Amidst end-of-year reviews and accolades,*Ghost of Yotei* star Erika Ishii surprised the gaming community by publicly naming *Blue Prince* as her Game of the Year. Ishii, who lends her likeness and voice to the protagonist of the critically lauded action title, explained the unique outlook inherent in evaluating a game in which she plays a central role.The actress’s comments arrive as many industry publications finalize their own Game of the Year selections, recognizing 2025 as a notably strong year for releases [[3]].
Ghost of Yotei’s lead actress surprised fans by revealing her Game of the Year pick wasn’t the critically acclaimed title she starred in. Erika Ishii, who portrays the protagonist in the feudal Japan-set action game, publicly stated her preference for Blue Prince, a decision that sparked conversation among gamers.
Ishii explained that taking on a central role in a game can create a unique perspective when considering annual awards. “When you ask an actor whose face is the face of a game what their favorite game of the year is, I’m not going to say it’s my own game. I had to let that go. I mean, obviously Ghost of Yotei is the game of my life,” she commented.
The actress also noted that 2025 was an exceptionally strong year for game releases, suggesting several titles could have easily claimed the top spot. “This year just had incredible games. It’s insane how good the games were this year. In any other year, I think any of these games… Ghost of Yotei would have won Game of the Year, Expedition 33 would have won, Silksong would win, Hades 2 would win,” Ishii affirmed.
Ishii’s choice of Blue Prince as her Game of the Year, amidst a crowded field of contenders, stems from its ability to evoke a similar feeling to that of Return of the Obra Dinn. She described it as representing “the reason we make games.” This highlights the subjective nature of game evaluation and the impact a title can have on an individual player.
Source: The Gamer
