Game of the Year 2020
So yeah, 2020...
In a lot of ways, looking at the list I’ve created here kind of sums up how I felt about the year in general. So much of the mainstream was pushed aside for me that I had to find gems in other places. Because there were no big films, or hell, I didn’t have a film festival to go to either, I found myself seeking out old and weird stuff and in a way, this translated into the types of games I found myself genuinely attached to. The big budget first party releases have been largely pushed aside here and a large part of that has been Game Pass. Five of the games on this list I played on Game Pass and I’m pretty sure that if it wasn’t a thing, I probably would have only played about one of them, I see that as a win for the service.
Previous Year Lists: 2008 (Braid), 2009 (Dragon Age: Origins), 2010 (Mass Effect 2), 2011 (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim), 2012 (Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward), 2013 (The Last of Us), 2014 (Dark Souls II), 2015 (Bloodborne), 2016 (Inside), 2017 (NieR Automata), 2018 (Yakuza 6: The Song of Life), 2019 (Outer Wilds)
Didn’t play or play enough of: Kentucky Route Zero, Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part II, Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Best Old Game I Played This Year: Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride - Being told that this is the best 2D RPG ever is a tough mantle to live up to. It’s excellent, even playing through it on Mobile.
Just Missed Out:
Ghost of Tsushima – It was just a game I played, I liked everything here, but never really loved any one part of it.
Welcome to Elk – Just wanted to quickly shout out this cool and heartfelt little adventure game.
Spiritfarer – This could have so easily made my top 10 if only there was less of it. By the end of the game, there is so much busy work…which I get is kind of the point, but it pushed me away.
Disappointments:
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise: Beyond the technical mess this game was, it’s also an awful story. Genuinely made me question if I liked the first game and if I should even bother with SWERY games in future.
Star Wars: Squadrons: It just never clicked for me. This should have been a home run, instead I just found myself bored by the whole thing.