New video games to wishlist for the week of 2/17/25

New year, new video games. There are dozens of huge games we can’t wait to get out hands on in 2025, including plenty of indies we’ll want to sink our teeth into. Great games are releasing one after the other, so let’s check out what video games are hitting storefronts this week.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage (2/18)

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S

From the developers who created Life is Strange comes Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, another narrative adventure game revolving around player choices and the relationships between characters. It bounces between 1995 and 2022 as a group of friends bond during the summer of ’95 until they discover something drastic and mysterious, causing the group not to reunite again for 27 years. Somewhat echoing the episodic nature of the Life is Strange series, Lost Records releases its first part tomorrow while part 2 drops on April 15th, giving fans time to ponder and theorize between installments.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2/21)

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

The Like a Dragon/Yakuza series is known for getting a wee zany and outside the box with its entries, and you can expect Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii to be no different. It takes place after last year’s Infinite Wealth and puts reoccurring character Goro Majima in the spotlight. He ends up stranded on an island without his memories and gradually creates a new life as a pirate captain in Hawaii. Expect the traditional beat ’em up gameplay the series is known for along with pirate ship battles and silly minigames.

Avowed (2/18)

Platforms: PC and Xbox Series X/S

After a few delays, Obsidian’s Avowed is finally here — in fact, it’s been out for a few days for those who paid extra for the premium edition. The open world fantasy RPG has been met with a pretty good reception so far, giving Microsoft a bit of a hot streak after December’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Avowed is a first-person adventure in the Living Lands, under siege by a mysterious plague. It’ll revolve around player choices, both in terms of the larger narrative and building relationships with your companions, and even features a little romance after the developers had previously said it wouldn’t include a romance system. With Microsoft increasingly looking more and more like a third-party publisher, PS5 gamers will have to remain patient in hoping Avowed ends up on PlayStation sometime soon.

Also worth checking out: Cabernet, PGA Tour 2K25, and Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog.