolvable because you simply didn't understand what to look for at first. This was never the case with The Talos Principle's mainline puzzles. And now that I think about and make these comparisons, Portal, The Witness, and The Talos Principle make an interesting puzzle game design triumvirate that could be analyzed further. Maybe a subject for another time.

Sidenote: This is one of three Cousin Ben recommendations that I tried this year. It's the only one I even remotely enjoyed. It was also the last of the three I played. Needless to say, I was a bit concerned our tastes were somewhat incompatible. The Talos Principle restored some faith luckily. The other two games are obviously not on this list but will be featured in the Honorable/Dishonorable Mentions section next.

Why is The Talos Principle #6?

The puzzle design is top notch, everything else about the game feels a little bland to me. The world, lore, art design, characters, etc. didn't grab me, but it's far from off-putting. I quite enjoyed the soundtrack actually.

5. REMATCH

Sloclap nailed the mission statement of "credible football, with an arcade twist." The football mechanics are fun, very tactile, and have a high skill ceiling. Smart team play is slick and rewarding to pull off while being what the game incentivizes. But the team-based multiplayer aspect for me can be a real drag; bad teammates can absolutely turn 30 minutes of gametime into an absolute dud. The systems and game modes surrounding the stellar gameplay need a bit more time to cook. In a year's time I can imagine REMATCH will be a much more fleshed out game.

REMATCH

Back-Passing Prohibited

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Why is REMATCH #5?

Fun, multiplayer football

4. Hollow Knight

After getting over that initial early game hump and past three false starts, Hollow Knight became quite an enjoyable game for me. The art, atmosphere, and music are clear standouts and drew me into the world of Hallownest. The gameplay formula was an acquired taste, but once it clicked exploration and platforming became more fun. Traversal just becomes quicker and more dynamic when more of the player abilities are unlocked. Once I understood my characters progression mechanics better, boss fights began hitting just the right notes with a well-tuned difficulty. A handful of attempts to learn their move set and stages and then victory would arrive as a beautiful dance unfolded. I don't know if I'm fully sold on Hollow Knight and Metroidvanias though. Exploration, while at times rewarding, can begin to drag and feel tedious. I didn't 100% this game, I'm not going to be rushing to play Silksong, and other Metroidvanias are not piquing my interest. While the gameplay loop here in Hollow Knight grew on me, I'm not really itching for more.

Hollow Knight

The Third Time’s the Charm

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Why is Hollow Knight #4?

Somewhat of a redemption story, Hollow Knight won me over after I swore it off. It's a charming yet challenging game in a genre that I am not comfortable with. It doesn't go any higher because when I beat the final boss I was done with it. No 100%ing, no Silksong, no other Metroidvanias at least for now.

3. The Last of Us Part II

To sum up my thoughts on The Last of Us Part 2, I'd say it's a mixed bag. The aspects I liked about it are clear as day. This is some of the best combat in video games ever. I love it and it fits alongside Metal Gear Solid V as my top-notch action stealth games. A good action stealth game, in my opinion, should flow freely in and out of these two modes, rewarding the player for both aggression and thoughtfulness. The combat and stealth should feel equally great to play and this is where Part 2 excels. Every animation is fluid and free flowing, yet every action has weight. Shots from your pistol echo through buildings and put holes in people's orbital bones. An axe to the sternum has never felt so crunchy and meaty. An arrow whizzing past your face makes me literally flinch in real life. The enemy AI is so much fun to test yourself against. Getting jump-scared by a flanking enemy never happens in other games, here it's a common occurrence if you're not careful. Enemies track to where they last heard or saw you, not magically to your current location. Combine all this with the best-looking, most detailed, phenomenally lit game environments I've ever seen and now you have one hell of an immersive action stealth sandbox.

The mixed bag part comes in when we start talking about the story. In terms of production value, The Last of Us Part 2 is industry leading. These are incredible cutscenes with the best facial animations and acting. The moment to moment writing and during-gameplay interactions I still really like. I think that's a fundamental part of making this type of game work. Companions like Dina and Lev really help the feel of the gameplay in their respective sections. Even the macro story I'm pretty onboard with. I frequently indulge in the most miserable of movies. But the execution and pacing of the revenge/redemption/cycle of violence plot lost me so hard. Looking back at how safe Part 1 played it, I'm totally onboard with games and their stories pushing the envelope. I'm glad a story like this was attempted. I just think Naughty Dog fell short.

