The first Death Stranding is amusing in its absolutely bizarre composition of nonsensical components. Luckily, he has the workforce to somehow pull it all together in a game.
Truly, a postmodern phenomena designed to resist sensemaking, and I can't wait for him to get on with it and deliver a stellar stealth entry for PS. Because, you know, that never turns bonkers!
My game of the year hasn't been made this year necessarily and I haven't finished all of the games, but one I did finish and really adored for its Sci-Fi story is
My game of the year nominee #7?
The invincible
The author wrote a hard science book about exploration, survival, evolution and what could happen if two world powers keep reaching for outer space colonisation. It is a walking sim similar to Still Wakes The Deep and Firewatch.
I read that as slop every year - I am quite thankful for those that saw the potential in VR and gave us 4, 7 and 8 which all rank very high in the charts of best VR games for the PlayStation.
I have very little interest in the series if VR isn't scaled into production. I tried some of them remakes on PS Plus and I just don't care for that type of flat screen game.
The sales are just not there to justify porting games to PC.
For every person buying a game, there's maybe ten that pirates the game, and those 11 people go about their lives. In comparison, don't port the game and three or four of those people might get a PS5 and will not only pay for the game but every game they pay for will fill Sony's pockets.
Sure, if a Sony storefront is needed and pirating becomes impossible then the equation might be better.
Oh, by the way I need to recommend the Quarry which is also like this game.
I "played" the Quarry in a VR headset and chose for the game to randomly choose different actions.... It was the weirdest film I've ever seen - NOTHING made sense and it was completely hilarious to see the disjointed conversations, wacky actions and absurd outcomes that followed from random dialogue choices and random outcomes clashing everywhere.
Maybe it was one of the funniest things I ever saw....
To see the game of my European dreams come true and so far I've played about a 100 hours worth of the game. It is so big it has two beginnings and two ends. I've started on the second half, and even Henry has to tell the characters what happened in the first part.
To see it occupy a worthy seat at the PushSquare table is super satisfying.
The design of your award season is so entertaining. And I've made a handful or two games part of my curated wishlist which is as long as my backlog.
MGS3 is absolutely amazing, my 15-year old me can attest to that! 😍
My Game of the Year Nomination #6
Still Wakes The Deep It came with recommendations from Push square and is part of the PS Plus sub: It delivers a great, short experience and indulges in its Scottish voicework. I would describe it as a Lovecraftian descent into madness with bodily horrors abound - it is like that movie The Fog coupled perhaps with The Descent. If you have access to it, it is so easy to pick up and enjoy.
#7 Blue Prince I respect the hell out of this game, and I suppose I am terrible at it and haven't even reached the last room I think. I've made it outside, but don't know what to do from there. So, it is this and KCD2 that I haven't exhausted/finished, but I think they should definitely be given their flowers 🌺
Every 'act' of AI generation is theft of others as it CANNOT create - it can only steal. I have zero respect for AI or people's push for AI.
I won't touch Level 5-games as I would rather support others that look for people to make their games, and I think it is telling that a majority of Push square doesn't view Sandfall as 'indie' and a smaller part might be disappointed with their use of AI and their, to my interpretation, unwillingness to share their wealth in scaling up their production after the industry lavished them with the single greatest act of marketing in the history of gaming. I'll wait to see if they actually remain as small, before I pass final judgement on what kind of business they have. I remember instantly liking their reveal video in TGAs of yore.
But I can help to notice the cracks in their underdog story - this is a Microsoft, publisher and government-backed studio with a skewered corporate structure with external developers and workers making their 'small' team literally hundreds.
I respect Warhorse Studios so much - they scaled up and shared the wealth and created a seminal entry, and have done SO MUCH research and mechanics-building to create the first KCD.
They have had too push against people that criticized the genius of their design (like Katherine Castle, Eurogamer gave the newest game 3 out 5 because it was too demanding!? She soon left Eurogamer which was fine by me) and people who questioned their morals and tried to delegitimize them (for example, most of the editorial line of Kotaku and then-Polygon before the purge.)
Fair counter point! I can only say that your opinion is always valued...
(I don't know if it is disrespect of the game, more like I was exasperated by the sheer volume of marketing for this game - but let's drop the mincing of words and get back to gaming)
Congrats on the Pro! Can you see / feel any difference compared to the regular PS5?
I have the best LCD screen of 2024 and the pro, and I could swear that Days Gone Remastered is the most beautiful game I've ever seen because of that combination!
I can tell you 1 game that I definitely will not be playing anytime soon after an incredible year of dozens of high quality games my award season was completely reduced to one singular boring expression - except for PC Gamer which is worth a look - and that is ... I simply can't remember the name... was it chiaroscuro 69...
But I have been playing KCD 2 as I try to progress the story, even though I forget how to work the forge and I forgot how to fight like a lion. Well, I found my skills returning quickly and are done with the main story missions in an area and are thrust on to a new one. I have to assemble an A-team of Z-people, looking forward to that!
