Over the past several years, some of gaming’s most surprising hits have landed in the calm after the holiday rush, tucked neatly between the New Year and the arrival of spring. Traditionally, this is a quieter period—one where we’re recovering from festive feasts and exploring games unwrapped over the holiday season, leaving little room for fresh cravings.
This window has quietly become a strategic opportunity for publishers to shine a light on hidden gems that might otherwise be overshadowed by blockbuster titles. A decade ago, Dying Light was a pioneer, setting records upon its 2015 launch. This new intellectual property perfectly captured the zeitgeist of both the zombie craze and the PS4-era surge in open-world games.
Since then, it seems like each year has ushered in a well-backed indie or overlooked franchise that managed to sidestep the holiday crush, landing gracefully when gamers are assumed to have spent their allowances. The trend crystallized further with the triumphant return of Resident Evil, particularly with the Resident Evil 2 Remake. This masterpiece not only reestablished the franchise’s dominance but also inspired an ongoing fascination with remakes.
Fast forward to 2025, and this once quiet period is now packed with potential blockbusters from leading global publishers and independent studios alike. This February alone is poised to host four major releases, each vying for attention. Some have found themselves in this slot due to development delays—like Assassin’s Creed and Avowed—while others, such as Monster Hunter and Kingdom Come, are intentionally revisiting this fertile launch window.
However they’ve arrived, February 2025 promises a high-stakes RPG showdown. With numerous expansive RPGs battling for your attention, only one can emerge as the true champion. Let’s take a closer look at the contenders.
### Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – February 4, 2025
Stepping into the fray is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, aiming to seize the throne. While it may be the most realistic of the quartet, its ambition knows no bounds. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is founded on the principle of “dungeons not dragons,” delivering an authentic medieval RPG experience that combines renaissance fair charm, sandbox adventure, and a fair share of unpredictable quirks.
Built on the CryEngine, originally designed for fast-paced FPS games, the game caters to the demands of bustling towns and a persistent world state, despite risking its stability. The first installment offered a stunningly immersive world teetering on the edge of chaos.
Having spent countless hours on the original Kingdom Come, I can attest that the series is filled with innovative role-playing concepts that, while intriguing in theory, have mixed success in practice. For instance, as you improve your skills, tasks are meant to become easier, simulating a learning curve. However, at launch, this design choice rendered lockpicking laughably impractical and could trap players in a death loop if they favored stealth or speech-heavy builds. Yet, it also introduced unique elements like scrambling written texts until characters learned to read.
In this sequel, we revisit Henry of Skalitz, a seemingly unremarkable blacksmith whose cunning and fortuitous circumstances thrust him into pivotal historical events. Curious to see how his established abilities evolve without the narrative convenience of stripped powers from previous games, this installment promises a much bigger world with enhanced performance and refined gameplay. Its success amidst fierce competition in February may very well surprise us.
### Assassin’s Creed Shadows – February 14, 2025
Despite facing setbacks, I’m optimistic about the studio behind my favorite entry in the series—Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Given Ubisoft’s recent stumbles with projects like Skull and Bones and Star Wars: Outlaws, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has a lot riding on its success this February.
Japan has long been a coveted setting for the franchise, but with Ghost of Tsushima and Rise of the Ronin already painting a vivid picture of feudal Japan, the pressure is on Ubisoft to deliver a fresh and engaging experience without relying on the mystical elements of its past settings.
On the mechanical front, Assassin’s Creed Shadows aims to address long-standing issues. The introduction of dual-protagonists, the shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, brings diverse combat styles, incorporating weapons like katanas, tanto swords, kanabo clubs, and naginata spears.
Interestingly, the game promises a long-awaited overhaul of its stealth system. Could this finally be the Assassin’s Creed that brings authentic stealth mechanics? The dynamic between Yasuke—whose presence turns heads wherever he goes—and the silent but deadly Naoe adds an intriguing layer to gameplay.
While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla felt overly bloated with repetitive encounters and simplistic interactions, Shadows appears to offer less linear missions with richer mechanics spread across its two protagonists. Could this iteration be the one to rejuvenate the series once more?
### Avowed – February 18, 2025
In the ever-fluid release schedules, Avowed has found itself sandwiched between formidable titles after a delay to dodge internal Game Pass competition from Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones. Now, it seeks success in a packed month.
Dubbed Skyrim meets Dragon Age, Avowed invites players into a world of smaller, self-contained maps brimming with loot, adversaries, and the intricate, choice-driven quests that Obsidian is renowned for.
As a long-time fan of Obsidian’s work—from Fallout: New Vegas to Alpha Protocol—I eagerly anticipate Avowed. Set within the Pillars of Eternity universe and boasting a vibrant fantasy art style, the game’s narrative depth and compelling quest design are expected highlights. Despite potentially being the underdog in this release roster, Avowed has the potential to exceed expectations with its engaging storytelling.
### Monster Hunter Wilds – February 28, 2025
The Monster Hunter series is a titan compared to when Monster Hunter World captivated audiences with a free trial in February 2018. Following years of anticipation, it broke new ground and finally achieved widespread popularity.
As competitors vie for a piece of the monster hunting pie, such as Dauntless and indie titles like Fera: The Sundered Tribes, Monster Hunter Wilds aims to reassert its dominance.
Building on the success of the smaller-scale Monster Hunter Rise, which was crafted for the Nintendo Switch, Wilds promises a grander adventure. It introduces more dynamic environments, challenging terrains, and varied biomes offering greater exploration opportunities.
Get ready for monsters that seamlessly blend into their environments, hunt in packs, or scale treetops in battle, adding further allure to the game’s impressive lineup of creatures.
No longer a niche title, Monster Hunter is set to make a massive impact. Players will need to stockpile their resources for the epic quest that awaits at month’s end.
With such an array of enticing options this February, which will you choose? And what will you still be itching to play years later? As if that weren’t enough, consider the other upcoming releases: Elden Ring: Nightreign, Borderlands 4, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, Pokemon Legends Z-A, and the much-anticipated GTA 6. The gaming landscape has truly never been more exciting!
