The reason behind this, he said, was that the studio wanted to focus on releasing the game first, and then it could “respond maybe to some potential bugs […], and then focus on the release of the two DLCs for that quarter.” These plans, which were originally minor, ended up having a knock-on effect where the studio started getting a loyal fanbase.

“Players are there, they are excited, they are supporting us, they want more of the game, so we did more. The appetite grew, they wanted even more, so we kept going,” he said. “And, in the process, we had created a business model that was very unique at that time, and it’s a triple-A game with long tail post-launch support.” Techland would then expand this idea further out into what it called its “10 in 12” initiative. Essentially, it would work on releasing 10 free DLCs over the course of 12 months.

“Then it continued, and then it continued, and in the end, the support lasted for 10 years,” he said. “Last year, we released a graphics update for Dying Light called Retouched.”

However, this form of long-tail post-launch support may not work well for every studio out there, especially in the AAA gaming industry. Smektała has acknowledged that many studios would find this difficult, especially with a lack of continuous revenue. However, it did make sense for Techland at the time, he said, since “it keeps the game on the hard drive, it builds the community trust, it makes the game sell for longer, and you can keep the price at a high level.”

Ultimately, Smektała said that this largely comes down to planning and management. “If you can plan the production around this wisely, the game will give back.”

Smektała announced that he was stepping down from his role as franchise director of Dying Light just last month. After having worked in the role at Techland for almost 13 years, he acknowledged that his life was “moving into a new chapter”.

“Thank you to all the talented people of Techland I’ve had the chance to work with – across both development and publishing – for the passion, energy, and shared ambition to make Dying Light the ultimate zombie experience,” he said in his statement. “We made it happen, together!”

“And to our amazing community: your love, engagement, and vocal support have always been our North Star. You helped shape what Dying Light became.”

More recently, Smektała also spoke about how the release of Dying Light: The Beast taught Techland that “quality beats quantity”.

Dying Light: The Beast is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our review.

Speaking to GamesRadar at Digital Dragons, former franchise director Tymon Smektala called it a “hard lesson” for the team to learn. “The game [Dying Light 2] was very hyped, millions of players [were] waiting for it. We launched it and quickly realized that even [though on the] surface it’s quite similar, almost the same type of game, we had missed a lot of the details, the little things that were important for players, and they were very vocal about it.”

The project’s development troubles are nothing new, and Smektala confirms that the new engine and deadlines ended up causing trouble. Post-launch updates were welcome but ended up being “everything to everyone all at once.”

“Some want more tension, some want more RPG elements, more parkour. Combat could be less bloody, more bloody. Realism, power fantasy, the first game again, or maybe something new. So, you want to give everything to everyone all at once, but it is a trap.”

With Dying Light: The Beast, Techland decided to slow down and focus more on the project’s core quality. “We learned that quality beats quantity. We slowed down, we focused more, we adapted that for Dying Light 2, and kept using that mindset for Dying Light: The Beast, understanding that the quality of core elements is more important than satisfying all of the needs and expectations.”

It’s those elements, from the parkour to the gruesome combat and open-world design, which drew extensive praise (and reportedly sold more than 1.5 million copies). Since launch, it’s received some pretty hefty free updates, including New Game+, Legend Levels, Nightmare Mode, and, more recently, Restored Land.

The latter changes the world to be persistent, meaning no more replaying activities or constantly looting the same containers for rewards. However, any slain zombies stay dead, and you’ll slowly see people returning to those areas. There’s also One Life mode for those who want to indulge in some permadeath.

While The Beast is likely to receive support for years, what’s next for the franchise? No one really knows, but at the very least, Techland seemingly knows what direction to take.

“Thank you to all the talented people of Techland I’ve had the chance to work with – across both development and publishing – for the passion, energy, and shared ambition to make Dying Light the ultimate zombie experience. We made it happen, together!

“And to our amazing community: your love, engagement, and vocal support have always been our North Star. You helped shape what Dying Light became.”

As for the future, he noted that the Dying Light franchise is “in great hands,” and “I’m excited to see it grow even further, and I can’t wait to experience its next chapter as a player. I’ll always root for Dying Light! Good night, and good luck!”

Smektała has been with the franchise since the very beginning, serving as a producer on 2013’s Dying Light. He’s credited as a designer on Dying Light 2 Stay Human and has more recently worked on Dying Light: The Beast, which released last year to very positive reviews.

