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

[SatelliteOfLove]

edited for second ballot

 

[libregkd]

1. The Last of Us Part II is a game I didn't know if it should exist when going into it. I was never fully sold on the original game getting a sequel but I'm honestly glad that it did. Part 2 does such an amazing job with Ellie, Abby, the whole cast really. It's a sad game, there's no doubt about that, but I really enjoyed the story and where it took the characters. Outside of that the game is absolutely phenomenal to play. It's almost MGS5 tier in terms of stealth action games, though it should be obvious that your tool kit in Part 2 is a LOT more limited than MGS5. Regardless it's just a dream to play. The game is also the top in its class with visuals and animation fidelity. It's just one of Naughty Dog's best games they've put out.

2. Demon's Souls is one of my favorite games of all time and Bluepoint absolutely nailed it with this remake. It looks amazing, it feels great, and the sound design is superb. The only gripe I have with it is I dislike some of the music changes but otherwise? I honestly feel no compelling reason to go back and play the PS3 version which is a job well done in my book.

3.Ghost of Tsushima was a really pleasant surprise to me. I never doubted the game would be fun, I have enjoyed Sucker Punch's output since the PS2 era, but the level of production Ghost has was well above everything else they put out. It's a beautiful world and very satisfying combat and while the story is a bit cliche, SP did a great job with making you relate to the characters you meet on Jin's journey.

4. A Final Fantasy VII Remake is a game that could have gone wrong in so many ways but Square managed to pull it off in such a spectacular way. I love the extended look at Midgar and Square did an amazing job at greatly expanding areas from the original game but still making them feel very familiar. And it's cheating a bit because the original soundtrack of the game was great but the OST from Remake was just so damn good that I have to mention it. I wasn't fully sold on a VII remake; especially one sold in part, but I'm fully on board waiting for the next one now.

5. If I haven't played the original Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal would be much higher on my list. Despite all the additions, changes, and tweaks they made to the game, it still doesn't sit right to put a game I've played through before and loved near the top of the list. Having said that the changes and additions they made for Royal are incredibly substantial. It's just such a better game than vanilla when you just talk about the gameplay changes they've done. Throw in the additional content and characters like Kasumi and Maruki, P5R is really Persona at some of it's very best.

6. Astro's Playroom was such a delightful surprise. And for free no less! It's a fun, snappy platformer filled to the brim with PlayStation nostalgia. It's short but it's honestly a case of less is more. Anyone who gets a PS5 should 100% play this game.

7. Dreams is so...unique. I've only created a handful of stuff on my own and the tools are very intuitive for doing so. But I've enjoyed far more time just aimless jumping through other people's creations. It's such an easy thing to do that I'd find myself spending a decent amount of time just browsing and seeing people's creativity be it a game, or a movie or music or whatever. I found myself just relaxed when playing.

8. Miles Morales is such a cool game. Outside of the story, which I really took to, I think what makes Miles Morales so great is that it trims out all the fluff from Spider-Man 2018 and just feels way better for it. It also does a great job at giving you some new powers to play with right out of the gate so you aren't spending a lot of time doing tasks to unlock skills to play how you want.

9. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is such a narratively ambitious game. I haven't even FINISHED the game and it's on my top 10 list. I can't really say much on it besides my general enjoyment because...well not done with it yet! But I really do enjoy it and depending on how soon I finish it, it may actually move up on my list.

10. Crusader Kings III is a game I still don't fully understand how to play but I have a better understanding than I did with CK2! And despite not fully comprehending everything, I still found myself hopelessly addicted playing hours upon hours.
[/LIST]

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] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
5. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
6. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
7. [PS4] [Game Creation] [Media Molecule] Dreams
8. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
9. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
10. [PC] [Grand strategy] [Paradox Interactive] Crusader Kings III

 

[megalowho]

There's a good amount that I haven't yet played or have only played small amounts of, but plenty of good stuff to highlight as well.

1. Hades (PC)
Masterful gamefeel, story structure, characterization, progression, artwork and sound, all designed cohesively to fit the genre and build upon the family drama at the core of Greek mythology. It's great while you're discovering how everything works, great as you steadily gain competency and power, great whenever there's downtime to tinker and chat with the locals and great after you have the understanding and skill to shape runs on the fly and adapt. Great value as well, with over 100 hours clocked and counting.

2. Crusader Kings III (PC)
A deep and rewarding historical epic that's as much a role playing game as it is grand strategy. Polished and fully featured out of the gate, with a campaign tutorial and a snappy, informative UI to help parse it all out. The stronger focus on characterization is welcome and only makes the many stories, traits and decisions that organically unfold across the highs and lows of your dynasty even richer and more memorable.

3. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (PS4)
Head spinning storytelling and ambitious sci-fi world building that entertains as it unfolds and sticks the landing. Still mulling it over months after completion. The arcade style strategy missions grow surprisingly engrossing, with pleasing audiovisual feedback and a palpable sense of overwhelming odds. The cast is excellent regardless of language choice and the soundtrack is one of the standouts of the year.

4. Half-Life: Alyx (PC)
A landmark title for VR, from Valve, and a showcase for what makes both the medium and the developer great. Variety, immersion, voice acting, pacing, it's all top notch and tactile and an experience worth having if you have a compatible headset.

5. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4)
Still the compelling crime drama with absurd comedy vignettes and hours of side content you know and love, but the departure to turn based RPG manifests thematically as well as the endearing cast grapples with personal growth, societal issues and the meaning of heroism in an unjust world alongside karaoke breaks and diaper gang fights.

6. Desperados III (PC)
A game for stealth connoisseurs and unabashed save scummers. Squad based tactics play out over elaborate maps while simultaneously scratching that Hitman itch. Every time I sit with it it sucks me in with classic western atmosphere, smooth animation and meticulously designed mission structure, where every enemy placement or encounter is a puzzle of observation to plan, perfect and execute.

7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC)
A transportive and heartfelt platformer that smartly builds upon the successes of its predecessor. Animations are expressive, the artwork is lush, the controls are dialed in and the metroidvania progression is expertly designed.

8. Fuser (PC)
The rare music game that prioritizes player expression and creativity over reflexes and patterns. Mixing records feels natural and flexible, with Harmonix's track blending technology and instrument toolkit producing impressive results. Social challenges and customization unlocks are nice additions to the package.

9. Ghost of Tsushima (PS4)
Follows the open world action adventure blueprint to an extent but through feel, setting and tone it carves its own niche and ultimately leaves a lasting impression. Beautiful art direction, enjoyable combat and inspired navigation mechanics. Have only scratched the surface of Legends mode but its inclusion only makes me appreciate the game that much more.

10. Cyberpunk 2077 (PC)
I have a list of issues with Cyberpunk 2077 but still found it largely compelling for dozens of hours and legitimately excellent when firing on all cylinders. The sheer artistry in the environmental details, design of the city and characters goes a long way. There's a nice flow between gunplay, melee, movement and hacking, and there's enough standout performances and scenarios to overcome the offputting elements and depict a layered dystopian ecosystem that's heavy on depravity but still has some heart kicking around.

And some honorable mentions:

• Persona 5 Royal (PS4) - It's Persona 5 with a few nice additional touches and extra time. Still a great game
• Wide Ocean Big Jacket (PC) - A cozy slice of life camping trip that goes down easy and lingers afterwards
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) - Haven't checked back in a while but was in it for months
• There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension (PC) - Good adventure game with lots of puzzle variety and jokes
• The Procession To Calvary (PC) - Good adventure game with lots of renaissance art and jokes
• The Room VR: A Dark Matter (PC) - The other essential VR game of the year
• Manifold Garden (Switch) - A beautiful and meditative first person puzzler that unfolds like a fractal
• Paradise Killer (Switch) - Vaporwave afterlife aesthetics and adventure mystery narratives are definitely in my wheelhouse
• Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! (PC) - A fresh twist on CSD with quality of life improvements and a strong sense of progression
• Exos Heroes (Mobile) - Genshin Impact is solid but this was easily my most played mobile RPG of 2020

1. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
2. [PC] [Grand strategy] [Paradox Interactive] Crusader Kings III
3. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
4. [PC] [Shooter] [Valve] Half-Life: Alyx
5. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
6. [PC] [RTS] [Mimimi Games] Desperados III
7. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
8. [PC] [Rhythm] [Harmonix] Fuser
9. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
10. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
11. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
12. [PC] [Visual Novel] [Turnfollow] Wide Ocean Big Jacket
13. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
14. [PC] [Adventure] [Draw Me A Pixel] There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension
15. [PC] [Adventure] [Joe Richardson] The Procession To Calvary
16. [PC] [Puzzle] [Fireproof Games] The Room VR: A Dark Matter
17. [Switch] [Puzzle] [William Chyr Studio] Manifold Garden
18. [Switch] [Adventure] [Kaizen Game Works] Paradise Killer
19. [PC] [Simulation] [Vertigo Gaming] Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3
20. [Mobile] [RPG] [Line Games] Exos Heroes

 

[Trucy Wright]

1. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
2. [PC] [RPG] [Omocat] OMORI
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
4. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
5. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
6. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
7. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
8. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
9. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake

1- GOTY: Yakuza: Like a Dragon:

my absolute favorite game this year! the story had me laughing and crying, the gameplay was so unique and addictive, the characters were extremely will written, whenever they talked as I walk down the streets I was interested to hear what they had to say, they had such a realistic bond that made me feel like they cared about each other therefore I cared about them, I already want to play it again haha! but I will probably have to wait for that ps5 version upgrade :P, tdlr: wholesome hopeful game that saved my 2020.

2- Runnerup: Omori:

another RPG lol! this year had so many great RPGs I'm so happy! Omori is an amazing game, the way it presents its themes and characters, the gamplay and art, the whole package is just lovely, still playing it but so far it's amazing.

3- Spiderman: Miles Morales:

I have no other reason besides I just love my boy Miles so much.

4- Hades:

what hasn't been said already? this game is just perfect, the story, the characters, the artstyle, the music and gameplay. everything about it is amazing, the only problem I have is sometimes the gameplay can get tedious, but only sometimes lol, its amazing otherwise.

5- Paper Mario: The Origami King

I had a blast with this, super cute gameplay + loved the artstyle and music.

6- Final Fantasy VII Remake:

amazing remake! loved all the new additions and side stuff is really cute! the finale was a bit underwhelming but everything is lovely.

7- Animal Crossing: New Horizons:

perfect quarantine game lol, played it for 300+ hours but truth must be said, it needs a lot of improvement in: decorating an island (takes literally forever to do), online gameplay, villagers personalities and more.

8- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

still playing this one but I'm loving the story + artsyle A LOT.

9- Resident Evil 3 Remake

love my girl Jill! but the game was too short.


I hope I did everything correctly lol, this would be my first GOTY voting in Era :D

 

[bottledfox]

edit: Remaking list

 

[TheSentry42]

Hades is so good I can't stop playing it to actually play other great games that came out in 2020 so that I can add them to this list.

I'll get to the others later...

1. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
3. [Switch] [Platformer] [Nintendo] Super Mario 3D All-Stars
4. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
   

 

[Vito]

I only played these 4 2020 games last year lmao.

FFVII: What can I say? It's the remake that surpassed my wildest imagination. Give me more please. I... Need it...
TLoU2: The most polished videogame I have ever played. Gameplay is a huge improvement over the first game. Good story.
RE3: Short but great. I liked this more than RE:2.
SM3D: Portable Super Mario 64. Enough said.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
4. [Switch] [Platformer] [Nintendo] Super Mario 3D All-Stars
   

 

[Rory]

I made it rhough the early phase of the pandemic thanks to ACNH. I had a very tough year dealing with light depression and everything. Fears still haunt me to this day. This game really helped me. Although most of its latest content is lost to me, as I am more of a grind gamer, I still spent many hours in the game decorating my island. Especially during those periods.

Miles Morales is not only a good game in itself, but comes with a rather refreshing cast/set up. High variety in characters and backgrounds. I loved that its exactly what the SpiderVerse needed. Either way, the game itself was rather accessibility friendly, I loved how they included a variety of personalities. It felt good and complete, had a super battle system that was even more fun than "SpiderMan Remastered".

It never seemed to drag, was set up with many details had super sidequests albeit they should have been played out more creative.

Spiderman Remastered was good, its controlls and battle system seemed rather disappointing, the story while it had been told so many times was set up very nicely, so that you did not get bored. Side quests were more creative, but it was disappointing that you couldn't play Morales as spider man even a tiny bit. It was nice to have scenes with MJ and MM without powers, but I personally found them to be mostly frustrating. (It was cool in the cooperation sequences.)

