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Our assembly of game industry experts has placed Helldivers 2 prominently on our 2023 Most Wanted list, which brings us a small sense of accomplishment. The excitement surrounding Arrowhead’s 2024 cooperative shooter wasn’t insignificant prior to its release, but it attracted significantly less mainstream attention before it became PlayStation’s quickest-selling game than it does after. Sometimes we can predict trends.
And other times we cannot—I certainly won’t forget my forecast that Concord would gain popularity (and hopefully no one recalls how much I praised Brink)—however, I believe our collective insight is fairly well-tuned across the team. As we approach 2025, here are six games that members of the PC Gamer team believe you ought to be aware of, as they may turn out to be larger successes than the current excitement suggests. (Although perhaps not Helldivers 2-level successes.)
Solasta 2
We can only relive Baldur’s Gate 3 so many times. (He remarked, even though his Honour Mode playthrough remains in act two.) Solasta: Crown of the Magister offered an alternative means to indulge in D&D 5E through a video game, and a sequel that replicates this with improved writing and more of D&D’s character options available from the start—rather waiting for downloadable content to cover the unusual aspects—would be appreciated. Don’t underestimate the contingent of players looking for opportunities to upcast magic missiles. Solasta 2 does not have a release date yet, however, an early access launch on Steam is anticipated this year. —Jody Macgregor, Weekend/AU Editor
Menace
The creator of the remarkable Battle Brothers has an upcoming title that aims to merge the emergent storytelling and intense survival struggle of that game with an XCOM-style extraterrestrial attack. The lineup for 2025 lacks numerous turn-based tactical games thus far, and I believe this could emerge as a significant highlight for the genre this year. I think the primary drawback that prevented Battle Brothers from achieving a larger success was its eccentric and somewhat simplistic visuals—Menace‘s more cinematic aesthetics seem to be the last piece of the puzzle falling into place. –Robin Valentine, Senior Editor
Big Walk
Upon the announcement of the “online walker-talker” by the creators of Untitled Goose Game, I found myself thinking “oh cool” and eventually kind of dismissed it. However, I believe there’s a solid possibility that Big Walk will experience a viral moment this year akin to the chaotic goose shenanigans of 2020.
Big Walk seems poised to launch around the peak of one of the ongoing PC gaming phenomena we’ve been observing: the surge of co-op proximity chat horror experiences like Lethal Company. While this title isn’t horror-centric, it embodies that playful spirit with friends, physics, and puzzles reminiscent of my favorite moments across Phasmophobia, Sea of Thieves, and We Were Here, all combined. The trailer for Big Walk clearly indicates that House House remains well-acquainted with its talent for physical humor and comedic timing. I can already envision my Discord group sharing hearty laughter while exploring Big Walk, and if it debuts at the perfect time, it might become an unexpected multiplayer sensation for the year. —Lauren Morton, Associate Editor
Hyper Light Breaker
Hyper Light Breaker may not be entirely niche or a complete unfamiliar title, but I believe it has a solid chance of breaking out and achieving a sustained, explosive triumph like Risk of Rain 2—a game that shares numerous similarities with HLB. Given that RoR 2 has faced numerous challenges since transitioning to Gearbox’s management from original developer Hopoo Games (now a part of Valve), there could be an overlooked demand for “3D action roguelike sequel to 2010s pixel art indie hit.”
Adding to my vibe-based predictions, I’ve always felt that Hyper Light Drifter was a game cherished outside the typical indie game enthusiast demographic, and a substantial segment of its audience might have missed Heart Machine’s initially Epic-exclusive sequel, Solar Ash. Breaker is certainly on a promising path by launching in early access (and on Steam) right at the start of the year on January 13—but—Elden Ring: Nightreign, which is set to release later in 2025, poses some tough competition in the 3D roguelike action-RPG arena. —Ted Litchfield, Associate Editor
Psycho Patrol R
Cruelty Squad ought to represent a genuine disturbed individual’s game, an action-oriented immersive simulation where elaborate systems, trippy artistic style, and surreal prose all seem actively unwelcoming to the participant. Therefore, I’ve continually been amazed at its consistent popularity: Nearly 18,000 largely favorable Steam evaluations at the moment of writing, with snippets and references to the game catching me off guard where I least anticipate them on social media. Its humorously bleak portrayal of a monetized, gig economy-oriented distant future indeed establishes it as the quintessential game for our current era—I’m grateful that Luigi Mangione never experienced it, leading the humor sections to concoct a scandal about him being enthusiastic for Among Us instead.
Consumer Softproducts’ forthcoming title, Psycho Patrol R, encompasses numerous overlapping features with Cruelty Squad: That chaotic, pitch-black wit, extensive and elaborate immersive sim environment layout, and a simulated stock exchange sensitive to the player’s choices, to mention a few. There is at least one significant twist though: It’s a mechanized game where swapping freely between ground-based and armored exploration, Titanfall-style, is a possibility. Not only did Cruelty Squad motivate many mimics and highlight a distinct demand for its kind of product, but I also believe the seamless transition from ground-level shooting to mech operating and back is a seldom pursued, challenging execution that could enhance Psycho Patrol R’s attractiveness even more. —Ted Litchfield, Associate Editor
Midnight Murder Club
I’m making a bold guess here, since I had no knowledge of Midnight Murder Club until recently, and if you kept up with matters last year, you’re aware that I’ve been unsuccessful in making predictions about the fortunes of multiplayer shooters released by Sony—but hear me out!
Midnight Murder Club shares some visual characteristics with Phasmophobia—flashlights, proximity chat, eerie vibes—but it’s a PvP setup with everyone wielding a revolver. I’m uncertain about the red laser beam tracers indicating bullet trajectories (maybe I’ll understand it once I try it myself), but other than that, it appears to be a lot of excitement. It’s developed by Velan Studios, which formerly created Knockout City—that game didn’t achieve significant longevity as a live service, but it was outstanding, so there’s a standard for quality here.
In addition to its thematic resemblances to titles like Phasmophobia and Lethal Company, I detect a ‘Hunt: Showdown lite’ ambiance in Midnight Murder Club. A beta was conducted in December, and the feedback has been positive. It’s set to launch in February, as per the Steam page, and I believe we’ll witness it rising significantly on the Twitch charts. —Tyler Wilde, US Editor-in-Chief
Bonus selection: Grand Theft Auto 6
I understand your point: there are six of these titles that I have never come across? Odd, but it is indeed accurate: GTA (as fans seemingly refer to it) has been existing since 1997, created by the company “Rockstar Games” (alright, relax, you aren’t true rockstars!). Despite being largely overlooked by both the media and the gaming community, I believe GTA 6 possesses the potential to become a significant success: the preview appears good, albeit somewhat focused on the driving aspects. Perhaps that explains why it is named Grand Theft “Auto”? We will find out for certain later this year.—Christopher Livingston, Senior Editor
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