Techland has been busy updating The Beast, with its latest patch adding the new Restored Land mode. It turns Castor Woods into a persistent open world with certain activities not being repeatable and resources not reappearing. Described as the “ultimate survival experience,” it can be played alongside One Life, which is essentially permadeath.

Of course, if you finished the base game, it’s interesting to note Smektała’s statement about the “next chapter.” Maybe he’s speaking generally as someone who’s now on the outside looking in. Perhaps it’s a tease of what’s to come. Either way, it’s been a long journey, and we’re keen to see where he ends up next.

For more details on Dying Light: The Beast, check out our review, where we gave it a nine out of ten. You can also learn more about the Restored Land update here.

That’s because it’s bringing a long list of balancing changes to systems governing your hunger (like reducing the drain while sleeping) and recovery from it alongside other changes like nifty new additions to vendor shops, legendary upgrades for DLC weapon blueprints, and some clever changes to you inventory management that ensure you don’t miss out on new gear thanks to a shortage of space in your inventory and stash. The complete list, which you can check below, showcases Techland’s determination to ensure Restored Land is as close to perfect as it can be for its players.

For our part, we were quite happy with what the update has brought to the table, its new modes and other additions making the game feel fresh enough to warrant another playthrough. Check out our thoughts here. Dying Light: The Beast is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC – head here for our review of the launch version.

Hotfix 1.6.1 – Restored Land Edition (1.6)

• Reduced hunger drain when sleeping
• Slower overall hunger depletion
• “Very Hungry” and “Famished” states now trigger later
• Vendors now offer improvised food bars
• Weapon Blueprints from DLC bundles can now be upgraded to Legendary rarity
• When receiving a new weapon during a cutscene with a full inventory, the lowest-quality weapon is automatically moved to the stash
• If both inventory and stash are full, the lowest-quality weapon is dropped on the ground
• “Better Be Safe” and “Peace Bringer” achievements no longer auto-complete
• Night chases rebalanced – Level 1 chases are now slightly easier to escape
• Increased chances to loot rags and bandages from Biters and Virals
• Fixed the crossplay connection between Steam and Epic
• Fixed the issue with amount of ammo that the Player can loot from ranged human enemies being capped
• Fixed the issue with Player dropping equipped weapon after entering Slasher arena
• Fixed the issue with hunger meter missing throughout the fight with The Beast
• Fixed the issue with Alpha Volatile sometimes not spawning during Chase sequences on Restored Land
• Fixed the issue with “Days Survived” being counted after starting a race
• Fixed the issue with Leaderboards sometimes missing
• Fixed the issue with message about Restored Area always appearing after loading a save
• Fixed the issue with some encounters being unresponsive
• Fixed the issue with Items Found values in the Leaderboard section
• Fixed the broken Night Cycle after quitting to the main menu during challenge
• Fixed a few collisions in new Roadkill Rallies
• Fixed the issue with item stacks being incorrectly subtracted while moved to the Stash
• Fixed the issue with Player receiving the achievement “Apex Predator” without killing a Volatile after a cutscene in “One flew over the Volatiles’ nest” mission
• Fixed the issue with SFX missing after failing to load a broken save file
• Fixed the issue with infinite death loop happening after Player gets out of map/playable area during Roadkill Rally
• Fixed various unresponsive NPC’s while playing in Coop

Headlining the update is the eponymous Restored Land mode, which is meant to be a new way to experience Dying Light: The Beast all over again. When enabled, the mode introduces a way for players, once more taking on the role of Kyle Crane, to restore Castor Woods to something at least a little closer to its former glory. Zombies killed in Restored Land mode won’t ever respawn. On the other hand, resources you’ve already looted won’t come back either, which introduces an interesting double-edged sword. That means you have to be much more careful when moving through any given area. Sure, you can eventually clear out a place well enough so that zombies can’t ever come back. But at the same time, you also end up losing the easiest way in the game to get your hands on basic resources like crafting materials: the zombies themselves.

The balance is skewed even further against the player thanks to resources being a lot more scarce, and repeatable activities that often tend to be a great way to grind out more materials can only be completed once. When it comes to actually playing through the mode, these limitations create some genuinely great moments where I had to stop and think through my next moves. Sure, I could always use some extra crafting materials, and I was certainly strong enough to take on a certain Dark Zone. But then I had to ask myself: “Do I really need those materials right now, or would I be better off waiting instead of draining my already-limited flashlight battery?” Restored Land mode, for all intents and purposes, turned Dying Light: The Beast—otherwise a pretty fun power fantasy—into a much more cerebral experience.