Even though I'm a hundred hours in, I still feel like a tourist in this world finding new places every way I turn.
I played through this game with the goal of getting my girl back to life for selfish reasons. It has never happened before that I could make myself do the "evil playthrough" and so, I am very much interested in playing through it again just to do right by the people I was supposed to help.
My game of the year nomination #5 God of War: Ragnarok
Somehow, I enjoyed the first entry but thought it wasn't as good as people made it out to be. But Ragnarok blew me away - maybe because it was one the first games I played on the PS5 Pro. I especially enjoyed the culmination of the story and how the lore is faithfully adopted from Norse mythology and in particular the poem Völuspá.
A great Don't Nod production, weaponizing 90's nostalgia and it has this gorgeous setting in the midst of the world of a couple of teenage girls, in a small town-setting, who look like real teenage girls, perfectly imperfect. It is a great and stylish game with an interesting magical realism that accentuates the themes of the game.
The art design innovates the game play: you use a 90's camcorder to 'play' the game and I won't say anymore. Furthermore, it is a frame narrative meaning the older women meet up to look back on that fateful summer.
It is a game that attracted a lot of haters, but I liked it and Don't Nod are known for Banisher's: Ghosts of New Eden which also is an awesome game that were offered as part of 2025's PS Plus subscription.
Cheers, buddy, that's for you to decide. I thought I'd give it a go, though. You see I teach old dogs new tricks for a living🐶
And besides, I used to be just like you - but then I took an arrow to the knee. That arrow was KCD. It will kick you off the saddle, sure enough, but if you keep on, you'll soon find yourself not as the knave but the shining Knight in white armour.
Like, one mission you're supposed to flee a battalion of soldiers combing through the woods for you - and by using poisoned blades and tactical movement as well as my knowledge and skills in the deep sword fencing mechanics I managed to kill. every. single. one. of. them.
Anyways, I also like the more fantastical RPGs, but KCD just KEEPS surprising me hundreds of hours and multiple playthroughs later (still on the first playthrough of kcd 2, but I'd recommend you playing the first of course).
You push a button to eat every now and then and then it is 4 real hours before you need to do it again. You can't go to the toilet or clean anything except for yourself.
It is like a tough version of Skyrim where you start out really weak and poor. There's communities with morality systems just like Skyrim, and you level everything up by doing it, or by training. You can even study and buy tutoring lessons for pretty much everything. There's potions that raise your affinity in certain skills for a short time too.
Everything they put in the game is documented and explained in an in-game tutorial that unfolds as you play or that you can access via menus. Also, there's a substantial codex with hundreds of entries explaining pretty much everything in game making it an educational experience if you seek it out.
I get that it might be daunting, but what do you want your RPG to be? Maybe KCD is for you, and you've mistakenly internalized it wasn't for you!
PushSquare, you have a host of talented writers that keeps fueling the best website for gaming.
You have a huge community of interesting people that care about gaming, and that is indicative of your skill and prowess. (With all that success, you also attract the haters, trolls and blatantly dishonest people and somehow make space for that too.) Like a church for gamers, you attract high and low, thick and thin.
I agree that the year 2025 has offered a plethora of games - if I had to keep up with everything that I found worth playing, I would need to stop working, leave my family and clone myself a few times to keep up.
There's never been so many games, and whilst it is sad that there's not enough (paying) gamers to keep every studio or employee afloat, gaming are indeed experiencing a veritable golden age of excellency and abundance. Would I like to get rid of forever-games and predatory game design for the good of humanity? Sure, I'd nuke 'em from orbit in an instant, but overall the quality of games out there is, as you say, unfathomable and incalculable.
Sony as a platform is an enticing place to be. They're in somewhat good shape, and even though the prices on the PS Store are, for me, too high and the backlog too substantial to warrant (many) new purchases, I keep trying new games because of an insanely high value subscription service.
Merry Christmas to everyone in staff and in comments!
Wow, Liam read my mind. Usually, it is Colin Moriarty that says something, I have been thinking.
Yesterday, as I put down Days Gone Remastered and returned to KCD 2 I thought to myself "how cool it is to have a time machine".
I spent a good hour just walking around the open world looking at stuff and trying to guess what it was for.
It is a relief to see the wonderful games of 2025 get their flowers from the staff of Push square, because of the frankly boring award-season this year, where it would seem like the marketing/bribe budget of Sandfall is in the billions😅
For me, the lists are as much about discovery as seeing your favorite games get praise. I've wish listed quite a few games after reading your lists so far. Keep it up in mandated overtime 😉
From what I gather it is too big, too generous and too well made to be understood by the general public of gamers, but for the connoisseur it is a seminal entry bordering (but not reaching) The Witcher 3 in scope and quality.
