Top 10 Video Games — 2025: First Half Results According to Kinopoisk
I usually refrain from making lists and top rankings of anything since there is too much subjectivity in rankings... And this time I will do the same. This list was compiled by the editorial team of Kinopoisk.
Here are the games released from the beginning to mid-June 2025, in order of votes received.
1. Split Fiction
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
A cooperative action game about two writers, Mio and Zoe, who agree to participate in a scientific experiment and end up in worlds created by them. One loves science fiction, the other writes fantasy, and the heroines — along with gamers — constantly switch between the two genres.
The previous project It Takes Two already established Hazelight studio as a leader in the coop genre, and Split Fiction only confirms this reputation. The game is surprisingly tight in mechanics: each level offers something new. Sometimes you have dragon races, sometimes you shoot targets, other times the action turns into a platformer, and you have to solve puzzles.
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
A rare example of a video game that could have become a wonderful rogue novel but chose to be a video game instead. It is written in beautiful, lively, and playful language; this even applies to the dialogues in side quests, let alone the main storyline. Another important merit of KCDII is its richness. Without any doubt, this is one of the few long open-world video games where dozens of hours do not seem wasted. You can engage in meditative everyday activities: hunting and smoking food, sharpening swords, brewing potions from herbs gathered in the nearby forest. Or you can go on side quests: try to reconcile the residents of two warring villages, start a romance with the daughter of a nobleman, or find a mysterious murderer in a big city.
The game also compels players to develop a genuine interest in events long past that occurred in another country. One might wonder what business we have with the military conflict between the vassals of the Czech King Wenceslaus IV and his brother Sigismund? But the historical figures turn out to be not bronze statues but living people with their flaws and quirks. By the way, reading the historical notes here is a separate pleasure.
3. DOOM: The Dark Ages
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
The Dark Ages could have been just another DOOM, set in medieval scenery with a couple of new guns. Id Software could easily have relaxed and fallen into self-replication, but they chose to reinvent the series again. They gave up the adrenaline-fueled acrobatics and gun juggling known from [DOOM Eternal](/games?search=DOOM Eternal) in favor of a first-person slasher — complete with counter-attacks, three types of melee weapons, and the ability to select your favorite piece and properly upgrade it. Now, you can exit almost any situation without switching from shotgun to plasma rifle; you just need to pick enhancements that match your style of dealing with monsters and use your shield wisely.
At the same time, the developers were a bit disingenuous when claiming that the pace of the game has slowed down. Not at all. The Dark Ages raises the pulse just as well as its predecessors or any [Hotline Miami](/games?search=Hotline Miami), forcing you to make several decisions per second and rush into battle again after each failed attempt. Although whether this game suits long, tedious breaks in the form of lengthy cutscenes, as well as rides on battle robots and dragons, is a contentious issue, no matter how cool all that looks.
4. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
About Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 makes you want to sing, create legends, and bring it into the world like a biblical prelude. Its visuals, music, and relatable living heroes captivate right from the prologue. Yet the finale hits with a sense of injustice. The journey of Squad 33 beyond their homeland gives hope for salvation… And again, tragedy! However, the survivors gather and move on, facing unknown dangers. The risk of losing is high, and they acknowledge it, but continue to fight to help the next generation of travelers defeat the mysterious Artist. Such contrasts of emotions run throughout the story: faith against loss, laughter against tears, as the heroes sometimes lose.
Parries and dodges add dynamics to the turn-based combat. The battle scene feels akin to a dance to invigorating music, where every sound is a detail of a colorful performance. Even in combat, it becomes easier to orient yourself when you start to hear the enemy's strike swoosh. You just have to keep up with the rhythm, and parries no longer cause pain