While the update also added more ways to ramp up the difficulty, like a One Life mode that results in permadeath, I chose not to use them, since I was already having a hard enough time trying to survive as it is. I haven’t finished a full Restored Land playthrough yet, so I can’t really comment on the usefulness of the rewards, but doing so will likely take me much longer than my first playthrough, since it encourages a slower pace thanks to resource constraints. I did find the act of taking out all zombies in an area quite rewarding, however, and it was a lot of fun to take a leisurely stroll through these zones without having to worry about anything. My only real complaint with the whole experience was the fact that co-op—one of my favorite features of the game overall—isn’t available in Restored Land.

"When it comes to actually playing through the mode, these limitations create some genuinely great moments where I had to stop and think through my next moves."

The update also brought with it one of my favorite new side-activities—Roadkill Rallies. Strewn around the more open parts of Castor Woods, the Roadkill Rally activity revolves entirely around your driving skill and rewards you based on how many zombies you can run over from point A to point B. While simple in concept and execution, Roadkill Rallies become a fun way to compete with friends on a leaderboard. And as an added cherry on top, you don’t have to be playing in Restored Land mode, which also means you can take on Roadkill Rallies in co-op.

Aside from Restored Land mode itself, the update’s meatiest additions are a host of new event-based side quests. Rather than seeking them out on the map and making your way to them, however, these new quests tend to pop up depending on the area you’re passing through and what route you’re taking. These new quests largely revolve around telling small stories about what might have happened to nearby survivors. The studio has noted that these quests were added in an attempt to “make the journey between main quest moments more engaging,” and I think these new quests achieve that quite well. They feel like a natural part of your journey as you parkour or drive your way through Castor Woods, and can often add to the sense of place that the setting has always excelled at.

What helps even more is the fact that these quests don’t even tend to be particularly long. They tend to be relatively simple affairs, often revolving around a single fight or a couple of conversations before you return to your journey. They can be quite varied, ranging from a simple inter-faction battle over a truck full of useful resources, to finding new outposts set up by the Baron’s forces. These aren’t really meant to tell any deep and emotional stories on their own. Rather, they act more like quick encounters that help flesh out the world of Castor Woods, and their relatively dynamic nature also has the added benefit of making the open-world game feel more alive.

"These new quests largely revolve around telling small stories about what might have happened to nearby survivors."

I’d also be remiss not to mention the many improvements Dying Light: The Beast has received through its extensive post-launch support. My favorite of these has been the added depth to the parkour systems. Rather than making any single, sweeping change to the traversal, however, the studio instead added a range of smaller improvements through additional animations that are only really obvious to those who may have already spent some time with the game. This has resulted in on-foot traversal generally feeling a lot smoother. Additions like Legend Levels for level-capped players also provide more excuses to just hang around in Castor Woods to take on some of its tougher challenges.

Generally speaking, Techland did some fantastic work with Restored Land, breathing new life into the already-fantastic Dying Light: The Beast. Thanks to the plethora of new content, new players have plenty to sink their teeth into, while those of us who had already considered ourselves “done” with the game have a great reason to come back: its headline new mode for fresh playthroughs. The new event-based side quests also offer some fantastic new opportunities for environmental storytelling depending on how you approach them and where they appear, and Roadkill Rallies are yet another great way to make traveling between faraway points more interesting.

When it comes to PC performance, Dying Light: The Beast already ran very well, and Restored Land hasn’t slowed it down one bit. With most of the visual settings cranked up to max, I was able to maintain steady frame rates of well over 60 FPS while playing at a resolution of 2560×1440. This was on an upper-mid-range PC featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, a Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU, and 32 GB of RAM.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Kyle’s going to have to be very careful in this new take on the Castor Woods, as resources are now rarer and more pricey, while an optional permadeath mode can make even the slightest mistake very costly indeed. However, it’s not as bleak as it looks, as high-risk areas remain blissfully clear of zombies once you take them all out, which applies to zombies out in the open world as well. It’s going to be a chaotic yet rewarding gameplay loop, and if you already own a copy of the game, it’s available as a free update.

This is an edition we would recommend without hesitation, as we found the base game to be quite the entertainer and a worthy sequel to its predecessors. The new edition seems like it’s additions are all meaningful changes that can build on an already excellent gameplay loop to take it to new heights. More information on the new edition can be found here.