Yakuza I did not experience first hand but as backseat gamer, it was cool to watch. I liked the characters and the battlesystem. I loved the main cast and its message is another bonus. It was my first yakuza game.

ALBA was a lucky hit, i just found it because I got 3 month for free. Either way: The games design is fantastic, i love the message it sends (to kids) to watch their nature more and all in all story and gameplay really convinced me. It was disappointing that sound was necessary for many puzzles. Not very accessibility friendly. That was a true bummer, but the main game can be aced either way.

RF4 is a genius game, I loved the original so much but sadly its replay value is rather low if you ask me. I didnt finish my second run, but if you have never experienced it before this is a must play title.

Last of us 2 was good. Not much to say. Very accessible!

friends of mineral town surely is a good game, somehow it didn't catch me for long. :(

i have not yet played doraemon version

1. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
2. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
3. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
4. [PC] [Adventure] [ustwo games] Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
5. [Switch] [RPG] [Marvelous] Rune Factory 4 Special
6. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Spider-Man: Remastered
7. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
8. [Switch] [Simulation] [Marvelous Interactive] Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town

 

[Mung]

1. Final Fantasy VII Remake: An amazing re-imagining of Midgar. SE managed to fully capture the spirit of the original whilst massively fleshing out the city and characters. As a big fan of the original, this remake went beyond what I could have hoped for.

2. Ghost of Tsushima: Incredible graphics, setting and world. Sucker Punch pulled off something amazing here as a Western dev.

3. Demon's Souls: A remake that fully replicated the brutal challenge of the original with amazing visuals.

4. Astro's Playroom: A magical experience and brilliant showcase for next gen.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
3. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
4. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
   

 

[MoosGoMoo]

1. Half-Life: Alyx
Nothing this year has compared to the feeling of walking around City 17 for the first time in VR. The only slight slip-up was the ending, but even that didn't sour the game for me. Just incredible.

2. The Last of Us: Part II
Not as tight or special as the original, but this dark experience is bold and genuinely harrowing at times.

3. Cyberpunk 2077
Playing it on PC, this was Deus Ex on steroids. Sure it had glitches, crashes and didn't live up to its promised potential, but it's still a fantastic action RPG and I'm sure the sequel will be the real GOAT I was expecting with this one.

4. Spelunky 2
This has flown under the radar this year, in no short part because of Hades, but it's everything the original was and much more. More characters, more lore, more mechanics, more FUCKING INFURIATING DEATHS. I didn't think I wanted this game to exist, but now I'm really glad it did.

5. Hades
The tight, responsive action is second to none. What I really loved was the narrative, focus on characters, and how the reset mechanic of the rougelike genre was actually integrated into the experience. It's still not as good as Spelunky tho.

6. Sackboy's Big Adventure
This game has also flown under the radar. It's basically Sony's version of Super Mario 3D World, and a wonderful evolution of the LittleBigPlanet games. The time trial levels are the real star of the show.

7. Wasteland 3
Take everything I said about Cyberpunk and it basically applies here. Buggy as fuck, loading times long enough to make a sandwich during, and crashes galore. Despite that, it kept me gripped, and is the best apocalyptic RPG out there. Sorry, Fallout.

8.Astro's Playroom
Three hours of pure Playstation nostalgia. As a lifelong gamer, that's all that needs to be said.

9. Demons Souls
Wonderfully faithful to the original and plays as good as ever, but over 10 years later, it definitely made me realise it's one of the weaker Souls games now.

10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Beautiful as ever, with that soundtrack, but lacked the impact of the first game for me. Maybe too big, with too many mechanics. Deserves to be recognised in the number 10 spot, though.


Sidenote: I wanted Mafia: Definitive Edition as my #10, but only Mafia 2: Definitive Edition is showing up?

1. [PC] [Shooter] [Valve] Half-Life: Alyx
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
4. [PC] [Platformer] [Mossmouth] Spelunky 2
5. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
6. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sumo Digital] Sackboy: A Big Adventure
7. [PC] [RPG] [InXile Entertainment] Wasteland 3
8. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
9. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
10. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
    

 

[Aldro]

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales

1. The Last of Us 2 is the game of the generation and impacted my very being as a human.
2. Miles Morales was a fantastic spiderman experience that I loved on both PS4 and PS5.

 

[paraxor]

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
5. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
6. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
8. [PS4] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
9. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
   

 

[demu]

1. Final Fantasy VII Remake: The best combat system I have ever played in a JRPG, absolutely amazing music, great characters, good looking and an interesting twist to the original story. Far and away my favorite game of 2020.

2. Ghost of Tsushima: Breathtaking scenery, fun combat and a simple, yet effective story. The environmental navigation was a genius design decision.

3. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's about time: Best Crash platformer to date. Fantastic looking, great level/world variety and fun, new mechanics.

4. Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Just a good overall package with an even more fun combat than Spider-Man from 2018. The flow between swinging, combat and cutscenes is incredible.

5. Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Beautiful and challenging game that did everything a bit better than its predecessor. Unfortunately the Switch couldn't really handle the game very well, which resulted in numerous crashes.

6. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2: Perfect remake of the old classics with incredibly fun new challenges. The music was as great as ever, with some good new additions.

7. Astro's Playroom: Perfect way to start your PS5 adventure. It was very short, but what I played, saw and felt was amazing. Shout out to the speed runs.

8. Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: Just a fantastic JRPG from 2010 finally on a modern platform. The landscapes of this world were always beautiful, but now even more so. The OST is just brilliant.

9. Bugsnax: Fun little creature catching game with cool mechanics. The characters in this are surprisingly well written and the story kept me interested the whole way through.

10. Fall Guys: The only battle royale game I was ever interested in. Chaotic and fun, at least for a while. Great feeling when you snap a crown.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
3. [PS4] [Platformer] [Toys for Bob] Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
4. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
5. [Switch] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
6. [PS4] [Sports] [Vicarious Visions] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
8. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
9. [PS4] [Adventure] [Young Horses] Bugsnax
10. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
    

 

[AuthenticM]

[deleted, made new post]

 

[Eblo]

Final Fantasy VII Remake
I was absolutely blown away by the refinement and surprises of this game. Square has a history of mischaracterizing Cloud in pretty much every appearance after the original Final Fantasy VII, but this time they nailed him and every other character. Hell House, a weird random encounter in the original game, got amped up to be a dedicated boss fight with characters acknowledging how fucking weird it is to fight a house. The gameplay works as an intuitive hybrid of classic turn based with modern action. The soundtrack is nothing short of phenomenal. There is plenty to digest for both newcomers and diehard fans of the original. Nailed it. I know. Thank you, moving on.

Demon's Souls
I had given the original PS3 game a fair shake multiple times but could not get into it. With My PS5 having come with this remake, I decided to give it one last shot. Now the game is #2 on my 2020 GOTY rankings. While the game has its share of issues that were loyally kept in the remake, the visuals and sound design helped push it into a much better experience. Demon's Souls lends a lot more respect to player choice early on as opposed to Dark Souls and Bloodborne; I see myself replaying this in the near future.

Half-Life: Alyx
I held off on VR for a few years because most of its library seemed to be shovelware demos or conversions of existing games. Alyx appeared to be the first full-length, from-the-ground-up game that could only work in VR. I'd say it delivered on that promise. Alyx finally gets her time in the spotlight, puzzles and combat work really well in VR, and we get some new story and answers that leave Half-Life fans eager to see what's next.

Astro's Playroom
I love 3D platformers, and I love pack-in demo games that are actually good. Astro's Playroom is both! There's tons of love for AAA PlayStation titles and obscure forgotten franchises alike rolled together in a cutesy fun time.

Doom Eternal
This game's gameplay loop takes some getting used to. I'm the type to conserve my big guns for when they're absolutely needed, but that is not how Doom Eternal works. It wants you to cycle through your options frequently. Once I got the hang of that and stopped hoarding things like in JRPGs, the game shone as a throwback arcade experience. Eternal expands upon its predecessor by having more varied locales and art styles while also giving the Doomslayer more traversal options for maneuvering around the environment.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales
The last Spider-Man game won me over with its down-to-earth character motivations and twists. Miles does not quite deliver on those fronts and prefers to coast off of what has been given to it. Traversal is still as fun as ever. More impressive is the game's raytracing performance mode that gives the eye candy of RT and the fluidity of 60fps.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
3. [PC] [Shooter] [Valve] Half-Life: Alyx
4. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
5. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
6. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
   

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

The experience I had with Final Fantasy VII Remake still shakes the foundation of my soul since it was released. As someone who loves the original as her favorite of all time but really dislikes the Compilation in all its forms, this Remake tested my love for FFVII and I came out of it loving Final Fantasy VII even more.

The combat was exquisite. A mix of action combat with turn based command ATB elements rocked my world. It's the most fun I've ever had with an RPG's combat system in my life. There's some room for improvement and examples of that can be cited but the foundation of it all gives this game incredible replay value. I platinumed this game twice and I keep wanting to go back for more.

Kitase and team deserve absolute praise for taking Square Enix's most established story and subverting the expectations of the players instead of just going with the status quo. Turning this game from a simple reboot to a bona-fide remake and sequel combination left a powerful impression on me. The characters were well written, well spoken, and well explored on even more than what the original game did in the Midgar portion of that game.

The game is linear but not In a way that bothered me whatsoever. It was exciting to explore every nook and cranny. Sure, some of the side quests were lacking in substance but they made up for it with enjoyable character banter that left you wanting more.

Looking up into the sky, I saw the plates of Midgar. The steel sky fills me up with hope. It tells me that this 23 year wait was worth it. The beats of the Remake that needed to match and exceed the original did and the new elements injected the Remake saga with more life and purpose. The remixes of original themes along with the new compositions sparked a sense of nostalgia while filling my heart with pure joy.

Perfection was not my expectation. Love and care were my expectations and this first game lived up to the promise that was made. The Unknown Journey will continue but for right now, I will stand still and reflect on this amazing chapter and await an ever evolving crisis.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
   

 

[Terraforce]

1. Persona 5 Royal: Easily the best director's cut for a game I've played. This iteration of Persona 5 fixed virtually every problem I had with the original while adding plenty worth praising on top of that. The original story is shorter and dungeons are condensed, Morgana doesn't time gate the player nearly as much, more persona/abilities/confidants have been added, there are more character moments, etc. And the addition of the new Third Semester is no slog either. This new section gives you more time with characters old and new, and the new final dungeon is easily my favorite in terms of design and music. Persona 5 is a game that was already hard to top, but Royal's finale somehow surpasses the highs of the original. With Royal, Persona 5 has jumped to one of my top ten favorite games of all time.
   
   
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake: What can I say about FF7 Remake that probably hasn't already been stated? For one, the gameplay is the perfect mix of turned based and action combat. The characters are far more developed and better characterized in VII Remake compared to the original. I didn't know anything about Jessie, Biggs, or Wedge in the original, and I didn't even remember Johnny existed, but Remake made them far more endearing characters that continue to stick with me. The ending has its controversy, but the discussion that sparked from the ending speaks for itself in that this is what Nomura, Hashimoto, and the rest of the team wanted to achieve. While still a great game, remakes like Resident Evil 2 Remake come and go, but speculation has still not ceased even almost a year later for VII Remake, and the wait between each "Part" feels more justified when set up in this way.
   
   
3. 13 Sentinels: I had high expectations for the story when starting the game from all the praise it received overseas, and it definitely delivered. This game gave me a Breath of the Wild-like experience in that no other game is like this. No two people will approach the story in the same manner, so revelations and piecing together the overall story will vary based on the selections each player makes. And no order of player the game feels more "right" or "wrong" than the alternatives. The mech combat is also an aspect that wasn't shown off much in preview events so I assumed it might serve as more of a distraction rather than complementing the story, but after beating the game I really enjoyed that aspect of the game as well.
   
