{"id":16684,"date":"2025-12-22T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:00:00","slug":"game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"#Game of the Year: Aaron&#8217;s Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/#Game_of_the_Year_Aarons_Top_5_PS5_Games_of_2025\" >Game of the Year: Aaron&#8217;s Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/#5_Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33\" >5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/#4_Split_Fiction\" >4. Split Fiction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/#3_Elden_Ring_Nightreign\" >3. Elden Ring: Nightreign<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/#2_Hell_Is_Us\" >2. Hell Is Us<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\/#1_ARC_Raiders\" >1. ARC Raiders<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Game_of_the_Year_Aarons_Top_5_PS5_Games_of_2025\"><\/span>Game of the Year: Aaron&#8217;s Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"body body-text article-text\">\n<section class=\"text\">\n<p>Our individual <strong>Game of the Year<\/strong> articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2025. Today, it&#8217;s the turn of video producer <strong>Aaron Bayne<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33\"><\/span><strong>5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"6aa92f524c443\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Clair Obscur Expedition 33\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/6aa92f524c443\/clair-obscur-expedition-33.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/6aa92f524c443\/clair-obscur-expedition-33.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Clair Obscur Expedition 33\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Let me tell you, I am genuinely shocked to see a game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 make the cut for my top five. Most of the time, turn-based combat is a big no-no for me, and even more so the sort of quirkiness found in most JRPGs. I just don\u2019t gel with it.<\/p>\n<p>But there was just something in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that clicked for me. Maybe it was the real-time aspects of its combat system, or maybe it was the dark and emotional moments that countered the more whimsical ones.<\/p>\n<div class=\"for-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"youtube with-primis\" data-videoid=\"na4-gGqmZD8\" data-start=\"0\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/na4-gGqmZD8?rel=0&amp;hd=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;modestbranding=0&amp;autohide=1\">\n<div class=\"video-stage\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ARC Raiders PS5 Review - Is It Any Good?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/na4-gGqmZD8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"youtube-sub\">Subscribe to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"external\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/pushsquare?sub_confirmation=1\">Push Square<\/a> on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"sub-button external\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/pushsquare?sub_confirmation=1\"><span class=\"subs-label\">YouTube<\/span><span class=\"subs\">166k<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>There was such a deft touch to almost everything in the game, whether it was the world building, the characters, the builds, or even that phenomenal score. Despite not typically being my cup of tea, I saw it all the way to the end, and what a deeply entertaining and thoroughly engaging experience it was.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Split_Fiction\"><\/span><strong>4. Split Fiction<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"90148968ac48a\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Split Fiction\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/90148968ac48a\/split-fiction.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/90148968ac48a\/split-fiction.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Split Fiction\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>I\u2019ll let you in on a little secret: I actually don\u2019t rate It Takes Two that much. I think Hazelight has locked into this killer niche with its co-op-specific adventures, but its last outing was excruciatingly paced and at times just outright boring.<\/p>\n<p>Split Fiction on the other hand, is Hazelight finally slotting all the ingenious co-op pieces neatly into place. This game addresses every issue I had with It Takes Two\u2019s repetition, pacing, and lacklustre finale, going all out with a phenomenal show of force.<\/p>\n<p>It manages this impeccable tightrope balance between being exciting, funny, engaging, and even at times challenging, as it switches from sci-fi to fantasy, utilising just about every form of gameplay and mechanics along the way. And that final stretch, man. I was grinning ear to ear.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Elden_Ring_Nightreign\"><\/span><strong>3. Elden Ring: Nightreign<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"73f795d64747d\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Elden Ring Nightreign\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/73f795d64747d\/elden-ring-nightreign.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/73f795d64747d\/elden-ring-nightreign.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Elden Ring Nightreign\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"insert-label centered insert lazyload for-mobile insert-extended lazyload\">\n<div id=\"PS_MPU_X_Y69493A1661BA5\" style=\"min-width:300px; min-height:250px;display:flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items:center; justify-content: center;\" data-dfp-id=\"pushsquare\/mobile_web_display\/article\" data-dfp-sizes=\"300x250,300x600\" data-dfp-targeting=\"pos=1,gto=false,experiment=nl-article-mobile-2\" class=\"lazyload\" data-dfp-refresh-direct=\"true\" data-prebid-config=\"Lazy_Load_HP_MPU\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Of my 100 hours with Elden Ring, dozens of those were spent playing with friends. So a co-op session-based RPG set within the Elden Ring universe felt like it was made for me.