Multi 2025 Releases Thread

[dimmerwit]

I don't follow the games industry nearly as closely any more so in the last few years I've taken to giving some time to look at releases every so often so I can see what's coming up and what might interest me. Since many of you have expressed similar thoughts I thought I may as well post it publicly. I know Raine used to make weekly threads so maybe something monthly or quarterly might be more manageable to update.

I find the list on Wikipedia to be good, but it's very extensive. I've curated a list of what might be considered the biggest games of the year below, but feel free to chime in with something you think might be of interest to others since I'm obviously biased towards my own tastes. Of course plenty of new stuff for this year is still to be announced especially with the imminent unveiling of Switch 2.

January

Date	Game	PC	PS5	XSX	NSW	NS2
16	Assetto Corsa EVO (early access)	✔
16	Donkey Kong Country Returns HD				✔
17	Dynasty Warriors: Origins	✔	✔	✔
23	FFVII Rebirth	✔	○
23	Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Botany Manor	○	✔	○
28	Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap	✔	✔
28	Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.	✔
30	Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero		✔		✔
30	Sniper Elite: Resistance	✔	✔	✔
30	Spider-Man 2	✔	○

February

Date	Game	PC	PS5	XSX	NSW	NS2
4	Kingdom Come: Deliverance II	✔	✔	✔
11	Civilization VII	✔	✔	✔	✔
14	Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered	✔	✔	✔	✔
18	Avowed	✔		✔
21	Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii	✔	✔	✔
28	Monster Hunter Wilds	✔	✔	✔

March

Date	Game	PC	PS5	XSX	NSW	NS2
4	Carmen Sandiego	✔	✔	✔	✔
4	Two Point Museum	✔	✔	✔
6	Split Fiction	✔	✔	✔
20	Assassin's Creed Shadows	✔	✔	✔
20	Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition				✔
25	Atomfall	✔	✔	✔
25	Tales of the Shire	✔	✔	✔	✔
27	The First Berserker: Khazan	✔	✔	✔
28	inZOI	✔
TBA	Football Manager 25	✔	✔	✔	✔
TBA	Killing Floor 3	✔	✔	✔

April

Date	Game	PC	PS5	XSX	NSW	NS2
3	TLOU Part II: Remastered	✔	○
24	Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves	✔	✔	✔

Q1 or Q2
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (Q1)
Dune: Awakening
The House of the Dead 2: Remake (Q2)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5) (Q2)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

Q3 or Q4
Grand Theft Auto VI
Mafia: The Old Country (Q2/Q3)

Unspecified 2025
Anno 117
Assetto Corsa EVO (full release)
Borderlands 4
Chernobylite 2
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Doom: The Dark Ages
Elden Ring: Nightreign
Fable
FF XIV Mobile
Ghost of Yotei
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
The Outer Worlds 2
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
The Sinking City 2
Skate (early access)
Slay the Spire 2
SpongeBob SquarePants (untitled)
Stellar Blade (PC)
Subnautica 2 (early access)
The Talos Principle: Reawakened
Tomba! 2
Tron: Catalyst

 

[dimmerwit]

OK, it's Tales of the Shire, not Tales of the Shite!

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is 60 bucks.

What the fuck is that pricing? I'm content with the Wii version...

Also, I was under the impression that Xenoblade Chronicles X was too big a game to be released on the Switch... Should help make the Wii U version cheaper, though, more than it already has.

 

[Smacktard]

Are Tomb Raider 4-6 any good? Because I was under the impression that they weren't, and it's kind of weird to release them in a collection.

Apart from Split Fiction, nothing really jumping out at me as a must-own for the first quarter. The only ones I'm intrigued by are MGS3, Metroid Prime 4, and GTA6. I'll see how the new IPs are received.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Are Tomb Raider 4-6 any good? Because I was under the impression that they weren't, and it's kind of weird to release them in a collection.

From what I recall, Last Revalation and Chronicles were criticized for not advancing the series.

Angel of Darkness was a disaster.

If there's a Tomb Raider game that needed a do-over, it was Angel of Darkness. If they can fix all the bugs and reinstate all of the content that was cut due to time constraints, it might be worth the purchase alone.

 

[Crazy Jamie]

There's a Jedi Power Battles remaster?!

See, this is why I needed a thread like this. Alright, so the original actually wasn't fantastic by any stretch. But it was at that point of my life where I just played games to enjoy them and really didn't care about the quality all that much. And I really enjoyed the original, despite it being really extremely difficult. It doesn't mean I'll get it because remasters are often not worth getting in practice, but it's nice to know it's going to exist.

