Which Game Will Triumph in the February 2025 RPG Royal Rumble: Kingdom Come, Assassin’s Creed, Avowed, or Monster Hunter?

Over the past several years, some of the gaming industry’s major success stories have emerged during the quiet stretch between the holidays and spring. Traditionally, this period is thought to be a calm spot on the calendar when gamers, stuffed with turkey and holiday gifts, might lack the enthusiasm to dive into something new.

Yet, for the last decade or so, gaming companies have discovered it to be an ideal moment to capture attention and launch lesser-known gems without the burden of competition from blockbuster titles.

I recall one of the first to do this was Dying Light, released a hefty 10 years back in 2015. It made waves as a brand-new title, skillfully capitalizing on both the zombie craze and the fervor for PS4-era open-world games. Subsequently, it seemed every year brought another indie hit or sleeper series to stake its claim outside of the crowded holiday period, opting for the clearer skies of early in the year.

Year after year, the trend proved its staying power, as evidenced by the reemergence of Resident Evil as a gaming powerhouse with the phenomenal Resident Evil 2 Remake. This game captured the zeitgeist and set a trend we continue to witness today.

Fast forward to 2025, and this strategic timing is now a well-known tactic. February promises to be especially exciting, showcasing four potential blockbusters from leading publishers and impressive indie studios alike.

Some of these titles made their way to this timeframe due to production delays or missteps, such as Assassin’s Creed and Avowed, while others like Monster Hunter and Kingdom Come have previously thrived after capitalizing on this magical launch window, aiming to replicate their past successes.

Regardless of how they landed in this window, February 2025 is shaping up to be a showdown of epic RPG proportions. Among all these extensive role-playing games vying for your dedication, only one will emerge as the ultimate champion. Let’s delve into what these contenders have in store.

### Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – February 4, 2025

First in line is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, ready to claim the crown, metaphorically speaking. It stands as the most grounded yet ambitiously daring of the four titles. Embracing the “dungeons not dragons” philosophy, it delivers an authentic medieval role-playing experience that combines elements of a ren-faire, sandbox adventure, and a touch of chaotic eccentricity.

This complexity stems from its development within CryEngine, originally focused on first-person shooters. Designed to hold numerous characters onscreen at once, it has been adapted to suit the lively towns and persistent world state required by an open-world RPG. This combination in Kingdom Come’s first outing resulted in a phenomenal and meticulously crafted world wobbly at times.

Having spent countless hours on the original Kingdom Come, its fresh role-play concepts sounded impressive but resulted in varied outcomes. Take, for example, its attempt at modelling player progression through ease rather than complexity, making activities like lockpicking infamously challenging initially, or potentially logging story battles into a frustrating loop for those focusing on stealth or speech.

Despite this, it brought interesting innovations like scrambling everything until you learned to read.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 continues the saga, again featuring Henry of Skalitz in a tale of a humble blacksmith thrust into the forefront of the Holy Roman Empire’s conflicts through talent and circumstance. It’s intriguing how the sequel will navigate character progression realistically without indulging in the trope of conveniently stripping prior powers away.

Reportedly doubling the size of its predecessor, along with improved performance and resolution of major irritants, how Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 handles its expanded scope could surprise many in an already packed month of heavyweight contenders.

### Assassin’s Creed Shadows – February 14, 2025

Despite facing hurdles, I hold hope for the creative force behind my personal favorite entry in the Assassin’s Creed series—2018’s expansive Odyssey set in ancient Greece. But as one of the most renowned gaming series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has perhaps the most pressure on its shoulders this February, particularly after Ubisoft’s costly recent missteps with Skull and Bones and Star Wars: Outlaws.

Fans have long envisioned Japan as an Assassin’s Creed setting, yet Ubisoft finds itself following trailblazers like Ghost of Tsushima and soon Rise of the Ronin in crafting an open-world feudal Japanese experience. The challenge lies in how fresh and enticing they can make the setting amidst absent mythical elements from past games.

On the mechanical front, Shadows addresses long-standing series grievances. The dual protagonists, the shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, promise a richer, more interactive combat repertoire featuring katana, tanto knives, kanabo clubs, naginata blades, and more.

A revamped stealth system is also much anticipated. Could this finally be the Assassin’s Creed entry where stealth really shines? Here’s hoping.

An interesting dynamic develops between the characters too. Yasuke’s imposing presence draws attention wherever he goes, while Naoe epitomizes the iconic, stoic, and elusive assassin.

Reflecting on Valhalla, where I found both primary and side activities overly inflated, Shadows appears to expand on the less rigid design philosophy introduced in recent titles. With engaging gameplay mechanics spread across two distinct characters, Shadows might very well reignite the series like before.

### Avowed – February 18, 2025

The chaotic nature of game releases means that even plans to sidestep rivals won’t always work. Thus, after moving to 2025 to dodge internal competition from games like Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones within Xbox’s Game Pass, Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed lands right between two of the year’s giants. Yet, could its low barrier to entry be exactly what it needs to stand out?

If The Outer Worlds was Obsidian’s streamlined take on sci-fi Fallout, Avowed can be thought of as a Skyrim-like experience through the lens of Dragon Age. Players can explore meticulously crafted smaller maps teeming with loot, enemies, and the intricate quests filled with challenging choices and rich narratives that Obsidian excels at.

Being a fan of almost every game Obsidian has produced, from Fallout: New Vegas to the likes of Alpha Protocol, Grounded, and even South Park: The Stick of Truth, Avowed is the February game that excites me the most, though it risks falling under the radar.

Set in the Pillars of Eternity realm, with its vibrant, whimsical, and adventurous fantasy aesthetic, Avowed will undoubtedly shine through its rich storytelling and delight many with traditional RPG adventures. If it also wraps those elements with engaging gameplay, it might just defy expectations despite likely being the most budget-friendly among the options.

### Monster Hunter Wilds – February 28, 2025

The Monster Hunter series stands in a vastly different position from when Monster Hunter World took advantage of a quiet week in February 2018. After years of groundwork in the Western market, the franchise finally broke through spectacularly, propelled by a clear release window and a captivated audience.

Now, swarmed by imitators vying for a piece of the genre’s pie—be it Dauntless with its free-to-play model (not that its latest update went smoothly), indie hit Fera: The Sundered Tribes, or the EA Originals-backed Wild Hearts—Monster Hunter Wilds returns to assert its dominance as the premier option.

While the Switch debut of Monster Hunter Rise was hugely successful, it remained constrained by the demands of a less powerful platform. Wilds is a different beast entirely, boasting vast interactive environments with tough terrains to navigate and unprecedented depth and height across diverse biomes.

The game promises creatures emerging from sand, swarms in treetops, and strategic pack movements adding fresh layers of character to its enthralling beast encounters—the true stars of any Monster Hunter title.

Rest assured, Monster Hunter has undoubtedly shed its niche label, poised for massive success. Time will tell how many aspirants stock up in anticipation of its grand expedition as the month bows out.

So, which of these games will you dive into? Or will your backlog only find them years from now? The choices this month are seemingly never-ending, and that’s without even touching on additional launches like Elden Ring: Nightreign, Borderlands 4, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, Pokémon Legends Z-A, and, of course, the much-anticipated GTA 6…