Games I platinumed in 2025
- 1 Jan 2026
- I've gotten the platinum trophies for these 10 games in the past year. They're listed here in reverse chronological order of achievement.
I spend a lot of time gaming, but I don’t play many games. I tend to play them to their fullest; my playing experiences are deeper than they are wide. I like to get platinum trophies because of the sense of achievement that comes with them. The feasibility of a game’s trophy requirements does factor in my decision to get it. Besides MLB The Show 25, it’s no coincidence that these games are my most-played of 2025.
10. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (2012/2014)
I platinumed the base game after five years and seven months of play on the PS4/PS5. I got the platinum trophy on the PS3 in early 2020 after five years and four months of play with that version. I transferred my PS3 save-file to my PS4, which made some trophies easier to get, but I had to get them all again. Had my save-file been near-complete, instead of actually complete, I would’ve saved a lot of time.
I didn’t get auto trophies for my six Level 70 heroes of different classes or my Level 70 hero in Hardcore mode. I sensed that I would have to create and max-out another hero in both Normal and Hardcore modes. I got the Reaper of Souls expansion to make this playthrough more novel. I created two Necromancers (Normal male, Hardcore female), the class exclusive to ROS. As I hoped, I got the two mentioned hero-related trophies when they hit Level 70.
Killing 100 treasure goblins and doing 500 bounties in Adventure mode was a real grind. To fend off boredom, I played on a higher difficulty level (Torment) and rotated among my roster of heroes. The mindless gameplay was cathartic in bursts over the past year. It was an excuse to, once again, play with my characters whom I’ve customized with care over the past decade.
I’ve gotten the expansion trophies except for one. I’m considering Diablo IV because its upcoming expansion includes the new Paladin class.
Platinum Experience
9. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut (2020/2021)
I played this game to honor my late friend, who was a fan of Sucker Punch Productions. I platinumed the first Infamous game and tried the first Sly Cooper game. I wasn’t amazed by either one. I wouldn’t have played the studio’s latest franchise if not for my friend. Having ‘free’ access to the Director’s Cut edition, via PlayStation Plus, swayed me. I was leery that its open-world samurai content would prove bland and bloated.
I was much more entertained, and for a longer period, than I expected. The landscapes were beautiful and I appreciated the holistic samurai theme. The game did lose its luster after I unlocked or upgraded most of Jin’s skills and gear. By that point, I spent enough time to complete the story twice. The different biomes added variety and the various collectibles had concrete, though marginal, benefits.
I played on Hard difficulty, and I had to respect that even regular enemies could kill with a few strikes. Boss duels in particular were gruelling. The finale one was satisfying. Its outcome was predictable, but its context was a bit surprising. The game’s ease-of-use features, like convenient fast-travel, and reasonable trophy requirements were thoughtful. I did need a guide for some trophies, but otherwise, the game had enough finding aids within it.
I’ve completed the Iki Island expansion, but I’m not rushing to play the sequel released this year.
Platinum Experience
8. Ready Or Not (2025)
I bought into the hype for this spiritual successor to the SWAT games. A friend of mine raved about them back in high school; I was more into the Rainbow Six games. Tactical shooters fell of out favor over the next decade, but this one built a following near the start of this one. I got the digital premium version on Day 1 when it was finally released for consoles this summer.
I was a bit disappointed in the game’s lack of polish; the indie nature of its development was obvious. I didn’t care about graphics downgrades or censored scenery. The limited teammate AI and unwieldy command menus were frustrating, though. The turning point was playing it like an action game after struggling with one mission. I started to customize the loadouts and exploit the multi-chamber flashbang-grenade launcher.
The hardest trophy was doing the campaign in Ironman mode without teammate deaths. I failed this permadeath mode seven times before I got it. I had practiced every mission in regular mode on Standard difficulty until I got S ranks with ease. I did the same on Hard difficulty, even though its related trophy only needed C ranks. (No Hard Ironman campaign for me.) The other trophies were easy to get.
The game is a bonafide hit for VOID Interactive, but the hype has waned. There’s supposed to be more content released in 2026, but I haven’t even tried the existing DLC.
Platinum Experience
7. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (2025)
Of course I platinumed the remake of my favorite game. Like Ready Or Not a month earlier, I got the digital premium edition. One of its perks was being able to play the game two days before its widespread release. I didn’t care about the exclusive uniform outfits; I wouldn’t be using them anyway. I also avoided playing the remastered version of MGS3 in the MGS Collection beforehand. I had watched all the story cutscenes last year.
