Okay, we've all had our say here on Push Square — now it's your turn. Our Game of the Year coverage is about done, but we can't forget about our lovely readers. Let's go through what you guys and gals think are 2020's best PlayStation games.
As we do every year, we presented you lot with a poll in order to determine your favourite PS5 and PS4 games released in the last 12 months. We asked you to choose five games from the shortlist — the very same shortlist our staff voted on — and the results are in.
Loads of you chimed in this year, with an enormous 18,895 votes in total. That's one of our biggest polls ever, so thank you very much to all who took part. Without further ado, let's go through the top 10 games, as voted for by you.
10. Persona 5 Royal — 689 votes (4%)
9. DOOM Eternal — 699 votes (4%)
8. Cyberpunk 2077 — 806 votes (4%)
7. Assassin's Creed Valhalla — 810 votes (4%)
6. Demon's Souls — 1,315 votes (7%)
5. Astro's Playroom — 1,327 votes (7%)
It might be a pack-in game, but it's left a huge impression on early PS5 players. Astro's Playroom's simple but responsive platforming, stellar controller functionality, and countless nods to PlayStation's past have earned it number five on your Game of the Year rundown. That's actually right where we positioned it, too, so for once, we're all in agreement. It's a small but perfectly formed experience, and an utter joy.
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake — 1,417 votes (8%)
We all waited years and years for this, and it seems like you lot weren't disappointed. The remake of the iconic JRPG has landed in fourth on your list, which is a couple of places lower than our staff rundown. Some found the ending to be a little too out there, but most praised the action packed combat system as well as the immense scale of Midgar. Turns out dreams really can come true — let's hope the follow-up is just as good.
3. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales — 1,755 votes (9%)
Always bet on Spidey. Insomniac Games has something very good going with its Spider-Man series, and PS5 launch game Miles Morales is proof it's a perfect fit for the studio. You guys have been absolutely loving it, naming it your number three game of 2020. That's much higher than on Push Square's list — it's clearly resonated with regular players a lot more than us miserable critics.
2. The Last of Us: Part II — 2,235 votes (12%)
If we had to guess which two games would be in the running for the community's game of the year, it would've been The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima. Naughty Dog's huge sequel was divisive among diehard fans, but it remains one of 2020's best loved games among a wider audience. You voted it your runner up for Game of the Year, and we'd say it deserves it.
1. Ghost of Tsushima — 2,894 votes (15%)
But there can only be one winner, and this year, it's Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. The open world samurai adventure ran away with 15 per cent of your votes, crowning it your Game of the Year for 2020. Topping even the mighty Last of Us, enthusiasm for this game is far-reaching, and it doesn't come as a huge surprise to see it take the win.
With slick and deadly combat, a slow-burning story, and a captivating world to get lost in, this is a real crowd pleaser. It might not be the most innovative game on PS4, but it's a brilliantly designed game with gorgeous art, animation, and music. A deserving winner for your Game of the Year, and proof that a brand new IP can be a critical and commercial hit.
And thus concludes our Game of the Year coverage for 2020. What are your thoughts on our community's top 10 games of the year? Have your say in the comments section below.
Comments (118)
I see a pattern with online polls
No surprises here. Incoming comments on how the true game won. And with that i am done Happy New Years again folks.
It’s interesting how low the percentages actually are for each game. Shows that this year was a great year for games and people have a wide variety of favourites.
@nessisonett I think that’s due to us having to vote for five games as opposed to just one.
Nice to see Astro up there, what a lovely game.
And to see a new IP winning players GOTY is really cool. Future looks bright.
So many hours of pure joy . Glad to see Persona and Cyberpunk make the list.
@nessisonett Not necessarily. Like @fR_eeBritney points out, people didn't just get to choose one game, which only shows that most people voted for a common group of big releases, which isn't really surprising.
Which obviously isn't to say PS4 didn't have a good year. It did, and a ton of really solid releases didn't even make the cut in this poll.
Played all of these apart from Cyberpunk. Some enjoyable, some brilliant, but definitely agree with the number one!
Glad the best game won! Was kinda disappointed that the official staff top game went with the obvious choice. Still, I love both games, but Ghost is the best of 2020 no doubt
Congrats to Ghost of Tsushima, 16 hours or so in and I'm really digging it. I love a good open world game and Ghost is most definitely one of those.
The Last of Us Part II has won enough awards as it is so good that another PS4 exclusive gets it's time in the spotlight.
😉
about 30% more votes for ghost over second place, fairly convincing
Funny how even when 'their' game wins some people are still more interested in talking about the one that was in second place.
Maybe some voted for it just to stop another one from winning. I guess we'll never know.
🤔
@naruball Really? Because TLOU2 has over 160 GOTY awards with a ton of them being reader's choice polls
Poll was a bit flawed. Being forced to choose 5. I chose GoT also when I haven't even played it because I'm sure it's good. So in a way it helped it win when I was really just going for TLOUII only.
