Game of the Year 2020 Voting Thread (Voting Concluded, Results Coming Soon!)

[B-Dubs]

​

It's finally time to vote for ResetEra's Games of the Year! This year's vote will be powered by Ballots 2.0, a brand new tool that we've developed for this purpose. We appreciate everyone's patience while we finished work on Ballots 2.0.

A big thank you to Hecht, Rösti, Mina, tgr_williams, Cerium, and B-Dubs for putting together this year's Games of the Year vote. Beyond that, DownUnderCoder deserves a gigantic round of applause for his work on Ballots 2.0. It's thanks to him that we now have ranked choice voting and support for categories. The annual Games of the Year vote is a beloved tradition and it's only made possible by the effort of these individuals and all those who have come before.

OFFICIAL RULES AND SAMPLE BALLOT

Every ballot must contain two things:

1. Your votes, selected through Ballots 2.0, with the games you want to vote for listed in descending order: Your #1 favorite game must be at the top of the list.​
2. An explanation as to why you chose each game. This should be written into the normal reply box like any regular post.​

If your vote does not include both these things, or does not use the correct formatting shown below, it will not be counted. Consider this your only warning.

Final Fantasy VII Remake was an absolutely fantastic game

Animal Crossing was the most fun I had all year

I literally couldn't finish Amnesia it was so creepy.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [Switch] [RPG] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3. [PC] [Shooter] [Valve] Half-Life: Alyx
4. [PC] [RTS] [Tantalus Media] Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
5. [PC] [Survival horror] [Frictional Games] Amnesia: Rebirth
6. [Switch] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition

Voting ends in Mar 1, 2021 at 3:00 AM on March 1st at 3:00AM EST. No extensions. No exceptions.

HOW TO VOTE

1. Write comments about every game you're voting for in the reply box where you would normally type up your posts. Tell us why you believe each of these games deserve to be on a list of the best games of the year.

2. Click on the "Vote" button directly below the reply box on the left side.

3. Type at least part of the title of a game you want to vote for in the revealed field.

4. Scroll through the list of suggested matches until you find the game that you want to vote for. Note that if it is a multiplatform game, there will be separate options for every version of the game. Make sure to select the version that you played or prefer.

If you're absolutely certain that the game you want is not listed in the system, you can enter it manually by using the following format:

[Platform] [Genre] [Developer] Title

Click to shrink...

5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 until you have ten (10) titles listed. Any games on the list beyond the tenth one will receive no points.

6. The three horizontal lines next to each title can be dragged and dropped to rearrange your list. Make sure your favorite game is at the top, and that the rest of the list is in your descending order of preference.

7. Once you have written your comments in the reply box and arranged your ballot in the order you want, hit the post button and cast your ballot.

BALLOT SCORING

Here is how points are distributed according to your ordered preference. Only the first ten titles on your list will receive points, as indicated below.

1. Game A - 4 points
2. Game B - 3 points
3. Game C - 3 points
4. Game D - 2 points
5. Game E - 2 points
6. Game F - 2 points
7. Game G - 1 points
8. Game H - 1 points
9. Game I - 1 points
10. Game J - 1 points
11. Game K - 0 points
12. Game L - 0 points

GAME ELIGIBILITY

All playable games released in 2020 are eligible for GOTY and Genre Award consideration, in addition to Platform Award and Developer Award consideration. No distinction is made between "new" releases and re-releases, ports, etc. If a port or re-release earns enough votes to make the list, that result will be respected. In summary:

• Playable content released this year is eligible. This includes new games, remasters, ports, and so on.
• DLC, including expansion packs, are eligible to be voted on as long as it's playable. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is eligible. Horse Armor is not.
• Episodes of games released this year are eligible.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is (insert game here) eligible?
1. First, check the speadsheet of eligible nominated games. Note that this list isn't exhaustive, but if it's on there, you're good.
2. Not on there? Check the confirmed eligible and ineligible games listed above.
3. If a game you want isn't listed there either, and you're SURE it's missing, just post it in your ballot. We'll automatically add it to the list. If you're not sure, shoot B-Dubs or Hecht a PM and we'll get it sorted out.

Are Early Access games eligible?
No, Early Access, beta, demo, and Greenlight games are not eligible. PC games must reach full release, or version 1.0 in order to be eligible.

Can I talk about somebody else's list?
Discussion is encouraged! Want to talk about another poster's list? Quote it.

Can I use images in my ballot? I want it to be BEAUTIFUL!
Absolutely you can, but you must not edit the list of games that the vote tool creates in any way. If you do so your vote will not be counted properly and your ballot will be invalid. Place your images before or after the list.

My ballot is too long! Can I split it into two posts?
You must NOT split your ballot into two posts, because the vote tool will not count it.

I want to change my list. Do I have to make a new post?
That would be best. The vote tool will only count the most recently cast ballot, so don't worry about voting twice.

My ballot was disqualified! Why?
Most likely, you didn't follow the rules above. Some common mistakes: You messed with the text created by the vote tool. You didn't write any comments. You listed the same game more than once. You didn't follow the formatting rules.

Can I order my list from 10 to 1?
No.

OMG what about The Last of Us Part II and Final Fantasy VII Remake? Lots of people are using Arabic numerals. Will they be counted?
Just pick the game from the list generated by the Ballots 2.0 autocomplete feature. If for some reason it's not on the list, use whatever the publisher uses in the official title of the game.

When will the results be posted?
As soon as is possible.

Happy voting, everyone!

 

[Bosh]

10. Murder by Numbers
Mediatonic takes two series I love, Picross & Ace Attorney, and meshes them together to create a new lovable IP. Each chapter presents a host of lovable characters to accompany you on a well written story. I hope this series continues because I would love a sequel!


9. Streets of Rage 4
I played Streets of Rage 2 earlier this year and followed it up by playing Lizardcube's take on one of Sega's classic IP's. While the general flow and gameplay is a seamless blend of the past, the new artstyle and music are fantastic in bringing the series forward. The difficulty system implemented is smartly done, letting returning players continue with what they are familiar with, while allowing new players to jump into the series and complete the same experience, albeit for a lower total score when adding additional lives. Your score unlocks new characters & music, some straight out of the previous game accompanied with the same movesets providing a fantastic replay value.


8. Huntdown
A sleeper hit I hope more people play in the future, Huntdown takes hints from Contra and delivers a phenomenal indie action shooter. Every aspect of the game is top notch from gameplay, pixel art style and soundtrack. While the game can be difficult, it never feels unfair with a host of checkpoints that take out backtracking, keeping you always moving forward. At the end of every level a boss will test your skills, none of which reuse the same quirks/movesets which makes them all engaging.


7. Animal Crossing
It's cute as hell, and when you are talking with your significant other about islanders you know it's made an impact in your life. Animal Crossing might only draw me in for a few minutes here and there, but it quickly added up to over 90 hours this year. I am excited for what Nintendo continues to add to this game in the coming years.


6. Hades
Rouge-Lites are a dime a dozen these days. While they normally provide a fun loop the constant thought in the back of my head is I just would rather keep playing the Binding of Isaac. Hades stands on its own two feet and is the second best game I have played in the genre. While the core gameplay loop is enjoyable, the real highlight is how they build a meaningful story in this genre that even after 60 hours it is still providing new content to explore.

Each of the six weapons feel unique, with skill variants that provide different playstyles. Once completing a run, you can make subsequent runs harder with a number of different parameters. Instead of a straight enemy health increase (Which you can pick) that most games do, options include adding a timer to beat each section, selecting from less skills, taking a money hit. It's a smart way that lets players consistently feel challenged as their own play skills increase.

5. Nioh 2
I actually beat the original Nioh earlier in the year and while I enjoyed it, I didn't see the need to play additional runs. Nioh 2 refines the formula to create an addicting experience. With over 130 hours and on my 3rd playthrough I am hooked. The second game in the series by Team Ninja provides an overall refinement to the experience while introducing a few new weapons and better designed bosses & environments. This game also offers a fantastic multiplayer experience as well, letting players easily jump into others to provide help and change the dynamic from a tough as nails action game to hack and slash type experience.


4. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
My favorite story of the year, the 8th entry into the Yakuza entry introduces a number of risky changes that are executed brilliantly. With a new cast of characters, town and combat style, I enjoyed my 75 hour playthrough and am looking forward to a second one in the near future. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio continues to nail home why the Yakuza franchise is my favorite series.


3. Ghost of Tsushima
This was a surprise entry for me. Open world games lately tend to have a massive map with little content of value filling them. Ghost of Tsushima is filled to the brim with meaningful content and gameplay. The main campaign takes you across a beautiful interpretation of the island of Tsushima during the mongal invasion. The story is engaging and is accompanied by an equally great cast of characters from all strands of life.

Later in 2020, free multiplayer dlc was dropped which was not only great, but showed that this tightly focused single player game could be a fantastic multiplayer game as well with story missions, raids & horde-wave modes.

In a fitting way, Sucker Punch opened the PS4 off with Infamous and closed it with Ghost of Tsushima.


2. Demon's Souls
FromSoftwares initial venture into the Souls series began in 2009 on PlayStation 3. Brought forward with next generation technology by Bluepoint Games, it's a testament to both studios on why this game ranks so highly on my list. Even without some of the best graphics I have ever seen and favorite soundtrack of the year, Demon's Souls provides meaningful gameplay that makes each run feel fresh as you mix up your weapons and items. While the bosses include more set pieces then later Souls games, these are normally tied to really interesting environments that elevate the experience. Playing the Storm King with headphones left me in awe.

I plan on starting 2021 with a Demon's Souls level 1 run. (Completed!)