Described as changing the “rules of gameplay,” it offers “a highly challenging solo-only mode” that promises “the ultimate survival experience.” Restored Land essentially makes the open world of Castor Woods persistent. It means that zombies cleared from an area won’t respawn.

However, it also means that loot and resources won’t reappear, and activities such as convoys, dark zones, etc. can’t be repeated. To make things even more challenging, there are limited supplies overall, and vendors will charge higher prices. If that’s not enough, you need to deal with “intensified” hunger and flashlight requirements. Failing to keep Kyle Crane well-fed will result in penalties, and you’ll need to replace the flashlight’s batteries.

For the truly hardcore, there’s an option to enable One Life, which does pretty much what it says: Die once, and that’s it. You’ll need to start all over.

Completing a Restored Land run will unlock “prestigious items” and “visible recognition” (likely a skin), but that’s not all. New Roadkill Rallies provide fresh challenges for those driven (pun fully intended) to race against the clock and splatter any infected along the way. Completing this unlocks an “amazing reinforced version of a car built for even more distraction in the open world.”

You can also look forward to numerous improvements and new Achievements, quest encounters and finishers. Performance is also getting a noticeable bump, so stay tuned when Restored Land goes live later this week (and check out the behind-the-scenes trailer courtesy of IGN below).

So it’s all the more impressive that the video game industry, be it triple-A developers, independent studios (even with the backing of major publishers) and smaller creators, can craft such a wide range of terrifying games, year in and year out. While that also means a heaping helping of shovelware – awful releases that wouldn’t even muster a simple yawn – a select few rise above the rabble to dominate.

Here are our nominees for the best horror game of 2025, starting with…

Routine

Between development troubles and even stopping development, only to restart in 2020, it’s almost impressive that Lunar Software’s first game was released at all, much less received such positive praise. Nevertheless, it’s pretty much what we expected – a slow, methodical trip down the retro futuristic rabbit hole in a station filled with killer robots. Even if the story doesn’t quite stick the landing, being immersed in this surreal world and awkwardly feeling your way through is more than worth the price of admission.

Tormented Souls 2

Old-school survival horror with its save rooms, fixed camera angles, and tank controls – you really couldn’t ask more from Dual Effect, especially after the surprising success of Tormented Souls. However, the sequel actually improves a lot, from more intricate puzzles and exploration to far better lighting that adds the oh-so creepy mood. Caroline Walker may never really catch a break, but her escapades make for some tense gameplay, if nothing else.

The Midnight Walk

If there’s one medium that’s adept at portraying adorably terrifying creatures, it’s claymation, and MoonHood uses it to full effect here. There’s an almost Tim Burton-like vibe to this tale of The Burnt One struggling to protect Potboy, who houses an alluring flame, from the various horrors of this mysterious world. The Midnight Walk straddles a fine line between beauty and terror while remaining engaging throughout.

Silent Hill f

Of course, it’s not just about balancing beauty and terror – sometimes, you can find each in the other, as Konami’s latest mainline Silent Hill showcases. Venturing outside the US for the first time, taking place in the fictitious Ebisugaoka in the 1960s, it’s a rural horror unlike anything the franchise has seen thus far. Deeply disturbing and unrelenting with its gore, yet never descending into senseless brutality, it’s a psychological trip that’s worth taking.

Total Chaos

A Doom 2 total conversion turned full-fledged horror by Sam Prebble of Turbo Overkill fame, this essentially captures all the reality-bending horror the former strived for. Between fighting grotesque horrors across Fort Oasis and trying to discover the truth of yourself, you’re crafting rudimentary weapons to fight back – all the while diving even deeper into this surprisingly meaty nightmare.

Hell is Us

While much of the emphasis remained on dungeon diving and getting by without any hand holding, Remi’s journey through the war-torn remains of Hadea isn’t without some disturbing sights. War crimes abound, but even discovering mountains of corpses and gruesome murders all in the name of ancient practices, which all connect back to the country’s bloody history, can get heavy. You won’t have to worry about jump scares or such, but it’s a stressful experience throughout.