I currently own a PS5 Pro, PSVR 2, a Portal, Pulse Elite headset, and a PS Plus Premium*, so I might be a teensy bit biased, but I found the service to be excellent for me in 2025. I ended up subbing most of the year, after not being a member for a long time before that.
Like a true curmudgeon, I am also very much against Roblox, COD, Fortnite but not GTA the single player game. Not because they are not 'great' in some respects but because they retain their player base longer than they should. There are other reasons I could conjure up for each game of course.
I am perhaps unconstructive, but your second paragraph I simply disagree with from the outside looking in. They never win anything, and if they are allowed to smother the competition, the gaming scene will become a hellscape.
I can definitely ask for gaming journalists to do what I think is their job - to fight against what I find are industry -destroying practices. In my opinion, Pushsquare is paid to push these products (I don't actually know). Again, I don't THINK that many 5-17 year olds are actually reading Push square, and their parents likely capitulate to their kids. They don't want their kids to feel left out, and they appreciate the time their kids are incapacitated, I think.
It is a kind of 'Who Killed Davey Moore'-situation where Bob Dylan blames "everyone" for the death of the titular boxer.
The comedic highlight of the games of the year-lists doesn't disappoint.
My personal game of the year nomination #2 is...
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 For me, KCD2 has two games in one. I played 90 hours or so before the game opened up to a second half I am still sort of putting off despite Warhorse dropping a whole set of DLC.
The dedication to realizing medieval Bohemia is the main draw for me. The fact that it is a true Role Playing Game with an impressive open world with hundreds of well-made mechanics only heightens the enjoyment.
That's very sad. What a legend to have done Call of Duty and then go on to create another beloved studio that made one hell of a Star Wars game twice with another one hopefully coming.
I thought that E33 was in fact quite a simple rpg that trades depth for timing of button pressing in attack and defence?
Supposedly, everyone used one build for beating this game?
There's a story, but I guess I have understood it to be without choices and quite linear?
If all of this is true - then it sounds like a perfect tool to get other gamers than just RPG gamers invested into playing (J)RPGs, but I am afraid it would disappoint people who are in to complex RPGs.
It seems as if Aaron has done it again with his list. Great set of games on that one... As this is a recurring feature, and opinions are welcome, I'd slot my nominations in with each feature article.
#1 Nomination for game of the year
Days Gone Remastered Oh boy, this game is better than ever and holds up sublimely. Like the finest of wines, I am amazed every time I play it, that a second one never made it to market. And overwhelmed with shame on behalf of the Bend devs who publicly spoke out against the brilliant creators of Days Gone, the reviewers who betrayed its quality and the Sony execs who foolishly rejected the sequel.
The enemy AI is so incredible in this game. You've heard of the horde mechanic, but it is the human enemies that have diverse strategies and approaches to engagements. Like, the enemies time their advance, springs forth simultaneously, flank of need be and will even sneak up on you. They will retreat if need be, and in full gear are very tough to take down. No matter how and when you shoot or blow them up, even in mid animation, they will have cool deaths. They guard their territory with all manner of traps, ambushes and alarms that will surprise even the toughest combat veteran.
The world is one of the best open worlds ever made. Each drive into the wild can feel different and unique. The world is out to get you. You will be hunted down and preyed upon. Each time you die, you know the world earned the kill. The setting is beautiful Oregon - imagine a pulpy rendition of The Road and that is what Days Gone in parts are - and much more of course. Traversal of the Open world requires skill and knowledge of you want to survive the ambushes and hordes of zombie that await you. There are constantly little question marks setting off new narrative adventures testing your ability to ensure the world.
I love GT7 because of VR, but I like it for its many cars and the dedication to realism. I would have preferred something like Burnout to this kind of PURE realism, but I'm happy to not be the best there is to the game.
Also, I really like that it is updated so frequently and has a lot of modes. Supposedly, you can drive gocarts but I haven't even found/unlocked that content yet. The books with challenges have been great although they are too challenging, and the price to unlock vehicles and how to unlock them is too much of a grind to me.
I wonder how many Forzas have been created and taken off the circuit whilst GT7 has existed...
I tried Days Gone Remastered and haven't been able to put it down again. Nixxes gave the game an excellent nee coat of paint and the mechanics are still impressive as nothing else has emulated it to my knowledge.
Let me spoil you the story of The Man Who Erased his name. There's this overused character who goes Deep undercover or forgets who his is, and he's protecting this girl who sort of betrays him. And he fights men in diapers that are chasing off seagulls. The actual end.
I would have included GTA 6 but the management managed to tank their reputation completely. I was already suspicious of what they might put into the game in terms of predatory practices and their pricing scheme.
As is, there are so many great games already to choose from that making the list is really tricky. I had to go with Wolverine as it will be a childhood dream come true. Then, Blood of Dawn walker and 007 from Danish IO Interactive. The rest were difficult to choose from.