1. The Last of Us 2
Without a doubt one of the most technically sound games I have ever played, The Last of Us 2 takes a number of risks in its sequel to one of the most popular games of all time. While linear in nature, the environments and weapons give you a multitude of options on how you want to tackle moving forward. The enemy AI is intelligent, splitting up and forcing you to move in cover constantly. Always tense thanks to its phenomenal sound design, this game is a must with headphones. The Last of Us 2 is set in a bleak world, and its story never shies away from showing you the grim reality of it.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
5. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
6. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
7. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
8. [Switch] [Platformer] [Easy Trigger Games] Huntdown
9. [XBO] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
10. [Switch] [Visual Novel] [Mediatonic] Murder by Numbers

 

[Nightengale]

1) Cold Steel IV - In some ways, this as my no.1 feel like it's cheating, because it's impossible to disassociate the last 3 Cold Steel games that came before it. Cold Steel IV is a culmination of approximately 500 hours of a grand adventure that took Class 7, from its humblest beginnings as strangers put together in a rag-tag class of misfits to the best group of friends. I can name two dozen flaws with the entire series, but the sense of enthrallment as the story reaches its climax and all the mysteries laid bare, all that's left is to move forward. Amazing game that caps off my experience of the last generation.
2) TLoU Part II - Hmm. I consider myself to be someone who is not easily moved by narratives. I'm easily pleased, but moved? TLoU Part II, and I say this in a most flattering way, is arguably the most emotionally manipulative game I've ever played and it's done so with a level of mastery that imo, surpasses all ND games before it. I have no good analogy other than saying that this game, its moments, its tension, made me react like how I'd see YouTubers react to some mild stuff. The sense of disbelief, the tension and the revulsion in some moments made me had to pause the game to chill and digest what the game was presenting to me. And that is the best praise I can give it.
3) 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - I wished this game was 100 hours longer. The way the game masterfully layers disconnected pieces of a story that told distinct arcs, made you consider broader context, piece things together, it was a really powerful story and experience that evokes the best of kamiges, but also falls short in that I feel like if the game took its sweet time more, it could've been a masterclass. Still a great game.
4) Persona 5 Royal - It's Persona 5, but better? Truth be told, I was somewhat disappointed by Royal. Much of the core game still feels as it did for the original Persona 5, and much as I like the characters introduced in Royal, I actually felt Royal's story addition hurt the narrative context of what the original ending did. So there's some give or take. Ultimately it's for the better, and P5 is still one of the best games this gen. Just wished it didn't feel that much like it was just a DLC chapter.
5) Ghost of Tsushima - I feel like it is an open world game that's the marriage of all the best parts of the established open world formula, that understands clearly what it wants to be, and delivers it with an earnest approach to character and narrative, which while not the best, feels like Sucker Punch pulling out all its stops. It's a great experience.
6) Demon's Souls - One of the finest games from the PS3 era, remade in most of its original glory. It could've been higher, but replaying it made me realize that much of the game's appeal is definitely in its obtuse nature, and losing that sense of mystery as a remake does hurt how it compares to other games in my list.
7) Nioh 2 - The masterful execution and improvement of mostly everything from Nioh, with a richer combat set, better enemies and improved co-op. It's my favorite cooperative game of the year, since speaks volumes to the excellence of its combat system. However, the story really took a hit with the choice to go with a silent protagonist.
8) FF7R - The game evokes to me the same feelings as Demon's and Ghost - it is a game that knows what it wants to do and executes it mostly masterfully. However, despite having the content and length to be its own distinct story, it definitely still felt like a prologue, which hurts the experience a little.
9) Dreams - I did not play much of this game, but what I did play established that Mm truly is one of a kind.
10) DOOM Eternal - inferior to DOOM 2016, but still fun.

1. [PS4] [RPG] [Nihon Falcom] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
5. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
6. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
7. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
8. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
9. [PS4] [Game Creation] [Media Molecule] Dreams
10. [PS4] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal

 

[StarPhlox]

Okay I believe I have everything all in the right order. Gonna add some flavor to this later.

 

[Jeremy]

1.) Nioh 2 - The biggest challenge I've faced in some time. 200 hours later, I feel like a true warrior.
2.) Cyberpunk 2077 - Played on PC without issues, so I feel fortunate. Really nails its best moments in a way that no other AAA game this year could.
3.) Streets of Rage 4 - A wonderful sequel... arguably the best in a great series.
4.) Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Actually a step down for me from Odyssey... but I love this series.
5.) Yakuza: Like a Dragon - A radical departure for the series... I don't love the turn-based combat, but everything else is as great as any other entry in the series.
6.) Paper Mario: The Oragami King - Funniest Game of the year.
7.) Animal Crossing: New Horizons - The perfect game for a pandemic year.
8.) Hades - I was early access on this, so I can't say it lived up to the hype for me, but it was great to see everyone else catch on to how good this is.
9.) Desperados III - Aggravating but addictive enough that you keep coming back.
10.) Microsoft Fight Simulator - So glad that I had the PC to run this... Maybe not much of a "game," but it gave me more of a sense of wonder than any proper game this year.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
2. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
3. [PC] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
4. [XSX] [Action RPG] [Ubisoft] Assassin's Creed Valhalla
5. [XSX] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
6. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
7. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
8. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
9. [PC] [RTS] [Mimimi Games] Desperados III
10. [PC] [Flight simulator] [Asobo Studio] Microsoft Flight Simulator
    

 

[StarPhlox]

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [Switch] [Visual Novel] [Mediatonic] Murder by Numbers
4. [Switch] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
5. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
6. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
7. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
8. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
9. [Switch] [Point-and-click adventure] [Cardboard Computer] Kentucky Route Zero
10. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

The Last of Us Part II is without a doubt the best game that Naughty Dog has ever made and by extension possibly the best Sony exclusive this whole gen.

Hades is my favorite rouguelike ever. They finally managed to make one of these with a story that actually is compelling. Beyond that, I think this is SuperGiant's magnum opus.

Murder By Numbers introduced me to an all new genre and did so with heart and beauty.

Ori and the WIll of the Wisps is perhaps the most beautiful game of the year and is an improvement on the original in every way.

Persona 5 Royal is a must for JRPG fans.

Resident Evil 3 did not reach the heights of the RE2 remake, however I think it's an excellent game on its own merits and is one that I will keep returning to again and again.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales despite being marketed almost as a standalone expansion was a much better experience for me than the original. I chalk this up to Miles being a fantastic character and a lot of the excess padding of the original being trimmed down for something much more sleek and fun to play through.

13 Sentinels surprised the hell out of me with a mind-bending sci-fi story and great characterization.

Kentucky Route Zero is a playable poem and bittersweet slice of Americana.

The FFVII Remake actually delivered. Can't wait for the Yuffie expansion!

 

[CannonFodder52]

1. Kentucky Route Zero Act 5 / TV Edition
   This game in it's entirety is a pretty big contender for my game of the past decade. I only came to it in 2019, but the experience of playing those first four acts was tremendous. The final act is a far better conclusion to the game than anything I could have predicted.
   
   
   
   
2. Moon: Remix RPG
   A bit unfair as this first released in the 90s, but this is the first time that Moon has received an English release and it's well one of the best games I've played. I know for sure that if I played this when I was growing up it would have been a foundational media experience. It's also one of the more meaningful games I've played.
   For anyone unaware, it's a subversion on JRPG tropes. You're pulled into a TV and enter a RPG world with a hero roaming around. You get to see the devastation, all the corpses of creatures he's left in his wake and the carelessness of his actions. But, you're able to save the souls of those animals cut down by the hero, help the villagers who's cupboards have been pilfered by the hero and restore love to the world. The themes are super well conveyed and the ending is among the best I've experiencedin a game.
   
   
3. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
   I'm a big Yakuza fan, this is a great Yakuza game. The JRPG stuff is a load a fun. The new protagonist and city are wonderful. Loved the whole cast of characters, especially the party. It was a joy to get to know each of the new party members and hang out with them at your bar.
   
   
4. Umurangi Generation
   Probably the most poignant game about our current political and environmental moment. It's also a great game with tremendous world building, fun and in depth photography elements. The OST from ThorHighHeels is a banger too!
   
   
5. Bugsnax
   It's good folks.
   
   
6. Paradise Killer
   Really solid detective game. Great music and vibes as well as some fairly experimental gameplay stuff.
7. If Found
   Great visual novel with a really meaningful story. It makes good use of the medium and does some neat diegetic stuff with the way you engage with the game.
8. Spiritfarer
   I thought this game did a really great job at handling it's themes of loss of grief. It's also quite an enjoyable experience to sail around and explore the map too. Definitely could have used a bit less focus and time spent on the crafting side of the game though.
9. Haven
   Some of the best intimate relationship depiction I've seen in a game. Lots of elements of a relationship that don't really get screen time in video games cause they're not titillating. Plus the actual sexual content felt like it was handled in a mature way. Thoroughly enjoyed all the quiet conversations and cooking up new recipes together. By the end of the game I had really grown attached to the couple.
10. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
    It's pretty good. If you read this forum, I'm sure you're aware of this game by now.
11. Disaster Report 4
12. Wide Ocean Big Jacket

1. [PC] [Point-and-click adventure] [Cardboard Computer] Kentucky Route Zero
2. [Switch] [RPG] [Onion Games] Moon: Remix RPG Adventure
3. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
4. [PC] [Simulation] [ORIGAME DIGITAL] Umurangi Generation
5. [Switch] [Adventure] [Kaizen Game Works] Paradise Killer
6. [PS4] [Adventure] [Young Horses] Bugsnax
7. [Switch] [Adventure] [DREAMFEEL] If Found...
8. [Switch] [Adventure] [Thunderlotus] Spiritfarer
9. [PC] [Adventure] [The Game Bakers] Haven
10. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

 

[Rosebud]

"An explanation as to why you chose each game" must be for every game??

