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GOTY 2020

I used to enjoy the time at the end of the year to personally deliberate what ten games impacted me the most over the year and write the pros, cons, and ultimately what made them get onto my list the past seven years. Unfortunately, this year’s version won’t be quite as in-depth and extravagant as I’m already writing my list far later than usual, 2020 being a long and draining year (to put it lightly), and the transition to working from home was a lot more time consuming and stressful than I ever thought it would be. I’m struggling to even parse time to write this GOTY list in 2021 (with its “fantastic” start) but somehow got it done. Here are my 2020 Games of the Year

2020 Games That Fell Into the Backlog

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Art of Rally
Footsies (Rollback Edition)
Kentucky Route Zero
The Last Campfire
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
Persona 5 Royal
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Resident Evil 3 Remake
Spiritfarer
Them Fighting Herds

2020 Games That I Could Not Formulate a Strong Evaluation

Hotshot Racing
Monster Train
Spelunky 2

2020 Games I Played

Ancient Enemy
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Fuser
Murder by Numbers
Picross S4
Picross S5
Super Mario Bros. 35

2020 Honorable Mention, Game I’m Starting to Really Like Late

Star Renegades

List items

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

#10
Every year there is a game that helps to fill in those times where you want to play games for a short time to occupy a slot until something else pops up. This year, that type of game was a source of major solace since I transitioned over to working from home once the COVID pandemic took hold. I never expected that game to be a collection of old school games compiled into a Nintendo Switch game. Whenever I took a break from work at home in my room, I always took my Switch and played this game for a few minutes. Though I have not played every single game and I have some personal complaints with the game package in total, this game made my list because it had enough mini-games to help me get through a long day and year for many minutes at a time.
Outside of having 51 games available to play off the bat, the best thing Clubhouse Games does is getting players to learn a game they are unfamiliar with quickly with Lehman-like explanations and plenty of guidance during games. It did not take me long to get the basics in Shogi, Hanafuda, Riichi Mahjong, and other games. The controls are simple and most of the UI in each game makes it easy for what moves the player can make during their turn. Once folks get a bit more familiar, they can choose to increase the AI difficulty to see for an increased challenge and learn more nuances of the game.
There are issues with the game’s overall package. Its online mode is the worst portion of the game as I encountered laggy games and it limits all of its games to one set of rules with no customization. While Clubhouse Games does an excellent job for players to get introduced into each game, it does not go all the way where you can play the game without its forced assistance. I would not know how to properly play Riichi Mahjong in real life to know how to set up the tiles, how to play, and knowing when I can call and have a legitimate hand. Though I do not think that is the developer’s intent, it was something that scratched my head when I took a deeper dive into the game.
Despite its flaws, this game helped me curb some of the stress of working relentlessly from home in 2020. It also ended up being the game I played the most this year as all those breaks for a number of minutes really added up over the year. In a year where working from home took more time away from me, this game was a minor lifesaver in keeping the gaming flames going. For that alone, it deserved a spot in my 2020 GOTY list
Streets of Rage 4

#09
Streets of Rage 4’s placement here reflects my conflicted feelings with the game. I had no complaints with the game’s package, which it performed flawlessly, played well, and had tremendous production values. I continue to wrestle with its presentation of its cel-shaded, comic book look, the soundtrack not belting out the bangers I hoped it would have, and lackluster story just to have one. What kept me intrigued with SOR4 is its strong beat ‘em up gameplay with its quality of life items and the differing fighting styles with each playable character.
I don’t think I would have enjoyed Streets of Rage 4 if its beat ‘em up was a continuation of what was built upon its first three games and slapped on a few more minor additions. One of its excellent quality of life implementations is to keep enemies on screen when they are attacked at the edge of the screen. Gone are the days where they are knocked off screen and waiting for them to return. Now they bounce off the “wall” and remain on screen, which players can use to extend their attack combo. The other quality of life item that I appreciated is a dedicated button to grab items from the ground, which helps it not conflict when items are around enemies. You can now freely attack enemies on top of items in which previous SoR (and other older beat ‘em ups) would cause the player to get caught up in grabbing an item and getting hit by the enemy and the pick up and attack items were linked onto the same button. SoR4’s other big strength is its having each of its characters have its own distinct fighting style. It was fun playing through the cast and finding out which ones felt the best to play with differing speeds, strengths, and specials and finding deviations on how to get through sections of each stage with each character.
It’s a shame I just never jived with the game’s presentation. The game’s art is too bright and busy for my tastes. I loved the harsher color tones of the trilogy and felt 4 was trying too hard to showcase how pretty it looks. The soundtrack lacked punch and imagination that made the first two game’s soundtracks memorable. Despite my personal nitpicks with the presentation, the game still delivers a beat ‘em up that’s fun to play for multiple runs.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2

