"A common response to negative reviews, no matter the subject, goes something like this: 'Well, what would you do to fix this?' Normally, I would answer this with some kind of rude joke about how the purpose of criticism is not to tell you how to fix your sink, or capitalism. I leave that work to the YouTubers. But this time, I'll make an exception. I will tell you what I am doing to fix all this. The answer is: Nothing."
"I will tell you what I am doing to fix all this. The answer is: Nothing. 2025 is over! It can't be fixed. Isn't that nice? Did you fuck it up? Cool. So did I. I could've done so much more. I could have been more kind, less lazy, more engaged and involved. I could have written a better goddamn review."
"It's far too early to say how 2026 will shape up by comparison. But before we move on to the future, it's worth taking one last glance at the past, lest we be doomed to repeat it. And I don't think anyone wants to repeat 2025, unless they spent all of their time playing video games which, depending on who you ask, were some of the best and most varied we've ever gotten in a single 12-month span."
2025 ended with major gaming showcases alongside grim real-world events. Video games delivered an unusually broad and high-quality slate across genres. Responses to criticism sometimes rejected prescriptive fixes, with some observers embracing inaction and accepting the year's permanence. Xbox indicated a move toward a new, expensive PC-like device rather than a traditional console, prompting declarations that Xbox is dead. The PS5 generation achieved commercial success but showed limited cultural cache beyond its name becoming shorthand. The year left many with personal regret about missed chances to be kinder, more engaged, or more productive.
Read at Kotaku
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