 

[Hecht]

Hunt down

Click to shrink...

This one wasn't formatted correctly. What platform did you play it on?

 

[ohlawd]

1. Haven ; The most important game I've played this year. Loved it so much I did nothing but try to do everything in the game for four days.

I haven't really interacted with a real live person for a year now and it feels like that's been long enough to blur the lines between reality and games. Because believe me I'm not sure if couples in real life act like they do in Haven? It's some deep soul searching about choosing to abandon comfortable living in a developed world to live on a deserted planet to avoid forced marriage by a government that decides your life for you, some fighting between hostile native creatures and your significant other, and about a billion ways to hint at sexy time. All these things. I don't know. I appreciate it all the same. Thanks for the good time, Yu and Kay.

2. Doom Eternal ; Plays the best out of everything. It gets really frantic at times but that makes it all the more enjoyable.

3. Fairy Tail ; I don't know anything about Fairy Tail and I still bought this. Don't know if it was a good adaptation, but it seemed very by the book in shonen which is something everyone brings up. Combat doesn't really open up at all, so I guess that's my biggest gripe. Abilities get stronger but the approach to battles remained constant.

4. Watch Dogs: Legion ; My AAA guilty pleasure. Haven't played 2 yet but loved this and 1. Fails to do anything with the big cast of characters with different abilities because most of the time it made sense to only use an Albion employee to make sneaking in buildings easier or a construction worker to fly around on a drone and get to places faster.

5. Animal Crossing: New Horizons ; Wish I was I had an ounce of creativity in my body. Was fun to spend time in when there was a lull in releases.

6. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity ; Just about everything I could want from a "sequel" to the first Hyrule Warriors. Good roster of characters with a wide variety of moves to keep things interesting.

7. CrossCode ; It's an SNES game. But good.

8. Hades ; The first hybrid roguelike I... liked? Addictive gameplay with an intriguing narrative that kept me playing.

9. Gears Tactics ; Real slow to start with but picks up when your units build their skill trees.

10. Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra ; Unless I'm forgetting because my memory is so utterly shot this is the first time I'm voting for DLC.

Don't want these to count but will still mention them
x. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore ; My 2016 GOTY now with faster load times. Thumbs up.
x. Rune Factory 4 Special ; Went for Forte this time.
x. Super Mario 3D All-Stars ; Only replayed Galaxy 1 because it's the only good game out of the three. 2010s Game of the Decade Galaxy 2 where?
x. No More Heroes ; More jank than I remember, but good jank.
x. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle ; A step up from the first and still holds true to this day.
x. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition ; Finally got to play this as a multiplayer game when I could not when I was younger.
x. Forza Horizon 4 ; Faster like waaaay faster load times greatly improves the experience.
x. Paper Mario: The Origami King ; Quality writing as expected of the series, but still isn't the gameplay I wanted.
x. Collection of SaGa: Final Fantasy Legend ; SaGa II and III are better than your favorite RPGs and they're 30 years old at this point

1. [XSX] [Adventure] [The Game Bakers] Haven
2. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
3. [Switch] [RPG] [Koei Tecmo] Fairy Tail
4. [PC] [Action Adventure] [Ubisoft] Watch Dogs: Legion
5. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
6. [Switch] [Hack and slash] [Omega Force] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
7. [XBO] [Action RPG] [Radical Fish Games] CrossCode
8. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
9. [XSX] [Turn-based strategy] [Splash Damage] Gears Tactics
10. [Switch] [RPG] [Game Freak] Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra

 

[Bosh]

This one wasn't formatted correctly. What platform did you play it on?

Click to shrink...

Switch (Its on PS4, Xbox One & Epic Game Store also). Didn't see it in the voting options

 

[Deleted member 864]

The Last of Us Part II: Naughty Dog time and time again have proven themselves to be a premiere game developer and easily one of the best under PlayStation's wing. They did so with the original Crash games, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us, and have easily done that again with The Last of Us Part II. Thanks to Naughty Dog, we've been treated to another amazing story in their post-apocalypse world, continuing the journeys of one of the best video game characters ever in Ellie as well as her guardian Joel, and also introducing us to new, incredibly well-realized characters in Abby, Lev, Dina, and others. The gameplay was top notch with new mechanics like going prone in grass or having a dedicated dodge button to avoid enemy attacks, Gustavo Santaolalla as well as Mac Quayle helped to deliver another beautiful and haunting soundtrack and musical score, side items and collectibles filled the ruined areas to further help expand the world and characters, it provided an impactful experience that I still think about months after release, and in the end The Last of Us Part II is my favorite game of 2020 and truly a cinematic masterpiece.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Nintendo have brought us many great series and franchises over the years, these series and franchises helping to bring joy and wonder for so many and just reinforce their love for gaming, me included, and the newest entry in the Animal Crossing series accomplished this easily. Animal Crossing has always been one of the most relaxing and compelling video game series that I've ever played, and New Horizons continued this. I found a lot of joy in creating my island and tailoring it to be the ideal experience, greet and become friends with the many lovable neighbors and characters, crafting many items from tools to help make your ideal island and furniture to fill your dream home, and hunting down the many bugs, fossils, and fish to help build-up and finish the museum. 2020 was a difficult year, but thankfully Animal Crossing: New Horizons helped to make it just a little bit better and brighter.

Ghost of Tsushima: I've always found Sucker Punch to be a rather underrated video game developer, and I've been a fan of them for many years. I enjoyed my time with Sly Cooper and the inFamous games, and now with this amazing journey and adventure that they've delivered in Ghost of Tsushima. The game tells a great story in Jin Sakai and his struggles against the invading forces of the Mongols, and this story was further boosted by a fun and well-realized combat system and gameplay mechanics in being a samurai and a ninja/ghost, an open world beautifully crafted in the island of Tsushima filled with side content/collectibles to be distracted by, a soundtrack that instantly made me think of the classic samurai movies and tales, and even a multiplayer mode that lets you experience Japanese mythology. Sucker Punch truly knocked it out of the park with their newest title, and I don't think they're going to be considered an underrated developer any longer.

Nioh 2: The first Nioh truly surprised me with its combat and gameplay system/mechanics, as well as its setting in Japan many centuries ago and it's story as well. The second Nioh surprised me even more, with just how much it elevated the series in all ways. The combat system is expanded upon and even more fun to experiment with like using moves from the yokai enemies themselves, it has another well-realized setting that made me fall in love with Japan and its history even more, a story that (while crazy here and there) I found to be captivating, and a wealth of content in its main story and all of the side missions that are ready to be experienced. Team Ninja delivered a truly great sequel that stayed faithful to the original game, but also took it in exciting directions.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Ori and the Blind Forest a couple of years ago truly surprised me with its story, artstyle design as well as game design, music, and overall enjoyment factor. It was a truly great Metroidvania, and the sequel easily provided that again. Ori and the Will of the Wisps tells another great and enthralling story with beautiful scenes and locations to explore, a compelling and chilling OST to listen too, and really fun gameplay that always made me excited whenever I got some new power or upgrade since I could then go back to a previous area, use that upgrade or power, and further explore and find new things to interact with. There were also a couple of new things to enjoy like having your own hub area/town and being able to upgrade and build it to unlock even more paths to explore and items to collect, as well as actual boss fights this time that really delivered on the thrills as well as bringing back the high-speed and chaotic chase sections. Moon Studios delivered an excellent follow-up to an already amazing game.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Insomniac knocked it out of the park in 2018 with Marvel's Spider-Man, and they did it again and even more so this time with Miles Morales. This game does an amazing job in telling the story of Miles Morales and his rise to taking on the mantle of Spider-Man and protecting the people of New York from the criminals and enemies that wish to harm it. The setting of New York in December and winter is beautiful with the falling snow and constant holiday decorations, the combat is still fun and even expanded upon with Miles new moves and abilities, the side content is still just as distracting with the missions in Harlem to play and the many collectibles to find, the music does a great job of further cementing this story as a superhero one, and finally the game simply is a great follow-up to the 2018 game.

Demon's Souls: It took me a while to really delve into the Souls series as well as the "Soulslike" genre itself. I grew to love the games and the genre, but I never actually did play Demon's Souls, the game that really rocketed it to fame. Thankfully, the amazing devs at BluePoint Games were able to finally give me that chance to experience it, and I'm glad I did with this amazing remake. Demon's Souls is an excellent game with a really thought-provoking and great world, lore and story, as well as a fun and challenging combat system against many enemies and big and fear-inducing boss fights. There's also a lot of secrets to find and enjoy, a chilling OST to listen to, and really just a great experience to dive in and enjoy overall. BluePoint have proven themselves with this remake as well as the other remakes they've done, and I'll be eternally grateful for how they've brought back these older games for a new generation to experience.

DOOM: Eternal: The 2016 DOOM was my first experience with the series actually, and to this day I still think about the intense action, gunfights, and blood and gore that game provided. DOOM: Eternal did that again, providing another thrilling journey to experience and be completely captivated by. The sequel expanded on a lot of things and helped to make the game even more fun and intense, the OST was filled with the high action and deep beats that made me want to punch a wall while listening to it, the world and locations are truly captivating to look at and explore as you fight hordes upon hordes of demons as well as angels now, and really id Software once again proved themselves with this franchise and easily met and even exceeded in some areas the prior game.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition: The Xenoblade series has been a series I've wanted to play for some time now, I tried playing Xenoblade Chronicles X and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 but couldn't really get into them at the time. This edition of the first game and the original in a sense was my opportunity to try again and see if this series could finally catch my attention and keep it, and it did. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition did a great job of making me invested in this world, its mythos and history, its characters, and of course its story. I grew to really enjoy the tale of Shulk and his friends and enemies as they travel across these huge locations in a story that takes many twists and turns. The combat system and gameplay mechanics were fun and engaging, the music was beautifully orchestrated and an absolute joy to listen too and really helped to sell the adventure even more, again the characters and story were constantly engaging and I never grew bored of them, and in the end I'm really happy that this game finally made me a fan of the series.

