While we await the Nintendo Switch 2 and the new slate of games it may bring this year, studios have cranked out surprising hits ranging from cooperative platformers to historical epics. NPR staff and contributors round up the latest from a promising 2025.
Split FictionÂ
Like predecessor It Takes Two, you can't play Split Fiction alone. You and your partner take the roles of Mio and Zoe, two aspiring authors who don't get along.
That's a problem when they're trapped in an experimental machine that simulates their creative ideas. Forced to adventure through alternating sci-fi and fantasy stories to stop a corporation from stealing them, you'll steer these young protagonists through a whirlwind of video game genres.
In one level, you're a pair of cyber ninjas hopping down a highway of flying cars. In another, you're racing through gullies and dodging sand sharks. I knew I was in love with the game the second I started a level where my boyfriend and I played as pigs — one had fart powers that launched her into the air like a jetpack!
Split Fiction's a forgiving game that doesn't set you back much if you die, but it's still challenging for seasoned gamers. While less experienced partners may struggle, the game rewards communication skills. It's expertly designed to make you appreciate your fellow player — just as Mio and Zoe warm to each other as the game progresses.
— Kaity Kline, assistant producer, Morning Edition
Avowed
Let me be straight up with you: Avowed is not a game for everyone. That's paradoxical because Obsidian Entertainment made critical choices during development to make it a game for everyone.
Avowed is based on the lore-drenched world of Pillars of Eternity, an old-school role-playing game series packed with deep tactical combat. As beloved as the Pillars series was, it didn't exactly set the world on fire; despite critical acclaim, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire initially launched to disappointing sales.
So what does Obsidian do? It marries the exceptional writing and world-building of the Pillars series with action elements with broad appeal, particularly for fans of Skyrim (which, cough, sold , cough).
That's where things get complicated. Avowed exists at the intersection of two very different design philosophies. Its individual pieces range from good to exceptional — but as a whole, it feels like a square peg in a round hole.
Combat is visceral and satisfying, especially when dual-wielding a gun and magic. Vertical exploration is surprisingly fun (you'll be climbing a lot). But the middle section drags, losing so much narrative momentum that I considered giving up multiple times.
I'm glad I didn't — because Avowed ultimately resolves into a fantastic ending. One of its main story threads explores trauma and redemption in ways I haven't seen before in a game. Regrettably, the journey there isn't cohesive enough to fully deliver on the promise of its best ideas.
— Andy Bickerton, contributor
Monster Hunter Wilds
Intimidating as its systems may be, it's clear that Monster Hunter Wilds was designed with newcomers in mind. The story feels very on-rails as it doles out streamlined mechanics. Time after time, your off-brand chocobo will deliver you to a monster's lair for a perfunctory pummeling while your companions spout exposition. As a series veteran, this often felt tedious. But when I got to the postgame in 15 hours, Wilds really opened up.
Fan-favorite monsters suddenly started roaming the world after I rolled credits. I loved the freedom Wilds gave me to immediately hunt any monster I ran across, instead of going through the usual quest rigmarole. I rarely returned to base camps. Instead, I resupplied and changed gear at pop-up tents I built around the map.
While Wilds doesn't reprise the acrobatic wirebugs and monster-riding mechanics of 2021's Monster Hunter Rise, its fights feel better than ever with a new focus mode. Push the left trigger and you'll see a monster's wounds that you can exploit for high damage. And the game's more refined weapons feel easier to master without constantly looking up YouTube guides!
— Vanessa McGinnis, digital campaign manager
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Taking place after last year's sprawling Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii improves on the series formula to deliver an adventure with heart. Where the previous side story, The Man Who Erased His Name, forced protagonist Kiryu to wrestle with his lonely existence, this romp casts anti-hero Goro Majima as an outrageous modern-day pirate.
Much like Kiryu's spy caper, Pirate Yakuza takes what would be tangential in the main series — a whacky combat arena — and centers a plot around it. But despite the arena's narrative importance, you only have to finish a small percentage of its fights. That's perhaps a symptom of the game's more laid-back action combat.
I've played all the Yakuza games on every difficulty, but this "Normal" setting is easy enough that I often double-checked my settings. The game makes up for this difficulty drop with killer aesthetics. Majima's two combat styles are brilliantly cool, as are customization options for your crew, your looks and your pirate ship.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a gloriously goofy entry that delivers the gonzo storytelling and emotional depths we've come to expect. But if you've enjoyed the former action-based games, you may want to ratchet up the difficulty.
— Danny Lore, contributor
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
The battle-scarred hills of 15th century Bohemia serve as the backdrop for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a role-playing game that doesn't just wear its history on its sleeve, it lives and breathes it.
History beats through this adventure from its carefully reconstructed locations to its dramatized real events to its period-accurate costumes. Medieval life wasn't all feasts and jousting, and the game doesn't let you forget it. It demands patience as much as skill, whether fumbling through fights or landing in the pillory for your sins. But hey, that's part of the charm.
But in trying to expand its Deliverance 2's scope, developer Warhorse Studios occasionally stumbles. The narrative can drag — especially as the conclusion nears — with uneven pacing that loses some of the first game's spontaneity.
Yet, even if you're not a series fan, there's plenty to dig into. No spells, no magic wands, just the weight of history and a world that won't hold your hand.
— Ahmad Damen, contributor
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