Little Nightmares 3

It’s a shame that Supermassive didn’t innovate much on the gameplay because, in terms of the atmosphere and aesthetic, the spiral of Low and Alone through Nowhere is delightfully dreadful. Witness the Carnevale, with its sentient puppets that won’t stop attacking until you crush their heads. Flee the Supervisor, whose smile is almost as frightening as her Candy Factory. The frights may not be as out-and-out, but the sights remain as disturbing as ever.

Sleep Awake

Imagine if sleep were the enemy – the domain of an entity known as The Hush, who spirits away those that can’t resist nap time. Now imagine being one of the last few people on Earth trying to maintain their sanity. It’s an unconventional premise, sure, and Blumhouse Games further reinforces the surreality by mixing full-motion video with some gameplay sequences. Despite the iffy stealth sections and walking sim-like nature, its narrative stands strong.

Dying Light: The Beast

What’s there to be afraid of when my boy Kyle Crane, making his return after years in exile, can now rip apart zombies with his bare hands? As it turns out, when the sun goes down, everything. Volatiles are more ruthless, intelligent and brutal than ever, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s finally an achievement to survive the nighttime, which now looks properly foreboding and oppressive (the makeup of Castor Woods helps as well).

Cronos: The New Dawn

If Bloober Team was under immense pressure to deliver with Silent Hill 2 remake, then you have to wonder how much higher expectations were afterwards. Lo and behold, Cronos is another compelling survival horror – different, sure, especially with its post-apocalyptic body horror, sci-fi leanings, and unique premise, but still unrelentingly, stressfully frightening.

And the winner of the Best Horror Game of 2025 goes to…

Silent Hill f

Much like when Bloober Team was announced to remake Silent Hill 2, many were skeptical that NeoBards Entertainment could deliver a new mainline Silent Hill. Going back to the past is one thing, but forging a new experience forward, especially for a studio known for flops like RE:Verse and Resident Evil: Resistance? It seemed like Konami had lost its mind.

But it also announced that Higurashi no Naku Koro ni writer Ryukishi07 was penning the narrative while the brilliant kera handled the characters and creatures. Slowly and surely, despite skepticism surrounding its combat, Silent Hill f morphed into a compelling product. None of this could prepare anyone, even fans of the series, for what they would expect when stepping into the shoes of Shimizu Hinako. Heck, even Konatsu Kato, her Japanese voice actor, continues to be traumatized in her playthrough (to the entertainment of thousands, of course).

Suffice it to say, this is a masterclass in terror and pacing with grotesquely beautiful creatures that you couldn’t tear your eyes from. It offers a strong narrative with even stronger characterization (and a surprising number of layers thanks to its multiple endings). Did we mention the fantastic sound design and soundtrack? And as noted before, everything that you see, regardless of how brutal and cruel it can be, serves a purpose. It’s not unlike the symbolism seen in the series’s best games – just tackling new and undeniably uncomfortable themes.

I could go on, but the result is a powerful horror experience that makes you almost forget about the above-average combat. As a result, Silent Hill f is our pick for the top horror game of 2025. Walk in with as few spoilers as possible – you won’t regret it (maybe).

But which is the absolute crème of the crop? Let’s dive into our nominees for the best graphics of 2025, starting with…

Ghost of Yōtei

Everything about Sucker Punch’s sequel is a massive improvement over Ghost of Tsushima, and that especially applies to the visuals. Much greater draw distance with almost no noticeable pop-in, more details, higher quality textures and materials, improved effects – there’s even seamlessly implemented ray-traced global illuminations. All in all, whether you’re in the throes of combat with swords clashing and mud splashing or speeding through fields of flowers, Ghost of Yōtei doesn’t disappoint.

Silent Hill f

Between the expressive facial animations and grotesque environments, Silent Hill f is a nightmarishly stunning experience. Its environments are packed with incredible texture work and backed by realistic lighting and shadows that accentuate every gruesome reveal. Then there are the monsters, designed by kera, which strike a nauseating fine line between beauty and dread.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

After pushing the limits of the Decima Engine in the original, Kojima Productions somehow goes even further beyond in Death Stranding 2. Gazing upon mountain ranges with nary a hint of slowdown or pop-in, the phenomenal character models with realistic skin textures – it’s a feast for the eyes, and only gets better as you progress further in. For instance, the entire first encounter against Neal and his soldiers? Simply amazing.

