What are your top 5 games of this year. Lets keep the last of us part 2 hate to a minimum. My top 5 for this year are including non-playstation systems
5b.) Dreams (Ps4)
5a.) Final Fantasy 7 remake (Ps4)
4.) GoT (Ps4)
3.) Animal Crossing New Horizon (switch)
2.) Hades (Switch)
1.) The Last Of Us Part 2 (Ps4)
Honorable mentions to Resident Evil 3 remake (Ps4), Exoblade Chrnicles Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (switch), Call Of The Sea (Xb1)
1) Final Fantasy VII Remake
2) DOOM 64 (I'm counting it, since it's a new remaster that adds levels and whatnot)
3) Paper Mario: The Origami King
4) Catherine: Full Body (Switch port was released this year)
5) Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Honestly haven’t played that many 2020 games either.
5. Final Fantasy VII Remake even if I wasn’t big on it much at all.
4. Super Mario 3D All Stars
3. Animal Crossing New Horizons
2. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2
1. Hades
I go back and forth with Hades and Tony Hawk but I have to take into account that Tony Hawk is a remake at heart despite being one of the best ever made. Hades is a breath of fresh air for an entire genre, giving roguelikes an actual nuanced story with lovable characters and a whole load of depth. It puts your average ten-a-penny roguelike on the eShop to shame.
Despite my issues with some of the included games (coughMario64agedterriblycough), it has been fun revisiting and fully exploring them. I 100%ed 64 and Sunshine and am in the process of doing so with Galaxy (which is effectively twice as long as the other games in the collection if you're going for full completion, although the lack of exploration and collectibles probably helps even that out a bit).
@nessisonett I'll definitely have to try Hades at some point. I just don't have a good history with the developer, because Bastion was... not terrible, but I didn't like it.
5. Trials of Mana (PS4)
4. Paper Mario: the Origami King (Switch)
3. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Mostly for Galaxy, though I appreciated finally seeing 64 through to the credits & actually playing Sunshine for the first time.
2. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch) - perhaps not too fair since I'm still playing it.
1. Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)
Non-2020 Honorable mentions played in 2020: Daemon X Machina (Switch), the Last Guardian (PS4), Tales of Berseria (PS4), Tetris Effect (PSVR), Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, the Golden Country (Switch).
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
1. Nioh 2
2. Dreams
3. Ghost of Tsushima
4. Fall Guys
5.......... I think those are the only new games I've played this year. I'll edit if I think of another.
Still not played Last of Us 2 yet, otherwise that would have probably been in here somewhere.
Good job, Parappa. You can go on to the next stage now.
Hmm, not actually played too many newly released games this year.
My 2020 game of the year is easily Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I love how it builds on the well-worn gameplay loop of the series, giving much more motivation to play. The island is much more customisable than ever before, and building items is a game changer.
Final Fantasy VII Remake - Amazing combat and they made Cloud so cute. The Honeybee Inn section is my gaming highlight of the year. Also, what is up with Sephiroth's lips? Nomura, you wily fellow.
Super Mario 3D All Stars - Even with the dated mess of SM64, this collection is still worth it for Galaxy alone.
1. Two Point Hospital
2. Command and Conquer Remastered
3. Astro's Playroom
4. Demon's Souls
5. WRC9
Haven't played Doom Eternal yet but there's a good chance it will make my top 5. I'm not counting the 3d mario collections as it contains straight ports.
Have I even played 5 games that came out this year? Let's find out-
5. Streets of Rage 4: I was definitely looking forward to a revival of Streets of Rage and I wasn't disappointed. If there's one thing I love about retro revivals, it's bringing something modern while keeping what made the game great, and SoR4 does that in spades. Getting rid of what made older beat-'em-ups harder to revisit while having a fun, challenging experience that's easy to replay over and over again. Boosted by sweet looking graphics and awesome soundtrack, SoR4 does the series the justice it's city needs.
4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2: One of the better retro revivals you can get, the stops were pulled out for this one. This is a great way to remake the original games, with many of the original skaters returning plus new ones, bringing the gameplay back to it's golden standard, bringing much of the original music back, and updating the graphics to an acceptable standard. Like SoR4, THPS1+2 is very replayable, and a great game to kick back to.
3. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time: People may have seen me go off in comment sections about how Crash needed a new game and not another remake, but here it is and I'm glad it's here. While the game can feel weird after going through either the PS1 originals or N. Sane Trilogy, getting used to it revealed a sublime platforming experience despite it's difficulty. Yeah, Crash 4 reminds me too much of Crash 1 (or Cold Hard Crash from 2) at times, and I do think the game went overboard with 100% completion, but it would be wrong to call it a bad game, especially since I do enjoy the ideas it has. Still a good time platforming if you're willing to pull through.
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake: I would hate it if I couldn't say this was good after spending $350 on it (I bought the 1st Class Edition). Thankfully, part one of FF7 circa 2020 gets thumbs up from me. The changes may not have been loved by everyone, but I embraced the game for what it was. I enjoyed the action combat quite a bit, appreciated the expanded interaction with the cast and world, and I'm pretty excited for the direction the game seems to be going, if only for my own curiosity.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: I never played the original Wii version for many reasons, so I was excited to finally have a chance at playing it on the Switch. Sometimes I don't want games that subvert expectations or redefine the industry, I just want a good game with good story, characters, gameplay, music, and world. Xenoblade has all of that, with an enjoyable story, characters I liked being around, gameplay that I had fun messing around with, music I loved to hear, and a world worth exploring. It's not quite the masterpiece it's made to be, but it's the most fun I've had in an RPG in a while.
Honorable Mentions-
Ghost of Tsushima (Haven't finished it yet)
Persona 5 Royal (The changes were good, but I didn't feel like spotlighting a rerelease of a still recent title)
Yakuza Remastered Collection (Not only am I not done with these, but they're basically straight PS3 ports)
Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Same as above)
"We don't get to choose how we start in this life. Real 'greatness' is what you do with the hand you're dealt." -Victor Sullivan "Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing." -Solid Snake
Unfortunately haven't played too many new games this year, but there have been some excellent ones.
Honourable mention: Dreams - This is a game I keep meaning to play more but never do. I'm sure if I'll ever take the time to create a level myself, but some of the stuff other people have created is amazing.
5) Ghostrunner - A really underlooked game imo. Definitely the best example of 1st person melee combat I've ever seen. Very challenging but extremely rewarding to nail those encounters. Even better it's mixed with platforming as well to make you feel even more badass. The platforming alone is really fun, it's nice to have this after Mirror's Edge Catalyst was pretty underwhelming. The cyberpunk story is pretty decent and the synth-wave soundtrack is really damn catchy.
4) Doom Eternal - Doom 2016 was an excellent game, so it's no so surprise that a sequel that's got even more content is also excellent. The gameplay is really turned up to 1000 in this, you're constantly on the move. Dashing makes movement even better, and additions like Ice bombs and the flamethrower are cool. However the game would have been higher, if it weren't for some not so great additions and design choices, most notably Marauders.
3) Crash Bandicoot 4 - Hands down the best surprise of the year, if not up there with some of best gaming surprises ever. Most importantly, it's just a really good platformer. The controls perfect, very precise and responsive, and all deaths felt like they were my fault. The levels are often very challenging, but are generally fair so are rewarding to overcome them. The artstyle for the game is beautiful, the colours are so well used and it's a massive improvement over the N-Sane trilogy imo, especially our boy Crash himself. Story is serviceable for a platformer game like this, but the characters are as lovable as ever. The amount of content the game gives you is great, even though the requirements for 106% completion are excessive.
2) Fall Guys - I apologise to no one for putting this at number 2, this is my favourite multiplayer game in years. Usually I dislike battle royales, as you are often on a very large map meaning you spend a lot of time looking for enemies, so it's very frustrating to come across enemies and lose, but it takes a long time to get better at the game. But with Fall Guys, you're constantly in the "action" but still get the pride of being the best of 60 players. It's a very unique idea, that's done really well. It has some not so great game modes (I'm looking at you Hoopsie Legends), but most of them are very fun, particularly Hex a Gone, Block Party, Slime Climb, and The Whirlygig. What makes it one of my favorite MP games, is how silly it all is. The ridiculous aesthetic and the beans make it hard to take seriously, which just makes the experience more fun. I'm more inclined to laugh off an unfair death because of how this game feels, and I play for fun primarily and to win second. Not to mention, I generally really like the progression system. The costumes are fun to unlock, and it's the perfect balance between making you work, and items not needing a grind. Though that has been different in the past.