I am looking forward to hearing what it does on PS5 (Pro).
Also, you wrote about this just last week - there's no mention of this a year ago or I just completely overlooked it.
The trailer for Divinity is probably showing off the spiritual successor to The Witcher 3 or should I say a strong rival.
Think about it: CDPR created an RPG that fully rivals GTA's open world. Now Larian is competing with CDPR that's also competing with GTA.
Now, my hype level for GTA has plummeted after their corporate structure completely ***** up and pushed beyond greed into avarice which is a deadly sin. They need a giant slap to learn their lesson. The bigger the slap, the bigger the lesson.
I can't play much, but I really need to find out if the VR Star Wars game has more to offer before it is ranked away from me!
Of course, I'm playing KCD2 again. I have to get into it again in terms of mechanics, but it should be fine👍
Also, I've started up Pacific Drive which is a cozy little game that doesn't rock my world, but it scratches that base building itch that Fallout 4 created. I might play more of it.
I finished Forspoken without finding/seeking out a single side quest and only 1 (one) magic dungeon. It was like playing a game that were finished 2/3. The narrative was... one large bait-and-switch. The reviews that deemed it a middling experience weren't robbing the game, and the ones that liked it probably didn't have the Ubisoft open world-fatigue.
A congratulations to the game and fans is in order!
All those awards to just 1 game soured my viewing a bit. The comic reliefs of the show carried me through - the dog mup echoed people's thoughts about the show in a fun meta way.
For one, I wanted other games to win. For two, it was basically the same speech from the same person over and over. Three, an indie game it is not!
I skipped everything and saw the entire stream in about 20 minutes the morning after.
I finished the game twice and stopped somewhere in the first third of a third playthrough as a Nomad. I eventually plan on finishing the game a third time and find/do the small things that I haven't done yet.
It is an outstanding game on many parameters and my scoring is of course taking into account the whole, fixed package on offer.
PS Plus Extra/Premium is the best deal in gaming, in my opinion.
There's a clear difference in trying to dispell the illusions of raving adults and 'defending a multi billion company'.
We already have a dozen or more users who cannot help themselves but be overly critical about everything and they feel compelled to share their views (without any flavour but 'vitriol' to their comment.)
Comments 1,428
Re: Game of the Year: #2 - Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
The first Death Stranding is amusing in its absolutely bizarre composition of nonsensical components. Luckily, he has the workforce to somehow pull it all together in a game.
Truly, a postmodern phenomena designed to resist sensemaking, and I can't wait for him to get on with it and deliver a stellar stealth entry for PS. Because, you know, that never turns bonkers!
Re: Our PS5 Predictions for 2025 - Results Revealed
In my opinion, PS5 Pro is popular among its users, and it seems to attract a lot of attention from people that compare it to 2000$ machines.
If the metric of success is that it sells better than base PS5 I don't think you understand the market or the state of the world.
Maybe it'll be 2026 that PushSquare recognizes the PS5 Pro, but please SIGNAL IN ADVANCE what the criteria is.
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 Developer of 2025
Warhorse and Bend for me.
Re: Game of the Year: #3 - Split Fiction
I love that the two games from the dev are so good co-op experiences just waiting for my daughter being old enough.
Re: Game of the Year: Sammy's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025
My game of the year hasn't been made this year necessarily and I haven't finished all of the games, but one I did finish and really adored for its Sci-Fi story is
My game of the year nominee #7?
The invincible
The author wrote a hard science book about exploration, survival, evolution and what could happen if two world powers keep reaching for outer space colonisation. It is a walking sim similar to Still Wakes The Deep and Firewatch.
Was this the last personal list?
Re: Silent Hill Producer Aims to Release One New Game Per Year
I read that as slop every year - I am quite thankful for those that saw the potential in VR and gave us 4, 7 and 8 which all rank very high in the charts of best VR games for the PlayStation.
I have very little interest in the series if VR isn't scaled into production. I tried some of them remakes on PS Plus and I just don't care for that type of flat screen game.
Re: Ex-PlayStation Boss Believes Exclusives Make Consoles 'Sing'
The sales are just not there to justify porting games to PC.
For every person buying a game, there's maybe ten that pirates the game, and those 11 people go about their lives. In comparison, don't port the game and three or four of those people might get a PS5 and will not only pay for the game but every game they pay for will fill Sony's pockets.
Sure, if a Sony storefront is needed and pirating becomes impossible then the equation might be better.
Re: Game of the Year: #5 - Dispatch
Oh, by the way I need to recommend the Quarry which is also like this game.
I "played" the Quarry in a VR headset and chose for the game to randomly choose different actions.... It was the weirdest film I've ever seen - NOTHING made sense and it was completely hilarious to see the disjointed conversations, wacky actions and absurd outcomes that followed from random dialogue choices and random outcomes clashing everywhere.
Maybe it was one of the funniest things I ever saw....
