Famitsu deelt favoriete games van Japanse topontwikkelaars in 2025

Nieuws
Steffen Hartman on 25 December 2025 om 12:50
Steffen Hartman
Steffen Hartman

Het Japanse gamesblad Famitsu Magazine heeft de favoriete games van het jaar verzameld van tientallen prominente Japanse ontwikkelaars. De lijst werd gedeeld via social media en bestaat uit persoonlijke topselecties. Daarbij vallen duidelijke keuzes en verrassende keuzes op.

Terugkerende favorieten

De meest genoemde titel is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. De game verschijnt in lijstjes van ontwikkelaars bij Square Enix, Atlus, Capcom, Sega en Level-5. Ook Ghost of Yotei en Urban Myth Dissolution Center, een relatief onbekende game in het Westen, worden opvallend vaak genoemd.

Dat onderstreept een bredere trend: Japanse makers laten zich steeds meer inspireren door internationale en kleinschalige projecten, naast grote franchisegames.

Breed palet aan ontwikkelaars

De deelnemers komen uit vrijwel alle hoeken van de industrie. Van Capcom en Square Enix tot Atlus, Sega en onafhankelijke studio’s. Bekende namen als Hideki Kamiya, Naoki Yoshida en Yoshinori Kitase delen zonder filter wat zij dit jaar het liefst speelden.

Opvallend is dat veel keuzes buiten de eigen studio of zelfs buiten Japan liggen. Westerse RPG’s, indies en experimentele projecten komen regelmatig terug.

Lijst favoriete games per ontwikkelaar

De volledige lijst vind je hieronder. Let op: het gaat niet alleen maar om games die in 2025 zijn verschenen, maar die de ontwikkelaars dit jaar gespeeld hebben.

Koji Igarashi (ArtPlay – Castlevania, Bloodstained)

  1. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  2. Monster Hunter Wilds
  3. Shadow Labyrinth

Daisuke Ishiwatari (Arc System Works – bedenker en director van Guilty Gear)

  1. Mario Kart World
  2. R.E.P.O.
  3. ACECRAFT
  4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Kazuhisa Wada (Atlus – chief designer Persona 3 Reload, producer Persona 5 Royal)

  1. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  2. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
  3. Dragon Quest Walk

Kazuyuki Yamai (Atlus – director Raidou Remastered)

  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  2. Mario Kart World
  3. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  4. Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultimate Edition)
  5. FAITH: The Unholy Trinity

Naoto Abe (SNK – producer KOF XV, lead artist Samurai Shodown 2019)

  1. Borderlands 4
  2. Silent Hill f
  3. Donkey Kong Bananza
  4. Battlefield 6
  5. Silent Cleaning

Koshi Nakanishi (Capcom – director Resident Evil 7)

  1. Ball x Pit
  2. The Tower -Idol Tower Defence-
  3. Monster Hunter Now
  4. Overwatch 2
  5. Project Zomboid

Takayuki Nakayama (Capcom – director Street Fighter 6)

  1. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  2. Blade Chimera
  3. Diesel Legacy – The Brazen Age
  4. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  5. Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers

Cho Yonghee (Capcom – director Pragmata)

  1. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
  2. Signalis
  3. Ready or Not
  4. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
  5. Metaphor: ReFantazio

Hideki Kamiya (Clovers Studio – Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, Okami)

  1. Tetris 99
  2. Shanghai Refresh
  3. Super Mario Bros

Motoi Okamoto (Konami – producer Silent Hill f, Silent Hill 2 remake)

  1. Magical Girl Witch Trials
  2. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  3. and Roger
  4. Shuten Order
  5. MiSide

Akira Yamaoka (componist Silent Hill-serie)

  1. Atomfall
  2. Ghost of Yotei
  3. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  4. Outer Wilds
  5. GRIS

Tomoya Asano (Square Enix – Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler)

  1. Ghost of Yotei
  2. Death Stranding: On the Beach
  3. Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure
  4. Potato Flowers in Full Bloom
  5. Deltarune (Chapters 3 & 4)

