10 Exciting Upcoming AA Games to Watch Out For in 2025

Introduction

Gaming news is often completely, utterly absorbed with AAA titles. But for a while, we've been talking about how there needs to be more focus on AA games. And what they say about being the change you wish to see. Hi, folks, it's Zaid Ikram and today, on "Gamix", 10 upcoming AA games that excite us.

InZOI

At number 10, we have "InZOI", a life sim that's coming to us via publisher KRAFTON, which you may or may not recognize. They're actually the publisher behind some pretty big games, PUBG being probably the biggest. Although you may or may not love the game, "The Callisto Protocol" was pretty omnipresent when it was in its hype cycle at the very least.

"InZOI" has you creating and controlling ZOIs within a big old open world. Now, are ZOIs a direct analog for "Sims"? Maybe a little bit, but they do maybe a little more. It seems like they're not designed just to be kind of flat and maybe even funny. It looks a little more serious. It's built with Unreal 5.

It's got some pretty good graphics, and it gives you a lot of options. The ZOIs are gonna have over 250 options for appearance, personality traits, lifespans, just like a lot of stuff. Every ZOI is going to be, to some extent, quite unique. I hate to keep comparing it to "The Sims" because I think that it looks a little bit more complex.

But I think that's probably the way to go. If you can imagine "The Sims" with a more complex simulation of character behaviors and interactions, as well as much more complex and realistic graphics, that's what this looks like it's gonna be. While I think "The Sims" is kind of unintentionally hokey to be fun and funny, this looks more like an organic, dynamic ecosystem where one of the goals is emergent storylines even. 

I think that it looks pretty interesting if it delivers on what it looks like it is. It certainly is a sandbox, but it's kind of attempting to push that a lot further and make something into more of a living, breathing world. I hope they nail it because, honestly, that'd be really cool. "InZOI" is going to launch in early access quite a while from now, to be frank. It was originally planned for release late this year. It's gonna be March 28th, 2025, and that's gonna be on PC.

ARK 2

At number nine, we have "ARK 2", the highly anticipated sequel to "ARK: Survival Evolved." So, they're looking to kind of redefine "ARK" by giving it a lot of new features and enhancements over the previous. If you're unfamiliar, imagine a sort of prehistoric world with dinosaurs and other creatures. It's a survival game with a big open environment, very pretty this time around. 

I think the previous one was not bad or anything, but it looks a lot better this time. You have traversal mechanics, you got free climbing, parkour, sliding, swinging, all that type of stuff. They're very proud of the movement mechanics, and I think they have a good reason to be. But "ARK 2" is sort of revamping its combat to have a more Souls-like melee. I know people get crazy when I say Souls-like, but that's what they're going for, a more Souls-like melee system.

They want to emphasize skill through the blocks, the dodges, the combos, the staggers, all that stuff. You know it. Honestly, I think that's a good idea because that really sets "ARK" apart from every other survival game out there. There isn't really a Souls-like survival game, which is actually kind of crazy to say, but I can't really think of one off the top of my head.

That doesn't mean they're jettisoning the crafting element of it. They have added a component-based mechanic, so you have a much wider range of distinct crafting elements, which then offers millions of possible combinations for items. Also, Vin Diesel is the protagonist. I don't know if that's a good thing for you or a bad thing. I think it's kind of a neutral thing. I like Vin Diesel. I don't think it really matters that he's the protagonist, but I think that's fun.

So, I'm excited to play this one. I think it looks like a big jump from the previous "ARK" game in a lot of directions that I really like. So, I'm excited to play it when it releases later this year on Xbox Series and PC with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass.

Kingmakers

At number eight, it's "Kingmakers", an action strategy sandbox game developed by Redemption Road Games and published by tinyBuild. This game is one that I'm just like beyond psyched about. It's a medieval warfare game in which you are actually from 500 years in the future and have modern weapons.

I don't know how this hasn't been a game yet, to be frank, but I am beyond happy it's becoming one. The idea of the game is you're gonna be altering the course of history to prevent an apocalypse. But to be frank, I don't care at all. There is nothing about the premise that matters here. It's the mechanic and what you're going to do.

You have massive real-time simulated battles with thousands of soldiers, and you have shotguns and missile launchers and stuff. Frankly, it's one of those games where I don't really care if it's even that advanced of combat. But it looks like they're actually doing a pretty good job with it. They're touting the level of simulation and combat fidelity. 

So, even if they deliver basically half of what they've talked about, I'm okay with that. Also, what's fun about it is you can switch between third-person shooter and top-down strategic. I think that's a good idea. We're also gonna get cooperative multiplayer for up to four players. How could that not be good?