Re: Game of the Year: #5 - Dispatch
Wishlisted!
The concept of this is just as strong as Invincible which I can highly recommend for the two people that haven't watched it yet.
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 RPG of 2025
To see the game of my European dreams come true and so far I've played about a 100 hours worth of the game. It is so big it has two beginnings and two ends. I've started on the second half, and even Henry has to tell the characters what happened in the first part.
To see it occupy a worthy seat at the PushSquare table is super satisfying.
The design of your award season is so entertaining. And I've made a handful or two games part of my curated wishlist which is as long as my backlog.
Re: Game of the Year: Liam's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025
MGS3 is absolutely amazing, my 15-year old me can attest to that! 😍
My Game of the Year Nomination #6
Still Wakes The Deep
It came with recommendations from Push square and is part of the PS Plus sub: It delivers a great, short experience and indulges in its Scottish voicework.
I would describe it as a Lovecraftian descent into madness with bodily horrors abound - it is like that movie The Fog coupled perhaps with The Descent. If you have access to it, it is so easy to pick up and enjoy.
#7 Blue Prince
I respect the hell out of this game, and I suppose I am terrible at it and haven't even reached the last room I think. I've made it outside, but don't know what to do from there. So, it is this and KCD2 that I haven't exhausted/finished, but I think they should definitely be given their flowers 🌺
Re: 'It Has the Power to Enrich the Creative World': Level-5 Boss All-In on Generative AI
Every 'act' of AI generation is theft of others as it CANNOT create - it can only steal. I have zero respect for AI or people's push for AI.
I won't touch Level 5-games as I would rather support others that look for people to make their games, and I think it is telling that a majority of Push square doesn't view Sandfall as 'indie' and a smaller part might be disappointed with their use of AI and their, to my interpretation, unwillingness to share their wealth in scaling up their production after the industry lavished them with the single greatest act of marketing in the history of gaming. I'll wait to see if they actually remain as small, before I pass final judgement on what kind of business they have. I remember instantly liking their reveal video in TGAs of yore.
But I can help to notice the cracks in their underdog story - this is a Microsoft, publisher and government-backed studio with a skewered corporate structure with external developers and workers making their 'small' team literally hundreds.
I respect Warhorse Studios so much - they scaled up and shared the wealth and created a seminal entry, and have done SO MUCH research and mechanics-building to create the first KCD.
They have had too push against people that criticized the genius of their design (like Katherine Castle, Eurogamer gave the newest game 3 out 5 because it was too demanding!? She soon left Eurogamer which was fine by me) and people who questioned their morals and tried to delegitimize them (for example, most of the editorial line of Kotaku and then-Polygon before the purge.)
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
@Marquez
Fair counter point! I can only say that your opinion is always valued...
(I don't know if it is disrespect of the game, more like I was exasperated by the sheer volume of marketing for this game - but let's drop the mincing of words and get back to gaming)
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
@Marquez
I guess it flew past you that the name I chose instead is a time-honored technique in painting.
Check out "Narcissus at the Source" by Caravaggio and call it moronic one more time, I dare you.
Edit: Marqie chose to edit 'moronic' into 'nonsense'.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
@Shinnok789
Congrats on the Pro! Can you see / feel any difference compared to the regular PS5?
I have the best LCD screen of 2024 and the pro, and I could swear that Days Gone Remastered is the most beautiful game I've ever seen because of that combination!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
I can tell you 1 game that I definitely will not be playing anytime soon after an incredible year of dozens of high quality games my award season was completely reduced to one singular boring expression - except for PC Gamer which is worth a look - and that is ... I simply can't remember the name... was it chiaroscuro 69...
But I have been playing KCD 2 as I try to progress the story, even though I forget how to work the forge and I forgot how to fight like a lion. Well, I found my skills returning quickly and are done with the main story missions in an area and are thrust on to a new one. I have to assemble an A-team of Z-people, looking forward to that!
Even though I'm a hundred hours in, I still feel like a tourist in this world finding new places every way I turn.
Re: Game of the Year: Stephen's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025
My game of the year nomination #4
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
I played through this game with the goal of getting my girl back to life for selfish reasons. It has never happened before that I could make myself do the "evil playthrough" and so, I am very much interested in playing through it again just to do right by the people I was supposed to help.
My game of the year nomination #5
God of War: Ragnarok
Somehow, I enjoyed the first entry but thought it wasn't as good as people made it out to be. But Ragnarok blew me away - maybe because it was one the first games I played on the PS5 Pro. I especially enjoyed the culmination of the story and how the lore is faithfully adopted from Norse mythology and in particular the poem Völuspá.
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 Art Direction of 2025
I had to go with
My Game Of The Year Nomination #3
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
A great Don't Nod production, weaponizing 90's nostalgia and it has this gorgeous setting in the midst of the world of a couple of teenage girls, in a small town-setting, who look like real teenage girls, perfectly imperfect. It is a great and stylish game with an interesting magical realism that accentuates the themes of the game.