#08
Curse of the Moon 2 could have gone to be more of the same and it would have been a solid game, but Intl did not settle for that and proceeded to develop a classic Castlevania game with a number of interesting wrinkles, particularly with its cast of playable characters and storytelling. While not every wrinkle resonated with me, most of them I appreciate for adding more flavor to a tried and true formula. It’s another well done game that should please fans of the crowded genre.
I found the differing gameplay styles for the four main characters to be the game’s major blessing and curse. The game’s stages make it imperative to maintain all four characters alive and they give the player options to take alternative routes through the stage, some of which can lead to important items. Losing a character in the middle of the stage drastically increases the difficulty and frustration of getting through a stage, not to mention the severe handicap battling against the stage boss at the end. While the four are in play, I love the options of using the spear woman’s hopping ability, the sniper’s wall jumping, and the corgi-driving robot to hover and crush spikes. Their unique attacks and specials also provide neat decision making on how to defeat enemies and attack bosses. CotM2 also throws a few tricks with its storytelling through subsequent runs with one providing a big surprise.
Otherwise, CotM2 delivers a solid classic NES Castlevania game that should surprise no one. It plays like those games and it does it well. It also mimics its presentation with solid NES 8-bit sprite work and inspired music and sound effects. It’ll never be the groundbreaker to the classic franchise it's taken from, but it is carrying its torch as the unofficial continuation of it very well.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps

#07
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an excellent game that excels in many aspects. No one can deny its beautiful presentation with the art, animation, and soundtrack. The developers made some nice additions to its Metroidvania gameplay, particularly with the sprawling skills Ori can now perform and giving him a sword as a normal attack along with a few small quality of life items. Despite its numerous strengths, I cannot shake the feeling that it’s more of the same from Blind Forest. I feel it goes for the well again with its core gameplay and somber storytelling and while the execution remains fantastic, it does not do enough to push it beyond their boundaries.
The combination of great character control, great set level design along with the growing number of skills Ori gains over the course of the game carries the game through for me. It’s nice to find the interplay of skills being used when traversing through Ori’s world of numerous branches that cast a certain theme. I did find a number of boss fights very tedious and certain action set pieces (chase scenes) dim the enjoyment compared to just playing through the world.
Ultimately, I felt Will of the Wisps to deliver more of the same as what they served from Blind Forest. The gameplay I did not mind being similar as I still enjoyed that portion of the game very much. It was the storytelling and presentation cues around it to not carry its weight this time around because I think they went to that same calling card from Blind Forest and its emotional points did not resonate as much with me. Nonetheless, Will of the Wisps still wins out as a beautiful and great playing video game worth venturing.
Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]

#06
It’s no surprise that UNICLR lands on my GOTY list as the previous two version landed on my GOTY list in years past (both at #1!). It is to my surprise and disappointment that the latest version of Under Night falls into the middle of the pack. This version continues to carry its strongest traits well, the smaller additions, the shifting character balances, and lack of additional quality of life items fails to make the latest version standout against its previous versions. UNICLR is still worthy to play for fans of the franchise and those looking for a fighting game that delivers fast and exciting bouts.
UNICLR carries over an excellent mix of well designed unique characters and fighting mechanics that makes it a fighting game that can be played out in a number of ways that other fighting games cannot deliver. The character’s unique fighting styles mixed with the numerous battle mechanics at play (with GRD being the biggest factor) makes each round play out differently. Under Night contains a strong style (albeit very anime) with excellent character design, colors, and animations, as well as terrific sound work in sound effects, voice acting, and soundtrack.
What makes UNICLR’s additions feel miniscule in impact compared to the previous updates is the lack of quality of life updates with this version. There was no improvement to the online netcode, the training mode could have used some editing and improvements from its well deserved inclusion in UNIST, and there were minimal updates made to each character’s combo routes and lack of in-game information to note the changes made to the roster. It was nice for the developer and publisher to make the update game patch free and the new character to purchase for a minimal fee. UNICLR still reigns supreme in the fighting department, it’s the lack of support around it that fails to bring this version of this franchise to bigger heights. Fingers crossed those quality of life additions are implemented in the next game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2

