For years, the gaming world has been bracing for the cultural earthquake that will come with GTA 6. It was supposed to be the uncontested champion of 2025, the title that would overshadow everything else.
Then Rockstar pushed the release to 2026, and suddenly the year opened up. With the giant temporarily out of the way, 2025 became a far more interesting battleground, giving other studios a chance to dominate the spotlight.
What followed was a surprisingly competitive year packed with imaginative sequels, long-awaited indies and bold new games that might have been swept aside in any other year.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
The year’s most acclaimed release brings a level of artistic confidence rarely seen in a major title. Clair Obscur blends surreal French fantasy with turn based combat and a story about resistance in a world trapped in cycles of destruction. Its gorgeous aesthetic and elegant mechanics have made it a defining work of the past year. The animations, music and voice acting align to create a tone that feels haunting. Players have praised its approach to storytelling and its ability to deliver emotional weight without sacrificing gameplay depth.
2. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Platform: PlayStation 5
Hideo Kojima’s long-awaited sequel expands the original’s strange and compelling universe. Death Stranding 2 widens its scope with more ambitious landscapes and a more emotional narrative focused on connection and sacrifice. The game’s blend of exploration, cinematic presentation and inventive traversal systems has resonated with players seeking something atmospheric. It pushes technical boundaries with highly detailed environments and some of the most striking environmental effects seen on PlayStation 5. Its cast of Hollywood stars delivers grounded performances that contrast with the surreal setting, creating a compelling balance.
3. Hades II
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Supergiant Games returns with another masterfully crafted roguelike. Hades II is a mix of fast paced action, character driven storytelling and expressive art which has made it one of the year’s most captivating releases. The sequel also introduces a richer overworld, more complex upgrade paths and a broader supporting cast that grows with each run. Players have embraced its balance of challenge and accessibility, where every defeat teaches something useful. Hades II continues Supergiant’s tradition of presenting games with warmth, personality and unmistakable identity.
4. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
After years of anticipation by the most ardent gaming fans, Silksong arrived this year. Team Cherry elevates the Hollow Knight formula by focusing on the agile Hornet, creating faster traversal, more expressive combat and a world that is denser, more vertical and filled with new biomes. Its handcrafted environments and demanding boss encounters have made it an essential action platformer. What distinguishes Silksong is its sense of fluidity. Hornet’s movement style encourages aggressive play and inventive routes through each region, giving speedrunning and exploration new depth.
5. Blue Prince
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Blue Prince is the indie success story of 2025. Its shifting mansion, clever puzzles and time-based runs provide a constant sense of discovery. Each playthrough reveals new rooms, secrets and narrative fragments that reshape the player’s understanding of the estate. The game celebrates experimentation and has earned strong praise for its bold design. The mansion feels alive, almost unpredictable, and players are encouraged to study patterns and architectural logic. Blue Prince rewards careful observation rather than brute force problem solving, creating a meditative rhythm of exploration. It has become popular among streamers and puzzle fans, giving it reach far beyond typical indie titles.
6. Split Fiction
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
This experimental narrative adventure is one of the year’s most inventive titles. Split Fiction asks players to navigate parallel storylines in scifi and fantasy worlds that intersect in unexpected ways. It is a reminder of how games can explore structure in ways film cannot. The game challenges players to consider how decisions in one timeline might ripple subtly into another. It rewards attention to detail and invites replaying sections to uncover different branches.
7. Mario Kart World
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo’s latest kart racer brings the franchise into a larger, more interconnected world. Mario Kart World offers open hubs, refined drifting, creative track design and a roster that spans decades of Nintendo history. Its accessible handling and strong online features make it one of the year’s most widely enjoyed releases. The expanded world design changes how players engage with the series. Instead of selecting tracks from menus, players can explore themed regions and discover new challenges organically. Dynamic weather and environmental effects add variety to races, and the multiplayer features are richer and more stable than in past titles.
8. Donkey Kong Bananza
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo’s iconic ape returns in a colourful platforming adventure filled with rhythmic movement, lush environments, and environmental puzzles. Its upbeat tone makes it suitable for all ages, while secret routes and challenges reward dedicated players. Bananza embraces the charm and humour associated with the Donkey Kong brand. The level design encourages playful exploration rather than straightforward progression. Each region introduces new mechanics that feel inspired by classic platformers, yet reimagined for modern audiences.
9. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds embraces multiverse themed tracks and team-orientated mechanics that encourage co-ordinated play. The game offers vibrant environments, a lively soundtrack and a competitive online scene. CrossWorlds has become one of the strongest arcade-style racers of the year. Each course is designed around momentum and precise cornering, making skilled racing feel rewarding. The multiverse approach allows for creative track themes inspired by different Sonic eras, giving long-time fans a sense of nostalgia. The team mechanic, which allows players to support each other with shared boosts, adds a fresh strategic layer to the experience.
10. Doom: The Dark Ages
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Doom: The Dark Ages retains the intense speed and aggression that defined the series while offering new ideas that feel surprisingly natural for the franchise. The game’s arsenal includes brutal melee weapons such as a shield blade that allows rhythmic close combat. Levels are filled with vertical structures, collapsing castles and large-scale battlefield moments that introduce new pacing. The heavy metal soundtrack returns with thunderous percussion and distorted instrumentation that suits the medieval aesthetic.
Mobile phone packages comparison
SPECS
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Dunki
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What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsEarth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
– 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
– 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
– 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
– 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
– 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
– 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Company%20profile
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
The years Ramadan fell in MayCOMPANY%20PROFILE
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsDr Afridi’s warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Benefits of first-time home buyers’ scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20Specs%20
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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