Alongside our staff-voted Game of the Year awards, each of our writers have crafted their own personal lists, covering their top five PlayStation 5 and PS4 titles of 2020. Today, it's the turn of reviewer John Cal McCormick.
5. Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition

Ultimately, I found that I enjoyed Kentucky Route Zero most at the beginning of the game, and the longer it went on and the zanier it got without providing answers, the more I lost interest. While the overall narrative didn't really land for me, the game does have a cool Twin Peaks-esque atmosphere that stayed with me for days after I finished it. The song performance at the dive bar in the middle of the game was a highlight. If you're wondering why a game I feel so tepid about is in my top five of the year, it's because I didn't play many new games that weren't rubbish.
4. Persona 5 Royal

I'm not actually sure whether I liked Persona 5 Royal more than the original base game or not. In some ways it was objectively better, but in others — particularly the new final chapter — I wasn't sure it was an improvement. The brand new ten-hour epilogue actually just derailed the story for me and made the ending feel anticlimactic. So a deserving #4, then. This is going well.
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake

About twenty hours into Final Fantasy VII Remake, I was sure this would be my favourite game of the year, and one of my favourite games of all time. But once I got to the Kingdom Hearts daddy chuff ending I'd kinda soured on the experience. It's still mostly a great game, and I loved seeing the old gang back together, but we didn't need to reinvent the wheel here with a cartoonland finale. Less is more sometimes. A lot less. A lot of less. It's like if, for the last twenty minutes of The Dark Knight, they swapped out Christian Bale's Batman for Adam West's.
2. Ghost of Tsushima

I really couldn't decide whether this would be number 1 for me or not, and on another day it might have been. While the story delivery is perhaps a bit dry, it excels in every other regard. It's beautiful, the combat is fantastic, and for an open world game, it's wonderful to see a title that doesn't bombard us with pointless busy work to keep us playing for 100 hours. Wandering around the world Sucker Punch created was a joy, and I can't wait to see what comes next.
1. The Last of Us: Part II

I think I went for The Last of Us: Part II as my game of the year because of how it made me feel. While some games — every game on this list, actually — made me feel genuine real life emotions in parts, The Last of Us 2 gave me feelings throughout most of the playthrough. Bad feelings, mostly, but feelings nonetheless. I don't think that the narrative was perfectly handled — particularly the ending — but the game is almost unbearably intense, and I loved Abby's story. I couldn't put the pad down because I just had to see what happened next, and I can't say that about many other games this year. Plus, I want it to win game of the year so Internet babies have a tantrum. And isn't that the real reason we vote in these things? Spite? Yes. Spite.
Do you agree with John's personal Game of the Year picks? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Comments 36
Oh man, never change John 😂😂
I haven't played any of those games.
Happy Christmas.
lmao, this is by far my favorite top five article!
Way to bring that dark humor, I’m here for it 🌚
lol, awesome top 5 article, this will be hard to beat, nice work.
My top 5 are
Doom Eternal
FFVII Remake
Watch Dogs Legion
Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor
TLOU2
HLTB TLOUII and you'd see its main campaign is longer than most open world games and by far longer than any linear game. Was rushed out because of spoilers and still no bugs no nothing. ND are outstanding. Simply GOTY!
Interesting about the final 10 hours of Royal. I haven't played it at all, but I already found the original game's ending to be a bit too protracted, so this was expected for me, but still a shame! Out of interest, what parts of Royal did you find objectively better?
Final Fantasy Remake VII was nice, even though it deviated from the original game, and Persona 5 Royal is fantastic. Didn't play Ghost of Tsushima, but I here good things.
TLOU 2 is well deserved for all its accolades. Still using its theme with an excellent soundtrack. The journey is a bit long but well worth it. The final climax kept me on my toes. Need to play GOT after my exam.
I'm tempted to pick up both Kentucky Route Zero and Ghost of Tsushima as they're both on sale but one, I'm kinda still on the fence with these and two, I'm still waiting for my Cyberpunk refund.
I'm half hoping it doesn't come through for a while because I have a ton to catch up on as it is. And I'm still trying to carve out some time for a Grounded/Permadeath run on TLOU2.
GoT was my favorite game this year, I will definitely pick up TLOU2 when its $20 bucks or under. It looks amazing graphics wise. But already knowing the entire plot I can't commit to even $30 RN lol. I'm poor.
@zupertramp GoT is truly a great game. I can't really find any faults at all. Its so fun. Imo its a must play if your into those types of games. The Ronin characters alone is worth a play through.
@mrbone I can't believe how amazing the graphics are on last gen consoles. That feat alone deserves goty
@ObserverGamez Yeah I was kinda hoping it'd have a deeper discount this sale because I've not been showing much restraint when it comes to video games this year and I'm trying to turn a corner lol. We'll see.
Aw mate, 20 hours into FF7 I was sure I would never finish it.
@zupertramp Yea I totally understand I've spent WAY too $ on games. I think it rly is a addiction.
@3MonthBeef What was your personal goty?
My top 5 no ranking order..
A: Ghost of Tsushima
B: FF VII Remake
C:NIOH 2
D:TLOU 2
E:Demon Souls
Ghost of Tsushima
The Last of Us II
Astro's Playroom
Those are the only games I finished this year. I am enjoying 13 Sentinels, but it's more of a visual novel with some turn based strategy included.
My top 5 for 2020 are weird because it's been the year of the backlog for me. My top 5 are:
1. The Last of Us
2. The Last of Us: Part 2
Tied for 3rd:
3. Nier: Automata
3. Ghost of Tsushima
5. God of War (2018)
@John McCormick... Nice refreshing take on games. We tend to take games way too seriously. Also curious as what are some of the games you have played you have found to be rubbish.
And yeah well all do these things to spite! Spite! Spite!
@BranJ0 There's more combat options and more free time so you can get more done. It helps you build up your stats or social links and the game is undoubtedly more enjoyable for it.
Another great list and not a whole bunch of Indie crap lol. GoT was better than Last of Us 2 imo.
Nioh 2 was my most played and favourite game this year. It’s strange to me that it never shows up on these lists.
@3MonthBeef Yea definitely depends on the year too.
My GOTY PS4 game.

