admin The must-play action-adventure games of 2025 are dynamic, unique masterclasses. Different game genres serve a wide variety of purposes for the discerning player. When I play a grand strategy title, I’m ensconced in a virtual library, breathing in the scents of mahogany, tobacco, and leather.
Annual review 2025
GamesRadar+ presents Annual overview: the best of 2025our coverage of all the unforgettable games, movies, TV, hardware and comics released over the past 12 months. We’ll be looking back at the very best of 2025 throughout the month of December, so be sure to stop by throughout the month for new lists, interviews, features and retrospectives as we guide you through the best of the past year.
It is a broad church. There have been a ton of action adventures this year that hit all these notes, but ultimately we have to narrow this down to a top five; the truly peerless titles. Whatever type of action adventure you like, whether it’s whimsical or dramatic, there’s something here you’ll love.
Developer: Konami
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series
MGS Delta is one of only two games I know of that actually uses a Greek delta in the title, the other being the excellent AV: Rings of Saturn, and it feels like coming home. For those who’ve been hiding under a cardboard box for the past twenty years, Metal Gear Solid 3 is widely regarded as the best in a brilliant series, and it’s easy to see why. Its pristine Cold War vibes, survival elements and an iconic set of enemies make it an absolute classic, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the best way to play it.
It’s a rigid yet stunning remake, bringing out the beauty of the jungle like never before. Whether you return to Snake Eater as a seasoned veteran of European Extreme or want to take on the Cobra Unit for the first time, you’ll find the savagery of the jungle thrilling, captivating and cinematic.
4.Ninja Gaiden 4
Developer: Team Ninja, Platinum Games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series
It’s kind of hard to believe that until this year it’s been thirteen years since the last Ninja Gaiden game, and almost eighteen years since the last one you’d actually want to play. What a joy that is Ninja Gaiden 4 is a breath of fresh air for the franchise, building on the second game and running with it. Ryu Hayabusa, the series’ longtime protagonist, is joined by a new ninja, Yakumo, who is equipped with extremely strong blood powers.
This isn’t the only way it really feels like an evolution for the series, either. Team Ninja’s entry into PlatinumGames means that it can, as Oscar Taylor-Kent said in his review, “feel like both a follow-up to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and a perfect passing of the torch for Ninja Gaiden.” A sensational game that helped revive a franchise that had lost its way.
3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Developer: Machine games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series
Coming from Wolfenstein veterans, MachineGames takes a backseat to gunplay as brawls are the order of the day. It’s perhaps the most adventurous game on this list, and one that you can pick up relatively cheaply in the upcoming sale, so keep your eyes peeled!
2. Hollow Knight: Silk Singing
Developer: Team Cherry
Platform(s): PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series
Few indie games can reach the level of anticipation Hollow Knight Silksong achieved great success, and there are still fewer that can live up to the hype. Silksong, the long-awaited sequel to 2017’s Hollow Knight, is bigger, bolder and more colorful than its predecessor. Players step into the shoes (wings?) of Hornet as we traverse Pharloom, where cute critters become not so cute thanks to a silken plague called the Haunting.
The acrobatic and intense gameplay will allow you to take down even the toughest bosses, but if you’re like me (i.e. fairly mediocre), some bosses will take quite a handful of tries. It is also varied, with each environment having its own challenges. Silksong is a rare example of a game that lived up to its hype.
1. Donkey Kong Bananza
Developer: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 launch lineup wasn’t particularly spectacular, but a month later this absolute bundle of joy was released, and we’ve been loving it ever since. The first Nintendo-developed DK game since Jungle Beat, Donkey Kong Bananza does for the big ape what Super Mario Odyssey did for Mario in 2017, releasing him in a sandbox with extra destructibility.
It’s a lot of fun playing your way through the world of Bananza, and the wide variety keeps the game fresh until the end. In addition to this major attraction, Donkey Kong can also transform into different forms to solve puzzles and platforming challenges. Bananza, Switch 2’s current killer app, is a deserved winner in this category, and a game that every Nintendo fan should play.
See how your favorites compare in our list of best games of 2025