The redone graphics, accessible controls, and improved ease-of-use were much appreciated. Even with a full set of collectibles not in the original game, my collection progress was easy to track. I didn’t have any issues on my first playthrough, aside from the fight against Volgin. Soon afterward, I went for the coveted Foxhound rank. I had to, among other things, complete the game on Extreme difficulty and in 5 hours or less.
I had never gone for it in any of my playthroughs of MGS3. I was most worried about The End fight and not having enough suppressors and ammo for the tranq pistol. The unlockable AT-Camo and austosave slot were essential; both features were new. I spent an entire day perfecting my boss-fight strategies, and I loved every moment of it. I got the Foxhound rank in half of the allotted time. The other trophies were easy.
Konami has released FOX Hunt, a free multiplayer mode, about a month after the game’s release. Its player base has already dwindled and the base game is, as of this writing, on sale at a much-reduced price. I hope demand is high for more Metal Gear games.
Platinum Experience
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (2022)
Turtles in Time was obvious inspiration for this spiritual successor. Tribute Games, the indie studio for this game, incorporated the same general moves. They added a levelling system for the characters like Diablo III or any other RPG. One trophy involved getting all seven playable characters to the max Power Level of 10. The grind was bearable because the levels were replayable and short. I also joined online sessions to add variety and guide others.
I started and ended the Story mode on Gnarly (hard) difficulty. I was too stubborn to re-start on a lower difficulty whenever I got stuck. A key strategy was exploiting the taunt mechanic to fill the first tier of the special-move meter. Then I did combos without taking hits to fill the second or third tiers as needed. Effective use of special moves, and memorization of harder levels, was important.
One trophy involved completing Arcade mode on the hardest difficulty. This mode gave a limited number of lives and continues, and it didn’t save progress for later play. I was able to finesse the system though, by joining an online session of players facing the final battle. This trophy might’ve been hard to get otherwise. The hardest ones were getting a combo of 250+ hits and beating Super Shredder without getting hit.
I’ve grown up watching the original TMNT cartoon and movies as well as playing with the toys. I haven’t cared about the property since Turtles in Time era, but this game is of the same caliber.
Platinum Experience
5. Doom: The Dark Ages (2025)
I got the digital premium edition on Day 1. I platinumed the Doom reboot in 2018, but I avoided Doom: Eternal that released at the onset of the pandemic. The less hectic gameplay of this prequel, compared to its predecessor, appealed to me. id Software compared the gameplay of Eternal to a fighter jet and that of The Dark Ages to a battle tank. An attack helicopter would’ve been a better comparison for the former.
In any case, the game’s mantra was “Stand and fight.” I did a lot of that, as well as wandering, strafing, and dying&emdash;just like in the Doom games of old. I played on the Nightmare difficulty for my first and only playthrough. I replayed almost every level at least once to get collectibles and/or do challenges, though. Some levels took place in more open areas that reminded me a lot of the first Halo game.
I hit a proverbial wall on one such level. The turning point was forcing myself to study the melee attacks of the more powerful enemies. Once I mastered the timing needed for these parries, my progression was smoother. I wished that the game had a practice mode upon its release; id Software did later release the Ripatorium. They also released a patch for me and other players to get trophies that we had earned and otherwise lacked.
Unlike its predecessor, this game doesn’t have near-universal praise from hardcore players. Its accessibility options are worth replicating, and I hope the Doom franchise continues.
Platinum Experience
4. Resident Evil 0 (2002/2015)
I beat the original game when it was new in 2002 and exclusive to the GameCube. I rented it from Blockbuster over the Christmas break. I first played this HD remaster when it was somewhat new in early 2016. I played the digital version for the PS3 because I didn’t have my PS4 with me; I was visiting my parents. I stopped halfway through the game’s story and didn’t play it again until eight and a half years later.
I got the free upgrade to the PS4 version when I decided to try again. I knew that trophy progress was cross-platform, but save-files being separate was disappointing. Nonetheless, I beat the game again as I made an earnest attempt to get the platinum trophy. I played on Easy difficulty to get certain trophies that restricted playthroughs. Then I aced forays in the unlockable Leech Hunter mode that I had never tried.
I started a playthrough on Hard difficulty, but I got soft-locked late in the game. I had no real chance of advancing because there wasn’t enough ammo. That outcome was a reality, and part of the appeal, of the fixed-camera RE games. This one had unique game-design choices that were questionable, though. I abandoned the game for a year. I went back to this game while waiting for the release of Ready Or Not. I acquiesced and used guides to get the few remaining trophies, which also were the hardest.