Astro's Playroom: I never got the chance to play the original tale of Astro since I unfortunately didn't own a PSVR and still don't, but Astro's Playroom finally gave me a chance to see what all of the fuss is about with this little and very adorable robot. Astro's Playroom is a very fun and engaging platformer, filled with easter eggs that reference countless other video game series' as well as PlayStation's history itself, and all of this made me smile the biggest smile as I played from beginning to end. Astro's Playroom is also quite amazing because it really helps introduce you to the PlayStation 5 and everything that comes together to make these consoles that we consistently buy, as well as all of its accessories like the new DualSense controller where the game does an amazing job at showcasing. I never imagined an Astro Bot game cracking my top 10 for this year, but Astro's Playroom and the amazing devs at Asobi Team easily accomplished that.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
5. [XBO] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
6. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
7. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
8. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
9. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
10. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
    

 

[Jeremy]

I'll note that I intended to vote for Wilmot's Warehouse, which I found via gamepass in 2020, but it's apparently a 2019 game.

 

[Illusionary]

7. CrossCode ; It's an SNES game. But good.

Click to shrink...

I'm going to need a while to reflect on my full list, but it's great to see the superb CrossCode included nice and early on in the thread.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

1. Outer Wilds - Steam version came last year so I'm counting it as a 2020 game, it's one of the best games I have ever played.
2. Hades - I'm not someone that usually plays Rougelikes but this game is getting so much praise that I had to check it out. I'm glad I gave it a chance, Hades is truly something special and the game deserves all the GOTY nominations it's receiving.
3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps - What an absolute gem of a game, it's better than the previous Ori game in basically every way and it's something I can easily recommend to everyone. If you like Metroidvanias then you have to play this one.
4. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - A beautiful love letter to Sci-fi in general, the less you know about it the better so I'll just say that I recommend this game to anyone that cares about video games as a medium for telling stories.
5. Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection - MMZ3 is one of the best games ever made, that alone is worth the whole collection.
6. Black Mesa - Fantastic Remake of one of the most important shooters of all time. I easily recommend it to anyone that hasn't played the original Half-Life or anyone that wants to revisit the game because the new Xen content is well worth the price of admission.
7. Pikmin 3 Deluxe - Wonderful game, the QoL changes are so good that it easily makes Deluxe the definitive version of the game. Don't skip on the mission mode as well, it's very fun and challenging.
8. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition - One of the best action games ever made. Being able to switch styles and equip every weapon is a game changer and it makes an already incredible game even better, a must play.
9. Doom Eternal - Fantastic sequel, they threw every single idea they had into it and it shows. I'm not crazy about some aspects of it but it's still a very interesting game and the good elements outweighs the bad ones.
10. Streets of Rage 4 - Amazing love letter to Streets of Rage 2 and Beat 'em ups in general, super recommended to anyone that likes the genre. The soundtrack is amazing as well.

1. [PC] [Adventure] [Mobius Digital] Outer Wilds
2. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
4. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
5. [PC] [Action] [Capcom] Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
6. [PC] [Shooter] [Crowbar Collective] Black Mesa
7. [Switch] [RTS] [8ing] Pikmin 3 Deluxe
8. [Switch] [Action Adventure] [Capcom] Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
9. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
10. [PC] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4

 

[Hecht]

Switch (Its on PS4, Xbox One & Epic Game Store also). Didn't see it in the voting options

Click to shrink...

Yeah we tried to get as many games as we could, but we knew we'd miss a few. Hence the instructions in the OP. :P

If you could resubmit your vote with the following line instead of "Hundown" (in a new post, it'll overwrite your first vote)

[Switch] [Platformer] [Easy Trigger Games] Huntdown

EDIT: I added it to the list for easy selection

 

[Jeremy]

I'm going to need a while to reflect on my full list, but it's great to see the superb CrossCode included nice and early on in the thread.

Click to shrink...

I played it a few years ago on PC, or I would have included it too. It's definitely good enough to make my top 10.

 

[Kangi]

This was a year I spent mostly playing some old evergreens. This is my shortest list yet...

Omori is an exceptionally well-crafted EarthBound-style RPG with a beautiful, haunting story. You play as Sunny, a broken bird who can't move past the events of years prior and has been lost in his own head as the time passes. Time is catching up to him, though, and you get to either bring him to overcome his fears, face the truth, and realize himself as a person... or have him become a complete hollow shell who rejects reality and strays further into his perfect alternate one.

The art shines brightly, the combat system excels, and the music DAZZLES. I was sucked right into this game and even now, a month after completing it, it hasn't loosened its grip on me. I'm just a sucker for characters as well-written as the main cast of this one is--I haven't been this in love since Night in the Woods. So if that sounds up your alley and you can handle some anxiety and trauma in your video games, give this game more of the love it deserves and get it. Because don't let the low bar fool you--this would cruise to my game of the year in almost any year.

And then yeah, Animal Crossing. It's Animal Crossing. This game eased the burden of the pandemic for untold millions. It's everything I wanted it to be, and that's all that needs to be said.

1. [PC] [RPG] [Omocat] OMORI
2. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
   

 

[painey]

I want to vote, but I don't want to write explanations for each game.. that's dumb. You know why I liked the Last of Us 2.. let me explain why I liked an indie game or smaller title.. not every one.

 

[ohlawd]

I'm going to need a while to reflect on my full list, but it's great to see the superb CrossCode included nice and early on in the thread.

Click to shrink...

Game Pass, baybeeeeeeee

 

[Walter White Walker]

Animal Crossing New Horizons. It's still fun and I've played it every single day since it released. There's always something to do and it's relaxing instead of stressful. It's actually the only video game I even bought for myself in 2020.

1. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
   

 

[Jeremy]

I want to vote, but I don't want to write explanations for each game.. that's dumb. You know why I liked the Last of Us 2.. let me explain why I liked an indie game or smaller title.. not every one.

Click to shrink...

Just a short sentence for each is fine... It doesn't need to be thoughtful prose.

 

[Bosh]

Below Update with Huntdown format added
Main post with writeup

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
5. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
6. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
7. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
8. [Switch] [Platformer] [Easy Trigger Games] Huntdown
9. [XBO] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
10. [Switch] [Visual Novel] [Mediatonic] Murder by Numbers
    

 

[Hecht]

Below Update with Huntdown format added
Main post with writeup

Click to shrink...

Thanks!

 

[5taquitos]

I'm realizing that I didn't really play any 2020 games in 2020 -_-

 

[Bosh]

Thanks!

Click to shrink...

Thank you!

 

[Rosebud]

Just a short sentence for each is fine... It doesn't need to be thoughtful prose.

Click to shrink...

Yeah but what's the point of a list with 10 "the story is nice, art is cool" etc. instead of just a list?

 

[Tochtli79]

1. Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition
Sunk many hours into this game, finished everything in colony 6 for the first time, got a good chunk of superbosses, and finished all heart to hearts a second time. Loved every minute back in this world. The new epilogue and updates to the main campaign enhanced my playthrough significantly and I'm sure I'll be going back to it every once in a while for years to come.

2. Hades
A complete surprise as I had no experience with the genre. The amazing writing and art direction got me hooked right away, and the gameplay quickly followed. I've yet to beat the final boss but it doesn't hinder my enjoyment, as every failure still feels worthwhile. Looking forward to getting to know the characters more and more and seeing what's next from the developers.

3. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Having played the original for the first time also last year, I had the story fresh in mind going into the remake. I loved the expanded journey through Midgar, the battle system, the characters, the music. I can't wait to see what part 2 has to offer, even if I'm a little apprehensive about future potential changes.

4. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Took me straight back to my childhood. Got 100% on all three games, with Sunshine cementing itself as my favourite. I would have liked some more updates to these games but they still hold up for the most part and I had so much fun revisiting them.

5. Ghost of Tsushima
Haven't completed the game, but what I've played made a big impression. The story is enjoyable, the gameplay is excellent, the world is beautiful... seriously, it's a gorgeous game and so much care went into creating the world and making it feel so enveloping.

6. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
I had so much fun with the gameplay. The cast is varied and while I didn't enjoy all the characters, the majority are great, especially the weird picks. I was let down by the story, it would've been higher otherwise. Still, looking forward to DLC and future Nintendo Warriors games.

7. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
I had a lot more fun with this ancient release than I expected. The gameplay holds up and the writing is surprisingly good given its age. A nice way to get a quick FE fix.

8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
I didn't get this when the hype was at its highest, and I stopped playing it fairly quickly, but for the period of time I did I really enjoyed shaping my island, seeing the different villagers, and visiting a few Era and Twitter islands. Mostly including it as an acknowledgement of how important it was for many people last year, even if I'm unlikely to ever get that into AC.

1. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
2. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. [Switch] [Platformer] [Nintendo] Super Mario 3D All-Stars
5. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
6. [Switch] [Hack and slash] [Omega Force] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
7. [Switch] [Tactical role-playing] [Nintendo] Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
8. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
   

 

[Deleted member 59109]

1. Crash 4: A really fun platformer. The music is pretty forgettable but the gameplay is still really good, and the environments are creative. At the end of the day, it's just the most fun game of the year for me.

