DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend.
Exclusive interview with Geoff Keighley
Best videogames of 2025 (so far)
7/12/25
Table of contents
Page 1- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Pages 2-3- DOOM: The Dark Ages
Page 4- Monster Hunter Wilds
Page 5- Split Fiction
Page 6- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Page 7- Platform availability
Pages 8-9- Geoff Keighley Q&A Interview
Kingdom Come:
Deliverance 2 continues the story of Henry, a blacksmith’s son, in 15th‑century Bohemia during a brutal civil war. This open‑world, first‑person action RPG sees Henry navigating a richly detailed medieval environment that is twice the size of the original—featuring both the Bohemian countryside and the historic city of Kutná Hora.
The game is praised for its realism and immersion: detailed NPC routines, survival mechanics like food, sleep, and hygiene, and a dynamic world that truly reacts to your decisions. Combat has been refined for better responsiveness in swordplay, horseback battles, archery, and even crossbows compared to the first game.
With deep role‑playing systems, players can shape Henry’s personality through speech, appearance, skills, and choices that meaningfully impact his journey. Whether you charm, sneak, fight, or negotiate, your actions matter—and they influence how characters and the world respond. Featuring improved visuals, a refined narrative, and complex systems like alchemy, blacksmithing, lockpicking, and branching quests, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is being hailed as one of the most immersive and ambitious RPGs of 2025.
The game features historically accurate medieval weaponry and armor, from longswords and maces to crossbows and polearms. Players can equip Henry with gear that not only looks authentic but also affects mobility, defense, and combat style. Armor is layered— helmets, chainmail, gambesons—and must be maintained for peak performance, adding depth to every encounter and a true sense of realism to battle.
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
A DOOM FOR ALL SLAYERS
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine.
STAND AND FIGHT
As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for. Take flight atop the new fierce Mecha Dragon, stand tall in a massive Atlan mech, and beat demons to a pulp with the newly enhanced glory kill system. Only the Slayer has the power to wield these devastating tools of mayhem.
REIGN IN HELL
Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id’s largest and most expansive levels to date.
ONE MAN ARMY
In Doom: The Dark Ages, the Slayer is the ultimate demon-slaying powerhouse—humanity’s most formidable weapon against Hell’s relentless legions. The game transforms the Slayer into a one-man army of primordial proportions, wielding both gun and shield in brutal symphony as he tears through swarms of demons with visceral force. Whether barreling across the battlefield with a charged shield or parrying projectiles for brutal close-range executions, the Slayer feels more than unstoppable—he feels like a living weapon forged for war.
DOOM’S MOST POWERFUL NAR
TIVE YET
This entry also delivers the strongest narrative yet in the franchise’s storied history. It features Doom’s most fleshed-out campaign to date, with 22 cinematic chapters and a storyline widely heralded as the best the series has ever offered. Set long before the Mars invasion of Doom (2016) and Eternal, it casts the Slayer as an ancient enforcer on a mission to stop the demon Prince Ahzrak—elevating him from silent soldier to a legendary hero whose tale carries more weight and depth than ever before.
Monster Hunter Wilds launches players into the massive, open-world Forbidden Lands, a richly detailed region with diverse biomes like deserts, jungles, and volatile volcanic fields. You take on the role of a Hunter—either solo or with up to three friends— to track, battle, and capture colossal monsters in cinematic-scale hunts. The seamless world transitions and dynamic ecosystems (including weather and day-night cycles) ensure no loading screens between exploration and combat.
The game returns with all 14 classic weapon types, each enhanced with new moves and deeper combat mechanics, including the helpful Focus Mode for targeting monster weak points and motoring up to two weapons via your Seikret mount. Your Seikret not only boosts traversal across massive areas, but also auto-guides to objectives
and lets you mount or dismount in mid-combat—enabling fluid gear switching and increasing tactical depth.
Monster Hunter Wilds also deepens immersion through its reactive environments and AI-driven ecosystems. Predators hunt prey, herds migrate across regions, and the entire landscape evolves with the seasons—affecting monster behavior and available resources. Players can now deploy pop-up camps for fast travel and cook their own meals directly in the field, removing the need to return to a hub between hunts. For solo players, AI-controlled Support Hunters offer backup in battle, making the experience more accessible without sacrificing intensity. With massive, detailed zones and stunning visual fidelity, Wilds delivers the most lifelike and dynamic world the series has ever seen.
A standout feature in Monster Hunter Wilds is its renewed focus on storytelling and character development. For the first time in the series, players will experience a fully voiced protagonist with dynamic dialogue options that evolve based on in-game decisions and progress. The narrative centers around a group of hunters and researchers stationed in a harsh new frontier, with cutscenes seamlessly integrated into gameplay. Emotional story arcs, richly animated NPCs, and cinematic moments help ground the high-stakes hunts in a world that feels personal and alive—offering a level of narrative depth never before seen in the franchise.
