The Metro Video Game Awards 2025, curated by GameCentral, take a slightly different approach from traditional end-of-year rankings. Rather than focusing solely on the most complete or critically dominant releases, the awards highlight specific achievements across the gaming landscape, including areas where otherwise uneven games still managed to excel. In doing so, the awards provide a more granular look at what defined video games in 2025, from standout audio design to experimental hardware use.
This perspective follows the publication of GameCentral’s Top 20 Games of 2025, which focused on titles that performed strongly across nearly every category. The Metro Video Game Awards instead acknowledge that many releases found success in narrower but still meaningful ways, even if they ultimately fell short of being universally recommended.
Use code TRYHARD33 at checkout to redeem this offer before code expires again.
Get 33% Off GAMES+ Subscription
Visual Design That Stood Out Despite Gameplay Limits
One of the clearest examples of this philosophy is the Best Visuals award, which went to Keeper from Double Fine. The game’s core mechanics and progression fail to match the ambition of its concept, which revolves around controlling a sentient, walking lighthouse. However, its artistic direction consistently delivers, presenting environments that resemble hand-painted fantasy artwork brought into motion.
The award reinforces a long-standing reality in game development: visual quality does not always correlate with mechanical depth. While Keeper is not among the year’s strongest overall experiences, its cohesive art style ensures it remains visually memorable throughout.
Experimentation Takes Priority Over Polish
Innovation was relatively scarce in 2025, particularly when compared to previous hardware transitions. Nintendo’s Switch 2, while improved, largely builds on existing ideas. Within that context, Drag x Drive emerged as the most inventive title of the year, even if it struggled to evolve beyond its initial concept.
The game’s defining feature is its use of the Switch 2’s Joy-Con mouse functionality, requiring players to control both controllers simultaneously to simulate wheelchair movement. The control scheme is precise and intuitive, demonstrating clear potential. Unfortunately, the surrounding gameplay lacks sufficient depth, leaving the innovation feeling underutilized rather than fully realized.
Hardware Progress Without a Clear Breakthrough
The Switch 2 earned recognition as Format of the Year, though not without reservation. From a design and performance standpoint, it improves on its predecessor in nearly every measurable way. However, it stops short of redefining Nintendo’s hardware philosophy in the way previous consoles have.
Its launch-year software lineup reflected that same inconsistency. While titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza delivered solid experiences, others failed to meet expectations. The platform ultimately benefited from strong indie support, which helped offset a mixed first-party showing and gave it a slight edge over PC for this particular award.
Respectful Modernisation of a Genre Classic
Remakes were less prominent in 2025 than in recent years, but Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles demonstrated how effective careful modernisation can be. Marketed as an enhanced remaster, the release updates the original tactical role-playing game with a fully voice-acted script and numerous quality-of-life improvements.
Rather than reworking core systems, Square Enix focused on refinement, ensuring the game remains faithful to its original design while feeling more accessible to contemporary audiences. The result preserves the appeal of the original without introducing unnecessary changes.
Music and Narrative Define the Year’s Strongest Themes
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continued its strong awards presence by taking the Best Music category. Developed by a relatively small team, the game’s soundtrack complements its narrative tone and reinforces its identity as a Japanese-style role-playing experience. Individual tracks stand out, but the strength of the score lies in its consistency and emotional alignment with the game’s world.
Storytelling recognition went to Silent Hill f, which distinguished itself through its setting and character focus rather than mechanical innovation. Set in 1960s Japan, the game explores social expectations and personal trauma through its protagonist, Shimizu Hinako. Despite repetitive combat, the narrative remains grounded and effective, supported by strong performances and a restrained approach to its themes.
A Clear Low Point Among Major Releases
While most categories focused on identifying overlooked strengths, the Worst Game of the Year award served as a reminder that high budgets and notable talent do not guarantee quality. MindsEye, led by former Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies, was intended to showcase the potential of the Everywhere platform.
Instead, it delivered a dated third-person shooter with unremarkable combat, technical issues, and a lack of compelling narrative or world design. Given its resources and ambitions, the final product stood out as the most significant disappointment among major 2025 releases.
A Broader Snapshot of Gaming in 2025
Taken together, the Metro Video Game Awards 2025 offer a wider lens on the industry, recognizing individual achievements rather than only complete successes. By doing so, they reflect a year where strong ideas often outpaced execution, and where innovation, presentation, and storytelling frequently existed in isolation rather than alignment. This approach provides a useful complement to traditional best-of lists, particularly as gaming continues to diversify across platforms, budgets, and creative priorities, including emerging areas connected to web3 experimentation.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Keeper
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
Drag x Drive
Donkey Kong Bananza
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4
Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
Silent Hill f
MindsEye
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the Metro Video Game Awards?
The Metro Video Game Awards are curated by GameCentral and focus on recognising specific achievements in video games, such as visuals, music, storytelling, and innovation, rather than overall scores.
How are these awards different from typical Game of the Year lists?
Unlike standard rankings, these awards highlight individual strengths, even in games that may not be strong overall, offering a more detailed view of the gaming landscape.
Which game won the most recognition in 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received multiple accolades, particularly for its music, and was a frequent runner-up in other categories.
Why did the Nintendo Switch 2 win Format of the Year?
The Switch 2 was recognised for its improved hardware design and strong indie support, despite a mixed first year of major releases.
What was considered the worst game of 2025?
MindsEye was widely regarded as the weakest major release of the year due to outdated design, technical issues, and unfulfilled ambitions.
Do the awards consider indie games and new technologies?
Yes, the awards take into account indie releases, hardware innovation, and evolving trends, including early experimentation connected to web3 concepts.