@TheArt Exactly. Same goes for me. These things should just let you pick 1.
If any of youse disagree with my choices then you're the wronginest wronger that ever wronged.
Is that how it's done?
@hypnotoad where’s the death threat? You’re lacking!😂
@DualshockInfinit Ha ha ha.
@Col_McCafferty when did this poll take place? I haven’t seen it since now.
It was a flawed poll but I guess we got there in the end. Maybe next time don't force people to vote 5 times or at least let them vote in preference.
Either way, what a great year for Sony and I'm hopeful this year will be just as good. A lot depends on which games are actually released this year. I'm hoping Horizon Forbidden West does come out later this year but I have my doubts. This game is easily my most anticipated title.
@Col_McCafferty I have almost no doubts Horizon 2 will make it out this year. The one I doubt will release is God of War 2 considering they showed nothing but a logo. Either way should be a great year with Returnal, Ratchet, Horizon, GT7, Deathloop, Ghostwire, and more
@Col_McCafferty Funny how you're the first one to talk about TLOU in this article's comments. You're just imagining things mate.
@PSfan4Life22 really? All we have seen so far is a trailer, no gameplay so far. I'm hoping I'm wrong but I think it will be pushed back to next year. All I know is I will need a PS5 by the time it does come out as I'm not playing it on a base PS4.
@Cornaboyzzz Ha, whatever man.
@PSfan4Life22 don't forget Kena and Stray. The former looks absolutely beautiful whilst the latter is very intriguing and promises to be something out of the norm.
@Col_McCafferty I mean it was a full in-engine trailer for Horizon. Plus it's been 4 years since the first one. It's no different then them showing that Demon's Souls trailer last June with no gameplay and releasing it 5 months later.
@PSfan4Life22 Well, I hope you're right.
I'd better start saving!
@Col_McCafferty uh-hu, ok Donald!
(Demon Souls ftw!)
I still can't wait for that Kane and Lynch sequel.
Fingers crossed it'll be in Dolby Vision.
@TheArt Ghost is good mate, definitely worth playing if you like open world games which I know you do.
😉
@kyleforrester87 As I said, I guess we'll never know.
And Donald?! That's a low blow Mr Forrester, very low.
☹️
@Col_McCafferty pow pow pow
I think GoT has innovated with their map marker system. The way you use the wind to point you in the right direction should be stolen for every open world game or something similar anyway.
I have a hard time accepting FFVII and Demon's Souls as "games of 2020." I understand they are, it just seems wrong.
@Ackbar7 yeah, who’d have thought it back in 1997.
@Col_McCafferty I'll definitely pick it up when the price drops a bit more. Yea openworlds are the best, having crazy fun with FARCRY5 right now.
Evoland: Legendary Edition PS4 physical release was my GOTY 2020 by all my seriousness.

If this poll had been weighted, like your fifth pick got one point and your first pick got 5, it might have made more sense. As it was, to make 5 I really had to choose games that I didn't think were even worthy of awards. Only 2 games really stood out for me this year, but they had to be scored just like the other 3.
I really liked my friend Pedro but it wasn't on the list, but I loved GOT so I am happy
@Col_McCafferty
Is Cornaboyzzz still talking even though his game won. Forget about us needing to take a step back. More like he needs to now.
A lot of good games on that list. 2020 had a lot of good releases.
I found the quest system for Ghost Of Tsushima fairly innovative. The way the tales were divided up was easily digestible and understandable and progression through them felt natural with the main story, more so than most games of this type. At least that was my experience.
@Gaming365247 well "my" game is Demon's Souls, and it hasn't won, far from it. My second game is Nioh 2, and it's not even in the top 10. And guess what ? I'm okay with that, I don't feel the need to change people's minds about it.
I was just pointing the fact that he's once again trying to start the same thing as yesterday. At this point, I'll assume you're just trolls trying to argue for fun.
Finally a list with the real best Game of the Year Ghosts of Tsushima
Sackboys Big Adventure has been had off. What a game that is!
I voted for Ghost but as i said before both Ghost and TLoUP2 are so close that both for me are GOTY, both are incredible games and both deserve GOTY.
50 comments deep and not a single person has said anything about the issue with FF7R? Where is Midgard in FF7R? The city, that the entire game over dozens of hours that it takes place in, is named MIDGAR.
You need a proofreader?
In the grand scheme of things - who cares which game won what !
The main thing is that CPFC won and Brighton didn't.
Night all.
@Col_McCafferty hi there friend.
I see you took my advice and started Jin´s journey in Ghost of Tsushima
It´s an amazing and artfull game(my personal GOTY)
and I´m really hopping for a sequel.
But even if there is one, I can always put the game on my PS5 and ride my trusty horse on the beautiful ladscape that is Tsushima Island.
Cheers, stay safe and happy new gaming year for us all
It is Midgard. Midgard and Aerith.