The art design innovates the game play: you use a 90's camcorder to 'play' the game and I won't say anymore. Furthermore, it is a frame narrative meaning the older women meet up to look back on that fateful summer.
It is a game that attracted a lot of haters, but I liked it and Don't Nod are known for Banisher's: Ghosts of New Eden which also is an awesome game that were offered as part of 2025's PS Plus subscription.
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 Open World Game of 2025
@Titntin
Cheers, buddy, that's for you to decide. I thought I'd give it a go, though. You see I teach old dogs new tricks for a living🐶
And besides, I used to be just like you - but then I took an arrow to the knee. That arrow was KCD. It will kick you off the saddle, sure enough, but if you keep on, you'll soon find yourself not as the knave but the shining Knight in white armour.
Like, one mission you're supposed to flee a battalion of soldiers combing through the woods for you - and by using poisoned blades and tactical movement as well as my knowledge and skills in the deep sword fencing mechanics I managed to kill. every. single. one. of. them.
Anyways, I also like the more fantastical RPGs, but KCD just KEEPS surprising me hundreds of hours and multiple playthroughs later (still on the first playthrough of kcd 2, but I'd recommend you playing the first of course).
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 Open World Game of 2025
@Titntin
You push a button to eat every now and then and then it is 4 real hours before you need to do it again. You can't go to the toilet or clean anything except for yourself.
It is like a tough version of Skyrim where you start out really weak and poor. There's communities with morality systems just like Skyrim, and you level everything up by doing it, or by training. You can even study and buy tutoring lessons for pretty much everything. There's potions that raise your affinity in certain skills for a short time too.
Everything they put in the game is documented and explained in an in-game tutorial that unfolds as you play or that you can access via menus. Also, there's a substantial codex with hundreds of entries explaining pretty much everything in game making it an educational experience if you seek it out.
I get that it might be daunting, but what do you want your RPG to be? Maybe KCD is for you, and you've mistakenly internalized it wasn't for you!
Re: We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas
PushSquare, you have a host of talented writers that keeps fueling the best website for gaming.
You have a huge community of interesting people that care about gaming, and that is indicative of your skill and prowess. (With all that success, you also attract the haters, trolls and blatantly dishonest people and somehow make space for that too.) Like a church for gamers, you attract high and low, thick and thin.
I agree that the year 2025 has offered a plethora of games - if I had to keep up with everything that I found worth playing, I would need to stop working, leave my family and clone myself a few times to keep up.
There's never been so many games, and whilst it is sad that there's not enough (paying) gamers to keep every studio or employee afloat, gaming are indeed experiencing a veritable golden age of excellency and abundance. Would I like to get rid of forever-games and predatory game design for the good of humanity? Sure, I'd nuke 'em from orbit in an instant, but overall the quality of games out there is, as you say, unfathomable and incalculable.
Sony as a platform is an enticing place to be. They're in somewhat good shape, and even though the prices on the PS Store are, for me, too high and the backlog too substantial to warrant (many) new purchases, I keep trying new games because of an insanely high value subscription service.
Merry Christmas to everyone in staff and in comments!
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 Open World Game of 2025
Wow, Liam read my mind. Usually, it is Colin Moriarty that says something, I have been thinking.
Yesterday, as I put down Days Gone Remastered and returned to KCD 2 I thought to myself "how cool it is to have a time machine".
I spent a good hour just walking around the open world looking at stuff and trying to guess what it was for.
It is a relief to see the wonderful games of 2025 get their flowers from the staff of Push square, because of the frankly boring award-season this year, where it would seem like the marketing/bribe budget of Sandfall is in the billions😅
For me, the lists are as much about discovery as seeing your favorite games get praise. I've wish listed quite a few games after reading your lists so far. Keep it up in mandated overtime 😉
Re: Game of the Year: #8 - Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
My game of the generation.
From what I gather it is too big, too generous and too well made to be understood by the general public of gamers, but for the connoisseur it is a seminal entry bordering (but not reaching) The Witcher 3 in scope and quality.
Re: Your PS Plus Essential Sub Netted You $1,500+ in PS5, PS4 Games This Year
I currently own a PS5 Pro, PSVR 2, a Portal, Pulse Elite headset, and a PS Plus Premium*, so I might be a teensy bit biased, but I found the service to be excellent for me in 2025. I ended up subbing most of the year, after not being a member for a long time before that.
*a crazy fan boy, and have been since PS 1.
Re: PS5's Next Big Gacha Game Wants You to Take It for a Test Drive
@UltimateOtaku91
Like a true curmudgeon, I am also very much against Roblox, COD, Fortnite but not GTA the single player game. Not because they are not 'great' in some respects but because they retain their player base longer than they should. There are other reasons I could conjure up for each game of course.
