Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2025. Today, it's the turn of video producer Aaron Bayne.

5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Let me tell you, I am genuinely shocked to see a game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 make the cut for my top five. Most of the time, turn-based combat is a big no-no for me, and even more so the sort of quirkiness found in most JRPGs. I just don’t gel with it.

But there was just something in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that clicked for me. Maybe it was the real-time aspects of its combat system, or maybe it was the dark and emotional moments that countered the more whimsical ones.

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There was such a deft touch to almost everything in the game, whether it was the world building, the characters, the builds, or even that phenomenal score. Despite not typically being my cup of tea, I saw it all the way to the end, and what a deeply entertaining and thoroughly engaging experience it was.

4. Split Fiction

Split Fiction

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I actually don’t rate It Takes Two that much. I think Hazelight has locked into this killer niche with its co-op-specific adventures, but its last outing was excruciatingly paced and at times just outright boring.

Split Fiction on the other hand, is Hazelight finally slotting all the ingenious co-op pieces neatly into place. This game addresses every issue I had with It Takes Two’s repetition, pacing, and lacklustre finale, going all out with a phenomenal show of force.

It manages this impeccable tightrope balance between being exciting, funny, engaging, and even at times challenging, as it switches from sci-fi to fantasy, utilising just about every form of gameplay and mechanics along the way. And that final stretch, man. I was grinning ear to ear.

3. Elden Ring: Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign

Of my 100 hours with Elden Ring, dozens of those were spent playing with friends. So a co-op session-based RPG set within the Elden Ring universe felt like it was made for me.

Elden Ring Nightreign manages to take the depth of its build-crafting, the challenge of its combat, and its impeccably designed enemies, and streamline it all into a fast-paced package – making it an incredibly rich multiplayer experience.

After over 60 hours with the game, I’m still having fun, I’m still feeling the pressure on each run, and I’m still learning something new each time I play. And most of all, it’s just a great laugh with friends.

2. Hell Is Us

Hell Is Us

Hell Is Us is a game that forces you to engage with its world. With no map or traditional quest system, you need to pay attention to figure out its puzzles and the centuries-spanning mystery at its core.

The atmosphere is delectably thick, and the lore just grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. Never have I played a game where reading through ancient texts or finding the bones of long-dead historical figures has been so enthralling.

It’s a testament not just to developer Rogue Factor’s story, but how it tells that story through its NPCs, environment, and puzzles. If you’re looking for a dark and impeccably immersive world, I cannot recommend this game enough.

1. ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

From the moment I first saw gameplay for ARC Raiders, I knew it was a game for me. You could pinpoint any one thing about it: it’s got this perfectly imperfect audio that makes its world feel alive; gameplay is slow-paced and immersive, giving me pangs of The Last of Us Factions; the aesthetic makes it one of the best looking games of the year. Put that all together, and you’ve got this electric vibe.

But what I really love about ARC Raiders is how dynamic a multiplayer experience it can be. I’ve played matches where I ruthlessly hunt down other players to steal their loot. I’ve taken on enormous ARC machines in explosive battles. I’ve stuck to the shadows, stealthily avoiding players in the hope of getting home. And I’ve even teamed up with others in oddly wholesome expeditions – utilising one of the most used game chats I’ve ever experienced in a multiplayer game.

ARC Raiders is a brilliant showcase of the potential of immersive multiplayer, and for me, the most unforgettable gaming experience of the year.

What do you think of Aaron's personal Game of the Year picks? Feel free to agree wholeheartedly, or disagree politely, in the comments section below.