Nioh 2 and streets of rage 4 for the win word up son
I still don't understand how people think Ghost of Tsushima is this great innovative game. Its one the most generic open world action rpg's there is. I mean the past 2 or 3 Assassins' Creed games are near identical and have been better then Ghost from my view. I found Ghost to be pretty boring, like the devs were trying to be to artsy and and they lost the point.
@Cornaboyzzz
You can stop @ing me kiddo i'll give the attention you seek. seems like your the one thats looking for a fight after someone brings up TLOU Part 2. You noticed besides my first post where i didnt even bring up TLOU Part 2 i haven't been here much all day. But yet here you arguing with anyone who doesn't agree with your opinion.
@Cornaboyzzz Assume whatever you want. I'm no troll, merely a gaming fan that doesn't feel the need to constantly take a large dump on things other people like.
Accentuate the positives and celebrate what a great 2020 Sony had and look to the future.
Roll on The Last of Us Part III!
😝
@GamingVeteran Do you like anything?
🤦
@Cornaboyzzz
This will be the last time i'll be @ing you I wonder if you remember this comment you made back on December 18th about TLOU Part 2 "Just finished it, I didnt like it but the overall quality is amazing" ok we get you dont like TLOU Part 2 time to let go and move on. And stopping attacking people who do. And i dont attack people who dont like the game i just laugh at the people who do what you u that rage over a videogame that they dont like but other people do.
@RaZieLDaNtE It was between Ghost or FF VII remake and in the end I decided on a pure open world game as I hadn't played one since finishing RDR2 in early November.
I'll give Cloud and co a whirl once I'm done with Jin's adventures. Might be a while!
The future looks bright for ghost ip, for me it’s a toss up between ghost and ff7 remake as my game of the year 😃
Tlou 2 is my disappointment of the year, this ip is dead for me.
@wiiware Absolutely agree on that.
@Col_McCafferty please bring up any comment where I "take a large dump" on something you like, or where I criticize you for having a different opinion. And by the way, I'd totally sign for a TLOU 3, this world has a lot of stories to tell.
@Gaming365247 Man please just stop now, you're obsessed. You just mentioned TLOU 4 times in 2 comments, yet I'm not even talking about this game in particular. The problem is not the game, it's you, that's it. You're the one who called people "idiots" or "so called gamers" because they weren't big fans of your game, don't play the victim here. Bring up any comment where I said that fans of TLOU 2 were anything bad. You can't, because you just made that up, and you're trying to copy-paste my arguments for some reason without thinking.
You should just stop.
@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L Correct them every time. Interrupt them to correct them instantly every time. They eventually learn.
@Cornaboyzzz
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/12/the_last_of_us_2_dominates_biggest_ever_ps_blog_game_of_the_year_poll#comment6034615
Again we get you dont like the game let it go man
It's nice to see some semblance of reality, especially when sites like Eurogamer put out such trash lists that seem intentionally anti-Sony...although their readers' list was similar to this...showing just how out of touch (or deliberately biased) EG is. They've definitely damaged their credibility. Good thing Digital Foundry has a YouTube channel.
@lacerz Really no need to worry about one site's list. TLOU2 has won 175 GOTY awards and counting (with over 50 of them being reader's choice.) Ghost of Tsushima has won 29 (with 6 being reader's choice.) Demon's Souls and Mile Morales have also won a GOTY award. Fans should just be glad it was such an incredible year for PlayStation games.
The method should be definitely reconsidered next year
Having to choose 5 new releases of the year that we think deserve a Game Of The Year Title is overkill, it is inevitably leading to
1) being restricted to real fanatics who played dozens of NEW games in a year
2) people voting just for games they played even when they think they didn't deserve GotY
3) people voting for games they didn't even play
This is probably why Ghost of Tsushima won, it was just a safe choice to vote for: solid, universal title with no controversy
@Col_McCafferty Yea, I like plenty of games and have tons of trophies. Unlike a lot users on this site, where you must like 1 game and 1 game only, because of reasons... My post said exactly why I don't feel its a good game, its a very generic open world RPG. Hell it might not even be in the top 5 open world RPG games this year.
Glad to see TLOU isn't number one,
Ghost well deserves it. Ghost and GOW should be a stand stone on what kinda of quality games should be on release, not monster day patch, pretty much big free and complete
@lacerz Eurogamer and Polygon are both jokes nowadays, should really only cover Nintendo and indie games on PC. They're nice to Xbox but for one it's almost out of pity and for the other it's a matter of patriotism or at least it seems that way.
EG rated Arms over Horizon Zero Dawn. Arms! Oh and and also that year's FIFA if I remember correctly. They have sneered at the game ever since and have done the same with Ghost. Ironically the one PS4 exclusive they do seem to truly rate is The Last of Us Part II but a stopped clock is right twice a day so I'm giving them not credit for that.
It's fine if a website or publication prefers smaller games but why not just cover those? Leave the blockbusters to people that enjoy them? Ah but wait, they need the clicks. The traffic. And now EG are asking about a subscription service. Ha!
More fool anyone that pays them. Maybe if it was Digital Foundry alone, that might be worth subscribing to but only if it broke off from the main EG site.
Sorry for the rant but EG really disappoint me. They're such snobs on there. Polygon is just a joke and a bad one at that.
@Uromastryx Sounds like The Last of Us Part II as well, bug free and complete at launch.
😉
Why are you or anybody else bothered though? Is it out of sheer spite? Against the makers of the game or even it's fans? So many comments like this and I find it to be very sad, trying to pit two Sony games and fanbases against each other.
It's almost becoming as bad as the Remain/Leaver debate!
😝
@GamingVeteran This generic term gets used a lot nowadays, to the point where it has lost all meaning.
I play a lot of open world games and whilst Ghost does share similarities with others I have played before (and this is the same for any genre really but that's a different debate) it certainly has its own character and traits beyond merely the setting. The use of wind as a marker, following animals to locations of interest, composing a haiku and many more.
All games lean on each other and what's come before. All. Ghost is no different but why should it be? I think you're being very harsh on it and suspect the RPGs you like could be accused of being as 'generic' by some as you found Ghost to be.
@Col_McCafferty
Well it wouldn't be any fun otherwise would it?😏
I just enjoy when TLOU or cyberpunk article comes up the rage and arguments that ensue its really funny people can get irked so much
We gotta keep these games in the spotlight right? At least until the next masterpiece comes or disaster, whichever 👍
@Mittsu my thoughts exactly. Voting for your top 5 is not the best way to declare a Game of the Year. Not that it really matters anyway.
@Gaming365247 Is this the comment where I disrespect people for having an opinion like you did ? Nope, try again.
@GamingVeteran Oops, I guess you tagged the wrong person mate.
I'm glad the people of the only Playstation site that matters have selected the correct GOTY!
@Col_McCafferty
Remain/Leave went on for four years, but I think gamers can do much better and grind TLOU2 out for at least the end of the PS5 cycle.
It's got the same critics/elite vs people/populist backbone at heart , but it also has that added passion of fandom fuelling it; Food standards, freedom of movement and employee rights are all very well and good, but they are not everyday concerns like video games.
The inevitable PS5 specific update will be a fantastic chance for a robust, healthy objective debate while we are all unemployed eating chlorinated chicken in our lead paint lined walled rooms/enjoying all the free time of our golden age utopia after liberation from the EUSSR.
No love for Streets of Rage 4. On the plus side, good to see Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom, Demon's Souls and AC Valhalla on the list. All great games and an excellent start to the PS5 era.
@RPE83 haha, very good. Yeah and when Naughty Dog releases news on Factions as well or even a brand new game, out they will come with the vitriol and the spite and it will all kick off again. Lovely.
PushSquare didn't help, indeed I think they enjoyed the discourse relating to Part II as it certainly created a lot of new traffic on this site. They're not exactly blameless in this regard.
@eltomo or the wrong one.
🤷
@Arugula I agree with every point here. A top 3 or different points awarded would probably work better.
@Gamer83
Streets of Rage 4 was definitely one of my most anticipated games for any long time and they absolutely delivered.
Really hope for a sequel, Golden Axe, or preferably both!
@GamingVeteran I agree and I'm glad to not be alone! Like a lot of open world games, it's a surface game. Looks very pretty, but lacks any depth. Saying that, there is a lot I admire; the animations are great and I really liked the closing scenes after each quest.
I hope 2021 sees a shift from open world games, to smaller, more structured games with just as complex and nuanced worlds. I am really enjoying Valhalla, but wary of how long it's gonna take me to finish. Yes, I could chose not to play these games, but then I'd be missing out on some great experiences. Just make them half as big, please.
@GamingVeteran
Intersting take because I'd swing the other way and have said that Tsushima is the best example of a very very tired genre that I have a dwindling interest in. I tried AC: Odyssey this year and thought it was fine, but nothing I hadn't played before and story wasn't pulling me in.
It's all subjective but with Tsushima I found the gameplay to be a very satisfying refinement of the Batman model in that it's easy to pick up, but there is something to master.
The open world collectables were be a decent version of the Ubi-Towers. The side quests to be in TW3 vein of contemplative morality tales/funny asides.The art and sound direction were gorgeous meaning it was genuinely pleasant to be in the world.
The throttled opening of the map was lifted from Grand Theft Auto, but done well.
The loading times have spoiled me to the point when playing FFVII remake, waiting for the game to catch up to Cloud for that second or so pause before the action/cutscene happens actually sticks out far more than it should.
On that note, the game felt epic and understated at the same time. The initial beach charge felt amazing, in contrast Cloud's first motorcycle ride / duel felt borderline silly at times. It was how I felt about the Metal Gear Solid cutscenes compared to The Twin Snakes. I preferred the original because for me sometimes, less is more.
