Gaming is in a great spot these days. As we approach the end of 2025, we have seen a multitude of great games release and receive rave reviews from players. It feels like people from every corner of the gaming spectrum got something they really enjoyed. Triple-A, indie, and everything in between, there was something for everyone.

These are the nominees Geoff Keighley and his team have selected as the “official” GOTY contenders for The Game Awards. Fans vote, but their votes only make up 10 percent of the total while critics handle the rest. Critics know more than us, I guess.

From the nominees listed, I have only played about one and a half: Donkey Kong Bonanza and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I fully completed Bonanza, while I dropped Expedition 33 after Act 1.

But that is beside the point. Who cares about their list when my list is the only one that matters? So without further ado, here is what I crown as Zino’s Game of the Year for 2025, but first I have to start with the honorable mentions:

First honorable mention: Donkey Kong Bananza – Nintendo Switch 2

I am at a point in my life where I respect Nintendo and their output, but I am not someone who really seeks out their games anymore. Sure, there are exceptions like Smash Brothers and Mario Party, but those are more party-style games that keep couch play alive with family and friends. Their other offerings? I pretty much do not play them at all and do not have any interest in doing so. Sometimes I try, but the games end up on my ever-growing backlog. The only Nintendo game I have beaten in the last decade has been Breath of the Wild when it first came out on the Switch, which I should note was a good one-time experience. I am looking at you, Tears of the Kingdom.

One day out of nowhere, my brother came back from NYC and brought gifts. Gifts these days are usually adult-oriented, such as attire, fragrances, or help with bills. He told me he stopped by the Nintendo store in Rockefeller, and he pulled out Bananza. At first, I told him, “You wasted seventy dollars,” because I had no intention of ever playing this game. I saw the trailers during the Nintendo Direct and had zero interest, even when it went on sale. I was put in a position of guilt since he used his hard-earned money to buy the game for me, so I knew I had to at least give it a whirl. Not even finish it, just try it. What a great decision that turned out to be.

My initial impressions matched my original expectations. I honestly thought my journey would end on the first day, but surprisingly that was not the case. I kept finding myself coming back to this delicately crafted world that Nintendo created. Every single square inch feels accounted for, with mysteries tucked into every corner. The gameplay loop that I once viewed as boring had much more depth than I expected. The satisfaction you get from breaking through all types of materials like rock, dirt, and stone is unmatched. The Bananza transformations add another layer to the loop, giving you a variety of ways to tackle whatever is in front of you.

All these elements make this game so special and bring back that feeling of being young again in a Nintendo-crafted world. I am honored to have played through it, and it definitely deserves its spot as an honorable mention.

Rating: 9.6/10

Second honorable mention: Rematch – PC

Rematch is one that took me by surprise. I remember the first time I saw gameplay of it, which I think was during the open beta, and once again I had no interest in playing it. It had a unique concept that I appreciated, but I did not feel any urge to pick it up. Spoiler: I ended up buying it on release day, and I am glad I made that decision. What an experience this game provides.

It is a mix of Rocket League and Super Mario Strikers, and it works incredibly well. Whether you are in goal saving shots like San Iker, locking down the defense like prime Ramos, creating plays like Andres, or being the lead goal scorer like CR7, every role in this game feels well built and satisfying.

The game is easy to get into, but it has layers of complexity that widen the skill gap. I found myself adapting to whatever each match required from me, all while improving my pitch awareness and my decision-making. Whether I was solo-queuing or playing with my group, I always wanted to keep going because every match brought something unique.

Here is an action shot of me scoring a goal early on:

Unfortunately, Rematch finds itself in a tough spot because the game is dying, and it is dying fast. A multitude of bugs have plagued it from the beginning, and while the experience has improved, a large portion of the player base left long before the fixes arrived. Looking at the Steam charts now and seeing peak numbers of only two to three thousand players in the past twenty-four hours tells the story. Even with crossplay, queue times continue to get longer. There is not much incentive for players who left to return. The only way this game could realistically get back on track is if it becomes free to play.

Regardless, I am still enjoying my time with it, and that is all that matters. One of the best offerings of the year.

Rating: 9.5/10

Final Honorable Mention: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – PC & PS5

For some, it is blasphemous to put Call of Duty in contention to win GOTY, but that is their viewpoint. Me? I love Call of Duty and nothing is going to change my mind. It is comfort food for me. I know what to expect and I enjoy the loop it provides. My mindset has always been that gameplay is king, and the gameplay in COD has been top tier since 2007. They have perfected the arcade shooter. In my opinion, it is the best FPS on the market, even when you include tactical shooters like CS and Valorant.

Sure, there are plenty of haters who irrationally dislike COD and everything about it, but I never concern myself with their opinions since they do not even play the games in the first place. I guess they dislike the fact that it has a yearly release cycle and remains a best seller every time. Somehow this affects them, but I will never understand that mindset. What I do know is that while COD does have an entry fee every year, it has essentially endless replay value. Since I am mainly a multiplayer player, every match always has different variables, which means no two games are ever the same.

While I love COD, I can admit there have been entries I played only briefly because they did not capture me. This one is different. I am getting that Cold War feeling with BO7. If you know me, then you know I consider Cold War to be one of the greatest COD games ever, so drawing that parallel means a lot. I thought BO6 was a bit too loose in how the gameplay felt, especially with the introduction of the first version of omni-movement. Now, it feels like they have perfected the movement, and as a result, everything feels tight, which is exactly what I wanted. The wall jumping is not overpowered and adds a nice element of traversal that expands the gameplay. The maps are also top tier, probably the best we have had in a long time.

All in all, I have been extremely impressed with Treyarch’s latest offering in my favorite series. It is still early in the lifecycle, but the sky is the limit for this one.

Rating: 9.4/10 (Multiplayer only considered as this is the only mode I have played so far)

And now, we get to what I think is Game of the Year:

Game of the Year: Elden Ring: Nightreign – PC

Nightreign has left an impression on me that I had been searching for so desperately in this form of entertainment. That feeling of discovery that FromSoftware has mastered applies to this title as well, and it goes even further. It is a departure from what From usually does. Creating a PVE co-op adventure that uses a storm mechanic inspired by battle royale games, separates the world into nights, and also functions as a roguelite? Who could have imagined that. I had no idea how all of those elements would come together. Yet it worked, and it resulted in one of the most memorable gaming experiences of the past decade.

This game expands on the gameplay Elden Ring offered but adds fantastic mobility through sprint surges, the ability to climb most objects freely, and the complete absence of fall damage. All of this makes the gameplay loop incredibly entertaining. It is hard to go back to Elden Ring or any other Souls game after playing this because you miss the mobility this game gives you. Character skills and abilities add another layer that keeps every cycle engaging.

All the characters are fun to play and offer different ways to experience each run. After some testing, I found myself always choosing Raider because Strength has been and will always be my favorite attribute in From games. I also like having high poise and being able to take a hit, and that is exactly what Raider provides. Raider’s uppercut ability is one of the most satisfying moves to land on enemies and bosses. Stunning a world boss with a perfectly timed uppercut is one of the best feelings ever.

I also want to note that I never played this game solo. It was always with my gaming buddies. There is nothing better than getting good RNG and suddenly feeling like a superhero. I cannot wait for the DLC so I can dive into more of what this world has to offer. Here is a picture from one of my favorite runs with some of my friends. We beat two Everdarks back to back on our first try:

Rating: 10/10

So that’s my thoughts on the topic of GOTY for 2025, take it or leave it.

– Z

Well, here I am on a random day (11/26/2025), doing the quintessential first post on my very own blog. This is probably the first time in history that this has ever been done before. All jokes aside, I wanted to create a small space in this vast world we call the internet just for me. Meaning, I don’t really care if anyone ever comes across this site. I can be the only visitor in history, but this is my corner, my domain. I express my thoughts and my thoughts alone with no need for approval from outside sources.

Why did I even do this in the first place? I want to get all my thoughts out there on any subject known to man. There is no distinct theme intended for this venture; rather, it is just a place where I can document my feelings on any given subject. I could talk about the political/economic state of the world, I could talk about my review of the latest entertainment piece I’ve viewed etc. So the subjects will range from anything and everything, which is what I want.

We are all complex beings that hold and value our own view of the world. Every experience gained throughout this journey called life deserves to be documented so we can always have the ability to go back and see what our state of mind was at the time. I very much value the ability to even do something like this. Prior to this, my thoughts were all over the internet and it was hard to keep track of everything. This my home now.

Enough of all that, welcome to my mind.

– Z