The past year was a massive one for gaming, as new series emerged, highly anticipated sequels finally dropped and indie favorites found their spotlight. Here's a look at UPI's Top 5 games for 2025 -- that titles that kept us glued to our screens.

The revival of episodic adventure games is here with Dispatch, a superhero workplace dramedy developed and published by AdHoc Studio. The eight-episode game has players step into the role of a former superhero who now dispatches missions to a group of former villains.

Dispatch channels the soul of classic TellTale titles like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, delivering choice-driven storytelling. As a dispatcher, you'll decide which hero tackles which crime across a comic book version of Los Angeles.

There is a stacked voice cast, including Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, Laura Bailey and Erin Yvette plus a collection of content creators. It's been so long since the glory days of TellTale that Dispatch feels like a welcome return to the genre. Beautiful graphics, smooth performance and meaningful choices make this exactly what episodic games should be. Here's hoping AdHoc Studio keeps them coming.

At long last, the finished version of Supergiant Games' Hades 2 arrived - the sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed and beloved roguelikes of all time. Hades 2 takes the gameplay of the first game to new levels with even wilder powers bestowed to you by a colorful cast of Olympian gods.

This time, players take on the role of Melinoe, daughter of Hades and princess of the underworld. A major evolution comes from dual starting paths, letting players choose how their runs begin. Everything fans loved about Hades is still here - intense combat, gaining Olympian powers and combining upgrades to push further into the game's Greek-mythology world.

3. 'Donkey Kong Bananza' (Nintendo Switch 2)

Move aside Mario, it's Donkey Kong's time to shine in the Nintendo Switch 2's first must-play title, Donkey Kong Bananza. Honestly, it's a little crazy to think Nintendo chose Donkey Kong over a new Mario game, but we're all better for it.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a blast to play as you smash through highly-destructible environments to create new paths and find hidden items. It's similar in scope to the first Switch's Super Mario Odyssey (made by the same team), but with an added level of exploration as you can punch through almost everything.

Donkey Kong was long overdue for a comeback, and this one delivers. Sometimes you have to give the plumber a break -- he will back before you know it.

2. 'Ghost of Yotei' (PlayStation 5)

You play as Atsu, a mercenary seeking revenge against the Yotei Six for murdering her family. What begins as a typical revenge tale quickly veers into surprising territory.

What sets Yotei apart from its predecessor is its non-linear open world, letting players hunt down the Yotei Six in any order, with each target living in a region themed around a different season. The first major area has a spring, flowery vibe that is then followed by a fiery fall environment and then later a snowy mountain for winter. The scenery is simply breathtaking with some of the best looking environments of any game.

Combat has been refined too, introducing multiple-weapon switching to counter different enemy types. It's overall a total refinement of Tsushima with a more compelling protagonist in Atsu, a rough around the edges drifter who will do whatever it takes to avenge her family. It may seem similar to Tsushima, but Yotei is Sucker Punch's vision done to perfection. It feels destined to be more appreciated over time and represents the best open world action title in the PlayStation 5 catalog, surpassing Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarok and Spider-Man 2.

1. 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Steam)

The title that took the gaming world by storm, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a genre-defining role-playing game from French developer Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive.

Players follow the members of Expedition 33 -- a rag-tag group of heroes attempting to defeat a world-ending nemesis known as The Paintress. All of the other Expeditions have failed and the mission itself is seen as hopeless, as established in the instant classic opening section of the game that stands up to other iconic RPG openings like Final Fantasy 7.

The game takes place in a gorgeous, graphically rich world with turn-based gameplay that features a parry system, bringing a level of tension and excitement rarely seen in the genre. Parrying never feels too daunting either, after a couple of tries, players will learn the cadence of each enemy attack. Players who are not fans of action games with parry mechanics should not feel deterred.

Expedition 33 is an RPG classic with a French flavor never seen before. The plot is heartbreaking, with surprises around every corner. It also includes an impressive voice cast featuring Charlie Cox, Jennifer English, Ben Starr, Andy Serkis, Kirsty Rider and Shala Nyx. Expedition 33 will define this generation of video games and be remembered as an RPG classic. Here's to many more from Sandfall Interactive.