Anticipation Levels Maximum: The 5 PS5 Games You’ll Want to Play in 2025

Five PS5 releases that landed in 2025—what they are, when they dropped, and why they’re worth your time.

From intimate storytelling and outrageous pirate chaos to kaiju-scale hunts and co-op brain-twisters, 2025 delivered plenty for PlayStation fans. Below are five standouts—with the essentials you need and quick context on what sets each apart.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Trailer

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (DON’T NOD)

Life is Strange studio DON’T NOD returned to 1995 with a two-part narrative adventure about four friends, memory, and the fallout of one unforgettable summer. It’s choice-driven, tender, and sharp enough to leave a mark.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)

Majima goes full swashbuckler. This spin-off leans into tall-tale antics—sea skirmishes, island brawls, and a new combat flavor—while keeping the series’ heart and humor intact.

Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)

A vast, living ecosystem and the series’ best feel yet. Whether you’re team Great Sword or Bow, the loop here is dangerously moreish—and the Forbidden Lands are a jaw-dropper.

Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / EA)

From the team behind It Takes Two, this co-op-only adventure strands two writers inside their own stories. You’ll hop between wildly different worlds, solve asymmetric challenges, and argue (in a good way) all night.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / SIE)

Kojima’s sequel pushes the strange and the human in equal measure—new regions, heavier threats, and a mood that lingers. It’s singular, bold, and unmistakably DS. For series context, see our coverage of the first game’s milestone: Death Stranding reaches 20 million porters connected worldwide.

As ever, expect surprises. 2025’s release calendar proved that new voices can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the biggest names—and still steal the conversation.

Image note: All images should be credited to their respective companies/publishers and are used for informational purposes.