Game 1:

Ninja Gaiden 4. I was a big fan of NG2 back on the 360 & I feel like this might have flew under the radar a bit. It reminds me a lot of DMC4 (which might be a negative for some) but I really enjoyed it. You can def feel Platinum’s touch on this; very satisfying combat & visuals.

11 hours

1. #HollowKnight #Silksong. Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games of all-time, & somehow Silksong is just better in every way. It felt like the expectations for this game had become impossible to reach but Team Cherry blew past them. It is without a doubt my Game of the Year. (11/11)

Of course while doing this countdown i finally played #Dispatch & I just want to say if I hadn’t already locked in my 10 it’d absolutely have made my top 5. So I’ll say this game is an extreme emphasizes Honorable Mention.

1. #HollowKnight #Silksong. Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games of all-time, & somehow Silksong is just better in every way. It felt like the expectations for this game had become impossible to reach but Team Cherry blew past them. It is without a doubt my Game of the Year. (11/11)

2. #ClairObscurExpedition33. This game has definitely gotten a lot of praise this year & it absolutely deserves it. The story, the characters, the art design, the soundtrack; it’s just firing on all cylinders. It is absolutely worthy of the consensus GOTY, but for me there’s one above it… (10/11)

3. #GhostOfYotei. I of course loved Tsushima but I honestly think Yotei is an improvement in every way. Story, characters, combat, exploration. Atsu is a way more interesting character than Jin imo and I think the exploring the world is a good mix of the first & Breath of the Wild. (9/11)

4. #HadesII. I’ve been a huge fan of Supergiant since Bastion, and when Hades came out it felt like they leveled up and it turns out they were just getting started. I might still prefer the story/characters of the 1st but gameplay-wise #Hades2 is an improvement in every way. (8/11)

5. #DeathStranding2 #OntheBeach. I was a fan of the first game, but I think this sequel really refined everything. It just makes for an extremely fun & engaging gameplay loop & has a stronger cast of characters (though the story is still nonsense). Probably the best console graphics to date. (7/11)

6. #SplitFiction. This was my first Hazelight game and I had a blast playing it with a buddy. I didn’t care at all about the story or characters but it’s just constant new fun ideas and the final hour is maybe my favorite sequence of this year.

7. #ShinobiArtofVengeance. The words I’ve been using to describe this game are “shit hot” because man it kicks ass. I’ve only previously played Shinobi 3, but man they nailed it here. The look, the feel, the ost, the art style. Joe Musashi is just so cool. (5/11)

8. #DonkeyKongBananza. This game is an absolute joy to play & oozes Nintendo charm. Tons of fun gameplay mechanics and I love the DK/Pauline relationship. Unfortunately the middle third of it drags a bit but it sure does finish strong! Bring on the next 3D Mario! (4/11)

9. #DOOMTheDarkAges. I love these modern DOOM games. 2016 & Eternal are some of my favorite fps games ever. That being said, this one is my least favorite of the 3…but it’s still a great game! I love that in a lot of ways it feels like a Halo campaign and the Shield Saw is an all-time weapon. (3/11)

10. #LikeaDragon: #PirateYakuzainHawaii. This game is as ridiculous as it sounds, & it’s a blast. I continue to love this series even if it has gotten a bit sillier in recent entries. Some good Majima character moments here, & the combat is practically a CAG. Plus I love the AC4 ship stuff. (2/11)

And for shits and giggles here’s the other 4 that round out my top 5

Nothing non-Christmas about this (I’ve rewatched it every Christmas since release 😤)

Dune: Part 3 & Robert Eggers’ Werwulf are also right up there for me but with them being such late in the year releases I’m not confident they’ll even be out in 2026.