2. Ori 2: The art style is really great, movement is fun and fluid with a lot of options, and the story is really emotional. The soundtrack has some great moments too. It's a really close second to Crash 4 for me. Even though Crash 4 ended up being my favorite, I could also see the case for this being game of the year.

3. Animal Crossing NH: This game was good, it is in a pretty distant third from the other two for me though. I like Animal Crossing, but I also don't really like the emphasis they had this game on terraforming/crafting, I wish there was more focus on unique villagers/interactions. But, I still enjoyed it enough to put it on this list.

1. [PS4] [Platformer] [Toys for Bob] Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
2. [Switch] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
3. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
   

 

[blamite]

I played very few new games last year, but of

13 Sentinels: I doubt I'll ever get the chance to experience something like this ever again; the experience of trying to unravel the story while constantly having rugs pulled out from under me was fantastic. The best example I've seen of a story that can only be told by a game. Also I really liked the combat a lot, although I understand why it gets criticism. This is a game where I wish I could erase my memories and experience it again for the first time, over and over.

FF7 Remake: This exceeded my expectations to a ridiculous degree. I've put in about 90 hours and I'll end up at over a 100 going for the platinum and I've loved it the whole way through; the battle system is really fantastic (except for aerial enemies sometimes), especially on hard mode. Th characterization is fantastic and the way it Remake and the original fed into my enjoyment of each other made both of them so much better (before Remake I had only played the original until a bit past Midgar, after playing Remake I finished the original, then played through Remake 2 more times which I never do for most games).

Bugsnax: Just a really fun cute adventure that stayed fun the whole way through and didn't overstay it's welcome. I didn't expect it to be as character-driven as it was but the voice cast and writing really made it work.

Umurangi: I enjoyed messing with the photo tools more than I expected to, and the storytelling and worldbuilding really impressed me especially given how the presentation style. Loved the art style/graphical presentation and the soundtrack.

Granblue Vs: For obvious reasons I didn't end up getting to play this in-person with friends like I had hoped but for the relatively brief time I put into this it was really fun to try learning a fighting game again.

honorary shoutouts to FFIX, FFVII, and FFXIV Patch 5.3 (before 7 Remake, XIV was the only FF I'd put much time into, and those two games got me into the series in a huge way this year), and Touhou Luna Nights.

1. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Adventure] [Young Horses] Bugsnax
4. [PC] [Simulation] [ORIGAME DIGITAL] Umurangi Generation
5. [PS4] [Fighting] [Arc System Works] Granblue Fantasy Versus
   

 

[E.T.]

1. The Last of Us Part II: The greatest game ever created? Quite possibly so, it oozes polish and an attention to detail that is unmatched in the medium. Gameplay is a stunning achievement mechanically and the AI routines are quite possibly best in class as well. It also is quite the looker.
2. Ghost of Tsushima: Suckepunch gave a magnificent send off to the PS4 in a way they only can. This game is art come to life, it must experienced. Combat is tight and never gets boring, the world is immaculately designed and it introduces great characters that I hope to see again. Load times are criminally fast.
3. Astro's Playroom is the best pack in game ever, not only does do a magnificent job of getting new PS5 owners used to the DualSense, but it also actually is a terrific platformer with a fantastic time trial mode.
4. Spider-Man Miles Morales is an excellent chapter in the Spider-Man video game universe. Swinging is as fun as ever, combat is spruced up with Miles specific abilities and it looks and runs fantastic.
5. Spelunky 2 is Spelunky 1 on senzu beans, everything has been improved and tightened up. More stuff to find and more ways to complete the game. If you loved the first entry, you would be doing yourself a disservice skipping this one.
6. Demon's Souls is a well known entity but Bluepoing too that well known entity and pumped everything up to 10. It looks better, it sounds better, it plays exactly the same and that is the way it should be.
7. 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim: Just play this game people, I do not want to spoil any aspect because doing so would rob the player of an experience unlike any other.
8. Final Fantasy VII Remake: I loved FF7 on the PS1 and this remake brought my imagination into reality, it looks like I imagined it back then and just for that the devs behind the game should feel a great sense of pride because this could have been an easy miss. It wasn't.
9. Crusader Kings 3 is truly spectacular in its options and depth. A life sim in the middle ages, what more can you want. Just do not drink from that chalice.
10. Dreams: I can not create a thing on Dreams, but luckily for me others can. And it is these creations that keep me coming back, a creativity driver our industry needs.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
3. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
4. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
5. [PS4] [Platformer] [Mossmouth] Spelunky 2
6. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
7. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
8. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
9. [PC] [Grand strategy] [Paradox Interactive] Crusader Kings III
10. [PS4] [Game Creation] [Media Molecule] Dreams
    

 

[cvbas]

Edit: I screwed up my ballot and can't edit it. Will repost shortly.

 

[texhnolyze]

Honestly, 2020 was not really a good year for RPGs. There's Xenoblade but it's just a remaster, there's Baldur's Gate 3 but it's still unfinished, and there's also the whole Cyberpunk clusterfuck. I also don't have a PS4 anymore so I missed out on some exclusives like 13 Sentinels, FFVIIR and Demon's Souls, but I'll play them on my PC/PS5 later. But still, even with those counted it's not really that great of a year. I spent the majority of my time playing MMOs and service games, from old to new ones. I actually played more than 10 new games in 2020, but I wouldn't consider some of them to be in my list.

My highlight of 2020 was PSO2. There's not much to say about the game other than it's fun and addicting. Basically, it's a combination of Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter, and Diablo, with SEGA's trademark quirkiness here and there. An absolute blast to play.

• [PC] [MMORPG] [Sega] Phantasy Star Online 2
• [PC] [RPG] [InXile Entertainment] Wasteland 3
• [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
• [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• [PC] [Action RPG] [miHoYo] Genshin Impact

 

[cvbas]

1. FF7R - The most subversive AAA of the year. I absolutely *adore* the direction they took the story in and it has, hands-down, the best combat system I've ever experience in a JRPG.

2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 +2 - The only reason this isn't first is that it's a remake. Absolutely perfect videogame. Vicarious Visions did an amazing job recreating the original games while also implementing some of the best gameplay features of the later titles. My second most played game of the year. I loved every second and am extremely proud of my Platinum.

3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - My most played game of the year. Absolutely fundamental in a time where nothing felt certain. Charming as heck. By far the most culturally relevant game of the year.

4. Hades - While I didn't care for the story as much as other people did, the gameplay loop is phenomenal, the art direction is superb and the setting is great.

5. Cyberpunk 2077 - It's...pretty good. I played on PC so no crashes for me and only a few minor graphical glitches. Clearly unfinished and overall a worse game than The Witcher 3, but there are some amazing quests throughout the game, Keanu Reeves is much better than expected, the music is perfect and the gameplay - especially in the late game - is pretty damn fun if you do a focused build.

6. Necrobarista - Super cozy, beautiful visual novel that should've gotten much more attention.

7. Across the Grooves - As obscure as it's charming. Great little visual novel that appealed to a lot of my interests (music, occult societies, classic Greek literature). Also, unmistakably European.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS4] [Sports] [Vicarious Visions] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
3. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
4. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
5. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
6. [PC] [Visual Novel] [Route 59] Necrobarista
7. [PC] [Visual Novel] [Nova-box] Across the Grooves
   

 

[Mechaplum]

1. Ghost of Tsushima - Amazing visuals coupled with competent story telling in a setting I love means this is a winner.
2. FF7R - Did not expect to love this as much as I did as I did not play the OG. Characters and the combat animations really puts this one up there. Story is quirky, though the villains are annoying, as expected in an FF tale. Dude with long hair is getting really boring and should just stick to shampoo commercials.
3. P5R - Nothing else to say except that this took one of the best JRPGs in existence and made it even better and more substantial. A must play if you like turn based RPGs and if you can stomach some light anime stuff.
4. Nioh 2 - Team Ninja managed to fix some of the glaring issue from the first installment and made this an absolute joy to platinum. Still one of the best melee combat systems out there.
5. Astro's Playroom - My only PS5 title in this list since I have yet to play the rest but this blew me away with the Dualsense.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
4. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
5. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
   

 

[VZ_Blade]

1. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

"There never was and there will probably never be a game similar to 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, everyone should play it."
-Masahiro Sakurai

Click to shrink...

Gorgeous visuals + excellent music + a story that's told in a truly special way = one of the best games on the PS4. I do not know how Vanillaware pulled off 13 different intertwining narratives and still tell a coherent story, but they somehow did it. The brilliant presentation of its narrative is the game's absolute highlight. To use an analogy, this game's narrative is a delicious onion, with layers upon layers of surprise waiting to be peeled and make sense of. Uncovering the secret of this game's world and its characters has been an unforgettable experience that's unique to an interactive medium like video games. If someone has any interest in this game or just the VN genre in general, they should play it ASAP.

2. Outer Wilds
Exploration is pure joy in this game, and the profound sense of discovery that comes with it is unmatched. The length that the devs went in order to accurately emulate space phenomena is seriously impressive.

You can also roast marshmallows.

3. Persona 5 Royal
The definitive Persona 5 experience, for better and for worse.

4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Immensely enjoyable, but the asinine online system and inconvenient UI are definitely minuses. Compared to New Leaf, a lot of the mechanics seems to be folded into menus/condensed into a single location, which I have mixed feelings about.

5. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Koei Tecmo went out of their way to recreate the BOTW vibes and it really showed. It's checklist mindless feel-good fun, but it's checklist mindless feel-good fun with a BOTW look to it and it further fleshes out Zelda's personality goddamnit.

6. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
This vote is more for Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected. Xenoblade Chronicles is one of my personal GOATs, and while Future Connected doesn't reach the high of the main game, it's still an enjoyable experience. This short and sweet epilogue that largely matched my expectations, with the exceptions being the length of the main story, and the final boss.

7. Florence
Cute game with some really nice interactive ideas. Could use an extra chapter or two to flesh out the characters' personalities, but otherwise a well-executed experience.

1. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
2. Outer Wilds
3. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
4. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
5. [Switch] [Hack and slash] [Omega Force] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
6. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
7. [Switch] [Interactive story] [Mountains] Florence

 

[Illusionary]

Yeah but what's the point of a list with 10 "the story is nice, art is cool" etc. instead of just a list?

Click to shrink...

The thread is far more interesting with comments and interaction than it would be with just filled with raw lists. It doesn't take all that long to add a sentence for each choice - after all, if you like a game enough to vote for it, I'd expect there to be some passion behind that choice. Comments also allow the eventual results to add some flavour to each ranked game, helping everyone to find other games that they might enjoy.

 

[Joker Code]

1. The Last of Us Part 2 - It's the best game naughty dog has made. It's not only a superb story but is also a fantastic stealth game.
2. Demon Soul's - It's the first souls game and the only one I had never played. Even if it has some rough edges it's still a fantastic game.
3. Cyberpunk 77 - Even with all of its bugs Cyberpunk 77 had a great story and very enjoyable gameplay.
4. Destiny 2: Beyond light-Was a good expansion that added a lot of fun content to Destiny 2
5. Astro's playroom - I'm not big into platformers but Astro's was a great nostalgic game for me.
6. Assasin's creed Valhalla - Valhalla is the first AC game I have played in a couple of years and it's one of the best games of the series.
7. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout - It was a very fun game that I enjoy with my family and friends.
8. Persona 5 Royal - It's the best version of Persona 5
9. Football Manager 2021 - It's the spreadsheet I spend hundreds of hours playing.
10. FIFA 21 - It's Fifa and it looks great on PS5

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
3. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
4. [PS4] [Shooter] [Bungie] Destiny 2: Beyond Light
5. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
6. [PS5] [Action RPG] [Ubisoft] Assassin's Creed Valhalla
7. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
8. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
9. [PC] [Sports] [Sports Interactive] Football Manager 2021
10. [PS5] [Sports] [Electronic Arts] FIFA 21
    

 

[LonestarZues]

1. The Last of Us Part II - My most anticipated game ever and it didn't disappoint. Everything from the story to the combat to the music was top notch.

2. Persona 5 Royal - Took everything I loved about the original and made it better (except for that

Spoiler

Okamura

boss fight lol). Also became my 2nd favorite JRPG only behind FFX.

3. Final Fantasy VII Remake - The original is the game that made me fall in love with JRPG'S so it was a tall order for this game to match my expectations and it didn't disappoint. If not for Persona 5 Royal it would've been my top pick for OST.

4. The Last Campfire - Not really a fan of puzzle games, but this hit all the right buttons for me.

5. Hades - Might've been higher if it wasn't so repetitive. Loved the characters and glad I got the beat 10x ending.

6. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Really nice compact launch Spider-Man game. Loved the characters, combat and story.

7. Ghost of Tsushima - Was skeptical at first because I wanted another Infamous game, but Sucker Punch knew what they were doing and I'll never doubt them again.

8. Astro's Playroom - What a treat and to think it was included with my PS5 purchase. While not as great as Astro Bot Rescue Mission I very much look forward to the next game in the series whether it's VR or not.

9. Kentucky Route Zero - Great adventure game with great music and story.

10. Destiny 2: Beyond Light - What a difference 60 vs 30 FPS made for this game. I already loved the gunplay, but it was even more buttery smooth on PS5.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. [PS4] [Adventure] [Hello Games] The Last Campfire
5. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
6. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
7. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
8. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
9. [PS4] [Point-and-click adventure] [Cardboard Computer] Kentucky Route Zero
10. [PS5] [Shooter] [Bungie] Destiny 2
    

 

[Deleted member 10737]

1. Hades - brilliant gameplay, fantastic story, amazing art direction. i'm still not done with the game after 90 or so hours, and i don't see myself stopping anytime soon.
2. Paper Mario: The Origami King - great adventure, hilarious writing, some surprisingly emotional moments
3. Creaks - in my eyes amanita design can do no wrong and this is further proof of that. beautiful art style, intriguing narrative and satisfying puzzles.
4. A Short Hike - great little game. for me, it's as close a game has come to evoking the same feeling as breath of the wild.
5. Picross S4 - it's picross.
6. Murder by Numbers - great mix of story and picross. very optimistic the sequel can be an even better game.

1. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
2. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
3. [Switch] [Graphic adventure] [Amanita Design] Creaks
4. [Switch] [Adventure] [adamgryu] A Short Hike
5. [Switch] [Puzzle] [Jupiter Corporation] Picross S4
6. [Switch] [Visual Novel] [Mediatonic] Murder by Numbers

 

[ClickyCal']

Edit-resubmitted in new post for right format.

 

[Mezoly]

1. The Last of Us Part II: it became one of my favorite games ever. The plot was romantic, gut wrenching, heart breaking, exciting, and much more. One of the best characters development and interactions in gaming. The story is some of the most humane and relatable stories I've ever seen. There are always multiple sides to each story and Part 2 decided to show the other side. Gameplay was amazing as well. The combat was satisfying whether doing stealth or gun blazing. Multiple systems interaction with the best in gaming animations. Part 2 is world class in plot, characters or gameplay.

2. Final Fantasy 7 Remake: A great re-imagination to one of the best games. The new combat is best in the series and one of the best in action games. Amazing summons and combat skills. The characters were a joy to be around with and see their interaction fully voiced. the last 3-5 hours were some of the most thrilling times in any game ever.

3. Cyberpunk 2077: This is The Witcher 3 in sci-fi and cyberpunk them which is all what I have asked for and wanted. The plot was very engaging. The side quests were long and showed so many aspects of the side characters and world. The artsyle and soundtrack was sublime. The game tackled many sci fi subjects like it is multiple episodes of Black mirror. Keanu was out of this world larger than life character that perfectly fit his career and acting skills. I didn't expect to enjoy this game as much based on pre-release trailers but I'm glad the game was more Witchery than GTA.

4. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rims: Well this is a major surprise for me personally because I dno't ply visual novels or these type of games. the main appeal of the game is how to piece together the story which is told in non chronological order. Many of the characters of the game resonated with me, and the story coming together was very satisfying. I actually enjoyed the tower defense gameplay element as well and found it very engaging to get S ranks in.

5. Nioh 2: This game is more Nioh but enhanced in many ways that I wanted. better level design is the main one. More varied boss fights. Some of the best fights in the entire year. The new mechanics were great as well. Can't get enough of Onymo.

6. Ghost of Tsushima: Great artsytle and soundtrack. Some nice side characters and main ones. The combat is pretty good.

7. Astro's Playroom: Amazing world and dualsense implementations. It became the game to showcase the PS5 with to guests.

8. Spider-man Miles Morales: The new combat is much better than the first Spider-man. The game had no filler which is a rarity in these days.

9. Sackboy: A Big Adventure: the surprise game of the year for me. The game had a lot of creativity in level design and music design. An absolute joy to play through its entirety in co-op. Also cool speedrun levels and later harder worlds.

10. Crash 4: it's about Time: Crash brutal platforming is back with final a new game that continues the original trilogy style.
Some amazing levels and artsyle. The masks were a cool addition to keep things fresh.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
4. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
5. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
6. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
8. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
9. [PS4] [Platformer] [Sumo Digital] Sackboy: A Big Adventure
10. [PS4] [Platformer] [Toys for Bob] Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

 

[Rommaz]

I mostly have long words for my top 5 because I had it made a while back, but I do have other games to add in here

1. Kingdom Hearts 3 Re Mind - Limit Cut and the Secret Episode are the type of things that remind(hehe) me why I love gaming in the first place and what made this DLC my personal favorite piece of gaming content this year.

I adore high quality boss fights and I'll break down what I want from a boss fight here and how Re Mind hits those criteria. The underlying game mechanics need to be solid and the bosses need you to use those mechanics , Base KH3 had the mechanics barring a few tweaks that landed when the DLC dropped. What base KH3 didn't have was enemies worth using those mechanics on because the game was so easy. Re Minds bosses are tough as sin, with few openings and attacks that are difficult to avoid. Utilising the games mechanics such as parries, attack cancels, form changes and unique elemental interactions let you find new ways to avoid and deal damage. You can't brute force your way to victory, the bosses here actively punish sloppy play and mashing the dodge and block buttons, through unique unblockable attacks as well as feints and delayed timing attacks. You are forced to learn patterns and properly use the games mechanics to make your life easier, this learning process being extremely satisfying.

Next is visual spectacle without sacrificing player input. Most games blend cinematic aspects and moments into their boss fights to deliver cool looking moments but in doing so, sacrifice player agency using quick time events or by dumbing down controls. The best boss fights manage to do both at the same time, leaving you with your full set of tools at practically all times and making you and your enemies actions still look good. Xemnas' laser barrage Desparation move could be simplified to a quick time event like in KH2 but here, instead you time your blocks and your dodges in between all of it for a far more satisfying moment. This is just one example; almost everything your enemies do has a level of anime JRPG ridiculousness but your blocks and dodges are still needed, making avoiding those attacks all the more satisfying.

Last is fantastic music. I don't need to say much here because its Kingdom Hearts and its Yoko Shimomura composing but yeah, you need great music and the remixed tracks here are all some of the best this year.