1) Ghost of Tsushima - Hard to believe it's been 6 years since Sucker Punch's last game, but it's been worth the wait. I love history and Sucker Punch so this was an easy sell for me, especially due to the fact the context is so interesting yet under explored. The game opens very well, and really sets on you on your quest in a way that motivates you. The story is so well told, and the characters you meet along the way are intriguing. The themes of the game are excellently handled, Jin's internal struggles are so well played, and Khotun Khan was the perfect antagonist to face Jin. He was evil but somewhat likable as well, and the final confrontation really payed off after all the build up behind it. Gameplay as well is amazing. After the first gameplay reveal, I was somewhat unimpressed, but it plays a lot better than it looks. Melee combat is so fun, the are a ton of options available and standoffs were surprisingly tense. And obviously, the game is beautiful, it's such a lovely interpretation of 13th century Japan.
My taste in games this year has moved away from AAA, though I have played a few this year. So in no particular order...
1) Kandagawa Jet Girls. Probably the one to make people go "why?". I was expecting it to be rubbish, turned out pretty good.
2) (New) Sakura Wars - another game that came outta nowhere for me. New to the series, friend recommended, I loved it
3) 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim - if you ain't played it, do it. Deserves the praise. Best narrative of 2020.
4)Nioh 2 - improvement on the first in most ways. Tons of content, season pass is good value. Also you create your own character
5) Death end re;Quest 2 - this was my most hyped game of 2020. Not as good as the first, however still really good. Graphics look dated, but that's part of the Idea Factory charm.
HMs: Resi 3 remake, Demon's Souls, Mortal Shell, Super Mario 3D all stars, Astro's Playroom, Genshin Impact, DMC 5 SE
Not sure how I forgot about Astro's Playroom! It's delightful and made me smile almost the whole way through. The PlayStation references dotted throughout are a lovely touch and the GPU song was stuck in my head for about a week after completing it. I hope that the reception this received leads to Sony making another Astro platformer.
3. Astro's Playroom. I thought that I was high, when I caught myself smiling the whole time while playing Astro Bot. I wasn't though. Every review of this game I read used the word "joy" to describe the game, and they're absolutely right. The game is pure fun the whole thing through. Even the speed running was, which is something I never expected to say. The game is short, but if doesn't need to be long, when not a second feels like padding.
2. Persona 5 Royal Probably not this impressive if you already played the original. And I must admit to not having finished the game yet. That doesn't matter though, because my 40 hours or so with this game has been so enormously fun, that I'd still put it in this list, even if the next 50 are really bad.
1. Kentucky Route Zero I posted a kind of review on this somewhere on the forum. Go read that if you want to know more. This game is unique, special and meaningful. It's not for everyone, but it is definitely the game for me.
The NOT-GOTY's 2020
3. Bugsnax, latter half of the game was a real letdown. Personal disappointment of 2020.
2. Animal Crossing New Horizons, nomination for most overrated game of 2020. 90% of this game is the exact same game as the GameCube game from 2004-ish, and it even does some things worse than that game. People aren't allowed to hate on FIFA for recycling, but praise this game.
1. Mario 35, this game was supposed to be fun. And for the first five minutes playing, you totally think it will be fun. But after five games you realize this game is just... not fun. It's also limited, because Nintendo thinks limiting the window during which gamers can even play the game, is somehow the coolest thing Nintendo did for gaming this gen. Also, this could have so easily been a great game if it was Fall Guys, with Mario Bros levels. I just don't like the game. I actually don't like Nintendo in 2020 at all.
Before I write mine down, I just gotta say, I have weird tastes😂.
5. Lonely Mountains: Downhill. Really breathtaking game to me. The way the mountains are laid out is absolutely perfect for this type of game, and the controls are spot on. One of the best indies this year!
4. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Never picked this game up on Wii U, but now that I’ve tried it, I can see what I was missing! Amazing story and characters, and as a huge Fire Emblem fan, every time I saw a character I recognized I got extremely excited!