There's a good reason why this is probably going to be a massively successful game. It's also a good argument for why AA games are important. Because again, this is something that I really have not seen before. I don't know why. But the AAA gaming industry just has too much money involved to take these kinds of risks.

I'm excited for when it releases later in 2024 on PC via Steam and Epic. They would have to really screw this up for it to be not good.

Subnautica 2

Moving on to number seven, we have "Subnautica 2", the eagerly awaited sequel to the universally acclaimed underwater survival game by Unknown Worlds. Obviously, the idea is to build on the exploration of its predecessor. It looks like they've added a lot of pretty good ideas that will make the game good for both newcomers and returning fans.

It's a new ocean planet, but it is an ocean planet. So, it's not like it's going to be super unfamiliar or anything. But you got your biomes, you got your ecosystems, you got your towering underwater cliffs and coral fields, and it's vast. That's not new. But what is new is multiplayer co-op. I think that having four players who can go out, do the "Subnautica" thing, survive, explore, et cetera, that's gonna be good. 

That's a very good addition for this type of a game. "Subnautica" is a concept that is custom-tailored for teamwork and coordination. I don't know if anybody has any experience doing real-life diving. I don't, but I know people who do. The thing they're always talking about is coordination and how important it is, and you don't go diving alone. To me, this like drops in perfectly with that.

They've also overhauled the building system for better customization. It looks like a meaningful jump from the first game. I love the first game. I still boot up the first game from time to time and go off for a swim in the unknown. It's not like it's particularly unknown to me anymore, but it is beautiful and fun. I'm excited for doing it with other people in a new world that looks better and the capabilities are expanded.

"Subnautica 2" is coming to early access in 2025. It's gonna be on PC and Xbox Series through Xbox Game Preview.

The Alters

Moving on to number six, it's "The Alters", a survival adventure game developed by 11 Bit Studios, who also created the very good games "This War of Mine" and "Frostpunk". This is a game that is more heavily oriented towards base building and resource management.

You take on the role of Jan Dolski, who's a worker who lands on an inhospitable planet. Jan ends up being able to create different versions of himself, which the game calls alters, embodying different life choices and skill sets. They're not clones; they have distinct personalities and different backgrounds, all shaped by different paths that Jan could have taken in his life.

It's an interesting idea, and I think it will yield a different story. The core of the game is managing a mobile base and staying ahead of the sunrise, which is deadly on this planet. Those backgrounds with the alters come into play because you give them different tasks based on their skills, which are based on different life backgrounds. For instance, an alter who pursued a career in botany can cultivate food supplies, and an engineer Jan can upgrade the base.

"The Alters" is coming in Q1 2025. It's going to come out on PC, Xbox Series, and PS5.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Moving on to number five, we have "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33", a turn-based RPG from Sandfall Interactive, published by Kepler Interactive. I say turn-based because it looks essentially like that, but it also blends a couple of interesting ideas, some real-time mechanics, and some strategy.

They're touting this as a unique combat system. You have your RPG normal stuff, like distinct builds for each character, gear, stats, skills, implementing character synergies, etc. It's stuff that you know of. But during the turn-based battles, the real-time actions that come in will be like dodging, parrying, and countering, which actually adds some ultimately Souls-derived ideas into a turn-based RPG battle system.

I think that's very interesting. I'm not saying we've never seen anything like that. I can remember turn-based battle systems with some form of reaction-type gameplay mechanics added in. "Sea of Stars" had different timings of buttons that could prolong attacks, etc., stuff like that. But this sounds a little more extensive. The story is that there is this Paintress who, every year, puts a number on this monolith, and everybody who is that age simply vanishes from existence. Basically, the number's going to be at 33. You're on an expedition to stop this from happening.

I'm going to say this: I said this previously, I do think it's going to end up being that the Paintress has something to do with the expeditions that have gone out to stop her. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those twists where you realize you're the baddies all along and you've prolonged this thing somehow by trying to stop it or something like that. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I just want to call it because I like being right. If I'm wrong, we shall bury this and never talk of it again.

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" is coming out in 2025 for Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.

The Precinct

At number four, we have "The Precinct", a neo-noir action sandbox police game, coming to us by way of Fallen Tree Games. Set in 1983 in the crime-ridden streets of Averno City, you play as Officer Nick Cordell Jr., a rookie who is an idealist and thinks he's gonna clean up the town! We've heard it all before; it doesn't go well for those folks.

Anyway, it's an homage to classic cop movies, intending to bring us some pretty detailed police simulation and action gameplay. You patrol the streets, respond to procedurally generated crimes, which could be very minor like parking violations or very major like gang shootouts. You're able to figure out what you want to do in response.

