2020 was a huge gaming year with many great titles including Animal Crossing: New Horizonsthe remake of Resident Evil 3and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It was also the year that launched the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It was a banner year for gaming and a not so good year for the rest of the world due to the pandemic. That said, the new consoles helped pave the way forward for the next five years of gaming.
Some years have been better than others, but overall the last five years (2021-2025) have shown players a wide variety of masterpieces. In order for no genre to stand out, the choices will be varied; Otherwise, it could be a list of the best RPGs, for example. Additionally, they must have reached at least a 90 on the various aggregated review sites, indicating that they have come close to, or fully achieved, masterpiece status in the minds of many gamers.
Baldur's Gate 3
Tactical turn-based RPGs at their best
Baldur's Gate 3 gives turn-based RPG fans plenty to work with, making it a compelling game to return to again and again. The character customization is top-notch, offering two ways to customize characters, including the ability to choose from named characters.
The combat is both simple and complex, offering players many ways to approach battles, which are challenging even on the simplest settings. The branching story and characters are what fans loved the most, but between their party members, NPCs encountered and even some of the villains.
Fire Ring
A challenging action RPG
FromSoftware showed they had more to offer in the soulslike genre when they released Fire Ring. It was the first fully open-world Soulslike game from them, giving players an opportunity to take on challenges in any order they wanted. While it's still a brutally difficult action RPG, at least players can level up and scavenge larger areas for loot before going after the next big boss.
The multiplayer was also a great addition to the game, as players could team up with two others online to explore. Perhaps the most interesting feature was the double-jumping horse, Torrent, as most horses in games are not as flexible.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
A creative action adventure game
The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of the Kingdom reuse many assets from its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand yet its version of Hyrule is just as compelling. Players could now explore the sky islands above Hyrule, along with a giant underground open-world area that was as large as it was disturbing for an action-adventure game.
The coolest new feature allowed players to customize their weapons and craft to cruise around in. Players could drive on land, sail in water, or fly in the air, and everything felt incredibly well-designed. Also, it's now a better running game on Switch 2.
Hades 2
A Roguelike that everyone can enjoy
Hades 2
- Released
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September 25, 2025
Hades 2 is the first ever sequel that Supergiant Games has made, and they nailed it out of the park. It's not necessarily better than its predecessor, but they are at different levels and are some of the most compelling and inviting roguelikes ever made.
As Melinoe, players could fight underground or over land to tackle enemies on Mount Olympus. Both areas were brought into the story and gave players more levels to explore and bosses to conquer. It's a great roguelike to begin with, thanks to the upgrade system and God Mode standing by for extra help.
Astro Bot
A platformer for all ages
Astro Bot, as a series of characters, has been around since 2013 and was relegated to small adventures, usually demos of certain PlayStation products. 2024 Astro Bot Entry was the first full-fledged console game, complete with tons of worlds to explore and stunning perfection of 3D platforming.
It's an amazing platformer that does some things better than even the best 3D Mario game, from level designs to power-ups. It's also a fun tribute to thirty years of PlayStation as a brand with lots of fun cameos, including Kratos from The God of War to the more obscure Mister Mosquito from his titular PS2 adventure.
Resident Evil 4
Classic horror reborn
Resident Evil 4 was a hit in 2005 when it was released for GameCube and PS2. While the remake played it safe, it proved that there is a reason not to mess with perfection. It still works as a horror game that is equally scary and exciting.
Third-person shooting is also good, as players can purchase and customize a variety of weapons from pistols to shotguns to sniper rifles. It leveled off Resident Evil franchise, and between the original game and this remake, they are some of the most compelling horror games ever made.
Forza Horizon 5
A beautiful racing game
Forza Horizon is a series that continues to outdo itself, with Forza Horizon 5 being another great entry. Set in Mexico, players are given the freedom to compete in races if that's all they want, either by themselves or with friends online.
But there's also a completely unique open world to explore that's just as beautiful and expansive as other open world experiences from Ghost of Tsushima to Red Dead Redemption 2. Also, PS5 players got the chance to play it in 2025, thanks to a port, and some could argue that it surpasses their exclusive racing series, Gran Turismo.
Hollow Knight: Silk Song
A challenging Metroidvania
Hollow Knight: Silk Song took a very long time to come out, but now that it's here, fans agree that it was worth the wait. Some may find it too challenging in different areas, and yet they had to play it. As a Metroidvania, there is nothing quite like it on any system besides the previous entry.
It's massive, the combat is smooth, the hand-drawn visuals are out of this world, and it's absolutely packed with NPCs, both adorable and grotesque, that are some of the best written in the business.