The Last of Us

A Naughty Dog Double Feature

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Why is The Last of Us Part II #3?

No Return and The Last of Us Part II's gameplay had me itching to place it over its predecessor. It's flaws as well as its triumphs kept me mulling over this one far longer than Part I. I love this game, but it is far from the perfection of the first.

2. The Last of Us Part I

The Last of Us Part 1 is an all-time classic video game. The ultra-linear, scripted, narrative-driven action/stealth game is not my area of expertise, but I was really glad I tried something different and thoroughly enjoyed it. The immersive action/stealth combat, the incredible environments, and the iconic relationship between Joel and Ellie were the highlights for me, but really, it's just a very complete and well-rounded package.

The Last of Us

A Naughty Dog Double Feature

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Why is The Last of Us Part I #2?

The Last of Us, while not my perfect game, is damn close to being a perfect game. I really appreciate how seamless everything is. The writing is A+, the acting is A+, the soundtrack is A+, the graphics are better than A+, the gameplay is a solid B+. It hard to find any holes in this one.

1. Factorio: Space Age

If you read my previous article on Factorio, you would know the promotional material for Space Age is what motivated me to learn Factorio in the first place. So, last year, I buckled down and immersed myself in just the base game. My first playthrough took me from September all the way through February. I learned the ins and outs of the base game, really enjoying the progression, loving the ways to automate processes, and of course dedicating a lot of time to trains, because trains are cool. I came away from the six-month playthrough feeling like I had just found a perfect game. I really had no complaints, no bugs to report and all in all it felt like a very complete package. And then I remembered Space Age existed. Before diving back in, I decided to take an intermission and play some other games to refresh and cleanse the palate. But in due time I returned, ready to go to explore space. Here's my article from the start of the year, for just the base game.

Factorio

The Factory Must Grow

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So, for the past couple months I've been playing the Space Age expansion. I have re-consumed by the factory building and never-ending automation, just this time, there's four more planets and space to learn and explore. Space Age has new technology and science, new items and productions centers, but more importantly it has new ways of fundamentally playing Factorio. The new planets offer new base resources which in turn significantly alter how you think about building and automating a factory. These developers didn't rest on their laurels and just had new toys; they asked players to continue to learn. New concepts like molten metals, scrap, organic matter, and the outside temperature force the player to setup factories that looks completely foreign to the tried-and-true methods found on Nauvis. Each planet is its own puzzle and together with space platforms, create a larger, interplanetary ecosystem that must be solved. Needless to say, I'm still chipping away at this puzzle and will be for some time. So for now, here's a video showcasing just my Nauvis factory at the time of launching my first space platform. At the time of writing, I'm currently attempting to craft a space platform that can reach Aquilo, the fourth and sort of final planet. I am working on a Space Age article, but who knows when I'll be done with that, I first have to finish my playthrough.

Why is Factorio: Space Age #1?

It's Factorio but now in space too... I had this earmarked for #1 before I even bought the expansion this year. So, unsurprisingly, the game is that great and here we are with Factorio getting essentially back-to-back GOTY awards.

Honorable/Dishonorable Mentions

Great Replays

Slay the Spire
Played through the early ascensions on iOS over a vacation. It's been a couple years and was feeling out a full-blown ascension climb or set of A20 runs and came away not feeling it. That being said, the 15 or so runs I did complete were great as usual. I think I'm just done really pushing it with this game. I've played to A20 on PC and Android accounts and on top of that have done a bunch of A20 runs. It's probably in my top 3 games in terms of playtime all platforms considered. Slay the Spire 2 has a lot to live up to.