Period. Don't care with people's opinion.
I'm 100% positive serious with my choice.
@InsertGoodName
I thought the message was more that people are complex, or varying degrees of good and evil depending greatly on the paradigm of the people judging the actions.
This is different to the simple "protagonist=good, antagonist=bad" in most games.
To a certain degree, Joel, Ellie and Abby were all dehumanised by loss and did terrible things. Joel however regained his humanity and became father he always wanted to be, before his past caught back up with him when his guard was down.
Ellie and Abby lost more than they gained in trying to avenge their father's death but at the very last moment tried to break the cycle of violence in the collapsed/rebuilding society they lived in. Again, this was different to the usual "beating the boss=good ending" in games.
I thought it was interesting and thought provoking, I understand that a lot of the upset gamers would have preferred the status quo. However, I didn't really notice the race angle myself?
Thanks,
RPE83
@Anti-Matter Please tell us more.
Yeah I want to know more.
lol wheres days gone i really gotten into that game marinating in it lol boozer! boozer! boozer! guess whos my fave lol.
Last of us 2 i need a course of anti-depressants when i remember that game story line is dark but the new monsters and enemies awsum! im torn there!
Ghosts of Tsushima perfect!
ffvii remake!? more please you just cant leave me hanging like that ive gone to crisis core to keep that story going! ( not a fan of cliff hangers lol)
i have to get this Kentucky game lol
@ObserverGamez I agree its a great game but personally I found a few faults. Jin was too dry for my opinion. Allways this sober dude, no laughing. The ending did give me goosebumps though.
And the side quests were very bland. Person in distress needs help, go kill a handfull of enemies, receive charm you allready have a dozen duplicates of. The other open world collectibles like fox dens etc were a dime a dozen as well. You did one you did them all. So while the world was gorgeous it didnt push me to explore it.
Ill stop complaining now, like I said its still a great game and I'm glad you enjoyed it
@Flurpsel I actually agree fully with what you said. Jin being serious makes sense because of the samurai thing lol, but I agree I with there were more variety in the side missions. I loved his Ronin friend and the crazy sake smuggler. Those characters were alot more interesting.
@ObserverGamez yeah its funny how the other characters were a lot more interesting than the main character. I liked Juna as well and I thought Jin acted like a right a****** to her, convincing her to stay all the time. "Promise me to keep fighting". Oh come on! Just let her go allready lol.
1 TLOU 2
2 Demon Souls
3 Doom
4 Bloodborne -again
5 COD 6 Astro's Playroom
8 Ghost of Tsushima
@Flurpsel I personally wish there were pirates in the game. Like a part where legitimate European pirates landed and were like wtf? lol
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