Here Are Some Of The Best Japanese Games You May Have Missed In 2025

“Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remastered Edition” is undoubtedly one of the best games of 2025.

Ollie Budd

There were some truly great Japanese games released last year, and here are some of my personal favorites that you might have missed.

These are based on my reviews of each game, but obviously, these are just my recommendations based on personal preference.

I’ve also linked each review, so if you want to go into more detail about each game, these reviews should do that for you.

Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute

It’s a bit surprising that something like this exists, but I’m glad it does. Since the original Sega Saturn game was never released overseas, it’s great that it’s now fully localized. In addition, as a long-term lover of art Assault suit series of games, Lenos 2 Arguably one of his best works.

Super Robot Wars Y

The first “new” super robot war Now that Terada Takanobu is no longer at the helm, that’s really, really good. I’m still playing it and having a lot of fun with the DLC. Definitely a good game worth buying super robot war Series if you are a beginner.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Chronicles of Ivalice

follow super robot wararguably one of the most definitive games in the tactical RPG genre, finally gets a very solid remaster. Even better news is that the game is also playable as the original PlayStation version, as that’s the best iteration.

Earth

This may have slipped under your radar because it was made as a classic Ultima game, but in 2025. Other than that, it’s a really great game and one of the best I’ve played in a long time. It’s also surprisingly deep for what it’s capable of, and Yuzo Koshiro’s music is brilliant.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Sion

Losers of 2025, Titanic Sion transferred Demon X Machine Powering the armor and a vast open world setting. I’ve put hundreds of hours into it, and trust me, you need to keep at it. While it doesn’t really explain anything in the game, that’s part of its charm. The DLC is also fun.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remastered Edition

Probably my game of the year, it’s a follow up to an equally great game Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remastered Edition Starting in 2024. While these are remasters of the first two games Dragon Quest series, they’re actually a narrative sequel to the third game, so there’s a lot of extra content here. I also got the platinum trophy on both versions, so these are really worth your time. Be sure to check out my interview with game producer Masaaki Hayasaka.

It’s over, it’s worth mentioning that Metroid 4as it’s a co-production with Nintendo Japan and is apparently part of a long-running Japanese game series. I also managed to complete the game at 100% completion on both normal and hard versions, so it’s definitely fun to play, and it’s by no means the most daunting thing the midcore hipsters would have us believe.

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