Certainly agree "we'll do an open world RPG" and (for me) "destiny esque Game as a service" are getting worn out though. We had it before when seemingly everything was a first person military shooter post CoD, or a before that "run around and do some crime" after GTA became huge.
Thanks,
RPE83
@PossibLeigh
Totally agreed. A lot of time the plot gets undermined by the lack of thought in an open world design and you can often just stop caring. Fallout 4 was classic; "SOMEONE TOOK MY BABY! Well, I guess they'll be ok for several months while I comb the map looking for all the Power Armours to become Tony Stark of the post Apocalypse. I guess at some point I'll go find out what happened to my son. Maybe. Maybe not.".
EDIT > I should say I spent countless hours in the game becoming the Tony Stark of the post Apocalypse, but I never finished it ; The metroidvania style of Fallen Order was a nice balance of exploration and freedom for me. I hope we'll have more games in that manner.
@PossibLeigh No.
🤦
Leave them as they are, play something else instead if you don't have the time. Serious not every game can be tailored to suit your own particular preferences and lifestyle.
Such arrogance.
Some people. The vast majority of games aren't open world, don't like them then play something else.
It's not as if you're being forced to play a Ghost or Assassin's Creed or Witcher 3 is it?
Couldnt be @rsed reading all the comments. People are too sensitive about video games and ultra defensive for no reason to the point of being paranoid about 'their' game being under attack or something.
🤦♂️
And yes any poll is always flawed.
Guess what.
Not as many people having a PS5 also means DS was played by only a minority. It doesnt even matter.
Happy new year.
@Col_McCafferty
From a personal point of view, I think it's more when something is huge , or respected (Modern Warfare/Grand Theft Auto/Fallout 4/whatever). It's more the fact for a while the influence means you get a lot more of the same style but never quite as good.
Like after the MCU, everything has to be an intertwined Universe. Universal tried a "Monsters Universe" and it was pants.
It's not having a "Universe" that made the MCU great, it was a part of it.
Just as it's not being an open world RPG that made Spider-Man, W3 and Tsushima great, it's part of it.
I guess at some point, even the MCU and Open World action RPGs will stagnate, I'd like to think companies are working on the next big idea, rather than their spin on an existing/borrowed template.
Not complaining, more "familiarity breeds contempt".
Like Taken was great , then Liam Neeson seemingly remade it 37 times, with "It's Liam Neeson, but in the snow" being the last one I saw.
Thanks,
RPE83
Ghost Of Tsushima is not even in my top 10 for 2020. To me its just sonys better version of Assassins Creed. But i dont feel the need to go around on the Internet arguing with people of whats deserving of GOTY and whats not. Though the non-player awards speak for themselves not just her but around the web. Real gamers dont care what the vocal minority has to say. And some gamers on here really need to get help this has been going on 3 days now.... I mean the game been out 8 months time to move on.
Happy Gaming :^)
Edit : dont bother @ing because u have aready been ignored
@naruball:
Yes, TLOU2 won already 35 readers' pick GOTY award, and Ghost of Tsushima won 3 with this one.
https://gotypicks.blogspot.com/
And when just the PS players vote (gamers who actually played with both games), the TLOU2 always wins. It's a fact. I think we don't need political and ideological hater voters who want to desperately vote against something in gaming world. And no need any hate itself.
@Grogu something tells me you and some others misinterpreted my comment.
@RPE83 That's all well and good but that doesn't change the fact that there are enough games out there of all genres and types to suit each individual's own preference. Expecting every game to be suited for your own particular tastes is a tad arrogant.
I mean, look at Soulsborne games. They generally tend not to have an easy mode and are designed to be difficult. I'm cool with that even if it makes me less keen on playing one. I'm not asking for the developers of these games to change their approach, I simply choose not to play them and play something else instead.
I'm not keen on FPS and indeed it's one of the negatives about Cyberpunk let alone all the bugs and other issues. Because they did such a great job with The Witcher 3 I'm sure I will play it one day but I'd much prefer it to have a third person option.
We don't demand TV series be one or two seasons at most. We don't demand all films to be no longer than 2 hours. Books to be a max of 300 or so pages or albums (showing my age here) to be set at 40 minutes tops. Why is it different with games?
It's the modern world, everything needs to be played before the next big thing comes along, the thing that's trending and notable memes and such *****. I'd rather spend two months playing Red Dead 2 or The Witcher 3 than play dozens of shorter but lesser games instead. If you don't then that's fine but don't ask the developers to alter their 'art' just because it doesn't suit you. And by 'you' I'm obviously not just refering to you but everybody else who whinges and whines about some games being too long.
That's pretty much it.
@Col_McCafferty
You are talking to the converted; I actually agree with what you are saying, I've just chose my words poorly then. I actually rarely if ever buy games day one, and play them at my own pace, usually when they are a decent price in a sale.
