The last twelve months have been packed with massive titles to compete for your attention, whether you play on a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox console, or one of the best gaming laptops. Here’s our guide to the best upcoming games for 2025, plus a few more to tide you over for the remainder of 2024.
Admittedly, some of these titles are ones that we had anticipated last year but got delayed. Nonetheless, after a couple of years of adjusting to both the latest console generation and development challenges brought on by the pandemic, the current-gen is finally hitting its stride.
But whether it’s the start of spring, a stacked summer, or beyond, there are plenty of exciting games coming up regardless of the platform you’re playing on. Read on for our picks of the best upcoming games.
1. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox, PS5, PS4
Made by just a team of three people, Hollow Knight is an indie Metroidvania that has just grown and grown in cult status since first releasing in 2017. Unsurprisingly then, anticipation for its follow-up Silksong has reached fever pitch.
Set in a haunted world of bugs, but presented in a gorgeous hand-drawn style, you play as the nimble Hornet, previously a deadly antagonist in the original game, facing all-new enemies and all-new challenges as you try and making your way up to the top of the kingdom you’ve been imprisoned in.
We still don’t know when Silksong will release, or whether Team Cherry will just drop it out of the blue, but at least throughout all the agonising wait, it’s been confirmed for every major platform, including Game Pass on day one.
Due: TBA
2. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
The fourth game in the Stalker series from Ukranian dev GSC Game World, Heart of Chornobyl will send you back into the exclusion zone around the infamous nuclear power station to survive, shoot monsters, and take on weird radioactive anomalies. The original game, released back in 2007, featured a hive-mind created from seven linked scientists, so who knows what the team has come up with to top that.
A first-person game set in a true open world, Heart of Chornobyl is being developed for the Unreal Engine 5. It should look excellent by taking advantage of the latest graphics technology, including ray-tracing.
Due: 10 November 2024
3. Metaphor: ReFantazio
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC
The first game from a brand new studio formed by some of the key people behind the Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantazio arrives on a tidal wave of hype from RPG fans. Launching as publisher Atlus celebrates its 35th anniversary, Metaphor swaps Persona’s Japan setting for a fantastical world where classic fantasy tropes meet subversive ‘human’ monsters that flip the genre on its head.
The fantasy world in question is the United Kingdom of Euchronia, whose king has been assassinated. With no heirs, a new monarch will emerge from the people, and your protagonist is one of many hoping to sit on the throne. With its fascinating setting, stunning visual direction and a hybrid turn-based and real-time combat system devised by some of the best in the business, it’s hard to see Metaphor: ReFantazio being anything other than an instant classic.
Due: October 11, 2024
4. Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Platforms: Switch
The Switch might be approaching the end of its life, but the farewell has been quite the ride for fans of Mario RPGs. At the end of last year we got a ground-up remake of the legendary Super Mario RPG, then came the equally beloved Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, finally remastered for the HD age. And before 2024 is out we’ll be playing a brand new entry in the Mario & Luigi series. This time the moustachioed brothers are off on a cruise around the colourful world of Concordia, using Shipshape Island (part ship, part island, naturally) to travel to different areas.
Like in previous Mario & Luigi games, the big gameplay hook is simultaneously controlling both brothers, using their signature Bros. Moves to explore the world and get the upper hand in turn–based battles. For a while it looked like this series might have died with the DS era, so it’s great to see Nintendo giving it another spin.
Due: November 7, 2024
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Solid Snake meets real snake in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a game that sees the brooding mercenary go full Rambo. Coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a pretty true to the title remake of Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece, albeit without his actual involvement.
Gameplay footage and previews have shown off jungle critters being eaten, enemies being thrown down with CQC, and a level of detail the PS2 could only dream of at the time. But if the remaster of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is anything like the original, it’ll be the strongest game in the series.
Due: 2024
6. Batman: Arkham Shadow
Platforms: Meta Quest 3
It’s fair to say that Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad wasn’t the next Arkham game that many fans of the beloved Batman trilogy had hoped it would be, but it turns out that wasn’t the only new entry we’re getting in the series in 2024. Batman: Arkham Shadow is a VR game coming exclusively to the Meta Quest 3 later this year, and serves as a direct sequel to the often overlooked Batman: Arkham Origins, which wasn’t developed by Rocksteady.
