Even though I played more games this year than usual, few of them were new and worth putting on a top ten list. There are a lot of small games that I wish I’d played; a few of which I’m catching up on just now, giving myself the same deadline as GB. So, this list may change.
I kind of hate myself for putting this up here. A game mired by stories of crunch that turned out very messy. Messy in the way the game is structured and with frustrating moments where narrative emotions don’t coincide with where the player is at and what they control. It’s also hampered by its length. Yet the game as a whole has stuck in my mind the way few have. They went for it with these narrative choices in a way that I’ve seen from few AAA games. Because of this and excellent writing, character development, and voice acting - the game took me on a roller coaster of feelings, especially toward certain characters. I have to give it credit for that. In terms of gameplay, I think it’s one of the best stealth-action games around. I’m even thinking of replaying it in the near future, which I can’t say for many 30+ hour games I beat not too long ago.
This was the game I kept coming back to to cope with the shitty year that was 2020. It’s incredible and everyone knows why so I won’t reiterate it here.
I had no expectations for this game - having little history with the original - but the demo hooked me with its rewarding and engaging combat system. I then played a bit of the original in the run-up to release, to get a sense of how the remake differed. And I have to say, the way they manage to flesh out such a small chapter of the original is really impressive. They brought to life characters that just had a few lines in the original and created - out of whole cloth - sequences that turned out to be some of my favorite moments in the game. I need to finish it still before GOTY; I burned out some towards the end. The side quests are also mostly throwaway, but despite this, the game deserves top three in my list.
This is another game that shouldn’t have a right to be here. I thought I was done with Ubisoft open world games. Valhalla, however, struck a very addicting balance for me. It brings back elements of the classic ACs like giving you the freedom to tackle assassinations however you please. I loved sneaking into a stronghold, making my way up to the target and then blowing the viking horn - to call for a raid - then completing the hit as I escaped in the ensuing mayhem. This game has an air of dynamism that’s been missing in the series for a while. If I wasn’t raiding with my crew, I was having one-off personable moments in the game’s oddball mysteries (side encounters); or I was engaged in clever and rewarding treasure hunts. This harmony of threads hooked me and made Valhalla one of the best in the series.
Signs of the Sojourner is a game about the struggles of communication - about getting on with other people and losing touch with your roots, or vice versa depending on how you play. It has themes of ecological disaster and inequality within a unique post-post-apocalyptic setting. All of this is presented in a charming and chill, aesthetically pleasing pseudo-deck puzzler(?) If you ever want a game to relax to while being contemplative, check this out!
Every year I play an older game that I wish I’d played sooner so that I could sing its praises then. Soma was that game this year. I won’t get into it for fear of spoiling this overlooked horror masterpiece (I wrote more detailed spoilery thoughts on why this game has one of the best narratives in my Games Journal list). Don’t let the horror trappings dissuade you from experiencing this game; play the mode where you can’t die if you have to.
The combat alone pushed me through this game. Here’s a “haiku”:
Reflect on Ghost...
Carrot-on-stick good
Generic open-world game
Comfort food, popped corn
These next two are more honorable mentions because I didn't play enough of them.