3. Among Us (if the goty awards said it released this year, I’m saying it did too). I love playing Mafia with my friends, and this game was basically that, but better in every way. And it’s free so it’s practically perfect.
2. Rivals Of Aether: Definitive Edition. Honestly, this is just one big glorified update, but dang is it a good update. I never thought I would like a fighting game more than smash, but Rivals certainly does a great job at challenging it.
So many great games released this year; Hades, Animal Crossing, tLoU2, 3D All-Stars, Doom, and many more. But I didn’t really play or enjoy any of these. This year, gaming-wise, didn’t really have that much for me personally. That’s why, no matter how weird it is, my Game of the Year is...
1. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Megamix. I’ve always loved rhythm games, but I’ve never played a Miku game before. Around September, I decided to try it out cause it was on sale. And man oh man did I love it. I’ve easily become addicted to it and love the feeling of always trying to beat my best score.
This year really wasn’t a great year for gamers like me, but it has to be one of my favorites when it comes to what I’ve learned about gaming. This is the year I became a bigger fan of Ace Attorney, found out about Danganronpa, played stuff like Mother 3, Hypnospace Outlaw, and DDLC for the first time. This year, for me at least, was the year of the backlog. Discovering things I missed at first, finishing games I already bought but never got around to playing, and replaying some of the classics.
I cannot wait to see what 2021 has in store for video games!
5. Spiritfarer — An interesting indie Sim game where you play the Farryman of the River Styx. I enjoyed everything of this game the artwork the sim features, and especially the story. Definitely a must play.
4. Immortals Fenix Rising — Take everything that I enjoyed about Breath of the Wild add Assassin's Creed and you have this game. I am really enjoying my time with this one. While I don't play it all the time it's a great game to come back to go just relax. The puzzles are great, combat is awesome and best of all weapons don't break!
3. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remastered — Where do I begin with this game. I am not a huge skateboarder, but I have such good memories of these games growing up going and playing these games at my friend's house on his PSone when I was a teenager. It was nice to see a Remaster that wasn't a cash grab tugging on our nostalgia heart strings. The graphics are great, the music and a nice mix of old and current gen skaters. Now if they just Remaster THPS 3.
2. Mafia the Definitive Edition — Like THPS, this was another game I grew up with. I always enjoyed the Mafia games more then the GTA series to be honest and Mafia was my favorite. However a 2002 game doesn't age well. I tried many times to go back to Mafia but the dated graphics and punishing difficulty just killed it for me a game best remembered in the past, till Mafia the Definitive Edition came out. Like THPS 1+2 it took what I loved about Mafia and updated it for this generation, while keeping the soul of the original. Not another cheap cash in like other Remasters. Playing the remaster was pure enjoyment and reminded me why I loved this series.
1. Streets of Rage 4 — OMG What can I say about this game that hasn't been said already. This is the sequel to the SoR series all of use 90s kids wanted, I guess as the old saying goes better late then never. Like the previous 2 games on my list this game wasn't a cheap cash in (looking at you Battletoads) but a Streets of Rage game for the new generation. Everything I loved and made me fall in love with the series but with updated graphics, and online play. Even the music was great. I was hesitant about this game when it was announced fearing that it was going to be a disappointment like Double Dragon 4 but after playing it it clearly wasn't. I still go back and play it now and again. That is why it gets my top spot for best game of 2020.
Happy Holidays all!!!!
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
@Tasuki I forgot about Mafia, I might have not played it myself and instead watched my mum play it but it was utterly fantastic. The middling reviews seem a bit odd to me, it was such a breath of fresh air for the game to just go from chapter to chapter instead of funnelling you into an open world. The graphics are seriously impressive, especially the faces and animations in cutscenes. It’s not a game that I’d played the original but you could feel that it was a faithful remake and the devs really poured their heart and soul into giving it a fresh lick of paint. This was definitely the year of actually good remakes/sequels as long as you ignore Nintendo’s output.
@nessisonett Yeah alot of the mediocre reviews I feel were because people were expecting an open world game like GTA or Saints Row but Mafia was never that. It was a made in a time when open world wasn't the normal like it is now and I think that's where the confusion now. Yeah the could have made it open world but it definitely would not have been the same.
If you haven't already I suggest playing Mafia II.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
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