Since joining Playstation Plus in 2022, I have had access to more games than I have ever imagined. I've been able to play games from major series for the first time, such as Fallout, Assassins Creed, and Final Fantasy. Additionally, I've been able to play smaller, more independent games. This got me thinking about my favorite game of the past year. I get to play so many titles, some until I see the credits role, others for just a short trial of an hour or two, that it is fun to think back on all the games I've played in the past year to determine my favorite. Keep in mind that I usually only post about games that I complete the main story. In 2025, for instance, I posted about 10 games, but played 67 games according to my Playstation wrap-up for 2025. I thought about this concept of game of the year in 2024, because my favorite game was a surprise to me. But I never got around posting about it, and now that it is the end of 2025 and I thought of the concept again, I thought it was time to make the award happen. This award goes to my favorite game that I played in 2025, it does not necessarily have to be a game that came out in the year of the award. With that being said, and without further delay, my 2025 game of the year award goes to...
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. I had seen the cover of this 2015 game many times prior to playing it, but had no idea what it was about. Geralt's face on the cover scared me, quite frankly. But it was available on Playstation Plus, and when I did a brief search I discovered that the game got fantastic reviews and was very well regarded. I decided to give it a try, and boy was I not disappointed. After learning the characters and what a "witcher" was, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. The story, characters, and settings are all intriguing. The gameplay and pace of the game in terms of how Geralt levels up vs the level needed for the next main quest is perfect. The music and visuals are great, especially for a game that is 10 years old. Just about every aspect of this game is done well. I enjoyed it so much that I even did some of the side quests, which is rare for me (and always a sign that I like the game). When I was about halfway through the game, it went off Playstation Plus and I was able to buy the game plus its two DLC packs for like $10. Since finishing the game, I've read the first book in the series, and plan to return to play the DLC packs and possibly watch the Netflix show. Runner-ups include Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Assassins Creed: Valhalla, and Dredge. To complete my game of the year awards in my Playstation Plus era, my 2024 game of the year award goes to...
Dave the Diver was my surprise game of the year for 2024. I played a lot of really good games in 2024, as you'll see from the runner-up list below, but Dave stood out for its intriguing story and fun gameplay and characters. This is a good example of a game I'd never play without access to Playstation Plus. My entire family liked this game so much we even went as characters from the game for Halloween. I'm really looking forward to the DLC package that is coming out in 2026! My runners-up for 2024 include Echoes of Wisdom, Fallout 4, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and Ghost of Tsushima.
My 2023 game of the year is Tears of the Kingdom, and my 2022 game of the year is Horizon: Zero Dawn. God of War: Ragnarok is a runner-up for 2023, and God of War (2018) is a runner-up for 2022, as is Gran Turismo 7 and I was still playing Breath of the Wild in 2022, though it would have won game of the year in 2017 or 2018 for me if I were going that far back.
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