If 2024 was a year filled with game releases, 2025 promises to be no less exciting, with countless titles we eagerly await to play and review for you! Forced to make a choice, here are five games we think will cater to a wide variety of gamers, helping you look forward to 2025 with even more hype!
Monster Hunter: Wilds
Monster Hunter: Wilds (which we’ve briefly wrote about) is an adventure game that promises to redefine the hunting experience with a freer and more personal approach, focusing on exploration and survival. Set in a vast and interconnected ecosystem, Wilds features diverse biomes, each with its own unique fauna, flora, and dangers.
Players must learn to read the environment, use limited resources, and adapt to changing weather conditions to survive and thrive.
One standout feature is its flexible progression system: there are no fixed paths, and every decision—be it weapon choice or monster engagement strategy—impacts the character’s evolution. The arsenal combines traditional weapons with unique creations based on gathered resources, encouraging creative approaches to battles. Each monster is designed with complex, dynamic behaviors, making every hunt a unique experience where cunning and preparation are essential.
Artistically, Monster Hunter: Wilds stands out for its visual style, blending realistic details with a stylized touch to create a vibrant, pulsating world. The environments aren’t just backdrops but integral to the experience, featuring hidden caves, mysterious ruins, and story-rich locations to explore. The soundtrack, a mix of orchestral melodies and nature sounds, enhances player immersion.
With its deep gameplay, captivating world, and bold vision, Monster Hunter: Wilds aims to win over series veterans while introducing newcomers to a freer, more personal hunting experience. Mark your calendars for February 28, 2025, to dive into the hunt!
DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM: The Dark Ages (whose trailer we’ve analyzed) serves as a prequel to the legendary shooter franchise, setting the action in a dark and brutal medieval context. It transforms the series’ hallmark adrenaline and frenzy into a gothic hack-and-slash experience.
Developed by a team passionate about the original material, the game immerses players in a world ravaged by infernal forces, where a doomed knight must battle through haunted castles, cursed caves, and blood-soaked battlefields. Instead of guns, players wield swords, hammers, crossbows, and spells, with a combat system combining fast attacks, precise dodges, and brutal executions.
The game’s aesthetic draws from medieval art, with gloomy lighting and details emphasizing a world on the brink of ruin. Storytelling unfolds through evocative settings, cryptic scrolls, and minimal dialogue, keeping the focus on action and immersion. Despite its historical setting, DOOM: The Dark Ages retains the series’ frantic pace, with relentless hordes of enemies and a soundtrack mixing medieval choirs with metal riffs to heighten tension.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a love letter to long-time fans and a bold experiment proving the essence of DOOM thrives in new settings and genres. We eagerly await a release date to dive into it!
Fable
Fable, the beloved RPG that defined an era with its whimsical world and moral choice depth, returns with an ambitious project by Playground Games. This reimagining seeks to capture the series’ essence for a new generation of players. Developed by a small, passionate indie team, the title revives the spirit of the saga.
The game uses the ForzaTech engine, renowned for creating detailed environments, enabling a vibrant and realistic Albion with breathtaking landscapes and well-defined characters. Graphics enhancements promise quick loading times and unprecedented responsiveness, optimized for Xbox Series X|S. Gameplay emphasizes exploration, character interactions, and impactful player decisions while retaining the series’ signature humor. Every action, big or small, affects the world, influencing both the story and the protagonist’s appearance.
The moral choice system, one of the standout features of the original series, has been expanded and made more complex. Every decision, from helping a villager in distress to how you interact with enemies, will affect the world, altering not only the story but also the protagonist’s physical appearance and reputation. These changes are reflected in the gameplay, where being perceived as a virtuous hero or a fearsome antihero modifies interactions with NPCs, the available quests, and even market prices.
From a technical perspective, the game embraces an artistic style that balances a cartoonish aesthetic with modern details, creating a vibrant world imbued with a melancholic undertone. The soundtrack, composed of evocative orchestral themes, perfectly intertwines with the narrative’s most intense moments, evoking memories of the melodies that defined Fable’s identity. The team has also introduced new gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to customize character abilities and manage a deeper relationship system, making every choice even more impactful.
This project is not just a simple homage: it is a true labor of love for longtime fans while also aiming to attract a new audience who has never had the chance to explore the world of Albion. With its blend of nostalgia and innovation, the game promises to honor the legacy of one of the most iconic RPG series while pushing it to new creative heights. We eagerly await more news on the release date!
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond marks a highly anticipated return for Nintendo’s series, with bounty hunter Samus Aran set to embark on a new galactic adventure in 2025. After years of waiting and a troubled development process that saw the project initially canceled and then restarted, the game was finally revealed in a trailer during the Nintendo Direct. This new chapter will not be a reboot but will continue the story from the original trilogy, retaining the first-person exploration and combat mechanics that have defined the series since its debut.
The gameplay of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond promises to be rich in action and adventure, with a strong emphasis on exploration. Players will navigate diverse and detailed environments, including lush forests and mysterious ruins, while facing enemies like the Space Pirates. The trailer showcased dynamic and intense combat sequences, highlighting real-time events, representing an evolution compared to previous titles.
An innovative aspect of the game lies in its Heads-Up Display (HUD), designed to seamlessly integrate with the setting without distracting the player. Jon Wofford, HUD lead at Retro Studios, emphasized the importance of creating a cohesive visual experience that preserves immersion in the game world.
The story will revolve around the threat posed by the mysterious bounty hunter Sylux, a character already known to fans of the series but little explored in previous entries. The narrative will intertwine with the exploration of the planet’s lore, a fundamental element of the Metroid saga that allows players to uncover the story through environmental analysis.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set for release in 2025 on Nintendo Switch, but there is speculation about a possible version for the next-generation “Switch 2” console. Despite uncertainties regarding the platform, fans are excited for Samus Aran’s return and the new adventures that await. With the mix of nostalgia and innovation promised by Retro Studios, this title is shaping up to be a must-play for longtime fans and newcomers to the world of Metroid alike.
Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert, developed by Pearl Abyss, stands out as one of the most anticipated titles in the realm of open-world action RPGs, with a release scheduled for the first quarter of 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Initially conceived as an MMORPG prequel to Black Desert Online, the project underwent a significant transformation, evolving into a single-player adventure that promises to blend dynamic gameplay with a deep and engaging narrative. Players will take on the role of Kliff, a mercenary navigating a gritty and captivating medieval world marked by political conflicts and fantastical creatures.
The gameplay of Crimson Desert is notable for its variety and depth. The combat mechanics are designed to provide a fluid and strategic experience, allowing for spectacular combos and the use of special abilities. Recent gameplay footage showcased battles against formidable foes, such as the witch Hexe Marie, revealing a combat system that promises to be both visceral and immersive. Additionally, the game introduces vertical exploration elements, such as floating islands, further enriching the game world and encouraging interaction with the surroundings.
The story of Crimson Desert unfolds around the power struggle in a kingdom torn apart by the king’s death. Kliff will need to form alliances with other characters to face the threats looming over Pywel, a continent rich in history. The narrative will not only drive the protagonist’s actions but also influence player choices, making every decision critical to the kingdom’s fate. This narrative approach aims to create an immersive experience where actions have significant consequences.
Despite the excitement surrounding the game, there have been concerns about technical performance, particularly regarding frame rate during more complex scenes. Pearl Abyss has acknowledged these issues and is actively working to optimize the game across all platforms, ensuring a smooth and seamless experience. The detailed graphics and expansive environments demand efficient resource management to guarantee the game runs well on both consoles and PC.
One of the most exciting developments is the availability of a playable demo to be showcased at events like Gamescom and G-STAR 2024. These opportunities will allow players to experience the gameplay firsthand, generating positive expectations for the title. With a strategic marketing campaign and growing interest from the gaming community, Crimson Desert has the potential not only to meet expectations but also to redefine the standards for contemporary open-world RPGs.
In summary, Crimson Desert is shaping up to be an epic adventure that combines fast-paced action and deep storytelling in a richly detailed world full of exploratory opportunities. With its release on the horizon in 2025, fans of the genre can look forward to diving into this new gaming experience.
Whatever your gameplay preferences look like, we’re sure 2025 will bring you countless hours of fun!
