Ars Technica’s High 20 video video games of 2025

When we put collectively our prime 20 video games of final 12 months, we particularly known as out Civilization 7, Avowed, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Grand Theft Auto 6 as massive franchise video games we had been already trying ahead to for 2025. While a kind of video games has been delayed into 2026, the three others made this 12 months’s listing of Ars’ favourite video games as anticipated. They be part of a handful of different extremely anticipated sequels, starting from big-budget blockbusters to long-gestating indies, on the “expected” aspect of this 12 months’s listing.

But the video games that basically stood out for me in 2025 had been those that appeared to return out of nowhere. Those vary from hard-to-categorize roguelike puzzle video games to a gonzo, punishing mountainous strolling simulation, the most effective Geometry Wars clone in years, and a touching take a look at the difficulties of adolescence by way of the surprisingly efficient lens of mini-games.

As we glance towards 2026, there are many different big-budget initiatives that the trade is busy making ready for (the delayed Grand Theft Auto VI chief amongst them). If subsequent 12 months is something like this 12 months, although, we are able to sit up for loads extra video games that nobody noticed coming immediately vaulting into view as new classics.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Ubisoft Quebec; Windows, MaxOS, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, iPad

When I used to be youthful, I needed—and anticipated—just about each sport I performed to blow me away with one thing I’d not seen earlier than. It was simpler to hit that bar within the ’90s, when each the design and know-how of video games had been transferring at an unimaginable tempo.

Now, as somebody who nonetheless video games in his 40s, I’m excited to see that when it occurs, however I don’t anticipate it, Now, I more and more recognize video games that act as a form of consolation meals, and I worth some video games as a lot for his or her familiarity as I do their originality.

That’s what Assassin’s Creed Shadows is all about (as I wrote when it first got here out). It follows a well-trodden formulation, however it’s a superbly polished model of that formulation. Its world is grand and escapist, its audio and graphics presentation is immersive, and it makes room for a lot of totally different playstyles and talent ranges.