The gaming industry recently held its version of the Oscars with the 12th edition of The Game Awards. As expected, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the night’s big winner.
While labeling something as being the best is inherently subjective, Expedition 33 was the best game I played in 2025, and I think it deserved top honors. There were some other choices I wasn’t on board with, however. Here are five of them:
Best Narrative
The Game Awards 2025 Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
My Choice: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
I may be in the minority on this, but the hook of Clair Obscur for me came in the gameplay and RPG elements, not the story. Yes, the overall plot of a world slowly being wiped away one year at a time was interesting, but it becomes something of a mess following the big twist at the end of Act 2. Conversely, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is completely grounded, tasking you with doing small things that make an impact. It’s wholly immersive and invests you in a different way than the world-saving you do in so many titles.
Best Score and Music
The Game Awards 2025 Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
My Choice: Hollow Knight: Silksong
The last time I felt so disconnected from the masses on a game’s soundtrack was Stellar Blade, which many found exceptional, whereas I found it borderline annoying. Clair Obscuris better than Stellar Blade, but I grew weary of it well before I finished playing the game. Silksong did a stronger job of matching the game’s atmosphere and accentuating the gameplay.
Best Action Game
The Game Awards 2025 Winner: Hades II
My Choice: Doom: The Dark Ages
I have a ton of respect for Supergiant Games. Outside of Pyre, which didn’t quite connect with me, they’ve released nothing but excellence. Roguelikes aren’t my favorite genre, though, and while games like Hades and Dead Cells have sucked me in, I still prefer something like Doom: The Dark Ages. I liked how they slowed things down a bit from Doom Eternal, and the Slayer’s Shield Saw might have been my favorite weapon since Kratos’ Leviathan Axe.
Best Performance
The Game Awards 2025 Winner: Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
My Choice: Troy Baker, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle
The fact that three actors from Clair Obscur’s ensemble cast were nominated felt like overkill, and having played a ton of that game this year, I genuinely don’t recall anyone within it standing out above the others. Baker, meanwhile, was exceptional in recreating Harrison Ford in The Great Circle. While it may be a little odd to award someone for essentially doing an impression, it was a significant part of what made that game as enjoyable as it was. Baker was Indiana Jones. He deserved to walk away with the prize.
Best Ongoing Game
The Game Awards 2025 Winner: No Man’s Sky
My Choice: Helldivers 2
All credit to Sean Murray and Hello Games for supporting and expanding No Man’s Sky for nearly a decade since a somewhat inauspicious launch, but Helldivers 2 deserved recognition for what they’ve built over the past two years, updating and smartly implementing Halo elements for its Xbox launch. Helldivers 2 absolutely remains one of the best online multiplayer experiences out there.
And one they got absolutely right...
Best Sim/Strategy Game
The Game Awards 2025 Winner: Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
My Choice: Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
This is one of my all-time favorite games. That something released in 1997 won this award in 2025 tells you how great it is. If you hold any affection for strategy games, get this one!
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/twm8D12
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