Yoshinori Kitase (Square Enix – producer Final Fantasy VII Remake-serie)

  1. Cairn (demo)
  2. Death Stranding
  3. Donkey Kong Bananza
  4. Infection Free Zone
  5. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Yosuke Saito (Square Enix – NieR: Automata, NieR Replicant)

  1. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
  2. Pokémon Sleep
  3. Monster Hunter Wilds
  4. Slay the Spire
  5. Balatro

Masashi Takahashi (Square Enix – Dragon Quest HD-2D, Octopath Traveler II)

  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  2. My Little Puppy
  3. Until Then
  4. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  5. Ghost of Yotei

Naoki Hamaguchi (Square Enix – director Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)

  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  2. Ghost of Yotei
  3. Donkey Kong Bananza

Kazutoyo Maehiro (Square Enix – Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles)

  1. Hollow Knight: Silksong
  2. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
  3. Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
  4. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  5. Earthion

Naoki Yoshida (Square Enix – Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XVI)

  1. Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
  2. Ghost of Yotei

Hiroyuki Sakamoto (Sega – chief producer Yakuza / Like A Dragon)

  1. Mario Kart World
  2. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
  3. Donkey Kong Bananza
  4. Tamagotchi Plaza (Switch 2 Edition)
  5. Monster Hunter Wilds

Ryosuke Horii (Sega – director Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Infinite Wealth)

  1. Thank Goodness You’re Here
  2. Despelote
  3. Tokimeki Memorial ~forever with you~ Emotional
  4. and Roger
  5. INDIKA

Riichiro Yamada (Sega – producer nieuw Virtua Fighter-project)

  1. Elden Ring Nightreign
  2. Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening (PK)
  3. Civilization VI
  4. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  5. Bandit Kings of Ancient China

Fumihiko Yasuda (Koei Tecmo – Nioh 3, Ninja Gaiden 4)

  1. Path of Exile 2
  2. Elden Ring Nightreign
  3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Nobuyuki Kuroki (SNK – Samurai Shodown 2019, KOF XIV)

  1. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  2. Ghost of Yotei
  3. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
  4. Titan Quest II
  5. Assetto Corsa EVO

Shinsuke Umeda (IzanagiGames – World’s End Club, Death Come True)

  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  2. Silent Hill f
  3. Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond

Shinjiro Takata (Atlus – SMT V Vengeance, Raidou Remastered)

  1. Hogwarts Legacy
  2. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
  3. Cyberpunk 2077

Masachika Kawata (Capcom – producer Resident Evil-serie)

  1. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  2. Ghost of Yotei
  3. Silent Hill f

Satoru Nihei (Capcom – director Onimusha: Way of the Sword)

  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  2. Donkey Kong Bananza
  3. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  4. Hades II
  5. Sword of the Sea

Ren Yamazaki (Grasshopper Manufacture – Romeo Is A Dead Man)

  1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
  3. skate.

Jun Maeda (Key – Kanon, Air, Clannad, Heaven Burns Red)

  1. Silent Hill f
  2. Wuthering Waves
  3. Black Myth: Wukong
  4. Ghost of Yotei
  5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Keiichiro Toyama (Bokeh Game Studio – Gravity Rush, Siren, Slitterhead)

  1. Ooo
  2. Silent Hill f
  3. Luto
  4. Ball x Pit
  5. Puzzling Places

Hideaki Itsuno (Lightspeed Studios – Dragon’s Dogma II, Devil May Cry 5)

  1. Mario Kart World
  2. GP CLUB LIFE Motorsports Team
  3. Capcom Fighting Collection 2
  4. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
  5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Junko Kawano (Rabbit & Bear Studios – Eiyuden Chronicle, Suikoden)

  1. Sultan’s Game
  2. Ghost of Yotei
  3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  4. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  5. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

Akihiro Hino (Level-5 – Professor Layton, Yo-kai Watch, Ni no Kuni)

  1. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
  2. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC)
  3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  4. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake