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 video producer Liam Richardson.
5. Dreams

Confession time — I’ve yet to make a single game within Dreams. I know, pretty embarrassing right? The thing is, I find Dreams to be at its best when I treat it like an obscure second-hand shop that I’ve discovered down a dingy little ally, tucked away from the beaten path. What exciting trinkets will I discover today? Ah, a game where Kermit the Frog has a machine gun! Oh my, a Sonic game where all the enemies are Sora from Kingdom Hearts! Dreams doesn’t just encourage players to express their creativity; it embraces them to relish in the absurd. For that reason alone, it’s one of my favourite experiences of the year.
4. Streets of Rage 4

Oof, Streets of Rage 4 is a bit of a winner, isn’t it? Not only is it a faithful (and canonical) sequel to the original Mega Drive trilogy, it also successfully reinvents it for the modern era. 16-bit sprites are replaced with gorgeous hand drawn illustrations, breathing new life into returning characters and series newcomers. Its soundtrack, composed by multiple artists, is a synth-wave treat that builds upon the tracks found in the original three titles. And the gameplay? Well, that’s where the real magic lies. Primarily unchanged, a few new mechanics result in one of the most satisfying combat systems in the genre. It may have taken 26 years to arrive, but believe me, it was worth the wait.
3. Astro’s Playroom

Is Astro’s Playroom the best console pack-in since Wii Sports? It’s certainly up there, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect. You see, Playroom is Sony’s Super Smash Bros, a celebration of the brand in a way the company has never quite managed to pull off before. Sure, the PS3 had a literal Smash Bros clone in the form of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but it was missing something that Astro’s Playroom has in abundance. Heart. This is a love letter, one so adoring that it features a photo realistic 3D model of the PSP’s GPS attachment as a collectible. Nothing made me smile as much as Astro’s Playroom in 2020. A sparkling jewel in PlayStation’s crown.
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

Activision has been on a bit of a winning streak recently when it comes to remasters, but none have been treated with as much care as this year’s excellent Tony Hawk collection. As much a celebration of the series as a whole as it is a remake of the original two games, THPS1+2 incorporates features from later titles (such as the essential revert) to create arguably the best skateboarding game ever created. The birdman is back, broski, and he’s radder than ever. Here’s hoping that Activision capitalises on the enormous success of this release with a true sequel as soon as possible.
1. Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima is at its best when its katanas are safely sheathed. When the roars of invading Mongols are replaced instead by calming bird song, bubbling streams, and the gentle whisper of a guiding wind. In a year as heavy as 2020, gaming’s ability to cater to escapism has never been as warmly welcome. Of all the digital worlds I’ve visited, none have been as pleasurable as the Japanese island of Tsushima. Riding through golden forests, lush fields of blossoming flowers, and alongside coastal cliffs is a near meditative experience, the game’s vibrant art direction resulting in striking vistas that are unlike anything else on PS4. Do yourself a favour. Take a trip to Tsushima, and experience its beauty for yourself. You won’t regret it.
What do you make of Video Liam's top 5 PS5, PS4 games? Film your response in the comments below.
Comments 41
[img]https://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/astros-
Can't get enough Nam NAm
playroom/4/4e/Fat_Princess.png[/img]
Astro playroom is a hidden gem,!
No one saw it coming
Really hoping for a full blown sequel for Astro.
Fantastic game.
I loved Astro's Playroom too, a great game for sure. I do wonder though, if a 'full' game could sustain my interest given that so much of my enjoyment of Astro was derived from finding all the PlayStation Easter eggs, and I wonder if a fully formed game would continue to include these Easter eggs.
If not, and the game instead relies on its platforming and gameplay alone, then I think a huge amount of its charm could ebb away for me personally.
GoT was my favorite game this year as well. Absolutely awesome
Received Ghost of Tsushima for Christmas and really tempted to start it asap. I was thinking of leaving until I get a PS5 but I'm sure I'll end up replaying it so maybe it's time to become a samurai/ninja.
Shout out Video Liam.
Really enjoyed all the YouTube stuff this year 👍
Nice to see Dreams get a mention.....Yes I know it is not everyone's cup of Tea but from my point of view Kudos to Sony for taking a gamble that champions creativity for once and for that I am eternally Gratefull for Media Molecule.
Now this is a list! Not a whole bunch of Indie garbage lol. GoT was absolutely amazing.
Absolutely agree Ghost of Tsushima is incredible. Was definitely not expecting it to be my favorite game of 2020 before starting it. That opening scene sets up an amazing story. I also think they did right with the characters and side quests. I never once felt like I was wasting my time which is usually my biggest gripe.
I didn’t know Streets of Rage 4 existed but I’m now very intrigued. Thanks!
Ghost Of Tsushima really is something special. It managed to put me in a headspace while playing that few games do. Themes of honour, duty, family, friendship, dedication, nationalism and forgiveness swirled my thoughts in an impactful way. Brilliant.
@Ridwaano
Agreed. Figured it'd be a decent few hours to give us a nice look at what the DualSense could do. Ended up hunting down the Platinum trophy. Even with many other games I really like, I don't usually like them enough to go for that Plat. Astro's Playroom really is something special if you take the time to dig into it.
Reason to be depressed about not owning a PS5... Astro's Playroom, I played an hour of it on my friend's PS5, and I didn't want to put it down. All the Easter Eggs & References are just a joy to see, really wanna see more of AstroBot from Japan Studio, they struck gold with this little guy.
@Lovespuds - Imagine an Astro's Playroom 2 but instead of just referencing iconic PlayStation characters, have Astro constantly hop between the worlds of these PlayStation Franchises but remade to suit the platforming gameplay of AstroBot.
For example: Infamous, imagine a side-scrolling level version of Empire City, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, being shot at by cute little ReaperBots from the background, grinding on rails, then at the end you fight the Beast.
Another example: getting to explore the Streets of Yharnam from Bloodborne, even altering Astro's playstyle so that Astro may fight the enemies similarly to Bloodborne's Combat but with AstroBot's signature charm.
At the very least I hope they continue with the Easter Eggs & References, there were plenty of PlayStation Franchises that were not referenced in Astro's Playroom, like Twisted Metal, Legend of Dragoon, WILD ARMS, Dark Cloud, Demon Souls, The Mark of Kri etc.
Ghosts of Tsushima is right up there with the greatest PlayStation games of all time.
Astro’s Playroom and Dreams are also amazing.
Glad to see games getting recognised.
@JustPlainLoco This is a FABTASTIC idea—someone give this human person a contract with Sony!
@marnelljm
The so called indie "Garbage" is better then bug filled AAA trash like Cyberbug 2077, or Bugthesda,
Ghost of tshushima.nioh 2.and streets of rage 4 are in my top 5.word up son
Sega genesis streets of rage best sega genesis games and franchises ever.word up son
@playstation1995 I’m glad to see Nioh 2 get some love. As far as pure gameplay goes, no other game this year for me even comes close to what Nioh 2 offers. It’s sublime. Can’t wait to go through all of the DLC. Have a good one!
@playstation1995 i still need to get nioh 2. Is it better than the first one, because that was a great game.
@Jimmer-jammer. Definitely respect playa.nioh 2 is amazing.best souls like games next to bloodborne and remnant from the ashes.word up son
I was confused when people started putting Astro's playroom on their list but now that I got my hands on a PS5 finally I see why it is on people's GOTY list. It's super fun to play and the way it utilizes the Dual Sense is super awesome!
@Lovespuds have you played Astrobot Rescue Mission on playstation VR. That was a full length platformer and probably one of the finest games of the PS4 generation. I have no doubt, given the resources, a full blown sequel for PS5 would be absolutely brilliant
@ellsworth004. Nioh 2 is a prequel to 1.and storytelling wise 1 and a little better than 2.but combat wise its 2 thats better.you can play multiplayer.and get help in the single player.and you can turn to a yokai.have magic.graphics is way better than 1.but nioh 2 is way harder than 1.word up son
Pretty solid choices Liam. I approve. None of them made me raise an eyebrow. Might not be my personal choices, but that's a list I understand and can respect.
@Col_McCafferty Hi there friend.
Two words.
DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!
You wont regret it.