#05
All we ask for a classic video game being remade to maintain what made it a classic while putting in the right quality of life improvements. Vicarious Visions does just that, maintaining the tight and active controls that made the original games so fun to play, while giving all stages and skaters a nice fresh paint of coat, and keeping all the original cast of skaters and soundtrack. Their additions to the skater roster and soundtrack are well done and including a couple of crucial gameplay mechanics from the later THPS games makes this a game that’s in it for those who loved the originals and especially those who have not played them before.
The mesh of excellent level design, goals, gameplay, and style combines is the recipe that makes THPS work. You go around a closed area performing numerous tricks and accomplishing goals over a variety of ramps, objects, and buildings. The levels and goals are strong enough alone to encourage repeated attempts at one stage alone, giving the player the rush to adjust and perfect their 2-minute runs on the goals they are attempting to accomplish. The soundtrack is the perfect topping that keeps the flow going with an energetic and eclectic mix of music genres.
While I acknowledge that THPS 1 & 2 is an excellent product, for me its impact felt short lived as I completed my first runthrough through all the stages and goals I had little inclination to go back and replay all of the stages again for casual runs. Plus I felt my age trying my best to juggle all the controls at hand, controlling the skater on the ground, controlling the spin in the air, hitting different face and directional buttons to perform different tricks, and so on. My run with this remake was shorter than I initially thought I’d play, but man that time was pretty sweet that served as a remembrance of my time with the games back then and how well they did to recapture that with modern sensibilities.
One Step from Eden

#04
There’s been a bubble of card builder games in the past few years, but this game’s spin on the genre taking it to a rogue-like, fast-paced action battle makes it stand out from the crowded genre. While there’s a lot in play that may turn off perspective players, those that like a solid mix of what’s at play around its deck building concept will find lots to like here. I have not had a successful run yet, but I always enjoyed my runs with the game no matter how poor or unlucky some of them turned out.
One Step from Eden has the player go through a series of levels and battles while building their deck for their character to fight with. The usual card deck builder elements are familiar for those versed in the genre, you collect a number of cards that contain a particular action that can be used in battle. Players can add and remove cards as they see fit. The game also includes artifacts to provide various benefits. The spin is that its battles are conducted on a 16x16 grid and fought in real time. You use your cards in play as you move around on your side of the grid while fighting enemies at their side of the grid. That is where this game’s fun is at.
Being a card deck builder at its core also carries the same curses, even if this game spins it to its fast paced action game. There are runs where you won’t get the right cards and artifacts to help and in battle where the cards you need don’t come at the right time. That aspect does not bother me. My biggest complaint with the game is due to its fast paced action and 2D sprite art, it becomes hard to keep up with what cards you have in play and trying to find timings of enemy attacks which are hard to read and react to due to its frantic pace. Despite that issue, I continue to find One Step of Eden a thrill to play. Hopefully I’ll get that one successful run in some time.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus

#03
Underneath the intellectual property it hails from is a game that contains all the items a modern fighting game should have. Everything in and around the fighting game aspects of GBFV is excellent, from its well designed characters, subtle but neat battle mechanics, and excellent fighting material (tutorials, combos, training mode, terminology and meanings). However, the aspects from its gatcha phone origins in rolling for character weapon skins and lackluster RPG mode prevent GBFV from achieving its potential.
GBFV’s fighting is excellent. Its pace and action is not as hectic compared to most anime-like fighting games, but there’s plenty of action at play with its more deliberate pace. I immediately enjoyed the slower, measured action as I feel I do not have to strain my mind and hands to keep up with the fighting action. The fighting mechanics add some nice depth and needed accessibility to its fights. The two mechanics that stood out to me are the easy special attack inputs and special attack cooldowns. The easy special attack inputs are nice in that it lowers the complexity for players who have trouble performing them in the heat of battle. The special attack cooldown adds an additional element of decision making whether to perform the move at that time and the consequences of having that move unavailable for a few seconds. I also love the differing cooldowns of executing a special attack in normal FG convention (shorter) compared to the easy input.
The parts around GBFV’s fighting is where I feel the game as a whole hinders its excellent fighting core. The RPG mode’s battles are more akin to beat ‘em ups and the story just thrusts us into a random event where we have no introduction or backstory to the characters for anyone not familiar with them. It also implements a nasty gatcha on attaining additional character weapon skins. The online netcode quality is not great either. Nonetheless, GBFV’s main focus is its fighting and that’s where it shines. Great fighting along with a surprisingly deep set of training tools make it worthy for those who enjoy a more measured action.
Final Fantasy VII Remake