Put all these together and do it 14 times and I ended up with the most addictive gaming experience I had this year, replaying the fights over and over and over even after beating them. It's the kind of experience where I just forget about everything around going on and let the game take and consume me completely for days. Re Mind might not just be the best boss battle experience of the year, but its amongst the best of all time.

2. Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition - The next gen version of my 2019 GOTY. The big attraction is Vergil who is also DLC for the last gen version. And that addition sees DMC5 find it's way onto this list once again.

Vergils is an extremely technical character with highly intricate mechanics that promote a calm and precise style of play befitting of the character. Playing that way builds his concentration gauge(affectionately known as the motivation gauge by fans). Building this gauge makes Vergils existing moves stronger and unlocks new attacks. This direction towards this play style gives Vergil a very distinct feel compared to the other 3 characters and makes the game feel extremely fresh. Figuring out encounters with his kit and play style is some of the most fun I've had this year with me ending up playing the game over and over across multiple difficulties without noticing the hours go by at all.

But adding a new character normally wouldn't be enough for me to put SE on this list. What pushes it over the line is a very slight adjustment to the campaign. Capcom changing the last 2 stages to be all new fights against his Legendary Devil Hunter Twin Dante.Like with KH3R, Boss fights like this are my favorite things in gaming. Figuring out openings, how to do the best forms of damage, dealing with an extravagant moveset and all that. The learning and optimising process of a high quality boss fight, while also being easy to replay over and over appeals highly to me and Capcom provided that to me yet again after doing it last year.

This slight change, the overall fun involved in the character and the Quality of Life with faster loading and Turbo mode made DMC5SE one of my favorite games this year and further cements DMC5 as the best action game ever made for me.

3. Persona 5 Royal - Persona 3-5 are very special games to me. The unique gameplay loop blending social sim, visual novel, dungeon crawling and demon fusion into one coherent package always hooks me in and does not let go. Persona 5 back in 2017 was supposed to be the final evolution of this gameplay loop in some ways, fixing some of the previous games criticisms by starting faster and adding plenty of quality of life functions from its mother series Shin Megami Tensei and for the most part I found it successful at that.

P5R seeks to address some of the further snags and annoyances P5 still had while adding enough new content to turn it into the ultimate Persona experience. The loadtimes are improved, some new mechanics are added, theres some more side activities to enjoy with the cast and most importantly, you're given more free time to engage the social sim parts of the game without your talking cat telling to you to go to bed. Small small changes that really add up to enhance the experience.

Where P5R truly shines though are in its brand new characters and plot. 2 new characters are integrated into the main game and after getting to where the game would normally end, you're given one more month of in game time for a new scenario with those characters at its centre. Atlus has not been very good at this in previous games, the Answer and Marie's stories in P3FES and P4G being kind of questionable, but that's not the case here; P5R's new month is not just comparable in quality to the main game its arguably even better.

It tackles a far more nuanced situation than any in the main game, presenting a more emotional and personal conflict for our protagonist. The main game tried to make personal conflict in its final arc too, but does not manage to do so nearly as well due to the black and white nature of what's going on. Here, the games huge length and the relationship building you do with the new characters make the final crisis one that really hits hard in it's best moments. Fleshed out with a more bittersweet ending following from the new month and it gives a whole new lens to view the Phantom Thieves through. One could argue its not as satisfying a conclusion, but it's definitely more impactful and one that'll sit with me for a long while.

4. Final Fantasy VII: Remake - Despite literally having the name remake in the name, FFVIIR is the closest thing to an entirely brand new game bar 13 sentinels on my top 5. What at first glance is a cash grab padding job to make the 1st act it's own game, it quickly reveals itself to be more. FFVIIR does what most remakes do: upgrades the graphics and presentation to be modern; upgrades the core gameplay to be modern; expands upon characters, events and writing to flesh them out more. Those are 3 tiers of what you can get from various types of remakes but FFVIIR goes further beyond, including meta aspects and story changes which will have you question what the word "remake" even means. It's a brave thing to do with such a beloved game, and I commend Square Enix for that bravery

All that could have gone wrong very easily if the rest of the package was not good though, and thankfully that's untrue. FFVIIR is Square Enix building a very well rounded package; superb battle system, lovable expanded characters, fantastic graphical presentation(some odd textures aside), high quality cutscene and dialogue direction and an absolute clinic of a soundtrack left me feeling satisfied and eager to see the uncharted waters the "Remake Series" heads to.

5. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - Easily my surprise of the year.

I like Vanillaware's work but I was disappointed to hear that their next game was basically a passion project visual novel with RTS/tower defence gameplay when it released in Japan last year. Impressions out of japan were extremely positive despite this fact, the game garnering plenty of praise from importers and when it came worldwide this year it quickly became a game everyone was praising and recommending.I was sceptical but eventually I bit and was greeted with a mind blowing showcase of storytelling in videogames.

The games story locks are placed strategically to keep you engrossed in the story, answering questions, while creating new ones. At the end of every story section, you learn something that leaves your mind blown but at the same time makes you so curious that you have no choice but to keep going. It's difficult to describe how masterful the manner in which the game hides and gives information is without spoiling the story but all I can say is that the level of care put into crafting the world and many of its aspects to keep players engaged is above many games I've played over the years.

The RTS sections are surprisingly fun as well. Audio-visual feedback is superb and the game let's you feel like you're controlling your own mini squad of mecha like few others. Its may be hit or miss by its nature as an RTS, but even this is part of the games world building and story telling and as the story goes on, the context around these sections makes them and the visual novel parts even better.

It's a game thats more than the sum of its parts. Everything comes together beautifully and by the time the credits rolled, I realised that I had just played a masterpiece. I can't recommend this game enough.

6. Demon's Souls - I view Demon's Souls in a far better light after this remake, the QOL and enhanced visuals really help me appreciated the extremely solid core game more.

7. DOOM Eternal - I hate to put this game so low on the list because of how absolutely stacked this year is. I haven't this much with an FPS ever.

8. Nioh 2 - I disliked the looting in the first game. Some QOL and me coming to terms with the systems in general made me really enjoy this game a lot more.

9. The Last of Us Part II - Fantastic feeling gunplay, well thought encounter design and an ambitious story wrapped in production values only matched by Rockstar made this my favorite Naughty Dog game ever.

10. Ghost of Tsushima - Not only did the very solid combat surprise me, the story and themes and how the game marries it with the world is surprisingly well done too.

Honorable mention: Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - Was honestly a toss up between this and GoTsu for number 10. I like Shulk's story arc and the exploration the most in this game.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind
2. [PS5] [Action] [Capcom] Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
3. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
4. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
5. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
6. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
7. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
8. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
9. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
10. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
    

 

[Gold Arsene]

1. Persona 5 Royal-Take an already great game and make it better, Persona 5 Royal is legit one of my favorite RPG's not just this year but ever. The improvements featured in the base game made it so much more fun and the new story content is probably one of my favorite plots in the entire series.

2. Hades-My surprise of the year, I've barley played roguelikes but this is the most I've been sucked into a new game in such a long time. The characters and voice acting are both fantastic and the gameplay loop gives one of the most satisfying senses of progression I've ever felt.

3. Final Fantasy VII Remake-This new imagining of my top RPG was such a fun time, and it personally helped me make it through the worst parts of the lockdown.

4. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity-More of the addicting HW gameplay with my favorite cast in any Zelda game? Yes please!

5. Yakuza: Like a Dragon- I love Yakuza, I love turn based JRPGs, so this is the chocolate and peanut butter game of the year for me.

6. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time-A BRUTALLY hard but fun experience.

1. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
2. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. [Switch] [Hack and slash] [Omega Force] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
5. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
6. [PS4] [Platformer] [Toys for Bob] Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
   

 

[Shopolic]

1. The Last of Us Part II
Always loved Naughty Dog games (except Jak 2&3) and The Last of Us was amazing too. But The Last of Us 2 was even better than that in almost everything. It's one of the best games of my life and I don't remember many games with this quality of storytelling.

2. Hades
Bastion was an amazing game and really loved it. Transistor was good, but didn't finish it and didn't play Pyre more than 1,2 hours. But Hades was so good from the beginning and after playing it fore maybe +60 hours, I can easily say it was one of the best games of these years for me.

3. Doom Eternal
As a Doom fan from 1994, this series has a great place in my heart. Doom 2016 was a big surprise for me and was much better than expected, and Doom Eternal was even better in some aspects. Can't wait for next adventure of Doomguy/Doom Slayer.

4. Streets of Rage 4
Trailers of this game weren't that great for me and thought it's like a cheap fan-made game! But then played it and... :O It was like a dream for someone who loved Streets of Rage on Sega Genesis. Played it 5,6 times and still want to play it more.

5. Final Fantasy VII Remake
The only FF games I played before this were FFXII (maybe an hour) and FFXV (3,4 hours or less than that). FFVIIR was my first real FF and although it had some boring missions in first half, really loved the second half and its gameplay and combat system was amazing. Can't wait for next part and maybe I'll play original version before that (or watch it on Youtube).

6. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
One of the biggest surprises for me. A fun cute game that made me buy a 3 month Plus for it and it completely deserved it. I don't remember any other game that even losing in it made me laugh like this!

7. Nioh 2
I liked Nioh and the second one was really great too. Lots of gameplay mechanics and enjoyable difficulty in this game made it an addictive experience and also made me want a new Ninja Gaiden from this team.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
4. [PC] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
5. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
6. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
7. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2

 

[Buzzkiller_20]

1. Ghost of Tsushima - This is the best game Sucker Punch as ever made. I love the combat. The duels are the best part of the game. Getting the max kills on the standoffs is so good. The game loads fast as hell. Plus a top class multiplayer mode easily makes this the best game of the year.