In the Conversation

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
If this game was actually finished, there's a good chance it would have been in my top 5. As of Dec 2025, it looks like GSC has put significant effort into getting this game into a better state. Because I was a bit burnt out on it when I dropped it back in March, I haven't been eager to jump back in. I think I'll wait another year or two. With that being said, while HoC is not the original trilogy by any means, there's something to this one that still has that spark. I hope GSC can see this through.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

An “Early Access” Review

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Mediocrity

Quake II
This shit is the basics done right… but it's still the basics. You can't get more quintessential 90s FPS than Quake II. It's the lager of video games. You're not really allowed to complain about it because it’s cheap and goes down easy. But then you have weirdos who think it's part of their identity to drink a case of this shit on every day they have off. No thanks man, I'll have one can, it's fine... This sums up how I feel about these 90s FPS games. Fun in short intervals, exhaustingly boring overall. After playing a ton of Factorio over the past month, someone mentioned Quake to me, and it gave me this little itch. Maybe that's what these dudes feel when Saturday rolls around. But I recalled I had Quake II in my library and figured I'd give it a twirl for a level or two. I hopped in and yeah, then game is fun and atmospheric. The guns are memorable, very distinct sounding, the monsters are very killable, the levels are generic, sci-fi base template material, etc... That fun lasted me for about 30 minutes and then I was good. But like that half full case of Miller in your basement fridge, it nags at me not to finish a rather short and fun game like Quake II. So, despite consistently not enjoying playing more than 30 minutes I chipped away at it and beat Quake II… just so I can write this review and say I beat it and to tell you not to bother. My recommendation is that if you're curious, try one of the many 90s shooters and then unless you loved it, stop there. For some reason I've played Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM I and II, and now Quake I and II. Outside of the obvious technical improvements, these are all pretty much the same thing, surfin around shootin' shit and there ain't nothing wrong with that. Just don’t expect me to drink a couple cans in an afternoon and pretend to enjoy it.

Mini Metro
Mini Metro is a fun, little strategy game with a clean, minimalist aesthetic. I played it on mobile and enjoyed the simple and intuitive controls alongside the relatively basic gameplay mechanics. These things make it easy to jump in and out of even if a significant amount of time has passed. When I did have the audio up, the immersive and integrated soundtrack/sound effects are wonderful. The little blips and boops combine with an evolving ambient hum to create the impression of trains whirring around in a city's metro. The strategy elements that weren't apparent at first slowly started to appear to me. The thought process on which lines to connect to which station based on their shapes or sequence of shapes in the line gave the game a little more depth than I initially thought it had. Where it goes downhill is that it's a high score type game with a late game that is impossible to understand. The later stages when you have seven lines going, connecting dozens of stations, things become a blur. Troubleshooting problems becomes really tricky because it's simply too hard to keep track of everything at a certain point. Trains are really hard to spot in the jumbled mess of your metro. Game over never felt that defeating but the conclusions to my runs were certainly never satisfying. I just moved on and tried another city since there's so many in the game. All in all, Mini Metro is a nice mobile game with simple strategy elements and high-level production value held back by an unsatisfying gameplay loop.

Scorn
If the developers of Scorn were to reopen development on Scorn and were looking for advice, my first suggestion would be to pick one of two directions. Either go back to the drawing board in all the aforementioned areas, keeping Scorn a horror game or strip it all down except for the art and game world and turn it into a 3D or even VR art exhibit. This in between effort just doesn't work as a complete game in my opinion. It feels like 90% of the effort here was poured into the art and 3D models and everything else got the other 10%. At least they succeeded in where they put their effort. The art design is so good at times that you forget how annoyed you are with the rest of the game and just revel in the majesty of it all. This one was another Cousin Ben recommendation... sorry man but cool art doesn't make a good game.

