By Ronald Gordon

Hello once again from the Critics Circle! It’s been a while and both GG Fest One and 15th Annual New York Videogame Awards were a huge success in January! Not only did people thoroughly enjoy the litany of panels before the Supergiant Unplugged Concert on the 17th, Awards night was bustling with folks from all over the world, showing up to celebrate 2025’s plethora of games. If you’re wondering what the Circle’s interns may have thought about this year’s list of nominees/winners, here’s a roundup of most of this year’s nominees! 

Shujinkou received a nomination for Best Hidden Gem, and our intern Tina Lam thought it was an amazing experience. In her article, she shares her thoughts on the riveting soundtrack as she writes, “What I really loved about the game was the music. Oh, the music. In the labyrinths, the soundtrack is filled with low, haunting percussion beats and eerie chimes which, while creepy, is something that I could easily fall asleep to. Even during battles, the music was never too overwhelming. It was intense enough to build tension but didn’t get my heart racing in a way that had me overthinking every single thing I chose to do.” 

Ghost of Yotei may not have won any of its categories, coming up for Best Writing, Acting, Music, and GOTY, but it still struck home as one of the best in my eyes. What sticks in my mind the most will always be the fantastic landscape, which I reference as I write, “The first time you begin to explore Ezo, riding on the back of Atsu’s old horse as she returns to her homeland after so long, you’re left with a view that can’t be simply described by words. A field of yellow flowers leads to  a forest of never ending greenery, and despite parts of Ezo billowing black smoke from raider attacks, the blues of the skies overpower the dimming smog. Above all, the glorious Mount Yotei watches over the warring land, her snow-covered peak visible throughout all of your adventures in Ezo, serving as a constant reminder that no soul is truly alone while under her grace.”

Hades II made a double appearance at both GG Fest and the 15th Awards, where it took home the award for Best World. When put to the task of reviewing such a masterpiece, Khloe Wilkerson found herself steeped in the gorgeous depths of Tartarus, as she writes, “Every area in Hades II feels like a living world with its own rhythm and dangers. The early regions, like the Fields of Mourning, are eerie lands, filled with undead soldiers and corrupted Shades (dead souls) that move in structured formations. Each area culminates in a boss fight that feels handcrafted to test what you’ve learned. For example, Scylla and the Sirens are one of the most memorable encounters, a deadly trio that sings mid-battle, forcing you to fight to the beat of a pop-metal track. It’s both bizarre and exhilarating. Later, when you finally confront Chronos, his battle is an endurance test against time itself. The ticking motif woven into the soundtrack and his time-slowing attacks create an almost poetic sense of urgency.”

The long-awaited sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong blitzed its way into nomination for both Best Indie and Best World, shocking reviewers from all over with the fruit of Team Cherry’s labor. Yet, despite its beauty, players like our intern Saniah Etienne just couldn’t “get good,” explaining her experience with Silksong as she writes, “As simple as it seemed, I was really bad at it. The checkpoints were also very spaced out, which made the process of getting back on track quite drawn out. The most notable example of this was when it took me an hour to defeat the first boss. I felt so hopeless, I searched up a tutorial on “How to defeat Moss Mother”. I opened the comments expecting to find other players facing the same challenge as me. One person said, “If you need a tutorial for this, you are unworthy of this game.” That’s a bit much. But perhaps this statement has some truth to it. Hollow Knight Silksong can be inaccessible for new players.” 

The Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar puts a comforting new spin on a classically cozy farming game, skyrocketing the time-honored game to a nomination for Best Remake. Theresa Afful regarded it well in her review, writing, “Although I had my ups and downs, the past month the game was still very interesting and relaxing. I have only played a handful of farming games, and by far this one has become one of my favorite games overall. I have a feeling I will be constantly returning to play Grand Bazaar in the future whenever I am feeling bored. It did have an impact on me. I might even start my own farm after playing this—who knows? Well, maybe a window garden.” 

As Nintendo’s debut game for the Switch 2, Mario Kart: World was on everyone’s minds as the new family racing game out there. Yet, despite its nomination for Best Music, Isaac Espinosa had differing opinions on the newest entry into the Mario Kart franchise, writing, “As someone who loved Mario Kart 8, and truly jumped for joy after learning there would be a Mario Kart World, I want to say it delivers on the hype built up over the last decade. But for all the steps that Mario Kart World takes toward new and exciting elements of the series, it somehow takes as many steps back. Despite how gorgeous it looks, how well it controls, and how much I just genuinely enjoy playing it, I cannot justify paying $80 for it. As it’s supposed to be a launch title, I wish I felt more comfortable recommending it. But the advertisements for Mario Kart World don’t do a good job of showing how truly empty it can feel at its worst.” 

Koira is a simple experience of journeying with a cute dog companion, sending it to the list of entrants that populated our Best Kids Game nominations. Karoline Castillo-Troncoso thoroughly enjoyed her time with the game, in her article as she writes, “Despite the adrenaline-inducing moments during various parts of the game, Koira also offers moments of tranquility where one can take a break from invigorating and intentional gameplay to play a game of hide and seek or to participate in cloud watching with the puppy. Something I found really cool about the hide and seek game was that when it is the puppy’s turn to hide, the player sees an eye-shutting scene, followed by a momentary black screen, during which the puppy hides. If you’re attentive enough, you can see the ruffle of leaves in the bush the puppy hides in, making the seeking pretty easy. When cloud watching, the newfound friends sit on the ledge of a tree house. The clouds that appear resemble either an apple, a stick, a tent, or a dog.” 

Those were most of the games that were either nominated for or won something at the 15th Annual New York Game Awards! Here’s hoping that this year is full of even more amazing games! 

Ronald Gordon is a New York Videogame Critics Circle Member and Mentor. He was the first of our writers – or any intern anywhere – to complete an internship at Rockstar Games.

---