The CGR Team felt that 2025 was a really, really strong year for video games. To have made it into any of our team's top three means that we felt the title was impactful in a number of ways. So while we are talking about the second runner-ups now, just because they didn't come out on top doesn't take anything away from how important we felt these games were this year.
Nick: Dynasty Warriors: Origins
I reviewed this title when it was released early in 2025, but it has not been forgotten about by me. In fact, I am very much looking forward to playing it again when the large DLC package for it comes out in early 2026. Why? Because this took the fun and frantic action that the Warriors series is known for, ratcheting it up even higher while weaving in a narrative that made it feel more like my story than ever before.
PY: Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
I loved the original Daemon X Machina years ago but the sequel was the sequel I both wanted and needed. Changing up giant mechs for smaller more compact mech suits, Titanic Scion made open world exploration fun.
Being able to fly around in your mech suit, fight against enemies of various sizes in both melee and long range was what my 2025 gaming needed. Topping that all off by being able to customize the hell out of my suit, and genetically modify myself for neat abilities? It was certainly worth the wait.
Susan: Monster Hunter Wilds
Sooo, I know that a lot of people are salty about Monster Hunter Wilds particularly because of the performance issues. There's also a lack of certain monsters and difficulties that tend to grind people's gears about the game. But, I enjoy Wilds - except for Omega. Omega can die in a fire. There's several dailies and upgrades you can get, different monsters you can go and take on, and title updates that have been launched every couple of months to keep things fresh. I also love the seasonal content and hanging out with my friends as we get gigarocked at times. I think part of why I love this game so much is not because of its consistent crashing or super long shader load times, but because of the time I get to play with friends and my significant other. Most of the fights are soloable and I'm proud to say that I did almost all of the story fights by myself which I did by choice. And, I have played Wilds a lot more than I did World because I understand the game a lot better. So, because of my playtime and enjoyment of the game, despite the issues it has, I have to give it the second runner up. Don't judge me!
Richard: Fire Hero: Pixel Rescue
Ha, you thought it would only be metroidvanias? Think again! Fire Hero: Pixel rescue is a really neat 2-D retro style platformer where you are a firefighter trying to save people. Nifty premise, and stages are short and fun to work through. Definitely would recommend.
~~~