2. Final Fantasy VII Remake - This game exceeded my expectations. I knew it would be a good game, but I didn't realize it would one of the best games this year. They have perfect the ATB in this installment. The story is stellar with twists to make it must play from Final Fantasy lovers. A game that leaves me wanting more. Can't wait for part 2.

3. The Last of Us Part II - it's an upgrade from the first game in every way. The shooting mechanics are top notch. Exploring the world is fun. The best zombie story in recent memory from any type of media. Another masterclass game from Naughty Dog. What more needs to be said?

4. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory - A fun Kingdom Hearts spin off rhythm game. Kingdom Hearts is all that really needs to be said here.

5. Persona 5 Royal - A game that shows turn based JRPGs are still great in 2020. My favorite part of the game was fusing monsters to get better monsters. The use of tarot cards and how they are used as types for your companions and monsters was quite unique.

6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - This is the best Call of Duty game. A story that is actually fun to go through. An excellent multiplayer mode. The only drawback is a Zombies mode that doesn't seem as deep as past iterations.

7. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate - the ultimate fighting game is back with 3 more characters. Rain, Mileena, and Rambo join the roster and are just as fun to play with. This game gets better with each update. Hopefully Netherrealm Studios has plenty more content for this game coming this year.

8. Dreams - An ambitious game with a cute style. A game that let's you make your dream games, or play others. There is always something to do. The community is the backbone of this game, and they are just as creative, if not more so, than the creators.

9. Watch Dogs: Legion - an open world game set in London where you can play as anyone. A cool concept that makes the game enjoyable for the most part. It's otherwise your standard open world city exploration game with hacking.

10. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout - Imagine an obstacle game show mixed with battle royale. That's Fall Guys. Insanely fun multiplayer game where you compete for the crown.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
4. [PS4] [Rhythm] [Square Enix] Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
5. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
6. [PS4] [Shooter] [Treyarch] Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
7. [PS4] [Fighting] [NetherRealm Studios] Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
8. [PS4] [Game Creation] [Media Molecule] Dreams
9. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Ubisoft] Watch Dogs: Legion
10. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
    

 

[Deleted member 67800]

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. [PS4] [Adventure] [Hello Games] The Last Campfire
5. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
6. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
7. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
8. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
9. [PS4] [Point-and-click adventure] [Cardboard Computer] Kentucky Route Zero
10. [PS5] [Shooter] [Bungie] Destiny 2

 

[Kwigo]

• Yakuza Like a Dragon: what a surprise, a refreshing take on the JRPG genre, a great story, an even better cast and some of the most hype moments in any video game
• FFVIIR: Great reimagining of FF7. Music, graphics and gameplay are on point, it would have been my GOTY if it hadn't some annoying drawn out sequences.
• Ghost of Thushima: the best Assassin's Creed since AC Brotherhood in my opinion. A bit too long for its own good.
• Yakuza 5: my favourite game in the remastered trilogy. Thanks to the lockdown I was able to finish Yakuza 2 - 5 and Judgement, and each of those games were excellent.
• Miles Morales: Short and sweet, a great semi-sequel to the original Spider-man game, now I need a true sequel.
• WoW Shadowlands: I'm still in the middle of it, but it's a great expansion already with some beautiful zones and one of the better stories from WoW.
• Astro's Playroom: this could have gotten a way higher spot in my list, but it's so short :( Astro deserves to become the new mascot for Playstation.

1. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sega] Yakuza 5
5. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
6. [PC] [MMORPG] [Blizzard Entertainment] World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
   

 

[Xagarath]

• Roki: Possibly the best adventure game of the last decade, never mind the year. Beautiful ghibli-esque atmosphere, ingenious puzzles, superb sound design.
• Ikenfell: Charming Indy RPG with a good battle system and likeable cast of characters.
• Control: Came to Steam and Switch this year. Excellent game.
• Genshin Impact: A detailed, well-crafted world, multi-levelled battle system and well-crafted sidequests bolted into a grindy gatcha RPG.
• Paradise Killer: Brilliant indy murder mystery with an utterly unique setting.
• Creaks: Atmospheric puzzle-adventure with extraordinary art.
• Tell Me Why: Doesn't have the raw power of Life is Strange but a subtler, more mature narrative
• Resident Evil 3: Not as good as RE2, but still an excellent action-horror with loads of replayability
• Necrobarista: Great visual novel with high-quality presentation and an inventive setting
• The Fairy's Song: Charming, low-key visual novel from the always-reliable ebi-hime

1. [PC] [Adventure] [Polygon Treehouse] Röki
2. [PC] [Tactical role-playing] [Happy Ray Games] Ikenfell
3. [Switch] [Action Adventure] [Remedy Entertainment] Control: Ultimate Edition - Cloud Version
4. [PC] [Action RPG] [miHoYo] Genshin Impact
5. [PC] [Adventure] [Kaizen Game Works] Paradise Killer
6. [PC] [Graphic adventure] [Amanita Design] Creaks
7. [PC] [Adventure] [Dontnod Entertainment] Tell Me Why
8. [PC] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
9. [PC] [Visual Novel] [Route 59] Necrobarista
10. [PC] [Visual Novel] [ebi-hime] The Fairy's Song

 

[gaiadyne]

1. Cyberpunk 2077 - Fulfills all of my dreams of living in a dystopian cyberpunk world, and also all my nightmares. Incredibly broken mess, but I feel that the strength of the experience out weighs it's technical shortcomings. The first game I played on my Xbox Series X that I feel justifies the purchase, because if I had gone with my original plan to get it on PlayStation 4, I shudder to think of the drop off in terms of experience. I honestly think the glitches feel right in the cyberized world, after all it isn't too uncommon for machines to malfunction. When the game decides to play nice it offers really enjoyable quest lines and characters to encounter. I did not expect Keanu Reaves' Johnny Silverhand to play such a big part in this and I really appreciate the character and how he randomly pop ups even in minor quests. Customization for your character could be better, but I enjoy how many tools the game gives you to play how you want and to do as much as you want. One of the few Open world games I don't feel I burned out on because you can choose how much you wish to engage with all the extra stuff and it's all there and easily accessible due to the fast travel system.
2. The Last of Us Part II - I was super late to the Last of Us party. Traditionally I do not play games of this genre, but I gave the original a chance because of the hype for it's sequel, and I can now understand the high marks for it. The sequel while good in a lot of ways, I feel is not quite as good as the first. I think the length makes the emotionally draining experience worse in some ways. By the end I was so numb to it all I hated almost everyone, and just wanted it to end.
3. Ghost of Tsushima - I appreciate this game so much for bucking the trends of Japanese focused games, and depicted a very realistic, grounded, cinematric journey in Japan. I have not completed this one because I got a little too sidetracked with the open world and moved on to other things, but at some point I considered this a potential contender for GOTY.
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake - I had a love hate relationship with this game. I feel it does not fulfill it's true potential by not fully expanding Midgard, and being restricted in it's Quest LIne. I enjoy how the Command System works here more than other recent Final Fantasy games, but I hate how that system works in the times you are forced to be alone and the fact other characters do almost nothing when you are not controlling them. Padding because tedious at times here when you realize how quick this part in the story went by originally.
5. Nexomon Extinction - A lot of people had some good things to say so I played the original release first because you can get it for real cheap on mobile. Walking away from that game and later playing Extinction, I can say that the Nexomon games are the best Pokemon Clones EVER released! A lot of charm here with the characters and the sense of humor evident. Monster designs are solid as well as the over-world. My biggest complaint is that there is not enough to differentiate monsters in terms of skills and statistics compared to Pokemon.
6. Hades - I inevitably had to play this game after all of the great reviews and I can understand why people think so highly of this game. It has a very addicting feedback loop and enjoyable combat. One of those games that keeps making you say one more run. Frustrating at times to have a long run end when you felt you are so close...
7. Tell Me Why - Not as long as some of the recent Life is Strange games by the developer, but quite solid from a narrative standpoint. I enjoy the two twins and the mystery involving their powers and their mother. Stakes are maybe too low though.
8. Genshin Impact - A nice Breath of the Wild clone that I stopped playing because of the Gacha elements and the open world, that was made to suffer because of these elements. I think this would have been solid if it was a full priced game with the Gacha elements removed and the open world fleshed out,and fully available. However I understand it would not have the budget it does if that was the case, and I appreciate what they bring with the mobile version (mainly played on PC).
9. Assassin Creed Valhalla - I got the opportunity to play Assassin Creed Odyssey for free thanks to my participation in Google's streaming test, and this quickly became my game of the year. Valhalla on the other hand, I chose to play using Uplay + during a month, and I did not put as much time into this one as I would have liked during that time period, because of the multitude of games coming out at that time. I chose to wait to own this one when it comes on sale but during the brief time I played this there was a lot to like.
10. Tesla Effect: Connected - For whatever reason this game makes me cry every time I play. I think it is because I can't take my eyes off the action. I enjoyed the combination of music and Tetris, but it is hard for me to enjoy for too long.

1. [XSX][Action RPG][CD Projeckt] Cyberpunk 2077
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
5. [PC][RPG][Lime Turtle] Nexomon Extinction
6. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
7. [PC] [Adventure] [Dontnod Entertainment] Tell Me Why
8. [PC] [Action RPG] [miHoYo] Genshin Impact
9. [PC] [Action RPG] [Ubisoft] Assassin's Creed Valhalla
10. [XSX][Puzzle][Monstars Inc., Resonair, Stage Games] Tetris Effect: Connected