Split Fiction is a 2-player-only cooperative action-adventure from Hazelight Studios, the creators of It Takes Two and A Way Out. Players control Mio, a sci-fi enthusiast, and Zoe, a fantasy writer, who become trapped inside the virtual worlds of their own stories.
This isn’t just another co-op game—it’s a one-of-a-kind experience, continually shifting between two wildly different worlds filled with imaginative puzzles, genre-bending mechanics, and breathtaking visuals. One moment you’re skateboarding through a cyberpunk city, the next you’re dodging dragons in a fantasy forest. The game packs an array of captivating mini-games and sequences, all tied together by heartfelt storytelling and fast-paced action.
Hazelight, led by Josef Fares, is renowned for reinventing co-op multiplayer, and Split Fiction proudly follows that legacy. Fares describes this as “our most epic co-op adventure yet,” building on ten years of expertise in designing games where collaboration is essential.
The game is receiving powerful praise from both critics and players. It has earned widespread acclaim for its creativity and emotional depth. Within months of release, it sold over 4 million copies and quickly became one of the most talked-about games of the year. Fans continue to celebrate it online, with many calling it one of the best co-op experiences of all time.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a third-person, turn-based RPG with real-time elements, set in a haunting, Belle Époque–inspired world. You lead a party of characters—including engineer Gustave and scholar Lune—on a desperate mission to stop the mysterious “Paintress,” a force responsible for the annual ritual known as the Gommage, which erases people from existence once they reach the age of 33.
The game blends traditional turn-based strategy with real-time inputs like parrying, dodging, and skill-chaining, demanding quick reflexes as well as smart planning. It creates a battle system that’s both cinematic and deeply tactical—keeping players constantly engaged.
What truly sets Expedition 33 apart is its mature, emotional storytelling. The narrative explores themes of mortality, sacrifice, and legacy, with fully voiced characters and impactful dialogue. Every interaction feels meaningful, and the world—rendered in stunning Unreal Engine 5 detail—is rich with beauty and sorrow.
Since launch, the game has been met with overwhelming praise. It holds one of the highest critic and player scores of 2025 and has already sold millions of copies worldwide. Fans love its innovative combat, beautiful art direction, and thought-provoking themes, calling it a game that “stays with you long after you finish it.”
With its unforgettable setting, dynamic battles, and emotional weight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is already being hailed as a modern RPG classic.
Xbox: Series X
$500
Playstation 5
$500 PC
Price varies based on model
Nintendo Switch 2
$500
Geoff Keighley
Geoff Keighley is a leading voice in the gaming industry and the creator of The Game Awards, the biggest annual event celebrating video games. Known for his deep industry ties and decades of experience, Keighley plays a key role in shaping how the world sees and celebrates games.
We sat down with Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards and host of Summer Game Fest, to talk about the current state of gaming and standout titles in 2025.
Checkpoint: You’ve been open about the challenges the gaming industry is facing in 2025. How would you describe the state of the industry right now?
Geoff Keighley: It’s a tough time, no doubt. We’re seeing major layoffs, shrinking dev teams, and publishers pulling back from riskier projects. There’s been a lot of consolidation, and the excitement that used to surround game reveals has shifted.
Summer Game Fest this year focused a lot more on updates to existing games rather than huge surprises, and that reflects where the industry is at. Studios are being more cautious, and that’s changed the energy.
Checkpoint: Even with those challenges, are there still games in 2025 that have really impressed you?
Geoff Keighley: Absolutely. While it’s been a down year overall for development, the quality of some releases has been outstanding. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came out of nowhere and really wowed everyone with its art direction and turn-based combat—it’s one of the most critically praised games of the year. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II also delivered big with its ambitious worldbuilding and realistic storytelling. And then there’s Doom: The Dark Ages, which is taking the franchise in a bold new direction. The medieval setting, the war-shield mechanics, and a more cinematic approach to storytelling—it all adds up to something fans are genuinely excited about. These games show that even in a struggling industry, the creativity and passion are still very much alive.
Checkpoint: As someone who curates events like The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest, how do you decide which games to spotlight in such a crowded space?
Geoff Keighley: It’s definitely challenging, especially now when there are so many amazing indie titles competing alongside big-budget releases. For me, it comes down to originality and impact. I ask: Is this game doing something new? Is it going to stick with players? Sometimes that means highlighting a massive AAA game, but other times it’s about giving a smaller project the platform it deserves. My goal is always to represent the full spectrum of what games can be—whether that’s a story-rich RPG, a stunning co-op experience, or a game that reinvents a classic formula. I think that balance matters more than ever right now.
