It’s fair to say that 2025 was a groundbreaking year for the world of video games. From brand-new chapters in long-dormant IP greats like Konami’s Silent Hill f, to awe-inspiring underdog victories like Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which clinched a record-breaking nine awards at The Game Awards (TGA) 2025, video games have once again proved to be a medium that never fails to captivate and surprise its audience with the unique interactive experiences they provide.
Be it massive triple-A sequels like Doom: The Dark Ages and Death Stranding 2, to sleeper hits no one saw coming like Shinobi: Age of Vengeance and Cronos: The New Dawn, these are our Geek Culture Awards 2026 selections for the Best of Gaming – titles that came out swinging and left a lasting impression.
BEST ACTION (GOLD) — Doom: The Dark Ages
Rip and tear, until it is done. Ever since id Software revived the classic boomer shooter franchise Doom in 2016, it has proven its expertise in providing modern innovations to even the most basic of gameplay concepts. Doom: The Dark Ages took the concept one step further, taking fan expectations and completely flipping the script, adding something that’s never been seen in the franchise before: a parry system.
It’s a gamble that surprisingly paid off, mixing in a tactical, almost rhythm-game-like element while still nailing the visceral feel of tearing through demons up close, all wrapped up by a head-banging heavy metal soundtrack by noted video game music production and composer team, Finishing Move Inc.
BEST ACTION (SILVER) — Shinobi: Age of Vengeance
On the topic of reviving classic gaming IPs, Lizardcube’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance breathed fresh air into SEGA’s 1987 hack-and-slash franchise, not just with its unique hand-drawn art style, but also with its refreshing take on side-scrolling combat.
Momentum is the name of the game here, with every new combo or ability learnt giving players more ways to ensure the action never slows down. Combine that with the game’s execution system that can wipe out multiple low-health foes at once, and it all adds up for a violent, high-octane take on the classic formula that constantly keeps the heart pumping.
Honourable Mentions: Borderlands 4, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
BEST NARRATIVE (GOLD) — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
There are several reasons why Sandfall’s Interactive Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept nine trophies at The Game Awards last year, and a huge part of it can be attributed to its utterly captivating narrative. While its gameplay innovations captured attention, the way it paints a poignant story about grief, loss, and family (found or otherwise) is what stole players’ hearts, delivering a realistic, emotionally resonant experience that’s equal parts comforting – to those who have been in a similar plight – and gut-wrenching.
On a more poetic note, it proves that just like the enigmatic Paintress who wipes out entire populations with a single stroke of her brush, art can shape lives and emotions, and coming from a core team of merely 30 members, no less? Now, that’s impressive.
BEST NARRATIVE (SILVER): Silent Hill f
Saying a Silent Hill game succeeded in telling a story that’s simultaneously thought-provoking and messed-up is like saying water is wet – it’s to be expected. How Konami and NeoBards Entertainment’s Silent Hill f pulled its biggest plot revelations off, however, and some possible spoilers ahead, was particularly outstanding this time around, as it managed to link its biggest plot twist to one of its most unassuming gameplay features.
Mix in the powerful performance by leading lady Konatsu Kato, who required real-life therapy after portraying her character Hinako due to the intensity of the role, and what you have is a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, none of which were remotely positive, at least for Hinako. Maybe the f really stood for f**ked up all this time.
Honourable Mentions: Mafia: The Old Country, South of Midnight, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
BEST RPG/STRATEGY (GOLD): Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
If you want to remake a classic, a title that’s often considered a ‘seminal masterpiece’ is certainly the safest bet… or the biggest mistake. Thankfully, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles blew away expectations, not by shaking up the original formula, but instead refining it in meaningful ways. A huge part of it is accessibility, as the remake took the infamously challenging experience of the original 1997 classic and introduced a gentler learning curve with the addition of three difficulty modes, all while keeping the same complexities of its battle systems intact.
The result is a game that not only honours the legacy of what came before but also improves upon the experience to cater to a wider audience, setting the standard for how game remakes should be done.
