Games that came out this year that I played
- Ghost of Tsushima - I quite literally love everything about this game. It's the most enjoyment I've gotten out of a video game in a very long time. I loved the story, actually got emotional about it, and the world is just....wonderful.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake - I started playing this when it came out and found it kind of boring. I don't remember why, but I wasn't as impressed as I felt I should have been. I let a couple months go by and picked it up again and then had a complete turn around. I think they've done a stellar job with this, beyond expectation, and I can't wait to see the rest.
- Hades - So, I don't love Hades quite as much as everyone else, but I did have a very serious affair with it for several weeks. I fell off at some point because the post-credits stuff just didn't hold that much appeal to me, but I bet I'll go back to it at some point.
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Like God of War or Ghost of Tsushima, this is a game that appeals to me on so many levels. I've been waiting for AC to go Norse for a while, and I think they did it right with Valhalla. That I watched The Last Kingdom as I played it even added to its fun.
- Demons Souls - I've only just started playing, but it feels so fucking good to get back to Boletaria. I have a HISTORY with this game. I can't believe how beautiful it looks now.
- Miles Morales - Again, I've only just started this, but the original Spider-Man game was my GOTY when it game out, and this is every bit as fun. I love Miles, in everything I've seen or read, and this does him right.
Games that came out prior to this year but that I only this year played or continued playing.
- Final Fantasy XIV - This is basically on my list every year. I got into it more this year than in most others because I finally found a solid static to do savage content with, and it's made the game come alive again. It's nuts to think that I've been playing this game for most of a decade.
- Death Stranding - When Death Stranding came out, I was very lukewarm on it. It looked ridiculous, and despite my love of the Metal Gear, there wasn't much appealing to me about what I was seeing. I tried it on a lark, literally checked it out of a library, and was completely floored by how much I ended up loving it. It's stupid - make no mistake, but it's the kind of stupid I really like.
- God of War - I don't know why I waited so long to play God of War. I played nearly every other incarnation, am a complete Norse-myth lover, and it's basically everything I am looking for in a video game, particularly the fatherhood aspects of its story. I finally made myself sit down and do it this year and it's one of my favorite games of all time.
- Dark Souls Remastered - I bought this on a lark at the beginning of the pandemic and quickly realized how much I'd been wanting to play Dark Souls again. Nothing new here - just the same game that I loved when it came out years ago.
- Assassin's Creed Unity - What a story this game has, and I'm not referring to the in-game narrative (though that is quite good as well). I remember playing this on release and feeling like it was hot garbage, despite loving the series. Playing it this year was revelatory. It's so good. I can't even believe how good it is. It's one of the best AC games. I wish they'd have waited and fixed it before it was released so that it wouldn't have been so tarnished in the public eye.
- Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight is another game I slept on despite having very good initial impressions. When I made myself sit down and really put some time into it I found probably the best metroidvania I can think of. I am really looking forward to Silksong.
- Mutant Year Zero - This was a left fielder for me. I had heard good things about the game and picked it up cheap at some point, but had never really tried it until recently. I was initially a little put off by its difficulty, but I'm happy I stuck with it and figured out how to navigate within its parameters because it became fantastic.
- Valkyria Chronicles 4 - A true return to form. I loved Valkyria 1. I didn't enjoy the sequel's move to the PSP, and 3 was by all accounts a complete disaster. Valk 4 really feels like a love letter to that first game, and I enjoyed getting back into it style.
- NBA 2k20 - I pick up a sports game once every few years. Sometimes baseball, sometimes basketball. I got 2k20 as part of some bundle, and at some odd point in the year decided I felt like some basketball. Then I put 150 hours into the game, played through two seasons, and was basically obsessed with my player for months.
- Dishonored 2 - Thank you Game Pass! I liked the first Dishonored a lot, but I think the sequel tops it. Emily is a fun character to play as, and I think her side of the story is really interesting.
- Donut County - This is kind of an honorable mention, but this game holds a special place in my heart because its the first game where I handed the controller to my small child and let her play. It's charming as hell, and the simplistic controls make it work even in the hands of a four year old.
Dishonorable Mention - Zelda 2: Link's Adventure - The only Zelda game I'd never beaten until this year. I figured it was do-able with Nintendo Online and the rewind feature. It's barely do-able even while cheating. I hated this entire experience so much, and I'd have quit early on had I not been so angry at this stupid game. I love Zelda, but this is one of the worst games I've ever played.
Dishonorable Mention 2 - Fuck the pre-orders and fuck the releases for these two consoles. I am finally in a place in my life where I can afford to buy a new console and they put us all through so much bullshit that I probably never will again. That I managed to get them both eventually still feels like a miracle.
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