A beautiful game from begining to end, with a surprising good cast of characters, interesting side stories and a gameplay that makes you feel you either live by the blade or die by the blade.
And photo mode...........
I have 6 GBs of pictures of this game alone.
Madness.
Cheers, stay safe and happy gaming to us all
@playstation1995 Hi there playa.
Streets of rage will always be the best beat´em up of all time.
A classic for sure.
And SOR4 was so gooooood man. Loved every minute of it.
Cheers, stay safe and happy holidays
@Jimmer-jammer Hi there friend.
Ni-Oh 2 is THE hardcore gameplay action game, no doubt.
The level of skill, the precision of the combat mechanics, the multiple weapon classes and those freakin Bosses that push you to the edge.
A great experience for every souls-like action rpg fan out there.
You are going to love and "hate" the dlc.
Some of the best/fair Boss designs and also two of the worst.
Cheers, stay safe and enjoy the weekend
@RaZieLDaNtE. Whats good playa. hows everything.yeah man.streets of rage make me miss the 1990s.the games are amazing.word up son
I loved Streets of Rage 4. I’ve got it on Switch.
Made me feel like I was a young kid in the 90s all over again.
@Ridwaano those of us who played Astro Bot Rescue Mission absolutely saw it coming, that VR game is easily one of the best games on PS4.
2020 was ok gaming wise overall but Streets of Rage 4 is a great game and one I'll be playing for a while, Ghost of Tsushima was fun and shows promise it doesn't quite fulfill and falls into the typical open world trappings. I quite liked Resident Evil 3, Doom Eternal didn't click the way 2016 did but TLOU2 is the best AAA game I played and nothing on the new systems came close, Astro's Playroom aside. In fact if that had just a few more worlds I'd probably have that as my game of the year but as it stands TLOU2 is my GOTY
@carlos82 completely agree with you. GoT is objectively a good game but the open world fluff they couldve done without. My main gripe were the lacklustre side quests. And the infinite thunderstorm because apparently I didnt play as it was supposed to really bothered me as well.
Doom Eternal I had high hopes for but imo it suffered from 'sequel syndrome' and went too far over the top.
TLOU2 could do without the woke characters that felt forced in, especially in a post apocalyptic world. But I think especially gameplay wise it was a big leap forward from TLOU1. And the first half was one of my favourite gaming moments of this generation. The 2nd half took me a while to get into but eventually grew on me. However the game as a whole outstayed it's welcome a bit in the final act (imo).
@Flurpsel yeah with Ghost the side quests were pretty bad for the most part (the blue ones tended to be pretty good though) and I didn't find stealth that enjoyable as the AI wasn't really tuned for it, plus killing everyone when caught was far too easy anyway.
Doom 2016 is my favourite fps this gen but Eternal yeah just went too far and I felt like I was just cycling through various shoulder cannons and the chainsaw rather than enjoying shooting enemies.
TLOU2 was a huge step up gameplay wise from the original and had some really good exploration. My only gripe was that it didn't really know when to end and should have done with Abby after finding someone on the radio
@Lovespuds
One way to ensure any future Astro game is absolutely phenomenal is simply to make it in VR again. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is 10x the game that the great Astro’s Playroom is already. Can’t believe there is no talk of a sequel or at least DLC. I never buy DLC, but for one of the greatest games of all time I’d make an exception
@Ear_wiG - Wow thanks, really appreciate that.
Glad to see someone appreciate SoR4 and Ghost of Tsushima in number one like it should be, so far the best list that I seen
@RaZieLDaNtE Hi there! Yeah I felt it really accomplished everything a sequel should. Enemy variety was a HUGE improvement on the original and the addition of yokai powers and dark realms was a great touch. It expanded on everything that made the first great, and is visually totally underrated. I don’t think the graphics get enough praise, it really is a beautiful game. Also the switchglaive is possibly my favourite weapon to wield in any game ever. Here’s hoping a Nioh 3 is in the works. I will be there day one no questions asked. Have a good one!
Great list bruh
3 good, 2 unknowns, not bad.
Liam you just shot to the top of my favorite pushsquare associate with this list. Well done totally agree with Ghost at the top spot.
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