Graydon Webb – The Contrarian American

11. Split Fiction

As president of the Josef Fares Fan Club, it is my sworn duty to uphold the standards of the group, and purchase every Hazelight game on the market. Fortunately, this decision is a no-brainer to begin with, as all of their games are absolute bangers, and you’d have to be crazy to let one pass you by!

Split Fiction marks the team’s first game since our Game of the Year in 2021, It Takes Two, a masterpiece in local cooperative play that raised the bar for variety in indie games. It Takes Two is truly an experience unlike any other, and Split Fiction is already looking like it wants to break the mold even further. Combining fantasy and science fiction across multiple levels, the game follows a rich narrative that will put two aspiring writers to the test in a simulated world.

Furthermore, my excitement for this one mainly comes from the fact I play every Hazelight game with my younger sister. We’ve bonded for many years by playing these titles together – thanks to couch co-op – and we cannot wait to do it again with Split Fiction. Thankfully, it comes out super soon, with a March 6 release date!

So, get out there and pre-order this game! And remember, fuck the Oscars!

12. Wicked: For Good

I don’t think it’s controversial to say: I never would’ve expected to look forward to Wicked: Part Two. Now, maybe that’s because you didn’t even know there was a part two coming. That does seem to be a consensus among the moviegoing audience. However, as someone who did expect two parts, and is fully aware of how the stage musical ends, I still can’t help but be ecstatic to see this film duet reach its conclusion.

You see, Wicked: Part One was a spectacular success that I did not see coming. It looked pretty gorgeous in trailers, yes, but I never would’ve expected it to be so fun, so energetic, so dedicated to its theatrical counterpart. It’s a nearly perfect adaptation from stage to screen, and I loved every minute of it. I came away from Wicked: Part One with a smile on my face and hope in my heart that perhaps not every movie musical is as doomed as critics like to say.

For these reasons, I’m expecting Wicked: For Good to keep that bar held high, delivering higher-quality performances of both classic showtimes and new songs alike (as the composer has promised). Thankfully, it won’t be easy to drop a ball such as this, not when everything is already so… thrillifying!

13. Operation Mincemeat

As you probably know by now, I’m a huge Broadway fan. Every year, I bust out the list of currently running shows (on and off-Broadway), upcoming shows, and tours kicking off soon. In 2025, there are quite a few I hope to get to, including Sunset Boulevard before it inevitably closes and the new production of Pirates of Penzance starring Ramin Karimloo and David Hyde Pierce.

But my most anticipated show is Operation Mincemeat, making its North American debut straight from dominating the West End. I’ll admit I don’t know much about this musical, but the fact someone compared it to Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – one of my absolute favorites – has me incredibly excited. I looked into the story recently, and it seems to follow a real-life event in which the Allies of WWII sneakily threw the Germans off their scent, using a dead body as a trap.

How does this make for an enjoyable, even humorous musical, you might ask? I can’t wait to see! Hopefully I’m lucky enough to snag tickets to its limited run in February, and I’ll tell you all about it!

14. New Bastille!

It seems like every year I have to mention Bastille on this list, one way or another. It’s just so hard to live life alongside a band as epic and talented as these fellas and not plan your year around them! Unfortunately, I do not life in the UK, where the majority of Bastille’s goings-on occur. I tend to miss out on smaller tours and record store signings. In 2024, I completely missed out on any promo for their latest album, Ampersand, as all of it was either England-based or spread across four shows in America that sold out within seconds.

All in all, it’s rough to be a non-European Bastille fan. But 2025 is my year, and I can feel it! Following along with their historical pattern, Bastille tends to release a new album every three years or so. Naturally, that means something new is on the horizon, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve been cooking! The aforementioned Ampersand was more of a solo passion project from lead singer Dan Smith, so it’s time to get the whole band back in the studio, make some new tunes, and get out on the road again!

Mark my words, Bastille’s triumphant return to the United States shall usher in a VIP experience that includes Graydon Webb this time around. I will meet those boys!

I mean, it would be pretty cool, I guess. Fingers crossed!

15. The VGU Year Ahead!

It’s time for a lovely little… shameless plug! Listen, if you’re reading this, you’re already a fan of VGU. But ain’t nobody a bigger fan of our content than yours truly! I sure feel blessed to be a part of the action as it’s being made, and yet it still surprises me when we put out something super special!

In 2025, our content pipeline is looking absolutely stuffed, and I’m so excited to get some shit done. Firstly, VGU Gaiden is going to pop off in a major way! We’ve got a whole month of Mobile Suit Gundam content coming at you in January, and then I hope to do something every other month or so, from various film retrospectives to possibly video game stuff! DJ and I are stoked to keep the discussions coming and watch a lot this year. So please join us!

Then, of course, the Indie Book Club podcast is coming back, as well. We have a whole slate of games lined up, and we hope to have some guests on in the coming months to play alongside us! Couple these shows with our never-ending stream of YouTube content and more articles/reviews on the site, we’re all in for an astounding year at VGU!