With another stellar year of gaming squarely in the rearview mirror, the staff here at PlayStation Lifestyle decided to take a trip down memory lane, tally up what new games we played over the past 12 months, and see which ones got enough votes to land a spot on our coveted list of best games from 2025.

Interestingly, in what might be an all-time record low, only five Sony first-party titles launched this year (discounting ports and rereleases), so a vast majority of our list is comprised of indie and AAA titles from other publishers. Chances are, you’ve heard of or played most of the games that made the cut, but a couple of our inclusions might take you by surprise.

And without further ado… the list!

10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Showing just how loaded this year with great games, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 barely managed to lay claim to the number 10 spot. However, there’s no denying the sheer artistry on display with Sandfall Interactive’s debut title. Most RPG fans worth their salt are at the very least familiar with Clair Obscure, but if this one passed you by entirely, we’d love to know what rock you find yourself living under.

9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

We wouldn’t blame you if you forgot that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II even came out in 2025, seeing as how it launched at the very beginning of February. This is the second, and final, European-developed RPG to make it onto our list, but unlike Clair Obscur, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II trades in the linear, dark fantasy Belle Époque setting for a truly stunning recreation of 15th-century Bohemia. If an unrivaled sense of freedom, a vast open-world that’s begging to be explored, and the unforgiving, harsh realities of medieval life and warfare pique your interest, you shouldn’t pass this one up.

8. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

With a handful of Metal Gear fans on staff, it’s no surprise that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has slithered its way onto our list. Even though series creator Hideo Kojima parted ways with Konami a decade ago and had zero involvement with the development of this remake, the original PS2 version was (or rather, still is) such a remarkable game, that its success was all but guaranteed. With a handful of quality of life improvements, a modernized control scheme, and a next-gen coat of ray-traced paint, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater looks and plays like a proper remake; anyone claiming that it’s a simple, by-the-numbers cash grab is woefully mistaken.

7. Lumines: Arise

Much like the previous entry on our list, Lumines: Arise doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to its moment-to-moment action. In fact, aside from the newly-added Burst mechanic, Lumines: Arise’s gameplay is almost identical to the original PSP version that launched over 20 years ago. Of course, if you know anything about the series, the gameplay is only a part of the magic. From its entrenching, mesmerizing visuals to its stellar soundtrack, Lumines: Arise is a feast for the eyes and ears, and is also a sight to behold when playing in VR.

6. Split Fiction

Having laid out the foundation with A Way Out and upping the ante with It Takes Two, it’s hardly a surprise that Split Fiction was a smash hit right out of the gates. Developer Hazelight Studios has perfected its craft of creating compelling co-operative gaming experiences, and with Split Fiction, it has even managed to upend our expectations once again. Whether you’re taking to the skies on the back of a dragon or fending off cyber-ninjas, there’s plenty of fun to be had here. If we were to make one suggestion, if you give this one a go, try to find a co-op buddy who can play on the couch next to you if that’s at all possible.

5. Blue Prince

Like a few other titles on this list, Blue Prince sort of took us by surprise when it launched, and once it sank its roguelike hooks into us, we couldn’t get enough of it. Granted, some of its puzzles border on cruelly obscure, and at least one writer on our team lost hours of progress to the dreaded (and thankfully, fixed) save bug, but Blue Prince successfully wormed its way into the inner recesses of our brains, keeping us hooked on its addictive loop of drafting new rooms, uncovering more lore, and peeling back more layers of its seemingly never-ending puzzle. It’s an onion lover’s dream! Or, parfaits, if you prefer.

4. Battlefield 6

After a string of middling releases and years of losing ground to its competitors, Battlefield is finally back, and baby, it’s as good as it’s ever been. Sure, there are dozens of other shooters, competitive and casual alike, that are constantly vying for our attention, but Battlefield 6’s objective-focused, squad-centric flavor of running and gunning offers an experience that few other games come close to matching. The environmental destruction and sheer number of vehicles and weapons to master are just the icing on the cake.

3. Ghost of Yotei

Even though its story is a rather conventional revenge tale that doesn’t exactly break the mold, Ghost of Yotei is still a top-tier experience from start to finish. Building off the foundation laid out in Ghost of Tsushima, developer Sucker Punch is firing on all cylinders this time around and pushes the PS5 (and PS5 Pro, for that matter) to its limit. It’s one of the most gorgeous games we’ve seen to date, and with a handful of visual filters and audio mixes to choose from, it’s almost begging to be replayed a second (or even third) time.

2. Sword of the Sea

2025 saw the launch of a handful of different skating games, but none of them came close to matching the sense of wonder and awe that Sword of the Sea manages to evoke. It strikes an amazing balance between offering up platforming challenges and puzzles, and letting you explore a beautiful world that’s chock-full of surprises that are just waiting to be discovered and experienced firsthand. If you enjoyed Journey, or either of developer Giant Squid’s previous titles (Abzû, The Pathless), this one’s a no-brainer.

1. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

Sure, its detractors will be quick to label it as a glorified walking simulator, but Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is so much more than that. It’s a reflection on our current society, a world in which everyone is more connected than ever, but simultaneously, more isolated and alone. It’s a stunning achievement on a technical level, serving up some of the best visuals and most lovingly crafted cutscenes we’ve seen to date. And, for a handful of us staffers and contributors, it’s another opportunity to take a peek into the mind of Hideo Kojima, an absolute juggernaut of a game developer who’s been reinventing genres and subverting expectations for four decades at this point. But, above all, it’s a game about sticks. And ropes. Oh, and chiral networks. And don’t forget Timefall. Plate gates too!

The post PlayStation LifeStyle’s 10 Best PS5 Games of 2025 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Eidos’ iconic Thief franchise returns later this week with Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow. PlayStation LifeStyle spoke with Vertigo Games Principal Designer Nick Witsel and Eidos-Montréal Creative Director Steven Gallagher to learn more about the PS VR2 game. It arrives on PlayStation 5 tomorrow, December 4, 2025.

“Step into the shadows in Thief VR. You are Magpie, a cunning thief orphaned by Baron Northcrest and shaped by the streets. Use VR mechanics to steal, evade, and outsmart the City’s forces. Your goal? A relic in Northcrest’s vault, which uncovers a far greater artifact with a powerful legacy,” says the official description.

Check out our discussion with the duo below, plus some exclusive concept art from the stealth game.

PlayStation LifeStyle: One of the reasons why the original Thief games were so innovative was the freedom players had in how they chose to approach gameplay. How does Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow give players agency in how they choose to play and engage with enemies?

Nick Witsel: Indeed, Thief’s approach has always been about providing players with obstacles and a multitude of methods to overcome them. Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow continues this tradition. Levels are provided with multiple paths to your objective, where you need to cleverly figure out which way works best for you. Guards pose the biggest threats, and while you have plenty of tools in dealing with them, everything carries risk. For instance: 

1. Using your blackjack requires that you get close and also leaves you with an unconscious body that might be found.
2. Throwing an object to create a distraction could result in unwanted attention from other guards.
3. You could unlock a nearby door and go around, but you might be spotted while picking the lock. 

And it’s in weighing these options and deciding what to do that you immerse yourself into the role of the Master Thief.

VR adds a real tactility to the action, especially getting to use the different tools, and sneaking around feels very natural. How does that immersion help the stealth gameplay?

Steven Gallagher: VR is awesome for peeking around corners or over walls, but it’s especially good at quickly checking your surroundings without needing to stop focusing on whatever sneaky business you’re up to. Let’s say you’re trying to quickly pick a lock and slip through a door before a pesky guard you can hear nearby spots you. This is a vulnerable position for a thief to be in with your back to potential danger and unable to quickly check if you’re alone.

Playing a first-person stealth game like this on a screen like a TV or a monitor, you’re usually forced to just hope for the best or disengage and turn your body to be sure you’re still safe. VR, however, allows you to naturally look around as you would in real life while keeping your hands and intention focused on what you’re doing. I find being stealthy in Thief in VR to be a very intuitive way to play, which is a big reason why it’s so enjoyably immersive.

The Thief lore is surprisingly rich, as fans know. What was Maze Theory’s approach to the game’s story and getting to view this world in a new, more up-close way?

Witsel: Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow is a game made by fans of the franchise. There were a lot of elements we wanted to cover, whilst also ensuring new players wouldn’t feel lost. Telling the story from Magpie’s perspective, who is relatively new to the City and still has plenty to learn, allows us to introduce players to the setting in a natural way, while also allowing us to involve some familiar faces and voices to guide their way.

It was so exciting to hear Stephen Russell in the trailer. How was it working with Stephen to get Garrett’s sense of humor into this game and bring back such a beloved character?

Witsel: He’s still got it. Garrett was back. It was like this big puzzle piece that completed the picture. It’s been an incredible privilege to work with him.

Thief veterans will know what to expect, but what’s your best advice for newcomers who are checking this out first because it’s in VR?

Gallagher: I guess remember that you’re a thief, not a fighter. You can defend yourself if the worst happens, but it’s better to be one step ahead of trouble so you don’t find yourself in it. The immersive nature of VR gives you all you need to be a master sneak thief, so stay sharp, keep your eyes open, and stick to the shadows. They’ll never see you coming.

The original PSVR hardware led to a lot of ports that weren’t as good as the PC counterparts. What impressed the team the most about PlayStation VR2 hardware?

Witsel: The OLED lenses are fantastic at conveying the strong and moody atmosphere of Thief’s lighting. Light and dark play a crucial role in the experience, so we can definitely recommend the PSVR2 Headset for this game.

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