Scorn

Art vs Atmosphere

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Didn’t Click

Death Stranding
This one suffered heavily from following up The Last of Us Part 1/2. Going straight from TLOU's cutscenes, writing, acting to Death Stranding's is like following up The Godfather Part 1 and 2 with The Last Jedi. Death Stranding's dialogue and acting is dry and straight-forward, this goes for the camera as well, static, boring, lifeless. Everything you need to know is battered into your brain repeatedly. This is both a critique and a partial-credit compliment. I'm glad I roughly knew what was going on in a world with so many new terms and concepts, but I also hated waiting around watching characters explain things in the most uninspired way possible. Death Stranding was a certified Cousin Ben recommendation, so I'm curious to here why this stuff works for him.
On a whole different note, who allowed this UI and menu design through QA testing. So much nonsense, so many little numbers, lines of text, things ticking, I hated it. Oh, you turned in a package? Here's four menu screens forced into your face to convey nothing of substance. More information isn't always a good thing!
I did like the on-foot traversal system. The route-planning, use of tools like ladders and ropes, and the more tactile walking mechanics were all great in my opinion. I feel like there's a game in here that I'd like much more. One that has serene yet trepidatious traversal mechanics, a mysterious, more restrained sci-fi, alternate future story, and just less stuff overall. I'm referring to gear, packages, pickups, resource-management, on-screen notifications, gimmicks like the private rooms, etc. But then I guess it's not a Kojima game...

The Long Dark
The Long Dark is just not something I can play right now, much less enjoy. For a game that strives for immersion and realism there's an awful lot of waiting around in menus. Some the systems and certainly the world design and art direction I find very compelling, but I just can't get into this one right now.

The Walking Dead
Completed Episode 1 of Season 1, got a little ways into Episode 2 and just haven't been hooked. I haven't really played these types of story-based, choice-centric games before and this one didn't convince me I'd be into the genre. Might come back to this and try again, but for now I've lost interest.

shapez
Played this one on mobile and went from quite fun to frustrating pretty fast. The lack of a copy paste function killed this one for me. It had the opportunity to be a minimalist, mobile, Factorio-like but became way too tedious too fast for me to have fun with it. Also, the goal of just jamming different shapes into a box at the center of your factory is a little boring.

Sevastromo Station Hall of Fame: Class of 2025

While I may have fell short in playing a significant number of noteworthy games this year, that may have been in part due to the quality of the games I did play. 2025 will see two new entrants into the Hall of Fame, one going into the hallowed Kiln of the First Flame Wing.

One housekeeping note, I've opened the Game of the Year Wing. Sounds pretty self-explanatory, but essentially, I went back in the archives and listed out all my GOTYs going back to 2016. It's a nice quick way to see what games have come out on top over years without having to flip through articles.

📕The Narrative-Driven Wing📕

The Last of Us Part I is the second inductee into the Narrative-Driven Wing. SOMA set the bar last year and The Last of Us quickly followed that up. While the end result is similar, the reasons for these two games being selected are fairly far apart when you get into the details. SOMA is thought provoking thanks to really unique situations and novel questions about what it means to be human. The Last of Us is by all rights derivative and asks fairly basic questions about how far you're willing to go to protect the ones you love. So, why is The Last of Us being recognized here? It's as simple as execution. The Last of Us portrays Joel and Ellie's characters to such a realistic and relatable degree that even someone like me, who's not usually into it for the story, gets wrapped around their fingers. The actors give it their all, the detailed facial animations are unbelievable, and the down-to-earth writing connects. This game's narrative was so compelling that it had me buying its controversial sequel, full price on its release day for PC. I never do that...

Where I see parallels with SOMA is in the overall narrative's pacing and sense of progression. The Last of Us is a tight game with not a lot of frills, while being a very memorable game. It's easy to recall different sections by their location in the United States. I can just as easily think back to the time of year different events took place. The Last of Us has a great sense of time and place that accompanies its narrative. I know I am over a decade late to the party celebrating The Last of Us, but I'm glad I finally made it here.

The Last of Us

A Naughty Dog Double Feature

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🔥The Kiln of the First Flame Wing🔥

Usually, it takes a couple of years for a game to earn a spot in The Kiln of the First Flame Wing, not Factorio. I've played it too much and it's simply too great not to recognize in this fashion. It received my GOTY in 2024 and that was just based on the starter factory I managed to build in my first run. In 2025, I built a massive 600 spm factory off the back of that starter base, then eventually broke down and started all over again with the Space Age expansion. In my second playthrough, which is still ongoing, I enjoyed the hell out of revisiting the early game. This time being more efficient and more ridiculous with my designs. I'm just starting to grasp Space Age now, beginning to wrap my head around space platforms and all the new planets. What more is there to say... check out my factory tour from my first playthrough, perhaps soon I'll put out one for Space Age too.

Factorio

The Factory Must Grow

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Bonus Section: Plans for 2026