   
4. Astro's Playroom: I legitimately believe Astro's Playroom will be a hard to top as my favorite PS5 exclusive game. To date, the game utilizes the Dualsense unlike any other PS5 game, and it uses the controller in a way that doesn't feel just like another gimmick. Whether it's the air blowing around Astro or feeling his little feet stomp on the ground, the Dualsense makes the player feel truly immersed in the world. And beyond just being a "tech demo," the game is a legitimately fun platformer that's even more fun to speedrun.
5. Animal Crossing New Horizons: I've always loved Animal Crossing, but New Horizons feels like a legitimate step forward for the series. Items have more utility, player agency is greatly expanded, and there's more things than ever pulling the player back into the game. There's some shortcomings (less Villager dialogue options, slow rollout of updates, meager multiplayer offerings) but overall it's still a fantastic game that will probably be even better come next year.
6. Yakuza: Like a Dragon: Solid characters, gameplay, and an engrossing story. This is Yakuza firing on all cylinders and then some.
7. Spider-Man Miles Morales: A shorter experience than the original Spider-Man PS4, but this is to the game's benefit. The story doesn't overstay its welcome, and provides a lot of improvements to combat that make it hard to go back to the first game.
8. Ghost of Tsushima: A lot of people call this game Assassin's Creed but with samurai, but the game feels a lot more than just that. The story of the Ghost is a great one, and the combat is something to be admired.
9. Paper Mario The Origami King: First I will say that the combat is pretty bad and incredibly repetitive. You can faceroll and spam your way to victory in most encounters, and you are always flooded with money. That being said, the story, characters, music, and environments help add to the experience significantly. The bosses also help justify the combat system a lot more.
10. Genshin Impact: Not just a good gacha game, but a legitimately great game in general. The story is something in particular I didn't expect to be so engrossing as is often the case in gacha games. The world is still fun to explore and there are still plenty of things left for me to do even 250 hours later, and the continuous content updates keep pulling me back in.

1. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
4. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
5. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
6. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
7. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
8. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
9. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
10. [PS4] [Action RPG] [miHoYo] Genshin Impact

 

[irriducibile87]

1. The Last of Us Part 2
Not only a great sequel to what arguably was the best game of the last generation of consoles, but also an excellent survival horror / stealth game on its own.
The gameplay, the animations and the attention to every little detail really elevate this game for me. Another masterpiece from Naughty Dog.

2. Ghost of Tsushima
Truly the biggest surprise of the year for me. Sucker Punch really knocked it out the park.
Beautiful world to explore, extremely fun and engaging combat system and a story and characters that really work.
I cannot wait for the inevitable sequel.

3. Demon's Souls
A perfect and faithful remake of what started a new genre. It was really fun and nostalgic to relive it all.
Also a great showcase of what the PS5 can do even in its first few months.

4. Persona 5 Royal
The best JRPG of this generation got even bigger and better. There is really not much else to say. Atlus always delivering.

5. 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels is a great visual novel and also a really fun and entertaining strategy game.
The story is absolutely phenomenal and how it perfectly fits it all togheter with its non-linear structure is mind blowing.

6. Spider Man: Miles Morales
The game is a ton of fun and while not very long it certainly is a very good improvement on the already great first game.
The new "powers" are also a really entertaining addition to the combat system.

7. Doom Eternal
A genuinely fantastic FPS, taking all of the elements which made Doom 2016 great and adding various new gameplay concepts in a way which makes the entire game feel fresh all over again. Such a fun FPS to play, by far the best of 2020.
Unfortunately the story was too bloated, especially because it wasn't particulary good.

8. Nioh 2
The combat system is really great and it improves very well the excellent original game.
Too bad that the whole fusion system and the post-ending "upgrading" of the equipment is a mess and really confusing and it really detracts from the experience.

9. Ori and the Will of Wisps
A really beautiful metroidvania game.
The art style and graphics are mesmerizing and the OST is excellent, also the combat and platforming sequences are challenging and entertaining.

10. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Up until Chapter 16 this was probabily going to be my GOTY.
So many feelings and emotions after more than 20 years, the first 90% of the game is perfect and it really moved me deeply by faithfully and lovingly recreating and enhancing the original game, which was my first ever JRPG and what made me fall in love with the genre.
But then those few final chapters happened and they ruined it all. So disappointed and sad with those last few hours.
It still stays in the top 10 because of all the joy those first 16 chapters brought me, but Nomura really ruined it all at the end.

Honorable Mention: Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - Just wanted to add XC here, to say that it was fun revisiting the game with the improvements of the Definitive Edition. The original flaws are still there (especially the combat), but they improved it with some QOL changes.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
3. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
5. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
6. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
7. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
8. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
9. [XSX] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
10. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
    

 

[djinn]

Looks like Last of Us 2 has number one, with FFVIIR coming second.

 

[Dr. Mario]

Looks like Last of Us 2 has number one, with FFVIIR coming second.

Click to shrink...

Although TLOU2 winning is to be expected, the vast majority of votes in these things won't come until the final three days. A lot of voters want to spend as much time shoring up backlog as possible. And these are usually the heavy duty, multiplatform gamers that can skew it into a different direction.

 

[Suede]

Final Fantasy VII Remake

I don't think any game has made me feel such emotions, felt such pure joy playing it at times. This game is almost perfect to me, up there with the best remakes and has one of the best soundtracks ever.

The Last of Us Part II

Probably one of the most intense games I've played. I think the story is more interesting than the the original, which I'm a big fan of as well. The game is insanely polished, gameplay is much more improved over the original, some of the best action/stealth gameplay up there with MGS2 for me.

Resident Evil 3 Remake

I didn't enjoy this as much as RE2R, as I was disappointed how linear it is once you get past the opening hour or so and it's overall lacking in content, but it's still fun to play and it's quite polished. Jill is also still the best protagonist in the series.

Cyberpunk 2077

Despite how terrible the launch was and all the controversy surrounding it, I still had a great time with Cyberpunk 2077. I really like the characters and story, the gunplay is also surprisingly decent. The terrible bugs, though, bring it down. I had so many crashes and weird bugs happen on my playthrough, the open-world aspect of it is also not finished. Despite all this, there is still a pretty good game in there that I really enjoyed.

Streets of Rage 4

The best Streets of Rage since SoR2.

Doom Eternal

I didn't enjoy this as much as Doom 2016; the level design isn't as good and I didn't like the more focus on the narrative, but the gameplay is better than ever, I don't think there is anything else like it out there.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [XBO] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
4. [XBO] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt Red] Cyberpunk 2077
5. [XBO] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
6. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
   

 

[endlessflood]

1. The Last Of Us Part II - Not just the best game of 2020, I think it had the best story across any medium in 2020. What's most interesting to me is that the story could only have been properly realised in video game format, because you (as the player) are forced to take responsibility for the things that you do in the game. It turns a mirror on you in a way that wouldn't be possible in a book or movie/TV show, and that is central to the narrative. On top of that it has amazing graphics, gameplay, animation, atmosphere, art direction, voice acting... This is one of the greatest games ever made. I've had long, deep discussions about this game with my friends that I've never had about any form of media, let alone video games.

2. Ghost Of Tsushima - In nearly any other year this would be a shoe-in for best game (I rate it the third best game of the entire generation). It has the most fun combat of any game I've ever played, and that's wedded to incredible graphics, amazing controls, a stunning setting, great voice acting, and possibly the best art direction I've ever seen. I'm not normally one to mess with photo modes, but I found myself taking screenshots every few minutes in GoT, because it was simply so stunning to behold. On top of that, the free co-op mode, Legends, which was released out of nowhere, turned out to be absolutely amazing too.

3. Spider-Man Remastered - I never played the original on PS4, so playing it with a ray traced New York on the PS5 was incredible. It felt like the ultimate comic book game: a perfect recreation of what happened on the comic book pages, just spun into video game form.

4. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - a great game with great characters. The only thing putting it behind Spider-Man Remastered was that Remastered was a much bigger game in terms of both length and scope, but MM had its own unique charm and it was an absolute pleasure to play as well.

5. Resident Evil 3 Remake - As a huge fan of the original I couldn't wait for this. While it wasn't quite as good as the RE2 Remake, mostly because RE2R pinched Nemesis for itself and left MrX for RE3R (effectively), it was still an amazing game that really took me back, while also feeling fresh. The fina boss fight was a huge upgrade over the original too. Just a shame they didn't save the iconic line for that moment, and wasted it on a meaningless hallway section instead. I will never be able to understand that choice.

6. Star Wars Squadrons - For years I've wanted a new X-Wing/TIE Fighter game in the vein of the originals. Well in 2020 we got it. Yes, it was a lower budget, shorter game, but it was still amazing. I hope its success means we finally get a AAA budget version soon, but it was an amazing place to start from. Bravo Motive.

7. Astro's Playroom - I'm not normally a big fan of platformers, but playing this game really took me back. It felt like a bit of a guilty pleasure, but it was very well done, and I enjoyed it way more than I'd been expecting to.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
3. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Spider-Man: Remastered
4. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
5. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
6. [PS4] [Space combat] [Motive Studios] Star Wars: Squadrons
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
   

 

[BaraSailey]

1. Ghost of Tsushima - A beautiful game with stunning art direction and a solid story.

2. Cuphead - I technically played this for the first time on Switch earlier in the year, but the second it was released on PS4 I bought it and played it again. A charming and challenging game that gave me hours mixed with frustration and fun.

3. Hades - I usually hate rogue-likes but the setting and all the high praise it received had me interested. I loved this game and the way the story progresses to keep you engaged and invested in the gameplay loop. The gameplay itself is also great!

4. The Last of Us Part II - This was a truly emotional ride from start to finish, and the gameplay was a great improvement on the first game. I'm still not sure if I feel this game needed to be made, but the journey was truly unforgettable.

5. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - This was a fun, short joyride through Spider-Man's NYC. I really enjoyed the combat and Mile's abilities, as well as the story.

6. Nioh 2 - A great follow up to the original game with some new additions to the combat mechanics. The story was very forgettable, but then again I don't play these types of games for the story usually anyway.

7. Persona 5 Royal - I usually don't like to include re-releases of games I've already played but I absolutely loved this game and think it is really the only way to play P5 now. They added a lot of quality of life improvements and I enjoyed the new characters quite a bit.

8. Final Fantasy VII Remake - I have never played the original FF7 so this was my experience with it. I loved the combat system of this game and really enjoyed the story and characters. I'm looking forward to the next part of the story!

9. Demon's Souls - I have a love/hate relationship with this game. It's visually incredible and breathtaking at times, but some of the bosses felt less about skill than in other Dark Souls games. Overall I had a good time experiencing the game that started it all when it came to Soulsborne games.

10. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope - This was a fun horror story with a much better twist than the first game. I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere, as well as the relationships that played out between the characters.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
2. [PS4] [Shooter] [StudioMDHR] Cuphead
3. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
4. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
5. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
6. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
7. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
8. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
9. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
10. [PS4] [Interactive drama] [Supermassive Games] The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope

 

[Transistor]

The Last of Us Part II - I can't remember the last time I felt this much emotion when playing a game. The acting, the writing, the animations, the sound design, the music. All of it was simply just phenomenal.

Hades - I'm a huge Supergiant fan, and Hades has easily moved up to my #2 favorite work of theirs (nothing will replace my namesake). It's rare that I actually enjoy a roguelike, so when I learned that Hades was one, I was a little bummed. But the writing and the variations in the gameplay just kept me going back for more. Not to mention Darren Korb's excellent score.

Demon's Souls - A gutpunch of nostalgia. Demon's Souls is the game that saved my love of gaming back on the PS3, during a time where I was losing interest in the hobby. Seeing the game brought into the current generation with love and care allowed me to fall in love with it all over again.

Ghost of Tsushima - Sucker Punch knocked their vision of a samurai game out of the park. The open world of Tsushima Island was just the right size and dotted with just enough content that it didn't overstay its welcome, like many open world games do (I'm looking at you Ubisoft). Great combat, interesting characters, fantastic acting. Just an all around delight. I can't wait for a sequel

Final Fantasy VII Remake - I just recently got done playing through this again on hard, and I think I appreciate it more the second time around. The project is amazingly ambitious and I never thought I would see Midgar fully fleshed out like this. And the soundtrack. Oh my god the soundtrack. A perfect blend of old and new.

Doom Eternal - Balls to the wall, demon shooting action. This sequel ramped the action up to 11 and never stopped going. While I felt that the story was a major step back, the gameplay more than made up for it. Even more so than its predecessor, Doom Eternal manages to capture that classic FPS action with a modern feel. Rip and tear, until it is done.

Astro's Playroom - When I first got my PS5, I figured I'd dick around in the playroom for a few mintues before jumping into Demon's Souls. What I didn't expect is that I would find the best platformer game I've played in probably a decade. Everything about the game is an absolute delight. The controls are tight and precise, the dualsense features are perfectly executed, the levels provide a fun enough challenge for everyone without being frustrating, and the music has me bopping up and down in my chair like a mad man.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Same web slinging action with some new twists thanks to the ability to play as Miles. While shorter than the predecessor, I actually felt the length was perfect (especially for the price point). Like Ghost of Tsushima, I appreciate these open worlds that don't span for hundreds of miles. The characters and story are good (although one of the villains is kinda bland. You know the one). And god damn the game is a looker. Although I'm sad I didn't have that glorious Performance RT mode available to play at launch.

