Top 20 Best Games of the First Half of 2025 according to Metacritic: New Release Rankings

Metacritic has published a list of the 20 best video games of the first half of 2025. The site's editors summarized the year, focusing exclusively on new releases released since the beginning of the year. It is noted that re-releases of classic games, such as The Legend of Zelda for Nintendo Switch 2, did not make the list of the best.

Best Game of the Year So Far Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was named the leader of the ranking, receiving an impressive 93 points out of 100. This speaks for its high quality and unique gameplay.

Top 20 Best Games of the First Half of 2025 (Results)

The full list of the top 20 games of the year is as follows (ratings are in parentheses):

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 93/100
• Blue Prince - 92/100
• Split Fiction - 91/100
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - 90/100
• despelote - 89/100
• The Talos Principle: Reawakened - 89/100
• Monster Hunter Wilds - 88/100
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - 88/100
• Monster Train 2 - 88/100
• The Roottrees are Dead - 87/100
• Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders - 87/100
• StarVaders - 87/100
• Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - 86/100
• Mario Kart World - 86/100
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector - 86/100
• The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy - 85/100
• Two Point Museum - 84/100
• The Alters - 84/100
• Keep Driving - 84/100
• Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist - 84/100

Highly Rated Original Games of the 21st Century

In addition to ranking the best games of 2025, Metacritic has also compiled a list of the top 20 most highly rated original games of the 21st century. This list includes such iconic works as:

• Minecraft
• Halo
• Elden Ring
• The Last of Us
• Red Dead Redemption
• God of War

Gaming Industry Outlook 2025

Metacritic's data shows the high competition and quality of new releases in the gaming industry in the first half of 2025. The demand for new developments continues, emphasizing the importance of innovation and original gameplay to attract players. It's worth keeping an eye on the industry and looking forward to exciting new releases in the second half of the year.