Gaming Review 2025
Dec. 31st, 2025 07:40 pmSummary
I know that my "games completed" list is a lot longer than last year, but there are a couple of things going on here. Firstly, in 2024 I started a lot of games without finishing and put a lot of hours into some of them - Zelda TOTK in particular I loved so much that I didn't want to finish! It's my comfort game that I wander around in to relax while often ignoring the story itself just to keep the vibes going.
Secondly, a lot of these games are a bit shorter than my 2024 games (40-70 hours rather than 130+) and I was much better at totally focusing on one game until it was finished rather than butterfly flitting.
In 2024, I was doing a lot of trying things while I worked out what kind of gaming I really love. This year, I know that RPGs are my jam and particularly ones with really good narratives. I have also been learning what types of combat I really love (and don't love). Turn-based is so much my jam. As much as I loved the story of Horizon, the combat was really difficult for me and I nearly quit at one point. I'm absolutely going to play Forbidden West, but the easiest difficulty setting is the only way I can do it and enjoy the experience. It turns out that games with any kind of free shooting/aiming mechanic are not where I shine and I don't enjoy the frustration of not being able to progress the story because I can't do the combat.
Expedition 33 was my top game of the year. Such a beautiful game both visually and musically, an incredible story that made me cry a few times, and turn-based combat mechanics that I adored. I highly recommend it. And new DLC dropped a couple of weeks ago that gives me a great reason to dive back in!
I absolutely loved Final Fantasy VII Remake (note the number of FF games on my "to be played" list) and it got me to play the original FFVII too. Eternal Strands was a lot of fun and I adored the characters.
I haven't upgraded to a Switch 2 (yet) and that's influenced the platform I play some games on - anything without a Switch 2 upgrade route is being bought on PS5 at the moment even if it feels more like a game I'd want in handheld. There's a high chance that at some point next year, this (or exclusive new games - Xenoblade Chronicles 4?) will push me over the edge into the upgrade.
My games to play list is longer than I can ever hope to play without quitting my job and every other activity in my life and it's constantly growing with new games and remakes coming out. I see that as a feature, not a bug, because I'm never going to run out of games to play at this rate. The hardest thing is deciding which one to play next!
Games completed 2025:
Stray
Eternal Strands
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Horizon Zero Dawn
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Original Final Fantasy VII
Games in progress (and loving and planning to finish next year) 2025:
Wylde Flowers
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Two Point Museum
Stardew Valley
Metaphor Refantasio
Games planned for 2026 (ones I have physical discs for or that I've played the demo for and really need or are part of FFVII series):
Final Fantasy XVI
Dragon Quest XI
Trails in The Sky 1st Chapter
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Games on my list to play later:
Mass Effect (1-3)
Horizon Forbidden West
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Yotei
The Witcher 3
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Baldur's Gate
Kingdoms of Amalar: Re-reckoning
Octopath Traveller 0
Dragon Quest III remake
Dragon Quest I & II remake
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy X/X2
Final Fantasy XV
2026 game releases I'm already excited for:
Fire Emblem: Fortunes Weave
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
Trails in the Sky Chapter 2
I know that my "games completed" list is a lot longer than last year, but there are a couple of things going on here. Firstly, in 2024 I started a lot of games without finishing and put a lot of hours into some of them - Zelda TOTK in particular I loved so much that I didn't want to finish! It's my comfort game that I wander around in to relax while often ignoring the story itself just to keep the vibes going.
Secondly, a lot of these games are a bit shorter than my 2024 games (40-70 hours rather than 130+) and I was much better at totally focusing on one game until it was finished rather than butterfly flitting.
In 2024, I was doing a lot of trying things while I worked out what kind of gaming I really love. This year, I know that RPGs are my jam and particularly ones with really good narratives. I have also been learning what types of combat I really love (and don't love). Turn-based is so much my jam. As much as I loved the story of Horizon, the combat was really difficult for me and I nearly quit at one point. I'm absolutely going to play Forbidden West, but the easiest difficulty setting is the only way I can do it and enjoy the experience. It turns out that games with any kind of free shooting/aiming mechanic are not where I shine and I don't enjoy the frustration of not being able to progress the story because I can't do the combat.
Expedition 33 was my top game of the year. Such a beautiful game both visually and musically, an incredible story that made me cry a few times, and turn-based combat mechanics that I adored. I highly recommend it. And new DLC dropped a couple of weeks ago that gives me a great reason to dive back in!
I absolutely loved Final Fantasy VII Remake (note the number of FF games on my "to be played" list) and it got me to play the original FFVII too. Eternal Strands was a lot of fun and I adored the characters.
I haven't upgraded to a Switch 2 (yet) and that's influenced the platform I play some games on - anything without a Switch 2 upgrade route is being bought on PS5 at the moment even if it feels more like a game I'd want in handheld. There's a high chance that at some point next year, this (or exclusive new games - Xenoblade Chronicles 4?) will push me over the edge into the upgrade.
My games to play list is longer than I can ever hope to play without quitting my job and every other activity in my life and it's constantly growing with new games and remakes coming out. I see that as a feature, not a bug, because I'm never going to run out of games to play at this rate. The hardest thing is deciding which one to play next!
Games completed 2025:
Stray
Eternal Strands
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Horizon Zero Dawn
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Original Final Fantasy VII
Games in progress (and loving and planning to finish next year) 2025:
Wylde Flowers
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Two Point Museum
Stardew Valley
Metaphor Refantasio
Games planned for 2026 (ones I have physical discs for or that I've played the demo for and really need or are part of FFVII series):
Final Fantasy XVI
Dragon Quest XI
Trails in The Sky 1st Chapter
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Games on my list to play later:
Mass Effect (1-3)
Horizon Forbidden West
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Yotei
The Witcher 3
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Baldur's Gate
Kingdoms of Amalar: Re-reckoning
Octopath Traveller 0
Dragon Quest III remake
Dragon Quest I & II remake
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy X/X2
Final Fantasy XV
2026 game releases I'm already excited for:
Fire Emblem: Fortunes Weave
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
Trails in the Sky Chapter 2