I’ve platinumed every numbered game in the series except for RE7. I hope that Capcom is developing, or will develop, a remake of RE0. It’s suitable for one.
Platinum Experience
3. Silent Hill 2 (2024)
This game was the first remake and the first survival-horror that I platinumed this year. It was also my only physical-copy buy, which I made on Day 1. I played the 2002 classic on the Xbox years ago. I got all endings, each on a separate playthrough, and that was tricky. I also played the Born From a Wish episode that wasn’t part of the original release.
I was in awe of this game’s production quality. The visuals and audio were effective in creating dread. The added mechanic of multi-directional dodging didn’t undermine the atmosphere. I was confident yet challenged in combat; I never believed that I could win every fight unscathed. I played on Standard difficulty for combat and for puzzles. The former was engaging, if lacking in variety, but some of the latter were too obtuse.
The biggest flaw of this game was its excessive padding. I avoided using guides, so I my first playthrough was almost 23 hours in length. The original game was only seven or eight hours long. I needed months to recover from the tediousness that emerged around the midpoint. I used a guide to minimize the number of times that I needed to complete the game. I got all collectibles and endings, including the new ones, with three playthroughs.
This remake’s length reflects its creators’ self-indulgence, buyers’ expectations, or both. In any case, I would’ve trimmed various sections to make the game shorter by a third. It would’ve been an excellent experience if it were 12-14 hours long. I hope Bloober Team is more judicious with their design for the upcoming remake of the first Silent Hill.
Platinum Experience
2. Shadow of the Colossus (2005/2018)
I beat the original 2005 game on the PS2 in 2008. I avoided the 2011 port for the PS3, but I gave in to the 2018 remake for the PS4 in 2025. The impetus for conquering this game was the passing of my friend whom I mentioned. This game might have been his absolute favorite. I remembered the awe that it inspired when I first played it, but I was never motivated to play it again until last year.
I got it on a sale and didn’t realize that it was a complete remake. The visuals were better than ever and the controls were more accessible. The gameplay foundation was the same, for better or worse. Managing Wander’s grip while trying to scale giant colossi could be real thrilling. The horseback controls, camera angles, colossi behavior, and environmental wayfinding were still disappointing.
I was leery of getting the trophies related to Time Attack mode on the Hard difficulty. Bluepoint Studios, the studio that developed the remake, made the targets more reasonable. I finessed the system using an oversight that I learned online. I beat the Time Attack trials on Normal twice instead of once each on Normal and Hard. Maxing-out Wander’s health and grip meters were grinds of the worst kind, though.
Another PlayStation generation might get an even better and more accessible remake. A sequel, whether actual or spiritual, is unlikely. It does deserve more recognition despite its flaws, in any case.
Platinum Experience
1. Metal Gear Solid (1998/2023)
I started playing the MGS Master Collection in late 2023. The first MGS had to be my starting point, despite its two 8-bit predecessors in the collection. The blurriness of some visuals was disappointing. I beat the game on Normal difficulty for the umpteenth time anyway and got the good ending, of course. Over the next five months, I mastered most of the stages in the separate VR Missions game. I beat the original game before the 2001 release of MGS2.
Around this time last year, I played the game on Extreme difficulty. It was an uphill struggle from the start. The bosses were a lot more difficult than I remembered. I was also wrong in believing that beating them would re-fill Snake’s life bar. I discovered that I could stealth-kill guards to farm life-restoring rations, though. I couldn’t have completed that playthrough otherwise. I was too stubborn to re-do any large portions of the game.
I got the bad ending, on purpose, to unlock the stealth camo. I planned to get the good ending on Extreme to unlock the infinite-ammo bandana for it. I would then use both special items for a third Extreme playthrough as I tried to get my first-ever Big Boss rank. Instead, I got it on my second Extreme playthrough with 8 minutes to spare. The trophy for this rank was the hardest, even though it had unique allowances not given in the sequels.
I plan to do still another playthrough to record the cutscenes for posterity. If Konami does another remake in the Metal Gear, this game is the most sensible choice.
Platinum Experience
Candidates for 2026
I’m eager to play and platinum several games this year. Resident Evil 9, 007 First Light, and Halo: Campaign Evolved will release this year. They’re must-buys for me. Lego Batman and Marvel’s Wolverine are intriguing as well. I’m confident that I can platinum the MGS Master Collection versions of MGS3 and Peace Walker. Its version of MGS2 is daunting, though. I’m considering an older classic in Red Dead Redemption and a recent one in Clair Obscur.
Barring another delay, there’s also Grand Theft Auto 6.