DOOM: The Dark Ages

Count on id Software to take technology like ray-traced global illumination and make it a core part of its game while still delivering incredible optimization. Like its predecessors, DOOM: The Dark Ages focuses on brutally fast, though definitely more methodical, combat, but it still packs some fantastic sights like projectiles reflecting off glossy surfaces, more realistic environmental destruction and stellar atmospherics. All of this results in easily one of the best-looking shooters of all time.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Another excellent showcase of RTGI, Assassin’s Creed Shadows brings late Sengoku-era Japan to life in surprisingly stunning ways. However, it’s all the other details that help the experience come together so well, from the physics-based weather and realistic wind to the environmental destruction (especially when destroying a stand and watching dozens of fruit tumble onto the street). The depiction of various cities and castles is also incredible, making this feel like a lived-in world.

Clair Obscur: Expedition

No, Sandfall Interactive’s debut role-playing game isn’t the result of only 32 people and a dog, but you have to admit: Its visuals stretch the definition of “double-A” to an obscene degree. While balancing its fantastical painterly art direction with realism, it delivers some truly surreal environments and moments, packed with detailed shadows and lighting. Even the world map with its diorama-like layout looks incredible.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

If you played the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance, then the sequel’s outstanding visuals shouldn’t be a surprise. However, the universal leap in quality is mind-boggling, especially considering the increased scale. The composition of the cutscenes and facial expressions of its cast are only the start as you’re treated to realistic fire, rainfall, and excruciatingly detailed foliage. And it all runs like a dream.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Having more detailed and realistic character models and environments than the original is only the start. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater goes to extensive lengths to look drop-dead amazing – extensively complex skin meshes, a physically based material system for the clothing, Lumen GI for realistic lighting and shadows, the list goes on. Of course, even with the improved facial expressions, Konami retained every single element of the original’s quirky presentation, and we couldn’t be happier.

F1 25

Say what you will about its improvements over previous games, F1 25 still highlights the sheer beauty of the racing sim series. LIDAR technology results in more realistic tracks, but the implementation of path tracing, which enhances lighting, reflections and sheer detail, especially during various weather conditions, is excellent. Of course, Codemasters’ penchant for painstakingly crafting its F1 vehicles remains as praise-worthy as ever.

Battlefield 6

With the amount of time and resources invested in Battlefield 6’s development, it’s somewhat surprising that it looks this good despite the lack of ray tracing and other advanced features. Nevertheless, the presentation is off the charts, whether you’re running through an active battle with jets screaming overhead or watching buildings torn apart, their debris realistically scattering. The fact that it achieves all this while still offering buttery smooth performance is yet another win.

Dying Light: The Beast

Speaking of not offering ray tracing and still looking incredibly good is Techland’s Dying Light: The Beast. Lighting is a core element of the franchise, and its implementation is especially impressive here, as is the extensive range of parkour animations (which play out seamlessly) and revamped damage model. Striking enemies with melee weapons creates realistic cuts and deformations to a gruesome degree, giving melee combat that extra bit of edge.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

Virtuos opted for an intriguing dual-engine approach here, retaining the original code base and core while overhauling the visuals in Unreal Engine 5. Sure, it’s resulted in some problems, but Cyrodiil comes to life like never before. Emperor Uriel, with his realistic wrinkles and excruciatingly fine cloth textures, is only the start as the environments and NPCs are brimming with details.

ARC Raiders

Several Unreal Engine 5 titles come under fire for their poor optimization and performance issues. Then you have ARC Raiders, which offers exceptionally peak performance. Achieving this meant opting away from the likes of Lumen and Nanite, but the fidelity is still surprisingly strong. Reflective surfaces on ARC, realistic-looking weather, detailed destruction – it’s almost enough to make you forget that this is a multiplayer shooter.

Borderlands 4

Once you surmount the various technical problems on PC, there’s no denying that Borderlands 4 is a great-looking game. Gearbox’s signature cel-shading style looks more nuanced than ever, and it’s impressive given the scale of its environments, the seamless exploration, and the surprisingly complex character designs (especially the enemies).

Hell is Us

There’s an eerie atmosphere to Hell is Us, made all the more tangible with the presence of Time Rifts and otherworldly creatures in otherwise realistic, war-torn environments. While it required further optimization at launch, discovering Lake Cynon’s lush field of blue flowers or exploring the sleek interiors of Auriga Museum still made for some startling moments, further bolstered by the excellent texture quality, lighting and reflections.