#02
Out of all the games that made my GOTY list, FF7R had the most hurdles to impress me: my first entry into the Final Fantasy franchise, the change from its original battle system to a real-time action oriented battles, and is still a massive time sink even though it only covers a portion of the original story. Well, FF7R managed to dissuade most of my concerns and I came away really enjoying my venture through the Midgar section. The journey had plenty of bumps along the way, but I enjoyed the story, characters, and playing through this game. Moreso that I initially thought I might get out of it.
While I did not have any knowledge of how the Midgar section played out, I still found myself drawn into the story that told different facets of that section tied with how well each character was written and their dialogue speaking of their personal plights. I was surprised at how lively the main characters were, which certainly helps the game go through its slower portions of the story. FF7R’s gameplay is what surprised me more on how much I loved fighting its battle system and equally carried my enthusiasm to play through the game. I did not expect to fight in real time, running around hitting enemies in an enclosed area mashing the attack button while mixing in abilities through the ATB system along with commanding and switching between characters in battle. As a stalwart of JRPG turn-based battles, FF7R was able to breakthrough to me with iits active time battles.
There were two aspects of FF7R that bugged me throughout my time that kept me from enjoying it more. In terms of battles, I felt its camera did not fare well in battles that were more intense, not being able to find the enemies tell to attack made it frustrating, and trying to lock on and attack a certain target was hard to do. I also felt the battle difficulty spiked up toward the end of the game. On the storytelling front, my main complaint is how slow the story paced combined with certain chapter sections where it’s essentially migrating from one area to the next could have been trimmed down. Despite those personal complaints, I was caught off guard on how much I loved playing through this part of 7R and look forward to finishing the adventure. No rush Square Enix, I would like the other sections to maintain the high standard set with this one.
Hades

#01
You would think that after ten or so attempts and not feeling close to seeing the end would discourage folks from engaging with the game again. Whatever magic Supergiant Games pulled with their roguelike take through the depths of hell, they kept me at it until I made my first successful escape on my 29th attempt. There are so many things at play here that should not have worked: roguelike, random generated levels, limited attacking options, reliance on boons and assists, fast paced action with numerous enemies and stage hazards to be mindful of, etc. Yet Hades manages to make a challenging genre fun for any level of challenge, and maintain that fun through multiple sessions. Tack on top of the level production levels on a presentation and technical standpoint and the lack of holes to truly knock the game for which pushed the needle for me to award Hades as my favorite game of 2020.
It took me a couple of runs into Hades until its bait finally hooked my attention. When it dawned on me when I started to make more headway into the game is where I finally was in awe of how everything gameplay wise worked in harmony with each other. The basic actions of running around and attacking enemies with two basic attacks is solid on its own, but the real fun comes when the other elements come into play with the assists and boons collected as you progress through the labyrinth. It takes a ploy from deck builders with the Greek Gods randomly spawning boons to tack on various benefits to assist you on your journey. Mixing and matching weapon skills and boons with its excellent combat where you contend through waves of various enemies and doing your best to survive to make it to the next room kept me driven to keep at it even if some runs did not go as well as I hoped. You die, you revise your assists, find your weapon, and head out again.
The other aspect that I feel puts Hades over the top and where its replayability value skyrockets is how they tell its story. I underestimated how much there was outside of the main premise of Zagreus’s desire to escape Hades. It was floored on the depth of dialogue that each character you meet upon your repeated runs through hell. I do not recall ever reading repeated dialogue spoken by the surprising amount of characters you come across in the game. There’s even a bit of a visual novel-like gameplay element in play by gifting nectar and ambrosia to the non-NPCs that tack on the incentive to play through Hades again. The beautiful art, top-notch voice work and soundtrack, and that it runs smoothly on the Nintendo Switch are additional accomplishments that should not be looked over.
While I have not replayed the game after my first escape, I can see myself digging into Hades a bit into 2021 to dig a few more nuggets that game has in store that I have yet to uncover. Even after some time away from this game, the way Supergiant was able to meld all of its sprawling scope together in gameplay, story, and technical prowess continues to blow my mind to this day. A roguelike game that has fun and flexible gameplay and a compelling story to boot? Hades did it with flying colors.