I have now looked up the trailer and... it doesn't look great. Probably not getting it. But still, grateful for knowing about it.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

If you want a true remaster of the original Tomb Raider, you play Tomv Raider Anniversary. Crystal Dynamics took the tech they used for Tomb Raider Legend and rebuild the original Tomb Raider from the ground up using it.

The trilogy remaster is just the games with a new coat of paint and the removal of the tank controls.

 

[dimmerwit]

I remember Angel of Darkness was the moment when I really realised how biased official games magazines were. OPSM2 UK had the first review and gave it an 8/10 despite the less than impressive text review. Even at 12 years old I knew they would overshoot on scores but that was just egregious.

There's a Jedi Power Battles remaster?!

See, this is why I needed a thread like this. Alright, so the original actually wasn't fantastic by any stretch. But it was at that point of my life where I just played games to enjoy them and really didn't care about the quality all that much. And I really enjoyed the original, despite it being really extremely difficult. It doesn't mean I'll get it because remasters are often not worth getting in practice, but it's nice to know it's going to exist.

I have now looked up the trailer and... it doesn't look great. Probably not getting it. But still, grateful for knowing about it.

This was quite the journey for one post! Unfortunately one I've had myself on a few too many occasions with remasters.

 

[Crazy Jamie]

This was quite the journey for one post! Unfortunately one I've had myself on a few too many occasions with remasters.

I did it with the Dark Forces Remaster too. Loved that game when I was younger, but have come to realise with reflection that the Remaster isn't something I need.

That is in contrast to the Command & Conquer remaster, which I haven't finished, but have just so thoroughly enjoyed the time I've spent with it. It's the best type of nostalgia, as the remaster keeps everything accessible in a modern context without changing the underlying experience. It just varies from game to game I suppose, both in terms of how good the remaster is and what the original meant to you.

 

[dimmerwit]

That is in contrast to the Command & Conquer remaster, which I haven't finished, but have just so thoroughly enjoyed the time I've spent with it. It's the best type of nostalgia, as the remaster keeps everything accessible in a modern context without changing the underlying experience. It just varies from game to game I suppose, both in terms of how good the remaster is and what the original meant to you.

All I want now is a Red Alert 2 remaster, although that said that one does work OK on modern PCs.

 

[Smacktard]

Pretty crazy that Split Fiction will be releasing so soon after its first reveal. I think that's the game I'm most excited about. I'll pick that up ASAP after release. Can't wait to go through it with the waifu.

Also pretty amped for GTA6, but I may try to hold off on purchasing for a year or two until bugs and kinks are worked out. I mean, I played GTA4 and GTA5 for the first time last year, so I'm sure I can manage that... Maybe....... If I don't get FOMO

 

[Crazy Jamie]

All I want now is a Red Alert 2 remaster, although that said that one does work OK on modern PCs.

The next game including remasters of both Red Alert 2 and Tiberian Sun just makes so much sense that it's difficult to see how it doesn't happen.

 

[Raine]

Curation and especially validation eats up the most time. The weekly tables took 2~3 hours each Sunday(-ish), and most of that was just trying to track down verifiable information on indies whom also have a habit of getting delayed all the way up to the day before launch.

Fandom buying and enshittifying MetaCritic really did a tremendous disservice to people. Time was, you just needed MetaCritic and GameFAQs and you could quickly and easily produce a reliable list. GameFAQs is still where I started:

Spoiler: Process. Lots of links.

PlayStation 4 Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More - GameFAQs

For the PlayStation 4, GameFAQs has game information and a community message board for game discussion.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

PlayStation 5 Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More - GameFAQs

For the PlayStation 5, GameFAQs has game information and a community message board for game discussion.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Nintendo Switch Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More - GameFAQs

For the Nintendo Switch, GameFAQs has game information and a community message board for game discussion.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Xbox One Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More - GameFAQs

For the Xbox One, GameFAQs has game information and a community message board for game discussion.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Xbox Series X Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More - GameFAQs

For the Xbox Series X, GameFAQs has game information and a community message board for game discussion.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

And then paired that with things like This Week on Xbox, because Xbox loves getting the highly dubious indie offerings but also lists them out in a friendly manner whereas Nintendo does not:

This Week On Xbox Archives - Xbox Wire

news.xbox.com

And then with a working table, I'd use a combination of MetaCritic's search (when it wasn't fucking broken) and the three official online storefronts to remove bad data and insert older ports where appropriate. So for example, Tales of Graces F is something I'm picking up this week (QQ no physical PS4 and Xbox release outside of PAL) and those pages are located:

