2025 JUST GOT ANOTHER GOTY CONTENDER WITH 90 ON METACritic

2025 Has Been Packed Full of Great Games, With Potential Game of the Year Contenders Coming Out of Unassuming Development Studios. Monster Train 2 has just been released, and the masterful roguelik deckbuilder sequel is adding itelf to that list with Very Strong Review Right Out of the Gate.

Shortly after its Release on May 21, 2025, Monster Train 2 Already Reached a Coveted Score of 90 On Metacritic. This score is an an aggregate from 14 Different Critics – if it Stays at 90 or Above with 15 or More Reviews, Monster Train 2 Will Earn Metacritic’s Illustrous Must-Play Badge. Developer Shiny Shoe’s Latest Release is Being Praised As an Improvement on the First Game, which is Already Celebrated Among the Decbuilding Genre. It joins Blue Prince and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 As Critical Darlings from Smaller Studios Vying to be Crowned 2025’s Best Game.

Monster Train 2 is fantastic

A New Deckbuilding Classic

Monster Train 2 Lardling Builds on Its predecessor, and is getting itting its flowers for continuing the series’ Penchant for Throwing Wrenches into the typical Methodical Progression Through a roguetem deckbuilder run. “Monster Train Feels Faster, More Dynamic, and Less Incremental and Methodically Paced Than Its Peers, and Monster Train 2 Takes Virtuely Every Beloved Element of the Original and Overflows It With More Content“ Says Our Review here at Screen Rant.

It has all the Hallmarks of the genre, though. There’s an overworld map you choose your path Through, Sprites Facing Each Other From Each Side of the Battle Screen, and All Manner of Relics, Items, and Cards to ADVANCE. IT’S A Massive New Deckbuilder Hoping to Steer You Toward The “Poggable moments“Shiny Shoe’s CEO Wants to Provide. But IT’S ALSO ACCESSIBLE TO GENRE NEWCOMERSWith Sr‘s revix pointing out the wonderful addition of an undo button to retry a move and better tooltips that make the gameplay more clear.

Smaller Games Are in the Mix for Goty

Indie & AA Games Are Dominating

Monster Train 2‘s 90 on metacritic puts it beerind just three other games: Split fiction (91), Blue Prince (92), and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (92). Hazelight Studios’ Split fiction HAD SOME Expectations of Excellence AFTER It taks two Won the Game Awards Goty In 2021, but Blue Prince and Expedition 33 Have Proven to be Surpring Masterpieces. Both are made by relatively small studios, and each are those studios’ debut releasa.

There’s a Noticeable Lack of AAA Blockbusters on Metacritic’s Best Games of the Year. If you don’t consider Split fiction A Blockbuster, you have to go all the way down to number nine to find Monster Hunter Wilds with its aggregate of 88. There’s the still a lot of time left in 2025 – and nintendo has some Major Games Coming for the Switch 2 – But Monster Train 2 Has Quickly Made a Strong Case for itelf to be in the game of the year discussion.

Source: Metacritic