I defended TLOU2 on the merit it was what the creative forces wanted to do, rather than what the consumer was expecting.
I guess it would be arrogant to want games designed to my taste, but it's not arrogant to say I hope they are designed on their own merit and not to try and appeal to as many players as possible by being very close in design to other successful titles.
Spider-Man and Batman work because they make you feel like those heroes, with the traversal and combat. The Witcher, I really felt like a "Monster hard boiled detective".
The Avengers didn't work (I gather) because it appears the creative thrust was "This License cost us a lot, so what do people really like that is really lucrative, so we'll probably be safe...Destiny?".
It's not currently on my radar because of this; Anthem was another example. Whether I play it yesterday, today, or tomorrow, is it a great game? Probably not.
With GAAS, there might not even be a tomorrow.
EA intially looked like they were treating Star Wars like a Battlefield reskin with FIFA transactions. When I played as the heroes, I didn't feel like a hero.
However I did in Fallen Order, for me they got that right.
So I guess I am really saying I hope we have more Spider-Man and Witcher 3, and less Avengers and Battlefront from the big companies?
Thanks,
RPE83
@naruball
Then maybe your comment wasn't quite clear (?).
@RPE83 Sure, I mean it doesn't look like neither Gotham Knights nor Suicide Squad are what I was hoping for i.e solid single player adventures and are more akin to the recent Avengers but 1) we need to see more from both games before making a final judgement and 2) if they are GaaS then so be it, I'll just choose not to play either game.
I played a lot of Star Wars Battlefront 2, indeed it's my most played game this gen. It was a rare thing, an online MP title that I was actually interested in playing. Fallen Order is much more my kind of thing, a proper SP game even if I feel I learnt more towards being Soulsborne lite than I hoped for but still I had a lot of fun with it and look forward to the sequel.
I'm not saying all games should be open world games, it kind of depends on the developer and the story. I guess market forces will decide, should open world games start to flop and drop heavily in sales then the developers may have second thoughts about the genre and look to other types for inspiration.
Time will tell.
@RPE83 @Col_McCafferty I also think there are way enough games out there to only play those you like. I love Souls and RPGs, I hate Destiny and Avengers, GaaS don't interest me one bit, but still we need every kind of experience because there's a public for them.
I'm sick of every Far Cry or Assassin's Creed merely being a copy of the previous one, but I know that a lot of people are looking forward to them and are having fun with it. Well, I just don't play these games anymore, but I'm not asking them to change anything. There are a lot of other experiences to discover.
And to be honest, when a game is REALLY bad, nobody plays it and the creators have to question their choices at the end of the day.
@Col_McCafferty Haha, someone's in a bad mood! How is giving my opinion arrogance? You're the one coming across as someone with an issue. It's quite simple, I like the vast expansive world's and the virtual tourism aspect of open world games, but I would like to see all that in a more structured setting. Cyberpunk, for all it's faults, is going the right way by having a tighter, shorter main quest line.
Maybe you missed the bit at the end of my comment? If I chose not to play these games, I'm missing out on great experiences. It's just a shame I'll probably never get to the end. If you have the time, more power to you. I prefer variety to playing the same game for seasons at a time, others don't. No need to be a dick about it.
Additionally, if I were an artist creating for these vast games, I might be a bit upset that a lot of my created content will not be seen by the vast majority of gamers.
There's no doubt we've got the breadth. Now maybe let's focus on the depth a bit more.
@Cornaboyzzz
I like all kinds of games, both Destiny and Bloodborne actually.
But that's a good example, I guess Nioh didn't really click with me as it just felt like it was just missing that little bit of magic, but if you like the genre a lot, there was probably more there for you?
I am however waiting for Sekiro's price to start with a "2" but I might cave one day.
FarCry, I really liked 5 and New Dawn. (I wish they'd have called it FarCry 76 though) but none of the others really grabbed me, I guess the locale and militia/cult in the depths of America was more interesting personally. I think a lot of long term fans didn't like it though?
Thanks,
RPE83
@Grogu
Thanks for that link. Nice to Hades get some love even has more rewards then GoT ouch...
@RPE83 Yeah I loved Nioh, and I loved Nioh 2 even though it was pretty much more of the same. So I understand that people continue to play the same open worlds or the same FIFA updates every year. I mean, I bought every F1 game since 2010, and I'll continue to do so.
Even if you don't like a game, other people will like it, so we need it. We need games of all kinds.
@PossibLeigh With open world games it's fine if you don't see everything, find every collectible, discover every secret. I've played Red Dead 2 twice now and there's still tons of stuff I haven't seen including the vampire in Saint Denis nor any ghosts or apparitions. During my first run I didn't visit that incestuous couple at Aberdeen pig farm nor find a single dinosaur bone. These things exist within the game but it's not necessary to do and see everything it has to offer in order to enjoy it. It sucks if someone is a completionist and look to platinum every single game they play but that's their choice, nobody is forced to play this way.
Another thing in favour of open world epics is financial. They take longer to play, if it's an RPG like Skyrim there's always the temptation to go back and create a new character and with a Witcher 3 you may want to replay it in order to make some different key decisions and see how these choices affect the story and the final outcome. You get your monies worth and then some as long as you actually enjoy it of course.
And I don't just play big open world epics, I like to mix things up a bit and play more linear ones or those smaller in scale. Not every game has to be big and take place within a sandbox, that I agree. I wouldn't want The Last of Us games to be purely open world but at the same time nobody can convince me RDR2 would've been better if had been a smaller more linear affair.
You or anybody else just has to accept you can't play every game nor watch every film or TV show. There's not enough time in the day plus there's obviously a lot more to life than mere entertainment.
@Grogu This is a much better link for how many awards each game has
https://www.gameawards.net/
That other site leaves a lot of stuff out including some sites that they've counted in past years. There is no consistency to what they add.
@Cornaboyzzz You are correct, deleted. My bad.
@PSfan4Life22
I am grateful for this link. I used this earlier, but forgot the link. And it is true, It is much better, than mine.
@Col_McCafferty Awesome, thanks for the life story. Do you often leave films unwatched? Maye that's too different a time commitment, how about books? What's wrong with requesting greater depth of story and systems to accompany the breadth of the world? When will 'you people' stop making assumptions about people? I don't sound too dissimillar to you; I play a wide variety of game types, including shorter narrative focussed games, but few of those games have the lavish production of AAA open world games. So to enjoy those production values and interlocking systems, I pretty much have to accept that I will not see the end of the story. That's fine, and it's my choice to get on board with many of those games anyway, but I really don't understand your hostility to a simple idea of making them smaller and more focussed.
It's undeniable that the last few years have been dominated by huge, open world games and the formula is getting stale and exhausting. Open world fatigue is a thing and it's endemic of humanities need to always go bigger, faster, harder (maybe just white humanity, but lets not go there). By only providing the breadth of content everything is surface deep and only rarely affecting.
I'm not saying that every open world game should jolly well go away right bloody now, I'm saying it would be nice to see them evolve in a different direction to what they have so far. What could Sony's studios come up with if they weren't chasing that open world dream all the time? More challenging games like The Last of Us, maybe?
Anyway, agree to disagree, eh? Getting a bit tedious.
@PSfan4Life22 Good link.
I know this is a PS site but boy (ha) was RDR2 robbed in 2018. God of War is great and all but Red Dead is easily the superior game. I guess that's the turning point, when open world games fell out of favour and 'smaller' linear titles were seen as more desirable.
Reverse of this year I guess where I agree with picking The Last of Us Part II over Ghost although the latter is still a very good game.
@PossibLeigh Paragraphs are your friend. Use them.
@Col_McCafferty God of War rightfully won imo. The game was top notch all around while RDR2's sluggish gameplay really turned a lot of people off of it. Has nothing to do with one being open world and the other somewhat linear. The better overall game won.
@PSfan4Life22 Nah, Red Dead isn't about the gameplay anyway. It's about the characters, the story, the world. It's a GOAT contender, God of War isn't even the best PS exclusive this gen.
@Col_McCafferty That's just your opinion. Many of us don't care how good a story or characters are if the game is a slog or chore to play. Don't make me wait for a 5 second animation to open a cabinet and then have to then hold a button to pick up can of beans after that.
God of War is the highest rated PlayStation game this gen and is considered one of the top GOTG.
@PossibLeigh
Hey man, not looking to start a fight here, just want to throw an idea your way. I would argue that what is making open worlds 'stale' is mostly the developers that are releasing them at this time. Namely, Ubisoft. Way too much copy and paste. Way too much grinding. Not a deeply fleshed out story. Not a really good crafting system. No branching story lines through factions. (mages guild, fighters guild, thieves guild, etc.)
They release so many of them, too, after a while you feel like you've already played their newest game in the last three they've released.
Wait for Starfield. It might release buggy, too, but after it gets polished up, it will have depth. I love open world games, I just hate the kind of collection quests and other useless garbage that's been introduced to them lately.
@PossibLeigh Agreed about Assassin's Creed. I used to love the franchise and looked forward to new entries each year, but since Odyssey I've just lost interest - games are too long and bloated and they get very repetitive. They just outstay their welcome. I think part of the problem is that publishers want to keep you playing their product until the sequel drops. Rinse and repeat. That gets reflected in the game design, where assassins has now pivoted to an xp grind like WoW or something. Some gamers will love this, but I don't and I miss the older game design of assassin games. I wonder how many people actually play these new assassins games to completion, given the need to dedicate hundreds and if not thousands of hours...
@LordSteev Hello mate. Not sure why you've replied to me as our opinions appear to align. That's what I am saying. At the moment their prevelance is too strong and the quality content spread thin due to the quantity. Reduce everything in size and you reduce your budget, production time, general workload and more people get to see the end of the game.
