The landscape of console gaming exclusivity continues to evolve significantly in 2025, with both Sony and Microsoft increasingly bringing their marquee titles to multiple platforms. This trend challenges the traditional notion of a singular console defining the best gaming experiences, as many top-performing games, including the acclaimed 2025 Game of the Year winner, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, now launch across a broad spectrum of systems. Nintendo remains a notable exception, largely maintaining its exclusive ecosystem.
Despite this industry-wide shift, Sony demonstrates a continued commitment to high-quality exclusive software that distinguishes the PlayStation 5. While the era of strict console exclusivity may be waning, Sony aims to bolster its ecosystem through a combination of compelling hardware innovations and carefully curated first-party and timed-exclusive titles. This strategy seeks to maintain the PS5’s appeal amidst a more interconnected gaming environment.
A cornerstone of Sony’s 2025 strategy is a significant update to the PlayStation Portal, transforming the device into a more versatile and essential accessory for PlayStation households. The new firmware now enables cloud streaming capabilities, allowing users to access a vast library of games without needing to stream directly from their console. Priced at approximately $200, the Portal offers a portable and cost-effective extension of the PS5 experience, making it a compelling proposition for remote play and on-the-go gaming. Over 2,000 titles are now streamable, greatly enhancing its utility.
Among the year’s standout titles is the highly anticipated remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics, a game long revered by fans as a pinnacle of the tactical RPG genre. Square Enix’s updated release brings this timeless classic to a new generation, allowing players to experience its intricate narrative and groundbreaking gameplay. The game’s story, which explores themes of war, class struggle, and political intrigue, remains as resonant today as it was upon its original debut, solidifying its place in gaming history.
Beyond its compelling narrative, Final Fantasy Tactics is celebrated for its expansive and deeply engaging job system, which offers players unparalleled strategic depth. This system grants a remarkable degree of customization and power, epitomized by classes like the Arithmetician, capable of casting any learned spell instantly and without mana cost. The strategic pairing of such classes, for instance, combining the Arithmetician’s power with the mobility of a White Mage, allows for the creation of exceptionally potent units, empowering players to overcome formidable challenges within the game’s rich tactical battles.
Sucker Punch Productions delivers a polished and refined experience with the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, opting to enhance rather than dramatically alter the beloved formula. Players are once again immersed in breathtaking feudal Japanese landscapes, engaging in fluid, dynamic combat and exploring a world rich with cultural detail. The sequel maintains the predecessor’s core appeal, offering an evolution of its open-world design, extensive combat techniques, and serene hot springs.
Crucially, the narrative in the Ghost of Tsushima sequel receives particular attention, presenting a more gripping tale of revenge that provides enhanced structure to the expansive open-world environment. This refined storytelling ensures that exploration and combat are interwoven with a compelling personal journey, deepening player investment. The meticulous tuning of gameplay mechanics and narrative pacing contributes to an overall experience that feels more cohesive and impactful than its acclaimed predecessor.
Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2 builds upon the unique and often enigmatic foundations of its predecessor, offering a sequel that is both familiar in its strangeness and more accessible from the outset. The core gameplay loop of traversing a post-apocalyptic world to deliver vital goods and connect disparate communities remains central. However, the setting shifts dramatically to Australia, introducing new environmental hazards such as intense sandstorms, alongside a fresh ensemble of eccentric characters portrayed by a diverse cast, including Elle Fanning and George Miller.
Bennett Foddy, known for his distinctive and challenging game design, presents “Baby Steps,” a unique walking simulator that meticulously deconstructs the act of ambulation. Players are tasked with controlling every minute detail of taking a step, from weight distribution to limb movement, using the PlayStation 5’s DualSense triggers. This unconventional approach results in a surprisingly humorous yet profound examination of human psychology, emotional resilience, and the inherent complexity of navigating one’s body, fostering a newfound appreciation for fundamental motor skills.
Lumines Arise emerges as a compelling puzzle game, drawing comparisons to both Tetris Effect and Mean Bean Machine with its distinctive mechanics. The game requires players to group matching blocks into two-by-two configurations, aiming to clear them from the board. A standout feature is its incredible synth and pop-house soundtrack, which synchronizes dynamically with the on-screen action, creating an immersive, full-body puzzle-solving experience.
Despite its engaging audiovisual presentation, Lumines Arise presents a significant challenge, demanding precise timing and spatial reasoning that distinguishes it from other block-matching titles. Players must adapt to evolving block shapes—ranging from traditional blocks to eggs and clocks—which introduce varied grouping strategies and complexity. This constant adaptation, while initially daunting, allows for moments of intense focus and a rewarding flow state as players master its intricate patterns and unique gameplay rhythms.
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