Dreams - Media Molecule loves to experiment. And they love to let us experiment, too. Dreams lets us do exactly that. If you can dream it, you can make it. And if you don't have the time to make it? You can play the levels of someone who has. The only problem I have with Dreams is that the community has dropped off quite a bit since release. Hopefully a PS5 version will come in the future (ideally on PS+) to help breathe new life into the community.

Bugsnax - Bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger. Bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger bunger. Bunger bunger bunger. Bunger bunger? Bunger! OK, seriously, though. I wasn't expecting to enjoy Bugsnax near as much as I did. With a cast of loveable and diverse characters, Bugsnax left me with a smile on my face. And those bugsnax are just so adorable. Fantastic voice acting, too, which really surprised me.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
4. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
5. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
6. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
8. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
9. [PS4] [Game Creation] [Media Molecule] Dreams
10. [PS5] [Adventure] [Young Horses] Bugsnax
    

 

[B-Dubs]

Looks like Last of Us 2 has number one, with FFVIIR coming second.

Click to shrink...

Let's not do this, ok?

 

[Brainfreeze]

Honorable Mentions:

• Doom Eternal The Ancient Gods Part 1 - Amazing DLC, but just an expansion of a fantastic game that already made my top 10, so I didn't want to nominate them both.
• Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 - Great remaster, but not much more than that.
• Paper Mario: The Origami King - A pretty, charming game with exactly one powerful story mode, a very slow start, and gameplay that stays interesting just long enough to finish the main story.
• Call of Duty: Warzone - The Gulag is fantastic. The rest is 200 gb of standard Call of Duty action.
• Rocket Arena - A fun, smash bros style twist on the arena shooter genre that didn't have a large enough playerbase to support its meta's potential.
• Spiritfarer - I only played the demo so I can't speak to the overall quality with confidence, but what I saw was beautifully animated and heartwarming.
• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout - A fun leap forward for the battle royale genre that was fun for a weekend, but focuses on a random party atmosphere more than tight platforming, which limits its potential.
• Diabotical - A faithful Quake-style arena shooter that's a blast to play, but lacks the strong aesthetic and originality of the games it's paying homage to.

10. Frog Factions "Hop's Iconic Cap" DLC - In a surprising new twist for the franchise, Twinbeard Studios released a new piece of contect that ISN'T secretly a Frog Fractions sequel. However, it is still a very iconic cap, so it makes the list.

9. Amnesia: Rebirth - Weaker mechanics than the Dark Descent, and less interesting writing than Soma, but still a strong horror game with lots of memorable moments and a fantastic art style, especially the last few levels.

8. Resident Evil 3 Remake - This game never stood a chance of living up to Resident Evil 2 Remake, and the cut content hurts the value proposition, but what's there is still a wonderfully rendered creation of a chaotic Raccoon City full of great environments and tight survival action. I played through it all in one sitting and I had a blast the whole way through.

7. Spider-man: Miles Morales - In many ways it's just an (occasionally buggy) large expansion for the first Insomniac Spider-man game, but the changes they did make are impactful in all the best ways. The Stealth saw a nice upgrade from the new invisibility power and electric mines, and we saw properly ramped up stealth challenges to match. Combat added a satisfying twist in the form of Miles' new Venom powers, which I hope becomes a staple of the core fighting action loop. And swinging is as satisfying as ever. The story is a great follow up that, while short and a little cliche, does the character of Miles Morales justice. The final post-game mission is everything I could hope for from a Spider-man game, and I couldn't have asked for much more from this feel-good adventure.

6. Valorant - The first competitive FPS game to really put up a fight to the juggernaut that is CSGO came out swinging, and has stayed strong ever since. A clean and clear art style coupled with a ton of mechanical streamlining and quality of life upgrades really carved out a niche for Valorant that has made it a blast to learn. It's still working out some kinks - mainly in some of the map design, character balance, and how the monetization hurts the experience of more casual players - but I'm still excited to see where it goes in the future.

5. Carrion - An insanely inventive game that plays unlike any game I've ever played before. The mere act of moving the monster around the environment is a blast, and ripping apart both unsuspecting scientists and reinforced mech suits is equally fun and satisfying. The environmental puzzles can be a bit simplistic, and the levels can be confusing to navigate, but overall the design is strong throughout its roughly 6 hour playtime.

4. Ghostrunner - I have almost no problems with this game; the writing is strong (full of appropriately Cyberpunk lingo), the story is engaging, the movement is enthralling, the level design and enemy encounters are consistently clever, and the soundtrack is an absolute all-time great. I played through the game in one day, despite my hands starting to hurt from all of the intense platforming, just because I couldn't put the game down. My only complaint with Ghostrunner is that some of the Cybervoid levels, while appropriately slowing down the pace, have disappointing puzzles and take away all of your movement options, hurting the overall flow of the game. However, you can skip them on replays, so I'm excited to go back to this game at some point and play around with speed running (especially T.O.M.).

3. The Last of Us Part 2 - Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, well animated games ever made. Couple that with nearly flawless sound design and an insane attention to detail, and we can say with confidence that Naughty Dog has some of the most talented developers in the industry. The combat also saw some major updates over past Naughty Dog games that really puts it in a field of its own. Deep characters with exquisite performances go the extra mile to make this world feel immersive to a degree rarely seen in this medium. However, the game is hurt by pacing issues (too much scavenging, for one), an overly long campaign, and an extremely ambitious but sometimes cliche and uneven story that keeps it from reaching its full potential. However, huge shout-out to the thorough accessibility features.

2. DOOM ETERNAL - I wasn't a fan of Doom 2016, but Doom Eternal truly ramps everything up to 11 and it results in one of the finest campaigns the FPS genre has every seen. Taking a page from the character action genre, Doom Eternal features enhanced movement, deeper weapons, and a far more complex cast of enemies - alongside impeccable design for the battle arenas - which forces you to constantly juggle multiple weapons, subweapons, timers, ammo types, modifications, target switching, and your character's position to stay alive in the fight. Pack in much enhanced environment design (with a ton of great color usage and wonderous skyboxes) and an absolutely killer soundtrack, and I not only feel like I'm living in the world of my favorite metal albums, but you have a game that captures my flowstate unlike any game I've ever played before (with a perfect mix of platforming and secret hunting between encounters to keep me from tiring out). I couldn't possibly care less about the lore, but knowing it's there and choosing to ignore it to focus on ripping and tearing makes me feel even more like the Doom Slayer than I would have ever expected. I had a couple of annoying glitches, the end boss was a bit underwhelming, and the homebase was a little disappointing, but none of that matter when I'm flying through the air on a flaming meathook I shot out of my super shotgun. In almost any other year, this would have been my GOTY. But this wasn't just any other year...

1. Half-Life: Alyx - The true Mario 64 moment for VR. Half-Life: Alyx is not a perfect game; far from it. Melee combat is missing, combat and exploration are compromised by the need to support multiple locomotion options, and various VR hardware limitations prevent some activity from feeling as seamless as it should. And yet, it speaks volumes that a Half-Life follow-up more than a decade in the making managed to not just meet, but exceed the monumental expectations it was carrying on its shoulders before it was even a spark in some designer's eye. Standing in the faithful adaptation of City 17 was like coming home. The environments may technically be less detailed than what we saw in The Last of Us Part 2, and yet I've never felt so grounded in a digital space in my entire life. Gravity gloves made exploring an absolute delight - even if I was picking up and searching a few too many similar looking objects. The writing was funny and witty and concise in a way that extremely few games manage, and the ending was deeply affecting. The voice work was superb and the combat, despite the limited arsenal, did not disappoint. Crouching behind a digital car in my living room and frantically opening the door to look for ammo while the intelligent Combine AI flank my position is a visceral experience unlike anything I've ever played before. Searching for headcrabs in the dark with nothing but a tiny flashlight on my wrist, a pistol clip in my left hand and the gun in my right, running dangerously low on ammo, waiting to frantically relase my empty clip, jam the the new one into my gun and pull back the slide as quickly as possible when I find an enemy carried an almost palpable sense of fear that even the best horror games struggle to match. Even the tension of dropping equipment I need to free up a hand to open a door, not knowing what's waiting for me on the other side, had a unique tension that changed the way I think about games. Alyx has absolute top tier level design and world building that forces scenarios like this regularly, and it's hard to imagine many non-VR situations that can compete with the best this game has to offer. My only concern left after playing Alyx is that Valve is going to make us wait another 10 years before we get a sequel.

0. Slippi - As an unofficial mod, Slippi doesn't technically qualify for the ResetEra GOTY list, but it still deserves more than just an honorable mention from me. Super Smash Bros. Melee is probably my favorite game of all time, and yet multiple aspects of my personal life have kept me from enjoying in person tournaments as much as I have hoped to. 2020 destroying large group gatherings could have killed that dream for good - and then along came Slippi. Featuring maybe the best netcode I've ever experienced, blazingly fast matchmaking, and an extremely comprehensive data collection and replay feature that makes analyzing matches easier than I could have ever imagined, Slippi has finally transformed Melee into a game for everyone. I've played Slippi almost every single day since its release, and it's turned Melee into the game I've easily spent the most amount of time thinking about in the past year. Slippi has kept my favorite competitive gaming community alive when we feared the worst, and also given me the opportunity to be engaged with it in a way I never expected to be. I'll forever be grateful for what this mod has done for me and my favorite game.

1. [PC] [Shooter] [Valve] Half-Life: Alyx
2. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
4. [PC] [Action] [One More Level] Ghostrunner
5. [PC] [Horror] [Phobia Game Studio] Carrion
6. [PC] [Shooter] [Riot Games] Valorant
7. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
8. [PC] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
9. [PC] [Survival horror] [Frictional Games] Amnesia: Rebirth
10. [PC] [Action] [Twinbeard Studios] Frog Fractions
11. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1
12. [PC] [Sports] [Vicarious Visions] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
13. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
14. [PC] [Shooter] [Infinity Ward] Call of Duty: Warzone
15. [PC] [Shooter] [Final Strike Games] Rocket Arena
16. [PC] [Adventure] [Thunderlotus] Spiritfarer
17. [PC] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
    

 

[djinn]

Let's not do this, ok?

Click to shrink...

Do what, exactly? I'm discussing votes.

 

[Morrigan]

All screenshots are mine, unless otherwise noted

Nioh 2

What more can I say beyond what I already wrote about Nioh 1 back in 2017, except that it improved on the game in just about every way? Sadly, the improvements aren't super major or drastic or anything, but the QoL improvements are still welcomed. And the character creator is one of the best I've ever seen so far.

Demon's Souls

It's fucking Demon's Souls except prettier than ever before. Yeah, that alone makes it GOTY. Because it's fucking Demon's Souls.

The Last of Us Part II

Blew me away completely. It obliterates the first one, which was already excellent. Abby is one of the boldest creative choice I've seen, and it just worked so well. That boss battle, jesus fucking christ. I didn't want to. I just didn't want to. You know the one. Well, the two, honestly.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Beautiful Metroidvania that borrows heavily from Hollow Knight but in a good way, and a stunning OST too. And, this game made me cry. Like straight-out bawling at times. People say TLoU2 is misery porn but it's actually fairly bittersweet in comparison to how depressing and cynical Ori 2 can get. After being lukewarm on the initial game and finding the sequel description to be dubious, I'm happy to eat crow, this game is amazing.

Ghost of Tsushima

This one surprised me, I had fairly moderate expectations. The game obviously looks stunning especially on PS5 on an OLED TV, but I was mostly very wary on the combat, but it's pretty dang fun especially on Hard mode. Parries are very satisfying, the stand-off mode is a lot of fun, the story is strong and individual character stories are also very solid. Although this game is very bleak, cruel, and depressing (another one that makes TLoU2 look optimistic), beyond the fact that You Can Pet the Fox; but hey, grimdark is my jam after all. Oh, and the free coop mode DLC is surprisingly addictive and a lot of fun.

Streets of Rage 4

Very fun with friends, and faithful to the spirit of the original series. Plus Cherry is a really cool character and very fun to play as. Needs more of that synthwave music, the Das Mörtal track is baller.
(Screenshots by Hispanicguy)

Panzer Dragoon Remake

An HD remake of a Saturn classic? Yes please. Very short game but fun and pleasant and hit me right in the nostalgia gut.

