2025 has been a great year for gaming. What made it stand out more than other years is the amount of AAA games released. As gamers, we’ve become accustomed to a big game release every quarter. Nintendo has been quiet on their BIG releases. Sony has only been releasing remasters lately. And Microsoft seems to be done with exclusives, focusing instead on reaching every platform. As someone who is platform agnostic, I’m happy to have good games wherever I can play them. That being said, we have had some decent releases across the big platforms, but in terms of exclusivity, it’s been far less than we’re used to.
While we did get some excellent AAA titles like Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, they are a few bright spots in a year that has otherwise been defined by a lack of big-budget innovation. We also got Death Stranding 2 (although, I’ll admit that I haven’t bought or played it yet), Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (with a more focused, return-to-basics approach), and the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, along with Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World. We even got some big remakes with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Hell, we weren’t even expecting Oblivion Remastered. They were able to drop a solid remaster because there was no pressure behind it.
What stands out most about the quality AAA releases is that they ditch the tired formula we’ve been accustomed to. These games released with relatively few microtransactions and a solid focus on being a complete game. The biggest standout is the focus on single-player games.
But even with those bright spots, the real story of 2025 isn’t in the AAA space—it’s in the rise of AA. I know, it all depends on your taste or preference. But for ME, it was a great year.
So what exactly do I mean by an “AA” game? I’m talking about titles developed by mid-sized studios with a solid budget—more than a small indie team, but without the hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of employees that a flagship AAA game commands. This middle ground is where we’ve seen a surge of creativity this year.
Sure, AAA will always have its place. It should be where you go for top-tier, one-of-a-kind games. Games that change the way you look at life and provide you with a polished experience you don’t encounter often. It should be where developers flex their muscles and show off a bit—an experience you don’t get often. The first metaphor that comes to mind is food-related: AAA games should be where you eat out for a birthday or special occasion. AA games are where you eat when you don’t want fast food, but you don’t want to cook either.
Here are some of my favorites so far:
- February 18, 2025 – Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
- March 6, 2025 – Split Fiction
- March 27, 2025 – The First Berserker: Khazan
- April 23, 2025 – The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
- April 24, 2025 – Expedition 33
- May 23, 2025 – Tainted Grail
- June 13, 2025 – The Alters
- August 12, 2025 – Echoes of the End
- August 29, 2025 – Lost Soul Aside
And that’s not even including small indie titles that fill in the gaps.
This year, I’ve played more AA games than any year before. Hell, since I was in my teens—back in the Xbox and Xbox 360 days. Smaller studios with big ambitions have been coming out strong. In my opinion, this year’s Game of the Year will most likely be Expedition 33 or Split Fiction.
2025 has been sorely lacking for the big guys. As someone who games on PC primarily, and then Nintendo and Sony for their exclusives, I haven’t used my PS5 for an exclusive all year. I’ve only turned it on for an Astro Bot update, or because Blue Reflection was cheaper on PS5 than PC. If I were the kind of gamer to only play AAA releases, I’d have a lot of free time on my hands.
What stands out most, aside from the lack of blockbuster releases, is the passion and creativity behind the AA titles this year. The commitment to these games was palpable. It felt like what games were supposed to be all along. They launched with a fair amount of polish. Sure, they had their bugs, but honestly far fewer than AAA titles at launch. You could tell the teams behind them were passionate and were given time to “cook.”
This stands in stark contrast to AAA games when they’re released. Too often, AAA feels rushed and half-baked. I don’t blame the development teams wholly—the pressure is put on them by the big publishers. Each day a game is delayed costs shareholders money. We’ve seen a record number of layoffs in the last few years by big studios. It seems safe to assume many of those talented developers have landed at AA studios, which has to feel refreshing.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, created by Sandfall Interactive, is a perfect example—a team started by former Ubisoft developers. AAA studios clearly have the talent to create great games, but creativity and passion are too often squashed by short deadlines and the push to fill every AAA release with intrusive monetization and only a fraction of a complete experience. Then you’re asked to pay more for the full thing (I’m looking at you, Suicide Squad).
It’s good to see artists who are passionate about something given the space and tools to create. We all benefit from it.
I’d rather be given a $40–$60 title full of passion and creativity than pay $70–$80 for a game whose monetization feels exploitative.
Looking at the list of AA games this year, aside from Split Fiction, they’ve mostly been single-player. Maybe that’s why they feel so complete and free of unnecessary monetization. Any multiplayer releases tend to be structured around microtransactions (with notable exceptions like Helldivers 2). AA developers have stepped up and delivered games that don’t require extra content beyond preorder editions with skins or potions.
Smaller teams, big hearts, big creativity. That’s what gaming needs.
What I’d really like to see for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 is a focus on single-player games and local co-op experiences. I’d love to see split-screen make a comeback outside of Mario Kart and Split Fiction. I’d like to see developers given the freedom to tell unique stories. I realize that games need to sell, and that big companies are publicly owned and answer to shareholders. But the end goal should be a great product—because if 2025 has shown us anything, it’s that heart and passion beat hype. I hope 2026 remembers that.