One game sold eight million copies in just three days. Another features a staggering 2.2 million-word script that dwarfs even Baldur’s Gate 3’s epic narrative. A third, an indie sequel years in the making, achieved a near-perfect 95 Metacritic score and became the highest-rated original game of the year.
Welcome to 2025, the year RPGs didn’t just compete—they completely took over the gaming landscape.
This wasn’t simply about impressive numbers. 2025 delivered brutal innovation, heated localization controversies, and a Game of the Year battle that had critics and fans arguing for months. We witnessed mid-sized “AA” studios releasing games with AAA-destroying sales figures, while some industry giants stumbled over crippling technical issues. The traditional gaming hierarchy? Completely shattered.
These are the five games that owned your timeline throughout 2025—and here’s exactly why they mattered.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - The Surprise That Changed Turn-Based Combat Forever
Nobody predicted this. When French studio Sandfall Interactive first showcased Clair Obscur, we knew it looked gorgeous. What we didn’t know was that it would fundamentally reinvent turn-based combat.
The Numbers: 93 Metacritic score, over 5 million copies sold, and an unprecedented 9.7 User Score on Metacritic that came from enthusiastic review-bombing (the good kind).
What Makes It Special: This is a turn-based JRPG with a Sekiro-style twist. The game-changing feature is its QTE-infused combat system. Unlike traditional turn-based games where you passively accept damage, Clair Obscur lets you actively dodge, parry, and counter every enemy attack in real time. Perfect parries don’t just negate damage—they grant you action points, transforming combat into a high-skill rhythm game that rewards precision timing.
The Impact: This “clip-driven” mechanic made it an instant hit with streamers, and its soundtrack exploded to over 333 million streams. The game became the undisputed “people’s champion,” leading Golden Joystick nominations and establishing itself as a lock for major awards. It proved that a new IP from a relatively unknown team could compete with—and beat—industry giants.
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - The 2.2 Million-Word Giant
If Clair Obscur was the surprise, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was the statement of intent. This first-person historical WRPG didn’t just meet expectations—it obliterated them.
The Numbers: 88 Metacritic score, 3 million+ copies sold immediately, with launch sales five times higher than its predecessor.
What Makes It Special: The headline feature is its absolutely massive 2.2 million-word script, signaling to the post-Baldur’s Gate 3 world that a new contender for “deepest RPG” had arrived. This isn’t a power fantasy where you’re the chosen one. You’re Henry, an ordinary person trying to survive in 15th-century Bohemia—a world that doesn’t revolve around you.
The Impact: The game reignited debates about “historical accuracy” in gaming, but this time the studio embraced it as part of their marketing. Players craving uncompromising simulation flocked to it, creating a new “hardcore mainstream” audience. It earned a Golden Joystick “Ultimate Game of the Year” nomination and represents the pinnacle of the “uncompromising vision” school of game design.
3. Hades II - Perfection, Refined
How do you follow up a perfect game? Supergiant Games’ answer: make it even better. This roguelite ARPG launched from a massively successful Early Access (1.5 million copies sold during that phase alone) to become 2025’s highest-rated original game.
The Numbers: A stunning 95 Metacritic score—the critical crown of 2025. The 1.0 launch doubled the original Hades’ all-time peak player count on Steam.
What Makes It Special: Protagonist Melinoë is a witch, and the gameplay reflects this completely. Combat is built around “Magick” and all-new “Omega Moves”—charged powerful finishers activated by holding down buttons that drain your Magick bar. This transforms the gameplay from Hades I’s frantic dash-spam into something more deliberate, strategic, and explosive.
The Impact: Less “hype” and more “collective obsession” describes the community reaction. The player base immediately fractured into speedrunners, lore-hunters, and build-crafters, all diving into a game that’s somehow even more expansive than its beloved predecessor. In a brutally competitive year, Hades II stands as the critical frontrunner in the three-way GOTY battle.