The Pathless

It's pretty and relaxing. Fun traversal and puzzles. The character looks super cool. I won't revisit it to clear all the towers or whatever, but I had a good time with it and I appreciate that it was made. Also: you can pet your eagle :3

Godfall

A surprisingly decent action game. It has some glaring problems, I won't lie, but I had fun with it. I think the 6 or so Metacritic is fairly harsh, it's a decent 7-7.5 for me.
(First 2 screenshots by Sebmugi, 3rd from official website)

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

I had some decent amount of fun playing this with my SO, but holy cow this game has issues. From the ridiculous performance, to the terrible character designs and sheer bloat and clutter, to the terrible ratio of fun vs annoying to play character roster... this isn't a very good game, all in all, and the Wii U original game was much better. But I'm a sucker for some couch coop... -_-
(Screenshots from Nintendo Life review)

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
2. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
4. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
5. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
6. [PS4] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
7. [PC] [Shooter] [MegaPixel Studio] Panzer Dragoon: Remake
8. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Giant Squid] The Pathless
9. [PS5] [Action RPG] [Counterplay Games] Godfall
10. [Switch] [Hack and slash] [Omega Force] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
    

 

[Morrigan]

[PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
[PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
[PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
[PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls

Click to shrink...

[XBO] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
[PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
[PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
[XSX] [Shooter] [The Coalition] Gears 5
[PC] [Flight simulator] [Asobo Studio] Microsoft Flight Simulator
[PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
[PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
[PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
[XSX] [Racing] [Playground Games] Forza Horizon 4
[PC] [Turn-based strategy] [Splash Damage] Gears Tactics

Click to shrink...

The Last of Us Part 2 gets my vote.

Honerable mention Final Fantasy VII Remake.



[PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
[PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls

Click to shrink...

Guys please read the rules. Your ballot won't be counted without comments on the games.

 

[zashga]

1. Hades -- It comes as no surprise to anyone who played Hades in early access that Hades is brilliant. This year's 1.0 release added more of everything that makes Hades great: achingly beautiful art, thoughtful writing, superb music and voice acting, and intricately crafted gameplay and progression systems. Hades is a complete package with production values unheard of in the roguelike genre. It belongs in the pantheon alongside the all-time greats that you can spend dozens of hours playing, see ostensibly everything there is to see, and still want to play one more run.
2. Factorio -- Another game that finally hit 1.0 this year, Factorio was polished to a mirror sheen over its long early access period before being released. It's a behemoth of a building game, with a simple set of resources giving rise to more and more complex constructions culminating in a rocket launch. Or a spider tank and train-mounted artillery. The expansive tech tree branches in ways that are often complete optional, but allow you to better automate and defend your ever-growing, planet-devouring factory. Crisp sprites and a grimy aesthetic give the game a Eastern Bloc retro futurist vibe. I've sank hundreds of hours into Factorio and could easily spend another dozen hours on a new factory at any time.
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons -- A figurative and literal island of relaxation and normalcy in a year that wanted for both. New Horizons brings back hundreds of endlessly endearing animal friends to populate your island and gives you unprecedented power to reshape that island. There are plenty of short and long term goals to occupy your time, and the year-long cycle of seasons and holidays go a long way to hold your attention over time. Adorable art and cozy music round out a package to occupied a lot of my time this year.
4. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity -- A strikingly ambitious, story-focused game that's part Hyrule Warriors sequel and part Breath of the Wild prequel. Age of Calamity is very un-Nintendo and un-Zelda in a lot of ways that I found endlessly fascinating. Faithful-but-reimagined art and music accentuate the experience, and there's a wealth of side content to complement the main story. I'm still hoping for DLC (fingers crossed) to expand on even more of the story and characters.
5. Spelunky 2 -- A worthy sequel to one of my favorite roguelikes of all time. Splelunky 2 is more, harder Spelunky. The art style is clean and vibrant, the gameplay is brutally unforgiving, and the secret objectives beyond beating Tiamat are better hidden and more daunting than ever before. I may never achieve the true, final ending of Spelunky 2, but I may also never stop trying.
6. Paper Mario: The Origami King -- Another beautiful, charming romp through Mario's paper craft world. The art and music are dazzling as ever, but this time the story and characters take a step forward from recent entries in the series. Origami King's writing is genuinely funny and offers moments of sincere emotion that stood out among all the games I played this year. The game world is a joy to explore, punctuated by yet another novel RPG-adjacent combat system that shines in the game's many boss fights.
7. Monster Train -- An excellent deck-building roguelike in a year with no shortage of quality roguelikes. With its novel game board, intricately balanced mechanics, and fun character designs, Monster Train is not to be overlooked. The covenant system provides a compelling motivation to keep playing the game once you've grasped the basics, with true mastery being as elusive as it is satisfying.
8. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition -- While I'd normally hesitate to place a remaster on my list, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is a surprisingly comprehensive improvement on a true classic. Significant work was put into the visuals and the all-time great soundtrack, and numerous quality of life improvements make the game signiciantly better to play. The all-new epilogue, Future Connected, is a substantial addition to the story and greater universe of Xenoblade, with new characters and a whole new region to explore.
9. Helltaker -- A small gem of a game, polished to perfection. The fun, stylish character designs and writing almost make you forget you're playing Sokoban.
10. Spiritfarer -- Spiritfarer came out of nowhere to be one of the more memorable games of the year. Mixing farming/sim gameplay with exploration and relationship management proved surprisingly engaging. Thoughtful writing, lovely art, and exquisitely animated hugs round out the experience.
11. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim -- An interesting oddity of disjoint gameplay elements, excellent artwork, and complex storytelling. 13 Sentinels has memorable characters and a convoluted but compelling plot.
12. Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia -- An interesting take on strategy RPGs. Brigandine has taxing multi-tiered strategy gameplay, with a mix of kingdom management and tactical combat. Distinctive art style.
13. Ori and the Will of the Wisps -- Absolutely gorgeous artwork and a moving cinematic style soundtrack. Ori is a worthy sequel, with an intricate map and gameplay design.
14. Shantae and the Seven Sirens -- Another fun, light Metroidvania from WayForward. Shantae's cute character art and chippy music are the highlights.

1. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
2. [PC] [Simulation] [Wube Software] Factorio
3. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
4. [Switch] [Hack and slash] [Omega Force] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
5. [PC] [Platformer] [Mossmouth] Spelunky 2
6. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
7. [PC] [Roguelike] [Shiny Shoe] Monster Train
8. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
9. [PC] [Adventure] [Vanripper] Helltaker
10. [Switch] [Adventure] [Thunderlotus] Spiritfarer
11. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
12. [Switch] [Tactical role-playing] [Matrix Software] Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia
13. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
14. [Switch] [Platformer] [WayForward] Shantae and the Seven Sirens
    

 

[Forkball]

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Humanity needed this game in 2020. Wars would have started without it. So many games focus on action, combat, violence, while Animal Crossing shows joy in the simple moments of life. New Horizons takes the relaxation sim to the next level with an unprecedented amount of customization. Make an outdoor cafe! Paint your furniture! Make your island in the shape of a crab! Your island is a sandbox for creativity that you share with your often poorly dressed animal companions, who also serve as the gatekeeper between you and insanity.

2. Hades
I like roguelikes well enough. "That's clever" I'll say, before falling off after only a few hours. Hades completely gripped me and became one of my most played titles of the year. The core gameplay is simply divine (that was a god joke), simple enough to understand but frantic and exciting. There is no wrong build, you can do so much with what the game gives you. Couple elegant gameplay with an intriguing story and some of the best presentation I've ever seen in an indie game and you get a truly special game.

3. Paper Mario: The Origami King
Paper Mario (N64) is perhaps my favorite game of all time. It just does everything right. Since then, Paper Mario hasn't quite captured that same energy and the games from the past 15 years have been farther and farther from the original. Origami King isn't a full return, but something significantly close. It's structured like a classic JRPG with a mix of open world exploration and a unique battle system that sometimes misses the mark, but makes up for it with great boss battles. No other game made me laugh harder this year.

4. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Most titles here are only ONE game. Fifty-one? Crazy man, just crazy. Clubhouse Games is a franchise that I thought would never come back although I kept praying, and the dice gods answered. I'm sure there are plenty of game collection versions, but Clubhouse Games' strength is in its variety and presentation. With a fun game room aesthetic and corny voice acting, it really shows that no matter how mundane the subject matter(I mean, backgammon?), Nintendo can really express their voice. I've been playing the hell out of Riichi Mahjong recently, although Hanafuda and President are still the best.

5. Ghost of Tsushima
This is a pretty generic open world game. But I like those, so here we are. What it lacks in creativity it makes up for with an incredible art style and a strong emotional story. The Mongol invasions of Japan is a unique setting and lets Sucker Punch focus less on making giant AC cities and instead sweeping landscapes that make it feel like you're jumping from one painting to the next. A good start, with great potential in the future.

I found myself playing a lot of older titles this year so here's some random ones I want to highlight:

Best Old Game I Replayed: Super Mario World
Best Old Game I Played for the First Time: Among Us
Best Game Released in 2020 Where You Can Play Super Mario Galaxy: Super Mario 3D All Stars
Best Direct Shadow Drop: Part-Time UFO

1. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
2. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
3. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
4. [Switch] [Party] [Nintendo] Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
5. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
   

 

[Deleted member 3196]

So 2020 was actually a pretty good year for gaming for me. I usually veer more towards smaller indie games, but I had a lot of big budget games I seriously enjoyed. Anyway, here's my list.

1. Persona 4 Golden - Probably my all-time favourite game was ported to PC, where it can be preserved forever. A fun cast of characters, a weird countryside murder mystery and some great emotional depth riddled with humour, Persona 4 Golden was a classic when it released on Vita. Now we have a new definitive version of one of the best JRPGs ever.

2. Persona 5 Royal - As you can probably gather from my avatar and this list, I'm a Persona fan. Persona 5 Royal is a refined version of a great if flawed game. I loved Persona 5 when it released, but it had some issues that prevented me from loving it. The ending felt a little rushed and underwhelming, Morgana had you on a leash for a lot of sections, and it generally felt like there should've been more to do in the game. Persona 5 Royal somehow manages to add more content to the game, balance the pace to make it feel less bloated, and overall create a refined version of Persona 5. This really is the definitive version of an excellent game.

3. Half-Life: Alyx - I pretty much bought a VR headset for the promise of Valve games, and Valve delivered. If this is all they ever do with VR, the £400 I spent on my Rift S in 2019 will have been money well spent. The level of polish and interactivity is just astounding, and this game really feels like the direction we need to take VR. While there have been many amazing games that proved VR isn't a gimmick (Astro Bot, Beat Sabre and so on), Half-Life: Alyx cemented the medium as legitimate. While we will count VR as video games for a long time to come, I think at some point VR will be classed as its own medium like books, theatre, film, television and games. Half-Life: Alyx is evidence of that.

4. Cyberpunk 2077 - A controversial one, but I sank 90 hours into this game and loved it. For what it's worth, I played it on PC so I got the best-looking and least-buggiest version out there. You can definitely see there was more to be done with this one - the story feels a little abridged and there could've been more variety in the side quests - but the fact that the core gameplay systems, the beauty of driving around Night City and great performances by the game's cast really held this thing together better than it should've.

5. Paradise Killer - A murder mystery on an island full of bad people. Everyone in this game is despicable in one way or another, but the game does not make any judgements. That's pretty much up to you. Find out the truth of the murder, take the islanders to court and present your evidence. The game definitely has a "correct" version of events that makes the most logical sense, but since you are wielding justice you can manipulate what the true version of events is to get the most satisfactory outcome. On my run, I went pure truth and justice, carved out a path of self-righteousness and executed all the island's criminals. Other players may find that difficult, or be sympathetic to why certain characters did what they did - the game's conclusion has a lot of moral and logical latitude for you to manipulate events to get your desired outcomes. As far as its open world adventure game design goes, Kaizen Game Works nailed the landing - this game is an open world adventure, and open world investigation, an open world friendship sim and has an open conclusion to fit its gameplay. Truly, an incredible accomplishment.

6. Death Stranding - I enjoyed my time with Death Stranding, walking about, helping other players. It was oddly satisfying feeling connected with people. Thematically, from a gameplay perspective, Kojima nailed it. Just a shame about the insane plot.

7. Final Fantasy VII Remake - I actually jumped into Final Fantasy from 8 onwards, and I've never played a game in the series before 8, so to get the chance to play a modernised version of Final Fantasy VII was one I wasn't gonna miss. And I liked it. I feel like I may have missed something, having not played the original, and a lot of people find the changes Square have made controversial. I can't comment on that yet, as I've not yet started the original (though I will soon). But what I got was a fun RPG with satisfying combat and a fleshed out world of Midgar.

8. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix - I love rhythm games, I love Miku, and I love my Switch. Since selling my PS4 after dropping TLoU Part 2, I have missed having Miku games, and thanks to Project DIVA Mega Mix I don't need to worry about that. I also appreciate the handheld mode, which I sorely missed once Sega stopped releasing Vita versions of this series. The Switch feels like the right home for the Project DIVA games due to the TV and handheld modes, but my one flaw is less about the game and more the hardware - I urgently want a good controller to play these games on the TV, as I find the Pro Controller buttons underwhelming. But that's not a flaw of the game, unless you count Sega's platform choice as a flaw.

9. Black Mesa - A remake of Half-Life, amazingly polished and well designed. It's great to finally play the Gordon Freeman's Black Mesa adventure in good graphics, and Crowbar Collective have crafted a game which feels like something Valve made. That's no easy feat.

10. Tell Me Why - I loved Life is Strange, dropped Life is Strange 2 and have been oddly lukewarm on Dontnod since. Tell Me Why is definitely an improvement, and feels the most like the original Life is Strange in terms of plot and atmosphere, but the pacing is off. The game feels too short, and I'd have liked more areas to explore. This shortness reflects in the plot too - with only a handful of characters and settings, this game wound up feeling like a local theatre production with desires to be bigger. I hope Microsoft found success with this and decide to work with Dontnod again, only this time giving them a bit more scope to make something with more depth.

And there you have it. 2020 was a great year for games, if nothing else. Thankfully I had plenty of time to play all these brilliant titles.

1. [PC] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 4 Golden
2. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
3. [PC] [Shooter] [Valve] Half-Life: Alyx
4. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
5. [PC] [Adventure] [Kaizen Game Works] Paradise Killer
6. [PC] [Action] [Kojima Productions] Death Stranding
7. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
8. [Switch] [Rhythm] [Sega] Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix
9. [PC] [Shooter] [Crowbar Collective] Black Mesa
10. [PC] [Adventure] [Dontnod Entertainment] Tell Me Why

 

[JasoNsider]

I'd say, of this list, that the top 3 really blew me away.

Last of Us Part 2 was the most affecting story I've probably seen in any medium. Just rocked me completely. It was told with such confidence that most people discuss the story before even the best-in-class gameplay, graphics, and sound. If their name weren't already cemented as the industry high water mark for character driven titles, it absolutely is after this.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PC] [Roguelike] [Mossmouth] Spelunky 2
3. [PS4] [RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy 7 Remake
4. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
5. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
6. [PC] [Shooter] [Infinity Ward] Call of Duty: Warzone
7. [PS5] [Platformer] [Sony Interactive Entertainment] Astro's Playroom
8. [Switch] [RPG] [Intelligent Systems] Paper Mario: The Origami King
9. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
10. [PC] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake

 

[Rask]

Animal Crossing: New Horizons gets the number one spot for a lot of reasons. The game itself is an outstanding evolution of the formula I fell in love with back on Gamecube. But more than that, it came at a time when we needed it most. It connected us all when we were more isolated than we've ever been, and helped get us through some of the hardest days of our lives. Any other year and it might have landed 3rd or 4th, but in 2020 Animal Crossing was the game of the year.

Final Fantasy VII Remake. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. It's the game I've dreamed of since 1997 and never thought would ever happen. It was always a distant dream, like hoping to win a million dollars or traveling to Saturn. Sure, it'd be great if it happened but come on get real. But this one did happen and it's still so surreal.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is more of some of the most fun I've had playing a game. Impossible to play without grinning and really satisfies you in a way that reminds you why you love games. I prefer it to the original because it's much more focused, just the right length, and has plenty of side content without overwhelming you.

Death Stranding was a hype rollercoaster for me that ended on a high. As a MGS fan since Solid, I was beyond hyped that we were getting a new unrestricted Kojima story. But the more I saw and read about the game, the less interested I got. Eventually I had to face that the game wasn't going to be for me and I wrote it off. But when I saw it for sale on PC earlier this year I finally decided to give it a chance. It was a game about reconnecting a broken America and here we were in an isolating pandemic. I was so ready for that mood and I instantly fell in love. Playing without the hype and pressure to like it or understand it, letting me enjoy it at my own pace, and giving myself time to come to terms with what the game is gave me the perspective I needed to really get into it. It's pure fearless Kojima doing something wacky and nailing it.

Murder By Numbers was a game designed by someone with the exact ingredients to make me hopelessly addicted. Picross Puzzles? Check. Phoenix Wright-style scenarios, and music by the Phoenix Wright Composer? Check. Set in the 90s? Sold.

Among Us is a game I ignored even after it caught on fire last year. I was always put off by the deception required of Mafia games. I have a terrible poker face and needing a good one to excel at a social game was anxiety-inducing. Then I finally played it and hooooooly shit is it fun. My family played together over Christmas while chatting on Zoom and I can't remember the last time I belly laughed so hard. It was instantly added to my party game rotation and I can't get enough.

Kentucky Route Zero is a beautifully, beautifully written game. The dialogue is just so spectacular and it draws you into to each character right off the bat. Its story is bleak but it's also prescient and reflective of today's economic conditions. Considering the game was original developed following the 2008 financial crisis, its relevance today is its own meta narrative about the destructive cycle of capitalism and how short our memories are.

The Last of Us Part II makes my list largely by its technical and storytelling achievement. No game series can push hardware further or set a mood better than TLOU and for that it deserves high commendation. The story itself is a pretty hard sell for me though, and I lost interest in the main objective early on. But wanting to see the next set piece, the next sweeping vista, the next slick animation is what propelled me forward.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars as someone who never had a Nintendo 64, never finished Sunshine, and as been looking for an excuse to replay Galaxy, this collection was perfect for me. I've played bits of SM64 here and there with emulators and the DS version, but never actually beat Bowser until this collection. With Sunshine, the improved camera controls makes the game so much more playable, and having all three on the go is the icing on the cake. Still working my way up to 120 stars so the collection has plenty left to give.

Hades is easily the best roguelike I've ever played and I hate roguelikes. Maybe it's too low on my list for some, but the fact that it made it on here at all is a huge testament to how good it is. I still haven't finished a run through the game, but I haven't given up yet either and that's more than I can say for any game in this genre. The character art, dialogue, and performances are so crisp and delicious they keep me happily running into the same wall over and over again just to see more.

1. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
4. [PC] [Action] [Kojima Productions] Death Stranding
5. [Switch] [Visual Novel] [Mediatonic] Murder by Numbers
6. [Switch] [Party] [Innersloth] Among Us
7. [Switch] [Point-and-click adventure] [Cardboard Computer] Kentucky Route Zero
8. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
9. [Switch] [Platformer] [Nintendo] Super Mario 3D All-Stars
10. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
    

 

[megalowho]

Ya'll have inspired me to get back to and finish FF VII Remake before voting ends. I liked the first few hours I played, just fell by the wayside. It's sucked me back in now though, I get it and I want more.

 

[Viceratops]

1. Nioh 2 - The best games are the ones that allow you to experience even more of a genre that you didn't know you loved even years ago. Nioh 2 brings back everything great about the first game and then some more. I love the transformations, the new weapons, the varied maps, and the ultimate reward of putting your samurai and sorcery skills to the test. I don't think any game besides Bloodborne has ever satisfied me to this extent when it comes to a true gameplay experience. I'm sad there's not going to be a Nioh 3 for at least a while. But there was no better way to put this series to rest.
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake - If my number one game is the most memorable gameplay experience of the year then this is the most satisfying story that was told in 2020. I love the reimagined characters, their stories, their design, their voices, and the time they spent together. I can't wait for more of this. The gameplay innovations from the original give this game its own place in gaming history and a more than justified reasoning for playing this in 2020. I love Final Fantasy and hope that there really is much more greatness to come. A fantastic job done by Square Enix.
3. Ghost of Tsushima - I had high hopes for Sucker Punch with this game and they delivered. Jin is an awesome new character to add to PlayStation's long list. His story resonates with anyone who enjoys tales about fighting to preserve what is truly important even at the cost of your own virtue. And the gameplay is top notch in delivering a samurai legend that you craft yourself. The innovations in the navigation and the graphical prowess make this game a must play. And the load times even on PS4 are incredible. You spend most of your time in the game and not a still screen.
4. Persona 5 Royal - The original Persona 5 is the best JRPG I have ever played and this enhancement makes the game even better. I have nothing to add that I didn't already feel. The story, characters, and gameplay are made even better because of the enhanced version's adjustments. Those new additions allow you to explore the characters and gameplay even better than before. This truly is the best JRPG of all time.
5. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales - A better gameplay experience in every way from the first Spider-Man game. But I do think the story and characters took kind of a downturn. But Miles is an exciting prospect as a protagonist in future games. I'm sure many stories in this universe are yet to come.
6. Aegis Rim: 13 Sentinels - This was my surprise game of 2020. I have never played a Vanillaware game and this outing really pulled me in. What a thrilling story and interesting characters. But honestly, my favorite part was the simulated battles. I loved the strategy and timing that came with that. The hardest part was putting the game down when I had nothing left to "play"
7. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 - For some reason I can't continue playing the mainline game but the spin-offs excite me so much in this series. I think the easier difficulty, short game length, fun weapons and powers make this game an above average 2D platformer. Yay for the platinum trophy this time. I'd be willing to play one of these every year.
8. Doom Eternal - Doom Eternal is a great game. It has better weapons, more powers, and more abilities than the 2016 game. But for some reason I like it less than the reboot. I guess the power of a brand new game that had been long forgotten makes more of an impact than a very finely tuned sequel that is superior in every way.
9. Resident Evil 3 Remake - I think Resident Evil 3 falls short of 2/4/7 in every way but that doesn't mean it's not a really good time. I just think the similar but less exciting story of 3 doesn't quite match up to its predecessor. However, I think every fan of RE or 3rd person action adventure should experience this game.
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps - I honestly think this would have been a top 3 game for me if it had not crashed the shit out of my Switch. Performance was terrible. However, it had some of the best gameplay and the story was fine enough. The music was fantastic as well. Basically the same positives as the first game but with too many technical mistakes.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
5. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
6. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
7. [PS4] [Platformer] [Inti Creates] Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2
8. [PS4] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
9. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
10. [Switch] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps

 

[Falchion]

1) Ghost of Tsushima - Such an amazing experience from start to finish. The combat was incredibly satisfying, the story had me absorbed, especially some of the side questlines, and the environment was the prettiest open world I've seen so far. I took so many screenshots through my playthrough.

2) Spider-man Miles Morales - This was a great follow-up to the first game. It was a little shorter than I would've liked, but the story was great and the gameplay was top notch. Also spider-cat.

3) Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Eivor was a great character and the world design kept me coming back even when the story had stalled and things were getting stale. It was overall a great game, love the new structure of side missions that you find out in the world, but it was wayyyyyyyy too long.

4) Fall Guys - This was the fun game we needed in 2020. Just so much fun to run around with 99 other beans trying to keep from falling off the level.

5) Hades - I haven't beaten this yet but it's definitely impressed me. I'm not much into roguelikes but this one has kept me coming back and I'll eventually beat it.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
2. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
3. [XSX] [Action RPG] [Ubisoft] Assassin's Creed Valhalla
4. [PS4] [Party] [Mediatonic] Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
5. [PC] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
   

 

[Navid]

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 RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
5. [PS4] [Game Creation] [Media Molecule] Dreams
6. [PC] [Shooter] [Crowbar Collective] Black Mesa
7. [PS4] [Action RPG] [miHoYo] Genshin Impact
8. [PS4] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
9. [PS5] [Action RPG] [Digital Extremes] Warframe
10. [PS4] [Shooter] [Infinity Ward] Call of Duty: Warzone

Last of Us 2: Far and away my favourite game of the year, everything from the mix of stealth/action gameplay, the set-pieces, level design, story and performances was top notch and a experience I won't soon forget.

Ghost of Tsushima: Amazing open world game that didn't overstay it's welcome and had a great combat system to play around with, currently playing Valhalla and it's made me appreciate Ghost of Tsushima even more.

Astro's Playroom: Fantastic little platformer that continually surprised me with new little touches and experiences, all of which felt great to control and play.

Demon's Souls: Great game held back by it's age, world and combat still put it high on my list but it could have been so much more if it wasn't trying to be so faithful to the original and instead had improved on it.

Dreams: Media Molecule created probably the most ambitious title of the year with Dreams, wasn't as good as a overall package as I had hoped but still one that deserves more praise than it'll ever get.

