2D action games are my comfort food, but with a few notable exceptions like *Shovel Knight*, they rarely exceed my expectations. The *Shantae* and *Gunvolt* games, as well as other titles like *Guacamelee* are all *fine*. They’re good enough to play and enjoy but don’t leave much of an impact. Even *Hollow Knight* is a game that I really just *liked*. For the longest time it seemed like things had more or less peaked with Capcom and the Mega Man X series on top and that was it, which was pretty sad.
# Best Open World RPG
Well, Team Cherry has cracked the code with a healthy infusion of Zero from Mega Man X4, Bloodborne, and actually good writing. I was never that hype for it so *Silksong* soared above my expectations. The art is great, the music is great, the bosses are great, the world building is great, and Hornet is fucking awesome to play as. They did it! I never expected to have two metroidvanias in my all time favorite games but here we are.
Technically the Switch 2 version came out in 2025
The game was reportedly a hot mess when it came out, and I didn’t have anything that could play it anyway, so I was happy to let it pass me by, but when it was announced as a Switch 2 launch title I decided it was finally time to give it a shot. It’s still an open world game and there’s too many things of varying quality to do, but I loved absolutely loved it.
I have a weird relationship with open world games. I’m the type of player who likes to do all of the side content, but after repeatedly burning out on the early Grand Theft Auto games, supposedly the cream of the crop, I kind of gave up on the idea. *Breath of the Wild* is the first open world game I actually completed, but that felt like an exception. It doesn’t help that I’m not that big on western fantasy. Cyberpunk though? That’s my shit.
The gameplay is mostly good and I had fun playing as a cybernetic demigod but the real appeal for me was in the roleplaying and world building. Night City is grimy, the technology is cool, and I really enjoyed the characters. The story is pretty typical cyberpunk fare with ample moments of desperation and betrayal, and the acting is great and really elevates the experience. By the end of the game I was really invested in my relationship with ~~Keanu Reeves~~ Johnny Silverhand.
# Best JRPGs???
## Also a tie!
*Felvidek* is so strange. Mechanically it’s pretty similar to a *Dragon Quest* style RPG but the Middle Ages setting, lo-fi aesthetic, bizarre narrative, and twisted sense of humor felt super fresh. I’m not even sure how to describe the plot but you play as an alcoholic knight that’s very hung up on his ex and he ends up getting involved in a crazy conspiracy with coffee(???) and demons(???).
The DLC was icing on the cake. It felt like they took everything they learned from the initial release to make a tighter and more focused standalone experience, and somehow it still integrates really well with the main plot. Keanu is still my number one but Idris Elba puts in phenomenal work as well. I don’t know how this game compares to the *The Witcher*, but as far as I am concerned it’s an essential experience.
It’s a pretty short experience with more narrative branching than I would have expected and boy does the story *go places*. It’s frequently hilarious but also gets very dark at times without feeling inconsistent. I don’t really want to spoil anything but I think it’s a must play for anyone who’s into slightly weird stuff.
*Formless Star* is also strange, but it’s a much more simple and charming experience. You are a member of a crew that goes around cataloguing “animals” and you end up on the Formless Star, a planet that changes every time you leave your spaceship. The animal collecting element is very referential to *Moon: Remix RPG Adventure* but you don’t actually need to know anything about that game to enjoy this one.
Technically I guess it could be called a roguelite because of the RNG aspect, but there’s no fail state so you’re really just doing however many “runs” until you complete your collection. There’s no pressure or difficulty to speak of. Most of your time is spent wandering around just vibing and admiring the great artwork and silly visual gags while you look for animals. It’s not the most exciting game, but it’s a fun, short, and unique experience that I highly recommend to everyone.
Favorite Games Played in 2025
# Best Metroidvania
## It's a tie!
Didn't come out in 2025
2D action games are my comfort food, but with a few notable exceptions like *Shovel Knight*, they rarely exceed my expectations. The *Shantae* and *Gunvolt* games, as well as other titles like *Guacamelee* are all *fine*. They’re good enough to play and enjoy but don’t leave much of an impact. Even *Hollow Knight* is a game that I really just *liked*. For the longest time it seemed like things had more or less peaked with Capcom and the Mega Man X series on top and that was it, which was pretty sad.
# Best Open World RPG
Well, Team Cherry has cracked the code with a healthy infusion of Zero from Mega Man X4, Bloodborne, and actually good writing. I was never that hype for it so *Silksong* soared above my expectations. The art is great, the music is great, the bosses are great, the world building is great, and Hornet is fucking awesome to play as. They did it! I never expected to have two metroidvanias in my all time favorite games but here we are.
Technically the Switch 2 version came out in 2025
The game was reportedly a hot mess when it came out, and I didn’t have anything that could play it anyway, so I was happy to let it pass me by, but when it was announced as a Switch 2 launch title I decided it was finally time to give it a shot. It’s still an open world game and there’s too many things of varying quality to do, but I loved absolutely loved it.
I have a weird relationship with open world games. I’m the type of player who likes to do all of the side content, but after repeatedly burning out on the early Grand Theft Auto games, supposedly the cream of the crop, I kind of gave up on the idea. *Breath of the Wild* is the first open world game I actually completed, but that felt like an exception. It doesn’t help that I’m not that big on western fantasy. Cyberpunk though? That’s my shit.
The gameplay is mostly good and I had fun playing as a cybernetic demigod but the real appeal for me was in the roleplaying and world building. Night City is grimy, the technology is cool, and I really enjoyed the characters. The story is pretty typical cyberpunk fare with ample moments of desperation and betrayal, and the acting is great and really elevates the experience. By the end of the game I was really invested in my relationship with ~~Keanu Reeves~~ Johnny Silverhand.
# Best JRPGs???
## Also a tie!
*Felvidek* is so strange. Mechanically it’s pretty similar to a *Dragon Quest* style RPG but the Middle Ages setting, lo-fi aesthetic, bizarre narrative, and twisted sense of humor felt super fresh. I’m not even sure how to describe the plot but you play as an alcoholic knight that’s very hung up on his ex and he ends up getting involved in a crazy conspiracy with coffee(???) and demons(???).
The DLC was icing on the cake. It felt like they took everything they learned from the initial release to make a tighter and more focused standalone experience, and somehow it still integrates really well with the main plot. Keanu is still my number one but Idris Elba puts in phenomenal work as well. I don’t know how this game compares to the *The Witcher*, but as far as I am concerned it’s an essential experience.
It’s a pretty short experience with more narrative branching than I would have expected and boy does the story *go places*. It’s frequently hilarious but also gets very dark at times without feeling inconsistent. I don’t really want to spoil anything but I think it’s a must play for anyone who’s into slightly weird stuff.
*Formless Star* is also strange, but it’s a much more simple and charming experience. You are a member of a crew that goes around cataloguing “animals” and you end up on the Formless Star, a planet that changes every time you leave your spaceship. The animal collecting element is very referential to *Moon: Remix RPG Adventure* but you don’t actually need to know anything about that game to enjoy this one.
Technically I guess it could be called a roguelite because of the RNG aspect, but there’s no fail state so you’re really just doing however many “runs” until you complete your collection. There’s no pressure or difficulty to speak of. Most of your time is spent wandering around just vibing and admiring the great artwork and silly visual gags while you look for animals. It’s not the most exciting game, but it’s a fun, short, and unique experience that I highly recommend to everyone.