We're living in the new golden age of 2D beat-'em-ups—but the best one released this year had one foot in a different genre entirely

The four playable heroes of Absolum.

Personal Pick

(Image credit: Future)

In addition to our main Game of the Year Awards 2025, each member of the PC Gamer team is shining a spotlight on a game they loved this year. We'll post new personal picks each day throughout the rest of the month. You can find them all here.

One of my bigger disappointments this year in gaming was reviewing Marvel Cosmic Invasion. In many ways, it's a great game—a throwback to the arcade beat-'em-up era that proves how fun and satisfying that classic formula can still be. But at the same time, it feels like that devotion to nostalgia holds it back, with a short campaign and few incentives to replay.