2024 was a year packed with stunning titles like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Persona 3: Reload, Unicorn Overlord, Astrobot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and Silent Hill 2 Remake. For once, I couldn’t predict which way The Game Awards was going to go, because there were just that many titans to pick from by the time December rolled around.
2025 is looking just as exciting, with plenty of upcoming releases on the horizon, and that’s before we even hear what new projects the most anticipated studios have been working on. I’ve seen plenty of people remarking on how suspiciously silent Square Enix and Atlus, and there have even been rumblings of a new NieR installment in the works, so we can be sure the year ahead is going to be stacked.
Here are just some of the titles I’m most excited for in the coming year–and believe me, there’s a LOT to be excited for! From the long-awaited PC port of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth to triple A masterpieces like Ghost of Yotei, it was tough to narrow the list down to a blog-sized selection. I’ve done my very best though, and hope you’ll find something here that excites you too!
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered
In my Tomb Raider I-III Remastered blog, I spoke fondly about how Aspyr had brought back so many precious memories of playing Tomb Raider with my brothers, and how playing the game myself had made me braver. I hope Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered will help me gain further confidence and keep me in things to tell my brothers about, as we had a great time playing The Last Revelation back in the 2000s. Since we spent less time with Angel of Darkness due to difficulty with the controls, and almost no time at all with Chronicles, this remastered collection will also present me with challenges and environments I’ve never seen before!
As expected based on Aspyr’s previous collection, the graphics look not just phenomenal, but very true to the intended experience of the originals, and I can’t wait to rejoin Lara for more adventures on her birthday. Bring on February 14th!
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Next up is part one of DON’T NOD’s newest episodic story, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, releasing on February 18th. As a long-time Life is Strange fan, I’ve had this one on my radar since it was first announced, and I’m really interested to finally play it. The trailers reminded me of the very first Life is Strange that dropped back in 2015, and which I enjoyed immensely because of its nostalgic overtones and painfully human characters.
The cast of Lost Records don’t look like they’ll have any less trouble due to the events of one fateful summer they shared in 1995. According to the trailers, player discretion is advised due to trigger warnings including self-harm. Going by that alone, we’re surely in for some tough choices with this one, and I’m interested to uncover what promises to be one hell of a mystery.
Two Point Museum
Give me something to build and I’ll do it for hours, days, weeks, and months on end. Just ask Theme Park, Zeus: Master of Olympus, Zoo Tycoon, and now SEGA’s Two Point franchise. Consisting of Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus, and the upcoming Two Point Museum as of March 4th, this series has fast become a beloved part of my collection. Whenever I feel homesick for my family in England or just need to relax, Two Point brings a perfect balance of bright visuals and tongue in cheek humour that remind me of our classic comedies. Add these elements to the business simulation genre with finances to manage, resources to build, and people to please, and I’m hooked. It’s one of those games that, even when meteors are raining from the sky, reminds you that everything’s going to be okay.
Infinity Series Remastered Editions (Ever17: the Out of Infinity and Never 7: The End of Infinity)
I’m still stunned by this one, truly. Ever17 is an old favourite of mine that I never thought I’d see available for modern access. I’m so thrilled that new players will get to experience the mind-bending twists of LeMU and the characters trapped inside it, and I can’t say too much more than that without delving into spoiler territory. If you’re curious to learn more, definitely check out my blog on Ever17, which is mostly spoiler-free except for animal-related trigger warnings.
I can’t state enough how grateful I am to Spike Chunsoft for taking a chance on this underrated gem, and even making it so we’ll be able to play Never 7 as well! I wonder if we’ll get Remember 11 as well someday? One can only hope. Until then, I’ll be counting the days to March 6th when I’ll revisit an old favourite and have the chance to experience a story I’ve never seen before!
Split Fiction
Dropping on March 6th, Split Fiction is the new multiplayer game from Hazelight Studios, the award-winning developers of It Takes Two, and one of the standout titles for me at this year’s Game Awards. Following authors Mio and Zoe, players must work together to navigate the many worlds of their sci-fi and fantasy work and beat the machine trying to steal their creative ideas. This one looks like a whole load of fun, and feels especially relevant to today’s artists who face the threat of AI displacement. The trailer was bright, energetic, and non-stop, so this one is bound to be a great time for you and a co-op partner!
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game
I’ve been waiting for this one! Slated for March 25th, Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings game brings us the serenity of The Shire before all the bad stuff went down. As a Hobbit resident of Bywater, you have the freedom to design your Hobbit hole with furniture, care for your very own garden, go fishing, forage, and make friends in the village. It’s the ultimate cottagecore fantasy set amongst beautiful forests and clear, peaceful waters, brought to us by Private Division.
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Among our plentiful remakes and remasters of classics, the very first installment of Trails in the Sky is getting a rework. With exciting new visuals, updated localization, voiceovers, and modernized controls, this rework is sure to be a jewel in the crown of a legendary series. At the moment it’s slated for a Fall release, but I’ll be keeping my eye out for this one!
Lunar Remastered Collection
Another one I never expected. I briefly remember playing Lunar: Silver Star Story back when I was younger and marvelling at the pretty visuals and music, and sometime this year I’ll get to enjoy it and its sequel, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, as one total package. Outfitted with improved visuals, audio, updated language support, and quality of life improvements, this is shaping up to be the definitive Lunar experience, appropriately subtitled ‘Complete’. Check it out on April 18th!
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Not much is known yet about Pokemon Legends Z-A: the upcoming installment in Game Freak’s Pokemon Legends franchise, other than that it will take place in the Lumiose City: a city belonging to both people and Pokemon, based in the Kalos region from Pokemon X and Y. If it’s anything like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Z-A promises to be a story-rich experience filled with lovable characters, fantastic music, and worldbuilding that adds a whole new layer to the X and Y generation. Since it’s slated for a 2025 release, I expect we’ll be hearing more about this title soon!
Coffee Talk: Tokyo
Lately I’ve been playing No More Robots’ cozy game Spirittea–a mix between Stardew Valley and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away where you run a bathhouse for spirits in a small Japanese town. New from Chorus Worldwide Games, Coffee Talk: Tokyo gives me similar vibes.
Coming out sometime in 2025, Coffee Talk: Tokyo keeps to the colourful, heartfelt Coffee Talk style we’ve come to know and love. This time, players will operate a cozy coffee shop in Tokyo where they serve both human and Yokai residents. I’m a sucker for visual novel style games that give you a lovable cast to get to know and help, so I’m incredibly excited for this, especially because I’m a big fan of Japanese culture and am hoping to live there someday soon. Until that dream comes true, however, I think Coffee Talk: Tokyo will do.
Fable
Speaking of good old British wit, I’ve had a blast following the media train for Fable from Playground Games. These trailers have been both jaw-droppingly beautiful and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and promise an epic story reminiscent of the golden-age fantasy era. I can’t wait for it, and I hope we’ll be learning more soon about when it’ll finally be dropping.
South of Midnight
Finally, we have South of Midnight from Compulsion games. We don’t have a definite release date for this one either, but we’re expecting it sometime this year. Described as a modern Southern folktale, South of Midnight tells the tale of Hazel, who takes on the magical powers of a ‘Weaver’ after tragedy strikes her hometown.
South of Midnight comes to us from the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, which already sets the expectation for a story that is unique, heartrending, many-layered, and unforgettable.
These are only some of the great titles coming our way in 2025, and as you can see, the year is already packed with things to look forward to! What are your top titles for the year? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
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