I am perhaps unconstructive, but your second paragraph I simply disagree with from the outside looking in. They never win anything, and if they are allowed to smother the competition, the gaming scene will become a hellscape.
I can definitely ask for gaming journalists to do what I think is their job - to fight against what I find are industry -destroying practices. In my opinion, Pushsquare is paid to push these products (I don't actually know). Again, I don't THINK that many 5-17 year olds are actually reading Push square, and their parents likely capitulate to their kids. They don't want their kids to feel left out, and they appreciate the time their kids are incapacitated, I think.
It is a kind of 'Who Killed Davey Moore'-situation where Bob Dylan blames "everyone" for the death of the titular boxer.
Re: Game of the Year: Robert's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025
The comedic highlight of the games of the year-lists doesn't disappoint.
My personal game of the year nomination #2 is...
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
For me, KCD2 has two games in one. I played 90 hours or so before the game opened up to a second half I am still sort of putting off despite Warhorse dropping a whole set of DLC.
The dedication to realizing medieval Bohemia is the main draw for me. The fact that it is a true Role Playing Game with an impressive open world with hundreds of well-made mechanics only heightens the enjoyment.
It is a 10/10 game for me, a seminal achievement.
Re: PS5's Next Big Gacha Game Wants You to Take It for a Test Drive
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Re: PS5's Next Big Gacha Game Wants You to Take It for a Test Drive
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Re: PS5's Next Big Gacha Game Wants You to Take It for a Test Drive
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Re: Vince Zampella, Call of Duty Co-Creator and Respawn Boss, Tragically Dies Aged 55
Oh, no!
That's very sad. What a legend to have done Call of Duty and then go on to create another beloved studio that made one hell of a Star Wars game twice with another one hopefully coming.
Re: Game of the Year: Best PS5 Remake or Remaster of 2025
I just rolled credits on the most? beautiful game on the Pro: Days Gone Remastered. That's my pick!
Re: Game of the Year: Aaron's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025
@MrStark
I thought that E33 was in fact quite a simple rpg that trades depth for timing of button pressing in attack and defence?
Supposedly, everyone used one build for beating this game?
There's a story, but I guess I have understood it to be without choices and quite linear?
If all of this is true - then it sounds like a perfect tool to get other gamers than just RPG gamers invested into playing (J)RPGs, but I am afraid it would disappoint people who are in to complex RPGs.
Re: Game of the Year: Aaron's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025
I have been looking forward to this feature!
It seems as if Aaron has done it again with his list. Great set of games on that one... As this is a recurring feature, and opinions are welcome, I'd slot my nominations in with each feature article.
#1 Nomination for game of the year
Days Gone Remastered Oh boy, this game is better than ever and holds up sublimely. Like the finest of wines, I am amazed every time I play it, that a second one never made it to market. And overwhelmed with shame on behalf of the Bend devs who publicly spoke out against the brilliant creators of Days Gone, the reviewers who betrayed its quality and the Sony execs who foolishly rejected the sequel.
The enemy AI is so incredible in this game. You've heard of the horde mechanic, but it is the human enemies that have diverse strategies and approaches to engagements. Like, the enemies time their advance, springs forth simultaneously, flank of need be and will even sneak up on you. They will retreat if need be, and in full gear are very tough to take down. No matter how and when you shoot or blow them up, even in mid animation, they will have cool deaths. They guard their territory with all manner of traps, ambushes and alarms that will surprise even the toughest combat veteran.
The world is one of the best open worlds ever made. Each drive into the wild can feel different and unique. The world is out to get you. You will be hunted down and preyed upon. Each time you die, you know the world earned the kill. The setting is beautiful Oregon - imagine a pulpy rendition of The Road and that is what Days Gone in parts are - and much more of course. Traversal of the Open world requires skill and knowledge of you want to survive the ambushes and hordes of zombie that await you. There are constantly little question marks setting off new narrative adventures testing your ability to ensure the world.
Re: 'Sony's Never Experienced This Phenomenon Before': PS5 Smash Hit Gran Turismo 7 Getting Stronger Over Time
I love GT7 because of VR, but I like it for its many cars and the dedication to realism. I would have preferred something like Burnout to this kind of PURE realism, but I'm happy to not be the best there is to the game.
Also, I really like that it is updated so frequently and has a lot of modes. Supposedly, you can drive gocarts but I haven't even found/unlocked that content yet. The books with challenges have been great although they are too challenging, and the price to unlock vehicles and how to unlock them is too much of a grind to me.
I wonder how many Forzas have been created and taken off the circuit whilst GT7 has existed...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 612
I tried Days Gone Remastered and haven't been able to put it down again. Nixxes gave the game an excellent nee coat of paint and the mechanics are still impressive as nothing else has emulated it to my knowledge.
Re: PSVR2's Highly Anticipated Aces of Thunder Locks in a 3rd February Release Date
Every time I put on the helmet, magic happens.