You could be brutal, you can be ruthless, or you can be a really nice dude. I don't know if I would recommend doing that in response to a gang shootout, but you can also call in backup with a pretty in-depth support system. You got squad cars, spike strips, roadblocks, lots of different choices for handling various situations.

The city itself is pretty damn cool. The way they have it set up reminds me of "Grand Theft Auto" in a lot of ways, but like old-school "Grand Theft Auto" where it was top-down. Obviously, it's not top-down, it's a lot more detailed than that. And obviously, the game is the exact reverse of that. You're not stealing autos, you're stopping the stealing of autos—well, probably.

I don't know, "The Precinct" looks like a pretty damn cool game. It's gonna be something I'm certainly playing. It's coming out this year, quarter four, and it's coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.

Blight: Survival

At number three, we have "Blight: Survival", a medieval cooperative action horror game brought to us by Haenir Studio. It's set in an alternate 14th century where there are zombies. It's a zombie game in medieval times. It's also a rogue-lite and somewhat extraction-based. It looks like a nice blend of a few ideas.

It's set amidst the backdrop of a war-torn no man's land between two kingdoms locked in conflict—a very normal medieval premise, but they're zombies. Your goal is to stop the zombies from happening. Exploration is gonna be key in this one. You're gonna be looking for loot in particular, but there's also going to be secrets and lore, that type of stuff.

The rogue-lite elements mean each run is going to be different, and I like that obviously. You have procedurally generated environments, different enemy placements, new weapons, armor, equipment—all unique. There's gonna be four-player co-op. And to be frank, zombie games tend to lend some of the best four-player co-op, and it's one of those Unreal 5 games. It looks like one of the good ones.

I think we've got a cool, immersive atmosphere. It doesn't over-promise. That's why I said one of the good ones. It looks like a game that can happen, and it, on top of that, looks like a very fun premise. Like all these medieval-plus-new-thing premises, I think they're long overdue. "Blight: Survival" doesn't have a confirmed release, but it is coming to PC sometime in the future. They've hinted at console releases, but they haven't committed to it. But yeah, I'm excited for this one.

The First Berserker: Khazan

At number two, we have "The First Berserker: Khazan", where you play as Khazan. It's an action RPG coming to us from Neople. It's set in the Dungeon and Fighter universe, and you are basically a legendary ancestor of all the slayers in that world. You're the first berserker, you see.

So, what happens in this game is you have a big old victory. Then you are accused of treason, you're tortured, you're exiled to the snowy mountains, and your tendons have been severed. You're pretty down in a rut at the start of this game. You then go on a journey to figure out the truth, seek vengeance, etc. You know the drill, right?

So, what we've got is somewhere between a hack and slash and a hardcore action game with an emphasis on character progression and customizing Khazan's abilities. It's a pretty-looking game, I have to say, with very different art direction. I think it looks like a lot of fun. I'm not really particularly familiar with the Dungeon and Fighter universe, but if this is what it is, I'm there.

"The First Berserker: Khazan" is scheduled for 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.

Showa American Story

Finally, at number one, we have "Showa American Story", an action RPG from NEKCOM. It's set in an alternate 1980s America, which is influenced by Japanese culture—very interesting, I think. It's somewhere between a post-apocalyptic adventure and a B-movie-type situation, not the Jerry Seinfeld one, I mean like an eighties B-movie, sort of a kitschy horror situation.

You assume the role of Chouko Chigusa, who is a stuntwoman in a teenage action movie, who is killed and oddly enough, revived from the dead. She wakes up, the world is overrun with zombies, and she doesn't know why. She goes on a journey to figure out what the hell happened and why the hell she is not dead. Predicting it right now: she has the exact same virus that the zombies do, but it's somehow immune or has affected her differently.

That's not why you're playing this game. You're playing it because you want some fun combat. That's what this one looks like to me. You got swords, you got guns, you got giant drills. It's got some crazy-looking stuff in it. I think that's pretty interesting. As with basically every game that exists now, exploration is a big part of it.

But it does merit the exploration: the world with this weird eighties Japanese pop culture blend slash take on America with neon cityscapes and deserts and just crazy stuff. It looks interesting. You get an RV that you're gonna traverse, which serves as your mobile base. You cook, you craft, and you get some mini-games. Honestly, it looks like a very gamey game, and I really like that. I want more gamey games.

"Showa American Story" is coming out in 2025 to PS5 and PC. It was gonna come out on PS4, but it isn't anymore. That's fine. I'm probably gonna play it on PC anyways, so it's cool. This is a cool one.

Conclusion

And that's all we've got for you today. Leave us a comment, let us know what you think. As always, we thank you very much for reading this blog. We'll see you next time right here on "Gamix".