Black Mesa: A remake of one of my all time favourite games, isn't afraid to improve on the original where needed... only lower on my list as I played it when it was first released and went back to the Zen portion this year.

Genshin Impact: Loved running around in the world and discovering new areas, it's a shame that the grind started to take me out of the experience after a while... still had a wonderful time for the duration I stuck with it.

Doom Eternal: Great game in it's own right, but one that didn't live up to the original 2016 title for me in tone and level design. Loved the additions to the arsenal and especially the dash move however.

Warframe: Despite all its flaws and the grind it's a game that I continue to check in on, helps that it feels good to play. Just wish they respected their plays time more instead of continuing to add more resources/items to a already bloated list.

Warzone: The Battle Royale that I played the most this year, flawed but enjoyable... unfortunately with each addition and patch it has become less of what I'm looking for and I haven't been back to it since the Cold War integration. Overall a step down from Blackout for me personally.

 

[MegaSackman]

- The Last of Us Part II: I honestly had little hype about this game until release, I don't know why because I loved the first one but somehow any of the trailers awe me the way they should've.
The first 2hs blowed my mind, hell, just the first 10 minutes were insane in how the quality of everything was improved but most of all the acting, I've never seen anything like it in a game before. The previous jump in acting for me was with Uncharted Drake's Fortune and now ND have done it again.
The game puts you in some positions most games don't and that surprised me and challenged me.
It goes right in the pantheon with the best of the best.

- Final Fantasy VII Remake: While I had my problems with some story decisions and pacing, no other game have made me feel so emotional in a long time. When the intro started I couldn't believe it was real but the biggest hit was when I arrived to Sector 7, it was like coming back home after decades of being away and you thought you'd never go back.
FFVIIR is the best Midgar chapter that has ever existed, problems and all, and that's why it deserves to be in the conversation of game of the year.

- Demon's Souls: I've played a couple of hours of Demon's back in the day when it was given away on PS+ but it was on a shared account that I had to return, I liked it but couldn't get it on my own. Many years later I could finally play the game and I adored it, it's right up there with Sekiro (just one step bellow Bloodborne). Level design, combat, music, and art are as strong as any other From game.

- Ghost of Tsushima: I had my doubts on the story before release but the State of Play sealed the deal for me. While the story is very straight forward, the world and overall stories were fantastic. Everything from an artistic perspective was excellent but surprisingly the combat was very fun too and Legends cemented it as one of the best games and offers of 2020. I expect to play NG+ on PS5 very soon.

- Genshin Impact: I didn't expect to like it this this much but boy, the game is fantastic and on PS5 is a blessing! the gameplay is fun but the design of the world and the stories are phenomenal, some are very touching and well presented. While there are some boring events, others are quite exciting and content is dropping faster than I thought. I expect to play it for a long time.

- Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales: As exciting as you could've hoped for, but the best part is that it improves on everything the original game did wrong. I think story and character development were better in the first game but quests, activities, and combat (even boss fights!) were definitely better here and the main narrative still had some neat moments.

- Astro's Playroom: This was as delighfull as I expected it to be, sadly I never played the VR game but Playroom was charming, entertaining, imaginative and full of surprises. It's also an incredible showcase for the DualSense in a way that puts all the other games to shame.

- Dreams: Dreams is amazing and full of incredible people making art, I've spent a lot of time playing other's visions but at some point I put my fears aside and started to work on my own project and it was as fun and rewarding as it was chellenging and frustrating. I hope to return to it on PS5 and keep working on stuff.

- Hades: The first two runs of Hades were game of the year material to me, sadly it got less interesting the most I played it even with difficulty modifiers. It is however a very addicting game to play, and the art, characters, and combat are fantastic.

- 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim: I don't remember the last game that made a 180° come back as hard as this one on me, at 8hs I remember telling a friend of mine that I decided to abandon the game because I couldn't stand the mundane uninspired dialogues anymore but in that conversation he and another friend convinced me to give it another go and I did that at that exact moment. A few hours later I got some plot twists that grabbed me tight and from there on I couldn't stop playing.
I loved the story and the towering work they did mixing all these stories and characters but I still remember how difficult it was for me to get into the game and the combat never really interested me that much, I was wishing a AAA Macross action game in every battle.

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

 

[Pyroblazer]

The Last Of Part 2:
NDs best game gameplay-wise. Amazing feel and polish, great AI, fantastic level-design, great horror moments, brilliant setpieces and some really touching character moments.
I don't like every story decision, but the narrative still got me and made me emotional more than most games do. And shoutout to accessability options that beat everything else outthere by a country mile.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps:
I liked the first Ori a lot and this sequel improves on every aspect of it, especially the weakest part of the first game, the combat. Some clever cool inspirations from Hollow Knight made it a very enjoyable game combat-wise with cool bosses. On top of that you have everything that made the first Ori great too. Also the best OST of the year.

Hades:
Never liked Rogue-likes.....till Hades
Same goes for my girlfriend, we both played like 60-70 hours each. Such a clever implementation of progression and plot which you usually don't see in the genre. Great combat and an outstanding OST on top of that.

Doom Eternal:
Like Ori a sequel that improves on the weaknesses of the first game. I liked Doom 2016 a lot, but it felt samey fast. It didn't have many unique locations and the arena design while fun usually exhausted me after 1,5-2 hours. Doom Eternal has gorgeous locations, more interesting encounters and arenas and adds really cool platforming sections for variety. It's longer than Doom 2016 and still felt shorter because I couldn't put the controller away. And hookshot shotgun is one of the GOAT weapons in any FPS

Yakuza: Like A Dragon:
I love Yakuza and I like what they did here. The new turn-based combat is a breath of fresh air and I love Ichiban and the new cast of characters. One of the best games in the series.

FF7 Remake:
Never really got into FF, missed the games on PS1 and PS2 and hated both XIII and XV for their bad story/writing, poor combat systems and empty worlds which only looked nice. FF7 Remake finally got me into the series. It has some obvious filler, but I like how they spend more time on the cast here. Combat is very good and it hits the right notes between cheesy, epic and emotional.

Crash Bandicoot 4:
As a huge Crash fan this was a nice surprise. Gameplay-wise it's probably the best in the series. I love additions like the Quantum Masks and the new playable characters. I also like the artstyle. They only really went overboard with the difficulty for completing this game. Getting 100 percent was already a nightmare, I stopped there because otherwise I would probably start hating the game.

Ghost Of Tsushima:
It's not as good as some other people say for me, because it still feels a lot like a formulaic Ubisoft Open World, but it's still a pretty damn good game. I liked the combat a lot, it's visuals are outstanding and in difference to some Ubisoft titles it really stands out with it's unique presentation, sidestuff and atmosphere.

Demon's Souls:
What a graphical showcase, it has to be said. After playing Bloodborne, DS 3 and Sekiro and then going back to older games, it's obvious how From improved especially in terms of bosses or some QoL improvements. So DeS feels a bit basic in comparison, it's still a very good game though. And I like the unique atmosphere, the level-like world and some experiments they tried here. It has been surpassed by now, but for it's uniqueness i would still recommend it without a doubt.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales:
I loved combat and traversal of the first game and this is more of it. Miles's personal story is pretty cool and I like the new powers a lot. Raytracing and 60fps are obviously great additions too.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [Switch] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
3. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
4. [PS4] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
5. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
6. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
7. [PS4] [Platformer] [Toys for Bob] Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
8. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
9. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
10. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
    

 

[Nimby]

Still gotta spend more time with Hades, and I've had Ori downloaded on XBO since it launched. Why is Bug Fables only listed for PS4, and doesn't have the full title?

1. [PS5] [RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
2. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
3. [Switch] [RPG] [Moonsprout Games] Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
5. [PS4] [Platformer] [Toys for Bob] Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
6. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
7. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
8. [PS5] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
9. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
10. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
11. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
    

 

[KraytarJ]

1. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - the best structured story I've ever experienced, an absolutely incredibly crafted nesting doll filled with twists and revelations that comes together to form one of the finest stories ever put forward in the medium.
2. Genshin Impact - I've finally found the game to drag me into gacha hell and I couldn't be happier for it. I think...
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake - As someone who only played the original game for the first time a few months before Remake (it holds up rather well btw) I was still filled with nostalgia and warm feelings, so I can only imagine the type of reaction this game could pull out of people who were along for the ride the whole way.
4. Murder By Numbers - The incredible mix of Picross and Ace Attorney I didn't know I needed but was ecstatic all the same to get it. A pretty incredible mix of ingredients on all fronts with top-notch music, characters, and story lines that all add up to something special.
5. Persona 5 Royal - Quite possibly the best game I played all year but the fact that Persona 5 was already absolutely incredible ends up pushing it down the list a bit but somehow what was already a pretty perfect game got even better.
6. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - Another all-time favorite pushed down my list because it was already pretty incredible but having am amazing experience released from the shackles of the Wii is something I waited nearly a decade for but was well worth it in the end.
7. Sakura Wars - a series I had a passing interest in prior to this game but I had just never quite made the jump, but seeing the new game was something of a reboot I decided now was the time and it ended up being a pretty fun ANIME AS FUCK little time.
8. Ghost of Tsushima - after more than a decade of waiting the AC game set in Japan finally arrived, and it was alright. Not exactly an incredible triumph one way or another (excluding the tech side) but it was still a fun enough time through a gorgeously rendered 13th century Japanese island.
9. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - I didn't exactly get sucked in like I originally had hoped but for my short stay I had a fun enough time.
10. Shantae and the Seven Sirens - I'll admit that the Shantae series hasn't quite gotten back to the highs of Pirate's curse and I'm not even sure I'd say Seven Sirens is even really a step in the right direction but even when it's not exactly firing on all cylinders the Shantae formula is still good for a fun enough time.

1. [PS4] [Adventure] [Vanillaware] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [miHoYo] Genshin Impact
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. [Switch] [Visual Novel] [Mediatonic] Murder by Numbers
5. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
6. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
7. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Sega] Sakura Wars
8. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
9. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
10. [PS4] [Platformer] [WayForward] Shantae and the Seven Sirens
    

 

[SlasherMcGirk]

whoops

 

[SlasherMcGirk]

1. Streets of Rage 4
I play have played the SoR series a lot growing up and I still play Streets of Rage Remake almost every other week. I know the series inside and out. The fact that Lizard Cube could create something that is on the same par as the series ridiculously high standard in both gameplay, music and art is a true testament to their love of the series. While staying true to the series gameplay at it's core while delivering a fresh coat of paint and enough newness to accompany the nostalgia I will be playing this game in rotation with Remake for years and years to come. A fan could not want or get a better sequel.

2. Nioh 2
Nioh 2 gives you more of Nioh 1 with more refinements, skills, enemies and levels. ANd that is a good thing. Nioh's combat and gameplay was already king with a crazy amount of content and Nioh 2 just ramps it up to 10. With so many different ways to play, long fullfilling single and multiplayer content that lasts for 100 upon hundreds of hours no other game has occupied my time this year than Nioh 2 and that isn't stopping in 2021.

1. [PS4] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Team Ninja] Nioh 2
   

 

[boybrushdRED]

I played very few 2020 games

1. Cyberpunk 2077 - I enjoyed it. The most fun I had in games I played in 2020. I also have no idea about the cut content since I never watched Night City Wire or any other previews. I just bought in to hype close the the game's release.

2. The Last of Us Part II - The story and the performance of the actors carried it for me. The gameplay is just ok imo. Not really a fan of the horror survival genre. Also not a fan of the PS4 controller in general.

