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It’s time for our annual countdown to recognize the best games of the year. Over the next 10 days, we’ll be counting down the top 10 games of 2025.
As always, the votes of each member of the Press Start team were collated, weighted from 10th to 1st place, to compile the best results of the year. A game worthy of the top spot will be awarded a maximum of 10 points, and its value will go down to the 10th selection, which will be awarded 1 point.
Following the journey of a sublime samurai like Ghost of Tsushima is always going to be a monumental task. But Sucker Punch did just that this year, releasing Ghost of Yorei. The game was praised for being a more diverse experience while retaining the beauty and romance that is a touchstone of feudal Japan. Like the original, Yotei feels like a classic samurai film, nailing the trademark tone of revenge within its relentlessly punishing world.
Structurally, it resembles Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Ubisoft’s first meaningful dive into the world of Japanese mythology. Atsu seeks revenge against the Yotei Six who murdered his family, destroyed his village, and left him to die. But the obvious similarities ultimately didn’t hurt Ghost of Yorei. The game went on to sell millions of copies and was nominated for seven The Game Awards. However, they couldn’t keep winning.
Ghost of Tsushima itself ranked second in Game of the Year in 2020, but fell short of a smaller game called The Last of Us Part II. Its sequel rounds out the top ten, but that’s not because it’s a lesser game. Ghost of Yorei is also a spectacular open world, and while it’s a marked improvement over its predecessor in most areas, it probably just struggles narratively thanks to its more open, non-linear structure.
josh says
“Ghost of Yorei improves on its predecessor in every way, this time with Atsu’s thirst for revenge unraveling rather than building. She loved hunting every nook and cranny of Yotei, eavesdropping on taverns, rescuing farmers, and overlaying her prey’s blood trails with her own. Jumping back and forth between Atsu’s childhood and her current state adds weight to her actions while hunting Yotei Six, clarifying her motivations and anger.
The characters not only provide the means to achieve their next goal, but also show another side of why Atsu refuses to put aside his journey of revenge, even if it means dying alongside the man who took his family. A small wolf can only run for so long, and eventually ends up in a pack without realizing it or accepting it. ”
In our review, Harry gave The Ghost of Yotei an 8.5 out of 10 and said:
“While we don’t think Ghost of Yorei reaches the heights of its predecessor, it’s still a worthwhile journey into lawless Japan. Featuring a uniquely tonal and cinematic story, a visually diverse open world full of activities, and a great showcase of the power of PlayStation 5.”
Mount Yotei Ghost Review Discussion — The Press Start Podcast
On review aggregation site Metacritic, Ghost of Yorei rests with an average score of 86.
Congratulations to Sucker Punch on making it to the Top 10 of 2025!
2025 Game of the Year
#10 – Ghost of Yotei