Tales of Graces f Remastered for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy Tales of Graces f Remastered and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

Tales of Graces f Remastered PS4 & PS5

Bonds Transcend Time

store.playstation.com

Buy Tales of Graces f Remastered | Xbox

Tales of Graces f is back with a beautiful and easier-to-play version! The game also includes Lineage and Legacies, an after-story to the main scenario!

www.xbox.com

Tales of Graces f Remastered Reviews

In TALES OF GRACES f REMASTERED, players follow the adventures of Asbel and his friends as they embark on a world-spanning adventure filled with unforgettable characters, shocking revelations, and unique companions brought together through promises made across time. The title is set in the world...

www.metacritic.com

I also, increasingly, had to check in with PlayStation Blog ('cause PSOne/PSP Classic re-releases get rolled into that GameFAQs list) and BestBuy to suss out things that were super old (like 3+ years!) but just randomly getting physical releases for no discernible reason. I'm still not convinced that's not some sort of money laundering scheme.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for January: God of War Ragnarök, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand, and more

Medievil and Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings launch on PlayStation Plus Premium.

blog.playstation.com

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/all-video-games/new-upcoming-video-game-releases/pcmcat1487699632767.c?id=pcmcat1487699632767

 

[Smacktard]

Does Graces even need a remaster? How did it run on the PS3? I'm asking because I own a PS3 copy but haven't played it. Could trade it in for a PS5 copy though if it's more worthwhile

 

[Raine]

Does Graces even need a remaster?

No idea on the more worthwhile part, Tales is still in that sight-unseen purchase category for me. I would expect quality on par or exceeding Vesperia’s Definitive Edition as a default, with the Symphonia shortcomings sort of off to the side and doing its own kinda bad thing.

Graces F on PS3 was already an HD Remaster of the original Graces on Wii, with an extra story segment and all those usual bells and whistles. Game ran wonderfully, played exceptionally and so the only real need for Graces F Remastered is to free it from the clutches of the non-backwards compatible PS3 and Japan-only Wii versions.

PAL folks in particular should note that the physical PS4 version does the whole free “Digital Upgrade” thing for PS5, and maybe the digital version does too but I haven’t been fussed enough to look.

Story-oriented players, also, probably aren’t going to have an amazing time with this one. It’s serviceable but the protagonist is a drag and it’s really trope-y in some annoying ways. That being said I love the cast themselves, protagonist aside, and the combat is really, really good. I’ll take Vesperia any day as a complete package, and Abyss ranks higher on my list by a good margin as well, but Graces is a good time.

 

[Smacktard]

Story-oriented players, also, probably aren’t going to have an amazing time with this one. It’s serviceable but the protagonist is a drag and it’s really trope-y in some annoying ways.

I've played four Tales Of games, and I can't say I've enjoyed the story or the characters in any except the first one I played. Trope-y and annoying is part and parcel for the series. I try to hold out as long as I can wrt cutscenes, story, characters, etc., but eventually I hit my limit and just start skipping it all and just play for the exploration + gameplay.

Thanks for clarifying though. I think I'll just keep my PS3 copy and play it that way.

 

[Quagmire]

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and the new pirate like a dragon game or my to gets for the year. I would love GTA VI but I have to wait for it to come out on pc

 

[Quagmire]

No idea on the more worthwhile part, Tales is still in that sight-unseen purchase category for me. I would expect quality on par or exceeding Vesperia’s Definitive Edition as a default, with the Symphonia shortcomings sort of off to the side and doing its own kinda bad thing.

Graces F on PS3 was already an HD Remaster of the original Graces on Wii, with an extra story segment and all those usual bells and whistles. Game ran wonderfully, played exceptionally and so the only real need for Graces F Remastered is to free it from the clutches of the non-backwards compatible PS3 and Japan-only Wii versions.

PAL folks in particular should note that the physical PS4 version does the whole free “Digital Upgrade” thing for PS5, and maybe the digital version does too but I haven’t been fussed enough to look.

Story-oriented players, also, probably aren’t going to have an amazing time with this one. It’s serviceable but the protagonist is a drag and it’s really trope-y in some annoying ways. That being said I love the cast themselves, protagonist aside, and the combat is really, really good. I’ll take Vesperia any day as a complete package, and Abyss ranks higher on my list by a good margin as well, but Graces is a good time.

It has been but I enjoyed Grace's f, not as much as Vesperia or Abyss or Phantasia but it's still solid