BEST RPG/STRATEGY (SILVER) — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Changing the way a well-established gaming genre works is never an easy endeavour, but it’s something that Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 completely knocked out of the park with its unique take on the classic turn-based battle system. Dubbed “reactive turn-based combat”, combat is made more engaging with the addition of quick time events (QTEs), which boost damage upon successful completion, or real-time dodging and parrying to counter enemy attacks, adding a new layer of intensity to every encounter.
Furthermore, with each of the game’s characters featuring a distinctive playstyle and the staggering amount of Picto (unlockable passive skills) on offer, there’s an almost endless possibility for team synergy, meaning even the most hardcore RPG min-maxer can potentially spend hours crafting the perfect team build.
Honourable Mentions: Two Point Museum, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Octopath Traveler 0, Civilization VII
BEST ACTION-ADVENTURE (GOLD) — Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Say what you want about Kojima Productions’ genre-defying Death Stranding franchise, but there’s no denying just how much of a creative showcase they are, taking the fundamentally simple concept of making deliveries and basing an entire 20-plus-hour gameplay experience on it, and somehow making it wholly engaging throughout.
As a sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, improves upon the original in almost every way, most notably in the action department, as combat is not only a much bigger part of the overall experience this time around, but it’s also much more fleshed out too, providing gameplay variety to the title while simultaneously proving to naysayers that this isn’t just a walking simulator.
BEST ACTION-ADVENTURE (SILVER): Monster Hunter Wilds
There’s a reason why Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise is as popular as it is today, as fans just can’t get enough of its satisfying gameplay loop of slaying giant beasts and using their parts as weapons or equipment.
Monster Hunter Wilds embarked on the ambitious quest to make a sequel that’s both grander in scale than the series has ever been, with the introduction of biomes with dynamic weather conditions and a more streamlined and simplified combat loop that makes it the most accessible entry yet. While the latter hasn’t been received as well by franchise purists, any game developer who sets out to make their game more enjoyable for a wider audience deserves recognition in our books.
Honourable Mentions: Ghost of Yōtei, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Mafia: The Old Country
BEST HORROR (GOLD) — Cronos: The New Dawn
Technically, the year only had three major releases for the niche but immensely popular horror genre, but the quality of said releases has been so good that we just had to give them recognition. Among them, however, none surprised as much as Bloober Team’s Cronos: The New Dawn, a new IP which surprisingly didn’t receive as much hype as its other 2025 horror counterparts before release, but still blew all expectations out of the water.
Combining a masterful balance of old-school and modern horror concepts, and a no-nonsense approach to survival horror and resource management with a unique spin on the enemy-morphing gameplay feature perfected by Dead Space, this is an absolute must-play title for those even remotely interested in the survival horror genre, a remarkable achievement, especially for a fresh IP.
Honourable Mentions: Silent Hill f, Little Nightmares III
BEST FAMILY (GOLD): Split Fiction
Fans of Josef Fares’ Hazelight Studios can certainly attest to the studio being the master of the co-op gaming genre, especially since each of its releases demands two players to function. Split Fiction marks the latest evolution of the formula, making use of its unique premise – two authors of different genres being trapped inside the worlds of their creations – to provide a staggering variety of gameplay features.
Each level in the game features at least one brand-new concept to play around with, and with thought-provoking environmental puzzles at every turn, a mix of sci-fi and fantasy sights to feast your eyes upon, and even puzzle accessibility options for when a situation gets a little too tough, this makes the game a perfect one to enjoy with friends and family of all gaming skill levels.
BEST FAMILY (SILVER): Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo has (literally) struck gold with Donkey Kong Bananza, a feat made even more impressive considering that this marks the iconic ape’s first 3D platformer in over 25 years, so talk about a comeback. Hailing from the same team behind Super Mario Odyssey, the platforming collectathon influences are clear, although Bananza manages to stand on its own two feet with a healthy dose of demolition, featuring a core gameplay loop consisting of strategically breaking through parts of the environment to collect items and reach the end goal.
It’s mind-numbing fun, yet immensely satisfying throughout, with the cherry on top being that the entire experience can also be enjoyed in co-op, with the second player taking control of side character Pauline, who comes with her own set of unique skills.
Honourable Mentions: Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Mario Kart World
Head over to Geek Culture Awards 2026: The Best Of Tech, and Geek Culture Awards 2026: The Best Of Entertainment for our other top picks of 2025!
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