4. Monster Hunter Wilds - The Commercial Juggernaut With a Fatal Flaw
This is the undisputed commercial king of 2025. Capcom’s action-RPG shattered records with incomprehensible speed.
The Numbers: 8 million units sold in just three days, making it the fastest-selling game in Capcom’s entire history. 90 Metacritic score. Eventually reaching over 10 million copies sold.
What Makes It Special: The seamless open world changes everything. This isn’t just a larger map—it’s a living ecosystem. Dynamic weather systems aren’t cosmetic; a sudden sandstorm can bring a pack of new monsters, turning your simple hunt into a chaotic three-way “turf war” between you, your target, and unexpected predators.
The Fatal Flaw: While console players and critics loved it, the PC version launched as 2025’s biggest technical disaster. Steam reviews plummeted to “Mixed” as players with high-end rigs reported terrible optimization issues. This technical failure visibly damaged its long-tail sales and reputation.
The Impact: A tale of two experiences. It won awards in Japan but faced snubs in many Western “Best Of” discussions, proving that in 2025, technical performance isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. The controversy reinforced an industry lesson: even the biggest franchises can’t afford poor PC ports.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong - The Long-Awaited Return With Unexpected Controversy
After years of “coming soon” jokes, it finally arrived. And it was (mostly) worth the mythic, agonizing wait.
The Numbers: 92 Metacritic score, over 4.2 million sales, and a stunning 500,000+ concurrent players on Steam at launch.
What Makes It Special: Protagonist Hornet plays completely differently from the original Knight. Her combat system, built on crafting and a customizable toolkit, is faster, more acrobatic, and significantly more complex. This new system immediately created a divisive, high-skill meta that players either loved or struggled to master.
The Controversy: The launch was marred by a major localization scandal. While Western audiences universally praised the gameplay, the massive Chinese player base review-bombed the game on Steam due to a “bafflingly bad” translation, tanking the global user score and creating a PR crisis.
The Impact: It’s both a masterpiece and a cautionary tale. Despite being a locked-in GOTY nominee, it demonstrated that even beloved indie games must manage global-scale launch problems. In 2025, quality localization isn’t a luxury—it’s essential.
The Verdict: Who Really Won 2025?
The answer isn’t simple. Critically, Hades II took the crown with its 95 Metacritic score. Commercially, Monster Hunter Wilds dominated with 8 million copies in three days. But the defining story of 2025 belongs to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
This new IP from a relatively unknown team proved that a turn-based RPG could sell 5 million copies and become the undisputed “people’s champion” with a 9.7 User Score. It represented something bigger: 2025 was the year “Prestige AA” games stopped being underdogs and became the new industry standard.
The Complete Scorecard
| Game | Metacritic | Sales | Global Buzz | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | 93 | 5M+ | Extraordinary | None |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | 88 | 3M+ | Strong | Accessibility debate |
| Hades II | 95 | 2M+ | Intense | None |
| Monster Hunter Wilds | 90 | 10M+ | Massive | PC optimization |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | 92 | 4.2M+ | Very High | Chinese localization |
What This Means for 2026
Two clear lessons emerged from 2025’s RPG dominance:
First: “Prestige AA” games are now the most exciting and dominant force in the industry. Mid-sized studios with focused visions can compete directly with AAA giants—and win.
Second: After the Silksong and Monster Hunter Wilds controversies, quality localization and stable PC ports are no longer optional considerations. They’re make-or-break elements that can destroy even the most anticipated releases.
The RPG genre didn’t just have a good year—it redefined what’s possible in gaming. Whether through revolutionary combat mechanics, unprecedented narrative depth, or sheer commercial dominance, these five games proved that RPGs remain the most innovative and exciting space in the industry.
Which game defined your 2025? The turn-based revolution of Clair Obscur? The historical immersion of Kingdom Come? The refined perfection of Hades II? Or perhaps you’re still recovering from the Monster Hunter Wilds PC experience?
All sales figures, Metacritic scores, and player statistics referenced are based on 2025 gaming industry data and community reports.