Bats will face off against the mysterious Rat King, whose followers have kidnapped a number of high-profile public officials of Gotham, and we’ll get to see the origins of better known rogues like Harley Quinn and and Scarecrow, both of which had starring roles in Batman: Arkham Asylum, which chronologically follows the new game. The narrative intrigue is certainly there, and with the promise of familiar Arkham mechanics such as freeflowing combat, predator encounters and detective sequences all being recreated in immersive VR, this is one to keep an eye on if you’re looking for a flashy new Quest 3 game to show off.
Due: 22 October 2024
7. Lego Horizon Adventures
Platforms: PS5, PC, Switch
The Horizon series has already been Lego-ified in real life, and now Aloy and all the robotic dinosaurs with which she likes to do battle are getting their own Lego game to boot. Decidedly more light-hearted than the mainline PlayStation games, LEGO Horizon Adventures recreates Guerilla Games’ distinctive post-apocalyptic world with Lego bricks, seemingly going back to the start of Aloy’s journey, when she was discovered in a cave as a baby and raised by Rost the huntsman.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is designed to be played in co-op, either online or locally, without the need for split-screen, and as you’d expect from a Lego game there will be plenty of opportunities for customisation as you play – and to smash things, of course. Interestingly, this one is coming to Switch as well as PS5 and PC at launch, which will be the first time a Horizon game has appeared on another console.
Due: 2024
8. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC
These days, new Like a Dragon games seem to be arriving with the same regularity as FIFA and CoD, which is daunting for those still playing catchup, but great news for its many devoted fans. Last year’s brilliant Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth took the series out of Japan for the first time, with the majority of the game set in Hawaii, and it’s there we stay in the fantastically titled Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a spin-off that takes place right after the events of its 2024 predecessor.
Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (again, real title) is a spin-off that focuses on returning character, Goro Majima, who finds himself stranded on an island near Hawaii with no memories of who he is. So of course he becomes a pirate captain embroiled in a conflict involving both his fellow buccaneers and members of the yakuza. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii returns to the beat ‘em up combat system of the original games and includes naval combat. It all looks and sounds predictably bonkers, and we can’t wait, frankly.
Due: February 28, 2025
9. Ghost of Yōtei
Platforms: PS5
As one of the big success stories of the PS4 generation, we fully expected a sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima to get a sequel eventually, and that game is set to arrive in 2025, with an exact release date yet to be announced. Taking place in 1603 Japan, a couple of hundred years after the events of the original game, Ghost of Yōtei will see us play as an all new female character named Atsu.
We don’t have much to go on as far as story is concerned yet, but expect another open-world epic with a healthy blend of stealth and cinematic samurai combat. Ghost of Yōtei also looks absolutely stunning already in its debut trailer, and there’s no doubt that Sony will push it as one of the big reasons to buy a PS5 Pro next year.
Due: 2025
10. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Platforms: Switch
To say Metroid Prime 4 has been on a journey is an understatement. It might belong to one of the most critically acclaimed series’ in all of gaming, but the game was effectively completely restarted five years ago, with the reins handed back to the original Metroid Prime studio, Retro. That last bit was music to the ears of longtime Metroid fans, but it did mean that they’ve had to wait a very long time to see the game action, with what felt like countless Nintendo Directs coming and going without giving us so much as a glimpse of Samus.
That finally changed this year, and the game we now know to be called Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is due to arrive next year, likely either as one of the final Nintendo Switch games, or a launch title for its successor. We’d take either. Nintendo hasn’t given away a huge amount yet, but the first gameplay trailer is unmistakably Metroid Prime-y in vibe, a mixture of first-person combat, exploration and puzzle solving on a mysterious alien planet. And assuming it is running on the current Switch hardware, it’s already looking like one of the most graphically impressive games on the enduring little console. Hopefully not too much longer now.
Due: 2025
11. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
The now Microsoft-owned behemoth that is Call of Duty is back with its annual entry, this year in the shape of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which will come to Game Pass on day one. Co-developers Treyarch and Raven Software are calling the always-online (apparently owing to continuous texture streaming) single-player campaign a ‘spy action thriller’ set in the early 1990s, with the likes of Saddam Hussein, George Bush and Margaret Thatcher all appearing in the game. And before you ask, no, the latter will not be playable.
The big new gameplay addition is being called Omnimovement by the development team, which allows players to sprint, slide and dive in any direction, and should add to the action movie vibe the game is going for. As you’d expect, there will also be a raft of local and online multiplayer modes, as well as classic round-based Zombies for the CoD purists. The game is out on October 25, and you’ll probably want to start making room for it now, as the file size is over 300GB. Yikes.
Due: 25 October 2024
12. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
The less said about the last Indie movie outing the better, but we still have faith in the renegade archaeologist. His next adventure comes in the form of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure game. On first impressions, it looks like we’ll following Indiana Jones’ exploits in 1937, when dark forces are taking over the world. Developed by MachineGames, the folks behind of Wolfenstein: The New Order and The New Colossus, expect lots of puzzle solving and nazi punching. All the good stuff, then.
Due: 9 December 2024
13. Jurassic Park: Survival
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
You’d have thought people would stop going back to Jurassic Park, given the bad press it always seems to be getting. But you can’t blame the lead protagonist of Jurassic Park: Survival.
Set the day after the events of the original 1993 Jurassic Park, this first-person survival follows InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi, who was left behind when sweet ol’ Jeff Goldblum rode off into the sunset in a helicopter. Nice, Goldblum. While movie tie-ins can be pretty hit and miss, even when the film was released 30 years ago, a nice concept has us excited for Jurassic Park: Survival.
Due: 2025
14. Avowed
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
2024 was a good year if you like fantasy RPGs. We got Dragon’s Dogma 2 and the Elden Ring DLC, but if you’ve finished both circle February 2025 in your diaries: that’s when Xbox and PC players will get their hands on Avowed, the next game from the now Microsoft-owned Obsidian. With its first-person perspective, varied landscapes and abundance of monsters to hit with swords and cast spells at, it’s hard not to to think of Skyrim, but Avowed is no Elder Scrolls copycat.
For one, it isn’t a truly open-world game, with Obsidian opting for a more authored experience akin to the one it served up in its 2019 sci-fi RPG, The Outer Worlds. The companions you pick up throughout your adventure will be key to the story, and from what we’ve seen so far, there’s plenty of depth to the combat. One to watch for sure.
Due: 18 February 2025
15. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Fans of BioWare’s fantasy RPG series Dragon Age, have had to be very patient in their wait for the next instalment in the series, but Dragon Age: The Veilguard is real and coming this year. Sporting an almost Fornite-esque cartoonish art style and announcing itself to the world with a trailer that made it look more like a medieval heist flick than an old-fashioned RPG, this is definitely a different game to its critically acclaimed predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition, but BioWare is promising a firmly single-player campaign that draws from the lore and worlds from previous entries.
As Rook, you’ll recruit a seven-strong team of companions, with whom you’ll form The Veilguard that takes on a pair of corrupt gods wreaking havoc on the world. If it’s anything like BioWare’s other RPGs, this one is going to dominate all of your gaming time when it eventually drops.
Due: 31 October 2024
16. Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage was an entertaining throwback to the long-running Ubisoft series’ roots, and one that you could easily work your way through over a weekend, which was welcomed by those who have grown fatigued by the hundred-hour RPGs that previous entries had become. Mirage did feel more like a side dish than a main course, though, and the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows looks set to make more of a splash, with Ubisoft finally taking the series to Japan – specifically 16th century feudal Japan.
The game features two different playable characters, each with a very different approach to assassinating. Naoe is a shinobi who prefers to operate from the shadows, picking off targets quietly without raising the alarm. The classic Assassin’s Creed approach. But you can also play as the newly qualified samurai Yaskuke, who’d rather put on his armour and get straight down to business with a sword. Rather than making you choose which character you want to play the whole game as, Assassin’s Creed Shadows lets you switch between them at will, blending the sneak-focused older games with the more in-your-face combat of an Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It looks great.
Due: 11 February 2024
17. Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Few games do agonising choices better than the Life is Strange series, which is bringing back original protagonist Max Caulfield for its latest entry. The time-manipulating teenage photographer is now at university, but calls on her powers for the first time in years when her new friend, Safi, is murdered.
In a not totally original twist given the current pop culture tends, rewinding time opens up a parallel timeline, with Max able to shift between her own and the one in which Safi is not yet dead, as she attempts to solve and prevent the murder. We don’t know much more than that yet, but the return of Max is a nice surprise for all the OG Life is Strange fans.
Due: 29 October 2024
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