And the title with the Best Graphics of 2025 is…

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Let’s be real – this generation hasn’t exactly been brimming with titles that push the graphical envelope. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is, of course, the exception and it becomes apparent in the opening minutes. Quick cuts of Mexico, the first location, look almost identical to real life. The skin tone on the characters, alongside details like realistic sweat and retinas, also makes them feel that much more alive. And mind you, this is before Australia, where the sheer breadth of the world is unveiled, from the different biomes to the real-time weather effects (including dust storms).

We mentioned the battle against Neal and the impressive use of lighting, reflective puddles and effects, but it’s even more incredible how this is achieved with screen-space reflections rather than ray-tracing. If all of this wasn’t enough, seamlessly going from the main menu right into the game underscores just how ahead of the curve Death Stranding 2 is of the competition. For that reason and many more, it’s our pick for the best graphics of 2025.

But as with every other genre we’ve covered, some games have just surged ahead of their peers thanks to unique features and gameplay innovations that make the experience they offer unforgettable and very entertaining to play. And of course, one of them does the job so well it’s our favorite one of the year.

Without further ado, here are the nominees for the best action-adventure game of 2025.

1. Mafia: The Old Country

Going back to the early days of organized crime, this romp through the Sicilian countryside in a story that was quite interesting brings everything that’s good about the Mafia franchise to the table. Its visuals were outstanding, complementing the narrative while the gameplay remained as exciting as it has always been in the franchise.

Enzo’s tryst with the Torrisi family is a title worth checking out if you happened to miss it earlier this year. If we were to complain, it would only be to lament that there isn’t more of it to play.

2. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black

Blending the best of the original experience and Sigma 2, this one took us right back to fond memories of the game, while getting to revisit any of Ryu’s adventures is always going to draw us in. But having three new characters to play, while New Game Plus mode is an option, makes this an action title that can have you very invested in its systems and mechanics.

It’s also quite rewarding, with the combat system allowing you to pull off some spectacular combos in battle, provided you know how to wield your weapons effectively. Give this one a go for some old-school fun.

3. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Hunting down the Shinbakufu across ancient Japan was an absolute delight in the game’s take on a very interesting time period. With a world designed for Naoe’s unique brand of parkour and combat that allowed Yasuke to truly shine as a great take on a tank character, this was among our favorite ones to explore to its fullest.

The new and improved stealth mechanics can have you clearing out entire castles without anyone even realizing you were there, which is always welcome in an Assassin’s Creed title. We recommend making the most of its Exploration Mode if you’re looking for an authentic experience.

4. Split Fiction

Mio and Zoe’s excellently written story is definitely something you want to bring a friend along to. Split Fiction ticks all of the right boxes with some incredible level designs, great bosses and enemies, and a premise that sets the stage for the game to truly shine.

It’s full of wit, charm, emotional heft, and references to some very popular names in modern entertainment for you to tease out. While the AI does allow you to experience the game fairly well, this one shines when there’s a second player at your side. It’s a game that’s so much fun you’d probably just dive right back in for the heck of it.

5. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Playing as Samus in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a complete blast, and despite a few unwelcome enemies on your journey this time around, this is a game that blends an excellent world with an intriguing setting that sucks you in with an explosive introductory sequence and then sets you on your way to a lot of fun.

Samus gets some powers, too, and using them to navigate the world around you and also in combat could be the recipe for a lot of fun evenings if you decide to give this one a go.

6. Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater

Konami did well to bring a near perfect remake of the original Snake Eater, allowing an entirely new generation of gamers to learn more about why this franchise enjoys the almost reverent respect that it does. Naked Snake’s first foray with forces beyond his world view is a pleasure to play through, and of course, there’s always FOX Hunt for some multiplayer fun.

This is a game that’s legendary, and Delta is certainly the best possible way to experience it. That’s partly due to several quality of life changes that Konami made, which make it feel like a more modern Metal Gear Solid experience.

7. Hell is Us

Remi’s travels across Hadea and his search for his parents might not be the most cheerful of adventures, but this is a game whose systems work very well to reward curious players with lore drops and useful items. However, only the most observant players are going to get to see more of its world, as this one has a lot to discover but almost no way to track it all other than your own wits.

It’s nice to see a game that’s as opaque as this one, and slowly peeling back the layers of its world and the events that transpired in the past is harrowing yet satisfying to progress through.

8. Echoes of the End

Although Ryn and Abram’s adventure hasn’t managed to capture as much of the spotlight as Deep Silver might have hoped, it’s still a solid game with a story that has many memorable moments, along with mechanics that make for fast-paced, satisfying combat. There are many memorable moments to experience in your time with this one, both part of its main story and the ones you get to make along the way.

