Will the 5 PC games I must play until the end of 2025 meet expectations and justify the hype?
Gamers, are you ready to dive back into your gaming chairs as the summer chill sets in? With a powerful PC equipped with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5070 Ti, you're geared up for whatever game developers throw your way. Here's a rundown of the top five PC games I'm routing for in the second half of 2025.
5. The Outer Worlds 2
The anticipation for The Outer Worlds 2 is palpable. This sci-fi RPG set in space, developed by Fallout: New Vegas and KOTOR II legends Obsidian Entertainment, felt like a throwback to classic RPGs when I played it. With its humor, outrageous storyline, rewarding exploration, and first-person shooter mechanics, The Outer Worlds 2 promises a modern take on the genre, devoid of the Starfield monotony.
In The Outer Worlds 2, you'll find yourself as an Earth Directorate agent investigating a mystery involving unnatural rifts that threaten to wipe humanity from existence. No concrete release date has been given yet, but rumors continue to hint at a 2025 launch on PC, Xbox, and PS5.
4. Hades II
Hades II, available in Early Access on PC since 2024, has racked up tens of thousands of favorable reviews on Steam to date. As an action roguelike game featuring game-busting combos, stunning visuals, andreek mythology, it's more of the same frantic action packed into a sequel. Though I've steered clear of the Early Access content and news surrounding its content, I can't wait to immerse myself in the complete game experience.
3. ARC Raiders
First unveiled in 2021, ARC Raiders blew me away with its visuals, gameplay, and audio, with a touch of nostalgia brought on by its '80s aesthetic. Since playing Escape from Tarkov, I've sought a similar extraction shooter experience, and ARC Raiders looks like it might just be it. Developed by Embark Studios, ARC Raiders doesn't have a firm release date yet but is rumored to launch in 2025 for PC, Xbox, and PS5.
2. Escape from Tarkov
Escape from Tarkov, an extraction shooter that popularized the genre for PC gamers, has remained in closed beta since 2017. Despite its beta status, it remains a hilariously buggy mess that runs at 20 FPS on even top-tier PCs. But the game delivers an unrivaled experience that no other game has match. With deep first-person shooter mechanics, extensive looting, RPG questing, and a closed beta-state lasting eight years, its version 1.0 release is set for 2025.
1. Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
I often overlook the Stronghold franchise from FireFly Studios, but the original Stronghold game captured my attention with its intricate castle building, supply chains, and epic sieges. The Crusader sequel was a significant upgrade, and the Definitive Edition set to launch on PC on July 15 promises to bring it up to date. The remastered version includes eight new units, four new enemy lords, new campaigns, larger maps, a higher maximum unit count for skirmish mode, overhauled graphics, and a demo available for download on Steam.
Honorable mention goes to Path of Exile 2, an ARPG reminiscent of Diablo 2, with a slower pace, darker setting, and tougher difficulty. With no official release date, this game remains in early access, but a full launch is expected soon. Path of Exile 2 will be free to play at launch, with the option to get in early through a supporter pack on sale at CDKeys for $17.39.
So, what PC games are you most looking forward to in 2025? Let me know in the comments below!
- Gamers who enjoy RPGs in space and a throwback to classic gaming may anticipate the release of 'The Outer Worlds 2' on PC, Xbox, and PS5.
- For those who enjoyed the action-packed combat of 'Hades', its sequel, 'Hades II', which is currently in Early Access on PC, is expected to launch in 2025.
- 'ARC Raiders', with its '80s aesthetic and similar gameplay to Escape from Tarkov, is rumored to launch in 2025 for PC, Xbox, and PS5.
- Escape from Tarkov, the popular extraction shooter in closed beta since 2017, will finally have a version 1.0 release in 2025.
- Fans of the Stronghold series may find a new attraction in the 'Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition', featuring updated graphics, new units, and four new enemy lords, launching on PC on July 15.
- Gamers seeking a Diablo 2-like ARPG might want to check out 'Path of Exile 2', with its slower pace, darker setting, and tougher difficulty, expected to launch soon, and free to play at launch.