3. Xenoblade - Great story. Great cast of characters. Combat is surprisingly deep.

4. XCOM Chimera Squad - Game launched with a 50% off discount. Good game for its price.

5. Pokemon SwSwh Expansion - we stan

6. Doom Eternal - Not a fan. Game is just here by default. I still finished it with the sentinel armor.

1. [PC] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [Switch] [Action RPG] [MonolithSoft] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
4. [PC] [Turn-based strategy] [Firaxis Games] XCOM: Chimera Squad
5. [Switch] [RPG] [Game Freak] Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra
6. [PC] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
   

 

[Sakon]

1. Final Fantasy VII Remake - This game was a euphoric experience for me. Yes, the game has some rough edges, but I'm talking about the moments where everything just clicks: The music. The visuals. The summons. The bosses. This game has my favorite combat system in any RPG, and I hope FFXVI takes some notes! The fusion of turn-based and real-time combat just works great. Whenever you pause the action in mid-combat, you have time to think while letting that AWESOME music sink in. I had so much fun just levelling up and managing my materia. This game is only the first part of the story, but it truly stands on its own. After the credits rolled I felt content. I can't wait to see what these goofy-ass characters are up to next! Whoever played Cloud totally nailed his performance. Last but not least: The music is without a doubt one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Hamauzu and friends took an already iconic soundtrack and tweaked it, added upon and enhanced EVERYTHING about it. It plays with your preconceptions of the original, not unlike the story itself. When certain melodies come in after being teased, it feels damned good. Also, shout-out to Yasunori Nishiki for that arrangement. You know what I'm talking about. PLAY THIS GAME <3
2. Persona 5 Royal - I played this game in the summer and I really felt like I went to school for a year. I had a hollow feeling after finishing it, realizing I would probably never see these characters again. Persona 5 has got style for days. The menus are stylish. The combat moves are awesome. The music is smooth. The characters are funny. I know these words don't do the game justice, but I could honestly write about this game for hours. Since this game technically didn't release for the first time this year, I'll spare myself the hard work. In short, it is a fantastic example of the modern JRPG.
3. Hades - Everything about this game's presentation is top-notch. I am so glad they made a game like Dead Cells, except with a compelling narrative and great music. Supergiant has turned death into a narrative tool which develops the narrative in intriguing new ways. Rather than being completely devastated after a lost run, you will find yourself interested in what the characters have to say next. Hades is an amazing character that will drive you as a player to keep pressing on. You will make it. Also, everyone in the game is hot.
4. The Last of Us Part II - I have problems with the pacing of this game.

Spoiler

You know something's wrong when you've got a flashback WITHIN another flashback

Having said this, the good aspects of this game definitely outweigh the bad. A common Naughty Dog criticism I hear is that the games are "too cinematic" or are the video game equivalent of Oscar bait. Make no mistake; this is a video game first and foremost. I cannot explain exactly why I love this game without going into spoiler territory, but I can say that my reasons for liking it as much as I do are due to the certain moments that can ONLY exist in a video game and NOT in any other medium. This game takes big risks, and most of them pay off. A perfect example of what a sequel should set out to do. I truly feel like this game is the Last Jedi of video games lol.
5. Ori and the Will of the Wisps - A contender for the most beautiful game ever made. I will present this to anyone as a representative of video games as an art form. This game is also, along with TLOU2, the most emotionally resonant game of the year with a story that will grab you hard. By the end of this game I was an emotional wreck. I am so glad they added better combat in this sequel, and the traversal in this game feels more satisfying than ever. I hope they make a third Ori game <3
6. Doom Eternal - Imagine DOOM 2016, except better... in every single way. You will use EVERY single weapon and gadget in your arsenal, all the while grappling and dashing around. This game is such a rush. Music is 10/10 as well.
7. Demon's Souls - One of the most unique games ever got a facelift. I prefer some of the artistic decisions of the original, but this is still the definitive version of the game. The moon grass sucks though. Like, real bad.
8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - The game that came at the perfect time. Me and my family members were all sitting around the living room and experiencing this wonderful game together. It's only a shame that the game introduced some tedious gameplay elements(breaking tools, unnecessary crafting, etc.) I will still argue that this is the greatest Animal Crossing game, due to your ability to craft your island in any way, shape or form.
9. Huntdown - This is the first run and gun game I've ever finished and it makes me want to play them all! The gameplay is simple, but excellent, the environments seedy and dripping with atmosphere, and the weapons are awesome. Play it with a friend and have a blast.
10. Streets of Rage 4 - This is the first beat 'em up game I've finished and I want more! At first the movement seemed a bit restrictive, but once you get used to how to dodge, it starts to feel good. The art style is sooo good. Just like Huntdown, a great co-op game.

1. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
2. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
3. [Switch] [Roguelike] [Supergiant Games] Hades
4. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
5. [XBO] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
6. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
7. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
8. [Switch] [Simulation] [Nintendo] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9. [XBO] [Platformer] [Easy Trigger Games] Huntdown
10. [XBO] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4

 

[Ashdroid]

1. The Last of Us Part II - I was going on pass on this game because I found the first TLoU to be alright, but not amazing. But all the, um, "buzz" around it close to release make me want to take a look at it. And I ended up LOVING it. Brutal, emotional, beautiful. Days after finishing the game, I was still thinking about the story. Memorable characters, amazing music. And the gameplay? I always tried to go full stealth, but when that went wrong (and it always did), it was still a delight to play. Sheer panic and adrenaline at times, sure, but still always a delight.

2. Bugsnax - It's relaxing game with some good puzzles. Really friendly artstyle. Cute and memorable characters and critters (bop-bop-bop-bop! bopsicle!). Great voiceacting. The story touches on some kinda heavy themes, but it's still a great game for all ages.


Honorable mentions to Ghost of Tsushima, Fall Guys, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. They were enjoyable, but in a typical year, I don't think they would have made the cut for me.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS5] [Adventure] [Young Horses] Bugsnax
   

 

[arcticice]

1. Ghost of Tsushima: I have been wanting a grounded Samurai game for a very long time. Yes, there was Way of the Samurai series, but it wasn't polished enough. Then finally came Ghost of Tsushima, which just blew me away with its art direction, combat, and the beautiful world. Then to top it off, we got an amazing Legends mode which me and my friends have played extensively. The raid especially is amazingly done. With almost 150 hours spent in this game, and still wanting more of it, Ghost is my Game of the Year.

2. The Last of Us Part II: Huge fan of the first one, so the expectations were extremely high and this game exceeded it. The story was very well done even though I couldn't get invested in Abby, I knew she had her reasons for what she did. The ending I believe was perfect as it stopped the endless revenge cycle. Sound design, gameplay, stealth, characters - everything was just top notch.

3. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Loved the original FF7, and always felt that Midgar didn't get its time to shine. Fortunately, we spent all of our time in the city, and I loved it. Spending time here made it even more heartbreaking when the plate came crashing down. The remake is an excellent start, let's see what they do with the sequels.

4. Persona 5 Royal: Loved Persona 5 when it was released back in 2017, and Royal is even better. It feels complete. Now waiting for Strikers.

5. Crosscode: So, I was suggested this game by one of the members here, so I checked it out and it looked great, and I bought it. Best decision ever. This is a gem of game that needs everyone's attention.

6. Desperados III: Shadow Tactics was my favorite stealth game so I couldn't wait to see what devs would work on next, and they came up with Desperados III. Western is my favorite genre and combine it with the amazing gameplay, and it becomes one hell of game. For those on Xbox, do give it a shot as it is available on Gamepass.

7. Outer Wilds: The less said about this game, the better. It is an experience that you need to have on your own to appreciate it. A lot to discover here, the game wants you to be curious, which is something I haven't seen in a lot of games.

8. Yakuza Like a Dragon: It's always difficult to get attached to a new character, but Ichiban was amazing. Like all Yakuza games, this one has amazing characters, storytelling, substories. Combat needs some work but is still decent enough.

9. Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Loved more Spider-Man. The game was unique on its own - and felt better at times as compared to the original.

10. Resident Evil 3 Remake: I know not a lot of people are a fan of this game, but I quite enjoyed it. Yes it strayed from the original and was pretty short, but it was still a fun game.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
2. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
3. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. [PS4] [RPG] [Atlus] Persona 5 Royal
5. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Radical Fish Games] CrossCode
6. [PS4] [RTS] [Mimimi Games] Desperados III
7. [PC] [Adventure] [Mobius Digital] Outer Wilds
8. [PS4] [RPG] [Sega] Yakuza: Like a Dragon
9. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
10. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
    

 

[Dance Inferno]

1. Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War

Yeah yeah yeah, I know. Call of Duty as GOTY? Took me by surprise as well, but this is an incredible entry in the franchise. The multiplayer is super fun and brings back memories of Black Ops 1 on Xbox 360, Zombies is a blast, and the campaign was a shockingly good spy thriller, with some legitimate head scratching puzzle missions and moments. Highly recommend to anyone who has even a passing interest in shooters.

2. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk is a great game. Does it have bugs? Sure. Is it as good as The Witcher 3? Hell no. But it's unique, interesting, and has kept my attention for longer than most games in 2020. Combat isn't my favorite, but luckily the stealth is serviceable, and the world is really interesting and engaging. Can't get enough Keanu Reeves.

3. Resident Evil 3 Remake

Short but sweet.

4. Final Fantasy VII Remake
5. Wasteland 3
6. Demon's Souls
7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps


Let's talk about The Last of Us 2 for a second. Yes, I played it. No, it's not on this list. I don't often say this but I actively disliked this game. The characters were awful human beings, the game's pacing was excruciatingly slow, and the combat encounters were a total pain in the ass. This game was 10-15 hours too long and it seemed intent on making you unhappy. Maybe that's what it's aiming for, and if so then it achieved its goal, but it's not what I'm looking for from a video game at all, and I did not enjoy it.

1. [PS5] [Shooter] [Treyarch] Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [CD Projekt] Cyberpunk 2077
3. [PS4] [Survival Horror] [Capcom] Resident Evil 3 Remake
4. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
5. [PC] [RPG] [InXile Entertainment] Wasteland 3
6. [PS5] [Action RPG] [BluePoint Games] Demon's Souls
7. [PC] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
   

 

[Clive]

1. The Last of Us Part II - What the game did exceptionally well was to make you feel something about the characters. Sometimes discomfort, sometimes anger and sometimes happiness. The characters were not rational and that made it feel unlike playing anything else. I actually put down the controller for the final boss fight because I did not want to win it because I did not agree with the character's motivations. That's something no other medium can accomplish and no other games than this masterpiece either. One of the generation's best games.

2. Final Fantasy VII Remake - The game has many flaws and the filler which wasn't in the original was often of mediocre quality but the recreation of some of the original's best moments, the characters, combat and music were amazing. Replaying it on Hard mode pushed it up my GOTY ranking because it required me to explore the game more thoroughly, see the depth of the combat and do some fun and rewarding extras. A very flawed game but the best moments make it an unforgettable experience.

3. Doom Eternal - The combat loop is so damn satisfying with its different cooldowns and systems to exploit. Looks great and plays fantastic but the campaign ends up being a bit forgettable in the end. An absolute blast to play though.

4. Ori and the Will of the Wisps - Everything about the game is just superb: controls like a dream, looks like heaven and has a fantastic Metroidvania map design. Only complaints are that combat still wasn't perfect and it was a bit too similar to the first game. One of the best in its genre.

5. Ghost of Tsushima - I think it did enough special to carve its own identity compared to Assassin's Creed and while combat may not have been the most challenging, it was so much fun trying to be as stylish as possible in every combat encounter. Absolutely marvelous fast travel system which in combination with the guiding wind made the world a joy to explore.

6. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales - More of the same compared to 2018's game but the shorter campaign and tighter side activities made it a better albeit shorter overall experience. The story felt more personal too and Miles powers added something to the combat so it felt somewhat fresh.

7. Sackboy: A Big Adventure - Super fun co-op game with great exploration and level design. A bit forgettable in the end but it was a blast to play through.

8. Iron Man VR - One of the best PS VR games in terms of gameplay and I constantly lost track of where I were IRL because of all the spinning and movements I made. At its best it's absolutely fantastic and I hope we will get a sequel with better tech one day. The story parts sadly drag a bit sometimes and the load times are too long. I also wish it had more epic scenes like the plane chase and more bosses. Failed to live up to the potential of an Iron Man VR game but so much fun to play.

9. Tell Me Why - Really fantastic cast of characters in this one, Michael in particular was just so loveable, but I don't think it made my choices feel really impactful in the end and I never really wanted to go back to experience it all again.

10. Streets of Rage 4 - Not a reinvention of the wheel but a fantastic modernization of a classic series with great art, refined and expanded combat and a killer soundtrack. How to turn a retro series into something without breaking the bank and risking alienating the original's fanbase.

1. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Naughty Dog] The Last of Us Part II
2. [PS4] [Action RPG] [Square Enix] Final Fantasy VII Remake
3. [XBO] [Shooter] [id Software] Doom Eternal
4. [XBO] [Metroidvania] [Moon Studios] Ori and the Will of the Wisps
5. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Sucker Punch Productions] Ghost of Tsushima
6. [PS4] [Action Adventure] [Insomniac Games] Spider-Man: Miles Morales
7. [PS4] [Platformer] [Sumo Digital] Sackboy: A Big Adventure
8. [PS4] [Shooter] [Camouflaj] Marvel's Iron Man VR
9. [PC] [Adventure] [Dontnod Entertainment] Tell Me Why
10. [XBO] [Beat 'em up] [DotEmu] Streets of Rage 4