This was a hefty year for me and video games. Probably because everything around us is crumbling and terrible and video games were one of the easier disassociation techniques.
Now the "as always disclaimer" is that these are not games that came out in 2025, just games I played in 2025. I don't have the time to stay up to date on all the newest games. (God damned adult job)
Here's what we've looked at so far
17. Heretic + Hexen
- Hardware: Steamdeck
- Release Year: 2025
I don't know if I consider this game above Doom for real, but I've played Heretic and Hexen less than I've played Doom.
The first person shooter revolution of the early/mid-90s was moving fast. I had the Shareware version of Heretic, but by the time I had enough allowance, we had Duke Nukem 3D and Quake.
So this is sort of a fun time capsule for me. Something that feels familiar, but something I've never played.
16. Elden Ring: Seamless Co-Op and Shadow of the Erdtree
- Hardware: Steamdeck
- Release Year: 2022
It wasn't perfect. There were some really frustrating times on Linux where the Coop mod had an update and wouldn't find my save. So I would go through this dance of finding the save file buried on my Steam Deck, copying it somewhere else. Starting a new character. Playing until the first checkpoint. Finding the new save file. Then overwriting that save file.
I didn't play the DLC the first time through. Shadow of the Erdtree was still weeks away when I rolled credits and frankly, I was ready to move on. The DLC is cool. It has more of a fantastical feel. The original game tries to ground the world in a reality that we can understand, ruins and castles, forests and swamps. The DLC feels like Morrowind. Like something that can't exist on this planet.