Re: Horizon Rip Off Removed from Steam as Sony, Tencent's Fierce Legal Battle Suddenly Concludes
@LifeGirl @LifeGirl
What!? That is satire... right?
It is a win. Whatever they change it into won't be as well thought out as Sony First Party Intellectual Property.
Re: Hogwarts Legacy Tops an Absurd 40 Million Copies Sold
I had fun with it. Nothing mindblowing, but worthy of anyone's time.
It could be VERY promising if a sequel ups the ante considerably!
Re: Talking Point: With Expedition 33 Winning Best Indie Game, What Does 'Indie' Mean to You?
Common sense prevails in the vote.
At some point in time I have to try this game. Maybe after I finally finish the game of the year-winner BG3.
Re: Divinity Dev's Comments on Generative AI Trigger a Total Social Media Sh*tstorm
We all trust Larian.
They have the people in creative fields and aren't skimping.
Re: Sucker Punch Enters a New Era as Co-Founder Brian Fleming Departs
So long and thanks for all the fish..
Re: PS Plus Game Skate Story's Latest Update Aims to Fix Egregious PS5 Pro Issues
Can't wait to try this as part of my subscription!
I also just managed to roll credits on an amazing VR experience in the Star Wars: Tales of the Galaxy.
PS Plus has been really killing it since I joined during Days of Play for a real great price.
Re: These 4 PS Plus Games Will Leave the Service in January 2026
Let me spoil you the story of The Man Who Erased his name. There's this overused character who goes Deep undercover or forgets who his is, and he's protecting this girl who sort of betrays him. And he fights men in diapers that are chasing off seagulls. The actual end.
Re: Bungie's Marathon Locks In March 2026 Release Date on PS5, Priced at $40
Thanks for the video!
It really showcases the game well, and most people should know if it is for them.
I would like a fresh dose of bungie-lore. I just need to assemble a crew👍
Re: Poll: What Are Your Most Anticipated PS5 Games of 2026?
I would have included GTA 6 but the management managed to tank their reputation completely. I was already suspicious of what they might put into the game in terms of predatory practices and their pricing scheme.
As is, there are so many great games already to choose from that making the list is really tricky. I had to go with Wolverine as it will be a childhood dream come true. Then, Blood of Dawn walker and 007 from Danish IO Interactive. The rest were difficult to choose from.
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Dev's Divinity: Original Sin 2 Out Now on PS5, Offers Free Upgrade
I am looking forward to hearing what it does on PS5 (Pro).
Also, you wrote about this just last week - there's no mention of this a year ago or I just completely overlooked it.
The trailer for Divinity is probably showing off the spiritual successor to The Witcher 3 or should I say a strong rival.
Think about it: CDPR created an RPG that fully rivals GTA's open world. Now Larian is competing with CDPR that's also competing with GTA.
Now, my hype level for GTA has plummeted after their corporate structure completely ***** up and pushed beyond greed into avarice which is a deadly sin. They need a giant slap to learn their lesson. The bigger the slap, the bigger the lesson.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 611
I can't play much, but I really need to find out if the VR Star Wars game has more to offer before it is ranked away from me!
Of course, I'm playing KCD2 again. I have to get into it again in terms of mechanics, but it should be fine👍
Also, I've started up Pacific Drive which is a cozy little game that doesn't rock my world, but it scratches that base building itch that Fallout 4 created. I might play more of it.
I finished Forspoken without finding/seeking out a single side quest and only 1 (one) magic dungeon. It was like playing a game that were finished 2/3. The narrative was... one large bait-and-switch. The reviews that deemed it a middling experience weren't robbing the game, and the ones that liked it probably didn't have the Ubisoft open world-fatigue.
Re: Expedition 33 Breaks the Game Awards Record for Most Gongs in a Single Show
A congratulations to the game and fans is in order!
All those awards to just 1 game soured my viewing a bit. The comic reliefs of the show carried me through - the dog mup echoed people's thoughts about the show in a fun meta way.
For one, I wanted other games to win. For two, it was basically the same speech from the same person over and over. Three, an indie game it is not!
I skipped everything and saw the entire stream in about 20 minutes the morning after.
Re: Poll: How Would You Rate Cyberpunk 2077, 5 Years Later?
I finished the game twice and stopped somewhere in the first third of a third playthrough as a Nomad. I eventually plan on finishing the game a third time and find/do the small things that I haven't done yet.
It is an outstanding game on many parameters and my scoring is of course taking into account the whole, fixed package on offer.
Re: 9 PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for December 2025 Announced
@Americansamurai1
PS Plus Extra/Premium is the best deal in gaming, in my opinion.
There's a clear difference in trying to dispell the illusions of raving adults and 'defending a multi billion company'.
We already have a dozen or more users who cannot help themselves but be overly critical about everything and they feel compelled to share their views (without any flavour but 'vitriol' to their comment.)