Just to clarify my original point, I'm not moaning about not seeing every little thing a game has to offer, every single side quest, (although I think that would be dispiriting to have to create all that content) but these games are still locking their main narrative beats behind hours and hours of grind. I'm simply advocating for a smaller experience that can drill down and explore things in more nuance. but that would require advances in things like AI which unfiortunately doesn't seem to be a focus at all these days.
I'm gonna go on a long winded ramble here, I think maybe we are coming to a time when these type of games need to dial back on the violence. It's not an open world game but as an example, I found the go wild murder-a-thons of TLOU at odds with the story. That's the first example that spings to mind, but in most open world games now I find myself enjoying the virtual tourism side of things more than the endless (eventually) repetitive combat. Focus more on world interactions and social interactions within that world. Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting older.
I honestly do not know why i have not yet got fatigued with Valhalla, but I am still really enjoying it. Maybe I just love seeing old English countryside. What's your opinion on that one if you've played it?
@Col_McCafferty There are paragraphs there, but I forgot the empty lines between. My bad. Wrote that one on my phone. Oh, wait, I almost forgot to add, sneer, sneer.
@Orange_Juice I felt like that, but Valhalla is really doing it for me at the moment. Maybe I'm on the rebound after the disappointment that was CP2077, I'm not sure.
@PossibLeigh
Heh, sorry for not being clearer. I was arguing against the idea of making the games smaller. I love huge games. I'd like to see them remain gigantic, but for the developers to spend more time making them fully fleshed out.
I bought Valhalla, played about 15 hours and started to feel a queasy 'sameness' factor to it that ended up making me sick of Odyssey. When Odyssey came out, I loved it at first, and put in about 80 hours, and then just started losing my interest in it due to the sameness of it all. Very under developed dungeons, or anytime you went underground.
At some point I will probably give Valhalla a longer look. People seem to think it's not as grindy as previous titles, and I love the whole Viking time era. Have a good one!
@RPE83
I'd love to see the SoR 4 team make a Golden Axe game.
@PossibLeigh
As an added note, I agree that smaller developers should concentrate more on making their worlds richer in experience rather than concentrate on size.
As for violence, well, sometimes it's still a nice outlet if it's done well. What I'd really like to see is a huge open-world rpg with different guilds that offered different approaches to combat. A thieves guild that, for example, gave you experience points for sneaking by guards instead of stabbing them.
Sometimes, the only way to get XP is to kill everyone. I'd like a more nuanced approach.
@LordSteev I guess I could have been clearer in my original comment. Not necessarily smaller in size, but in scope. As you say, the problem with vast open world's is fatigue.
three good games at the top, though probably the game i had the most fun with was spiderman : miles morales. TLoU2 and ghost of tsushima are both excellently made games, for different reasons, and i did platinum them both, but both of them (for me) had some niggling issues.. i thought the story for TLoU2 was really well handled for the most part (some videogame cheesiness aside), and [spoiler alert] it was good to see that there was at least a plausible way that ellie could take on abby in a bare fight, after abby was captured and became emaciated. and at the end, the poignancy for the final cutscenes, that ellie's unquenchable thirst for revenge cost her everything meaningful in her life. the combat was also really good.. but for me, there are a lot of tedious sections, the open (ish) worldy bits didn't really work, they just drag the pacing down painfully (especially the pre-day 1 seattle bit). it took me 2 full playthroughs to platinum it, which took 52 hours.. about 30% of the running length could have been trimmed, and not much lost in my opinion.
as for ghost of tsushima - combat was excellent, it was different than i expected it to be (and i'd avoided the game since it came out based on those expectations). i started the game on boxing day and finished it a couple of days ago. for the first 30 hours or so i thought the game was great.. the atmosphere was fantastic, i played it with the japanese dialogue with subtitles [the japanese voicework is much much better than the english dub in my opinion]. the campaign was good, the allies side quests, and mythic tales were interesting diversions, even some of the of side missions were fun.. but then the open world bloat kicked in. too many side missions where the pattern got a bit predictable, how many sets of tracks can you track in one game... and i wasn't a huge fan of the waypointing system, or the "search the area" objectives. after awhile the postgame cleanup for the platinum started to feel like an ubisoft game - icons and collectibles question marks all over the map. i'd generally tried to clear stuff as i came across it on the open world map travelling between missions/quests, but there was still quite a bit of post-campaign activity. 50+ camps to liberate, another ubisoft hallmark.. the bonus objectives at least gave some incentive to try different approaches to clear them out, and inventive ways to slaughter a bunch of mongol warlords was entertaining for the most part but after soooo many camps and no story to fall back on, it got a bit repetitive. trim the bloat and this would have been one of the top 5 games on PS4 for me. i should mention, this ran superbly well for me on PS5, framerate was great, and not a single bug/glitch in the entire experience.
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