Its voice actors do really well to sell the material they’re working with, while the entire experience comes together reasonably well enough to make this one entertaining the first time you play through it.

9. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Getting Goro to go on a swashbuckling adventure where he takes command of his own crew of pirates competing with a ship is every bit as fun as you’d imagine, and then some. It’s a great story that sets the stage for Ryu Gya Gotuku to bring an experience that is a great showcase of Like a Dragon’s popularity.

The combat is a treat, and finally having a jump button is a nice way of acknowledging player feedback. The story is quite a rollercoaster, while a plethora of optional activities via side content means this one is going to keep you occupied for many an entertaining hour.

10. Shadow Labyrinth

It was a delight to join Puck and Swordsman #8 on their adventure across a mysterious world that seems intent on hindering their journey at every turn. It’s a punishing world that can push you to the limits of your skills and tactical ability, but it’s all the more worth it as a result.

The level design is top-shelf, as are the enemies and bosses you find, making this one a game that’s so good you’re going to keep coming back for more. There’s also a bunch of tongue-in-cheek references to other successful Bandai Namco titles and franchises if you keep a sharp eye out.

11. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

There’s a lot of action to be found across Mexico and Australia in this new adventure from Hideo Kojima, and a story that’s going to leave you gaping at what the current generation of games can achieve both visually and narratively. Everything that was good about the original Death Stranding is here, along with ambitious new additions that take the franchise forward in ways that must be seen to be believed.

It’s a game that will have you completely invested from the very moment it begins, and we’d probably leap at any excuse to start up a new playthrough just to enjoy as much of it as we can another time.

12. Ninja Gaiden 4

With enough of the franchise’s best features in it to make it a nod of respect to veteran players, while adding enough new content to make it welcoming to newcomers, Ninja Gaiden 4 has done well to bring the franchise back into relevance with style.

With Ryu taking on the Dark Dragon yet again, joined by a new protagonist who brings interesting new twists to the game’s combat, this long-awaited new addition to the franchise does a lot of things right, making it one of the year’s finest action titles whose main narrative can have you increasingly curious to know how things pan out.

13. Hollow Knight: Silksong

Silksong took the world by storm this year, and with good reason. Putting Hornet front and center of the story this time around allowed the game to take a new approach to its combat and traversal, while increasing its size and scope over the original Hollow Knight by a significant amount.

The result is a game that’s a near-perfect blend of exploration, traversal, combat, and story beats, which is just sublime to play despite survival being a challenging affair in its world.

14. Ghost of Yotei

The land of Ezo has turned out to be a great place for you to leap onto your horse and go out seeking adventure and any excuse to draw your weapons against deadly foes. Atsu’s story of revenge is certainly compelling, but it’s in the way you guide her towards rediscovering the home she left behind while making her a legend to be feared among the land’s villains that makes this one as endearing as it is.

Of course, its beautiful landscapes and brutal combat encounters make for action that’s probably going to be something we keep revisiting from time to time. This is a PlayStation exclusive that might even sell a few consoles this holiday season.

15. Dying Light: The Beast

Boy, was this one good! Kyle Crane’s latest tale might be darker and grittier than his past appearances, but that only serves to make this game more immersive as a result. The Beast is designed to balance exploring its excellent world against encounters with the Infected that could take nasty turns if you’re not smart about how you use your limited supplies.

The story is a perfect example of a Dying Light game, and franchise fans are quite happy with the cliffhanger it sets up. This is definitely a game that you can take on if you’re looking for some nail-biting action and a great story to frame it all.

While each of these titles has been special in its own right, we’re handed the challenge of picking one out of them all as a winner.

The winner of the best action-adventure game of 2025 is:

Ghost of Yotei

Atsu’s adventure is just so intricately crafted that wandering the lands of Ezo leads you to new things to engage with so organically that you could almost forget that there are numerous systems working behind the scenes to bring them to you. This one’s a masterpiece whose many systems click together in place to bring you an open-world experience like no other, while its combat is a deadly dance of blades that ends with only one of its practitioners standing around the devastation of those incapable of defeating the onryo.

And that’s a wrap on our list of the best action-adventure games of 2025. In the aftermath of a year that’s been this good, we can only grin with anticipation as we think of what’s to come in the next one!