<\/p>\n<p>Elden Ring Nightreign manages to take the depth of its build-crafting, the challenge of its combat, and its impeccably designed enemies, and streamline it all into a fast-paced package \u2013 making it an incredibly rich multiplayer experience.<\/p>\n<p>After over 60 hours with the game, I\u2019m still having fun, I\u2019m still feeling the pressure on each run, and I\u2019m still learning something new each time I play. And most of all, it\u2019s just a great laugh with friends.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Hell_Is_Us\"><\/span><strong>2. Hell Is Us<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"b64474208a93f\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Hell Is Us\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/b64474208a93f\/hell-is-us.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/b64474208a93f\/hell-is-us.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Hell Is Us\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Hell Is Us is a game that forces you to engage with its world. With no map or traditional quest system, you <em>need<\/em> to pay attention to figure out its puzzles and the centuries-spanning mystery at its core.<\/p>\n<p>The atmosphere is delectably thick, and the lore just grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. Never have I played a game where reading through ancient texts or finding the bones of long-dead historical figures has been so enthralling.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a testament not just to developer Rogue Factor\u2019s story, but <em>how<\/em> it tells that story through its NPCs, environment, and puzzles. If you\u2019re looking for a dark and impeccably immersive world, I cannot recommend this game enough.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_ARC_Raiders\"><\/span><strong>1. ARC Raiders<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"f5fbccbd15803\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"scanlines\" title=\"ARC Raiders\" href=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/f5fbccbd15803\/arc-raiders.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/f5fbccbd15803\/arc-raiders.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"ARC Raiders\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"insert-label centered insert lazyload for-mobile lazyload\">\n<div id=\"PS_MPU_X_P69493A1661BDE\" style=\"min-width:300px; min-height:250px;display:flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items:center; justify-content: center;\" data-dfp-id=\"pushsquare\/mobile_web_display\/article\" data-dfp-sizes=\"300x250\" data-dfp-targeting=\"pos=1,gto=false,experiment=nl-article-mobile-3\" class=\"lazyload\" data-dfp-refresh-direct=\"true\" data-prebid-config=\"Lazy_Load_HP_MPU\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From the moment I first saw gameplay for ARC Raiders, I knew it was a game for me. You could pinpoint any one thing about it: it\u2019s got this perfectly imperfect audio that makes its world feel alive; gameplay is slow-paced and immersive, giving me pangs of The Last of Us Factions; the aesthetic makes it one of the best looking games of the year. Put that all together, and you\u2019ve got this electric vibe.<\/p>\n<p>But what I <em>really<\/em> love about ARC Raiders is how dynamic a multiplayer experience it can be. I\u2019ve played matches where I ruthlessly hunt down other players to steal their loot. I\u2019ve taken on enormous ARC machines in explosive battles. I\u2019ve stuck to the shadows, stealthily avoiding players in the hope of getting home. And I\u2019ve even teamed up with others in oddly wholesome expeditions \u2013 utilising one of the most used game chats I\u2019ve ever experienced in a multiplayer game.<\/p>\n<p>ARC Raiders is a brilliant showcase of the potential of immersive multiplayer, and for me, the most unforgettable gaming experience of the year.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>What do you think of Aaron&#8217;s personal Game of the Year picks? Feel free to agree wholeheartedly, or disagree politely, in the comments section below.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- cache: html:pushsquare.com\/ssl\/ps5\/related-info\/226b98d09bc4aa2b53b0287a99a8cd20 @ 1766404835 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"see-also\">\n<dl>\n<dt>Related Games<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"first\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\" first\"><strong>ARC Raiders<\/strong> (PS5)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/strong> (PS5)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Elden Ring Nightreign<\/strong> (PS5)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hell Is Us<\/strong> (PS5)<\/li>\n<li class=\" last\"><strong>Split Fiction<\/strong> (PS5)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/dd>\n<dt>See Also<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"first\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\" first last\">The Best PS5 Games (2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/game\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Game<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/features\/game-of-the-year-aarons-top-5-ps5-games-of-2025\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Game of the Year: Aaron&#8217;s Top 5 PS5 Games of 2025 Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2025. Today, it&#8217;s the turn of video producer Aaron Bayne. 5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Let me tell you, I am&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.pushsquare.com\/f5fbccbd15803\/large.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1414,1998,1400],"class_list":["post-16684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game","tag-features","tag-game-of-the-year","tag-ps5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}