This year's Tokyo Game Show 2025 it was everything I expected - and much more. I had the opportunity to be at the very opening, and honestly, I'm sorry phenomenal barely describes the experience. From the very first moments, it was clear that this would be one of the biggest and most impressive TGS ever.
Even before entering the halls, the atmosphere was tense – lines stretched for hundreds of meters, and thousands of video game enthusiasts were impatiently waiting to step inside. When I finally entered, I was greeted by a real spectacle: eight large halls transformed into a technological paradise, with more than 4,000 stands and as many as 772 exhibitors from all over the world (of which 473 are Japanese and 299 are foreign). This information alone says enough - the industry has never been more lively or diverse.
The biggest surprise for me was the incredible number of development studios that participated this year. With big names like Sony, Capcom, Bandai Namco and Square Enix, numerous smaller, independent teams also presented their projects, showing that the gaming scene is teeming with fresh ideas and creativity. It was this variety that gave the fair its special charm: in one corner you could try retro platformers inspired by the nineties, and just a few meters away - completely new VR and AI projects that redefine the concept of interactivity.
The focus of the fair this year was clearly on new generation technologies. Cloud gaming, augmented reality and artificial intelligence dominated the presentations, and a good number of demo versions showed how much the industry has advanced in just a few years. Some titles are so well optimized for new consoles and PC hardware that they act as a step forward to a whole new way of playing.
Square Enix has excelled with titles such as Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake i Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, while it is Capcom delighted with a number of new projects including Monster Hunter Wilds, Resident Evil: Requiem i Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It was also a special experience to visit "photo spots" and meet & greet events where visitors could meet characters from their favorite franchises and take home exclusive souvenirs. In addition to major publishers, they also delighted indie developers. Some of the most interesting projects came precisely from their smaller, but extremely creative stands.
The atmosphere inside the fair was infectious. Thousands of visitors from all over the world, long queues to try out new games and the constant buzz of the audience created the impression that you are in the very heart of the global gaming community. Even when I had to wait 20 or 25 minutes to try out a particular game, every second was worth it – the demos were amazing. For certain games, the waiting lines were longer than 90 minutes, which says a lot about the number and interest of visitors.
In addition to games, TGS 2025 was also a place where important conversations about the future of the industry took place. More than 30 presentations and panels were held, including Japan Game Awards and numerous technology showcases that revealed where gaming is going in the coming years.
One of the personal highlights was that I had the opportunity to test three of the studio's as yet unreleased games Red Dunes Games, as well as play the long-awaited Nioh 3. The impressions are strong, but I will write about them in detail in separate reviews coming soon.
When I add it all up, Tokyo Game Show 2025 it was far more than an ordinary fair. It was a real festival of ideas, creativity and technological magic. Queues at the entrance, huge halls, thousands of stands and hundreds of exhibitors are only a physical indication of the size of the event - but the real value of TGS is in what it leaves behind: the feeling that gaming has never been more exciting, innovative and closer to the future than it is now.
TGS 2025 once again confirmed its status as one of the most important events in the world of video games - it is not easily forgotten, and the fascination with the size and experience will remain in my memory for a long time. The future of gaming has never looked so spectacular.
