Alongside our staff-voted Game of the Year awards, each of our writers have crafted their own personal lists, covering their top five PS5 and PS4 titles of 2020. Today, it's the turn of deputy editor Robert Ramsey.
5. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
It's crazy to think that the first Cold Steel game released just last year on PS4. Since then, all three sequels in Falcom's engrossing JRPG series have hit Sony's system, with the story of Rean Schwarzer finally coming to an end (kind of) in Trails of Cold Steel IV. For me, this fourth instalment doesn't quite reach the same lofty heights as Cold Steel III, but it's still a great and satisfying conclusion to what has become one of my favourite franchises.
4. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
One of my favourite JRPGs of all time somehow got even better with the release of Dragon Quest XI S on PS4. While it's far from being a new game, I can't in good conscience leave it off this list. I loved playing through this adventure all over again, and I was genuinely surprised at just how fresh it still feels. It remains a wondrous journey through a charming world, complete with a fantastic cast of characters. Can't ask for much more than that.
3. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect from 13 Sentinels, but Vanillaware's latest absolutely blew me away. It's got the best storytelling of any game I've played this year, and it's somehow split between thirteen main characters. It's a truly impressive narrative — one that's still occupying my mind months after release. Even the real-time strategy battles — which I wasn't sold on at all prior to playing — won me over just a few hours in. An amazing game that was always destined to be overlooked, but do yourself a favour and check out 13 Sentinels if you get the chance.
2. Ghost of Tsushima
An open world samurai game — just what I've always wanted! Ghost of Tsushima was another 2020 title that destroyed my expectations. I always liked the inFAMOUS series but I never truly connected with it — something that can't be said of Ghost. From the moment I landed my first perfect parry, I was head over heels for this gorgeous tale of vengeance. The visuals, the music, the action — it's got to be one of my favourite PS4 games, and quite possibly my favourite first-party Sony title of the last seven years.
1. Persona 5 Royal
I could spend hours gushing about how Persona 5 Royal is the perfect marriage of style and substance, but ain't no one got time for that over the holidays. So I'll cut straight to the chase: Persona 5 Royal is one of the best games I've ever played. In my mind it's a masterpiece — a refinement of an already outstanding release. The new, final act of Royal hit me on an emotional level like no other game this year, and that was more than enough to push it right to the top of this list. For me, a genuinely uplifting experience, and one that I plan to revisit time and time again.
What do you think of Robert's picks? Do you agree with his top five? Have your say in the comments section below.
Comments 33
What a great list. ☺️
Someone likes JRPGs. I respect that.
These are the games i wouldn't even try. I have spent about 30 hours in Persona 5 Royal and decided to sell the game since i would rather play again any game of my game library than Persona.
Amazing list. Bravo @shogunrok . All of these are fantastic choices. How are you feeling about P5 Strikers?
Hoping the rumours of a big year for Persona are true. Would love ports of Persona 3 and 4 on PS4/5
10 hours in and really getting into Ghost of Tsushima. It's a very well made game.
Loved Persona 5 so imagine Royal is as good if not better.
Aegis Rim is getting a lot of buzz but strange it landed with so little fanfare but now is being hyped up as a GOTY contender. Maybe give it a whirl at some point.
Other two games don't interest me.
@b1ackjack Persona 5 Royal. Same great game but with quality of life improvements and extra content.
You are getting a great game regardless of which version you choose, but i'd suggest just going with the expanded version (which has the added bonus of streamlining some of the more frustrating elements from the vanilla release).
Nice to see somebody else likes 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
Considering the love for JRPGs here I find the lack of FF7 remake to be quite surprising! Great list though!
I almost commented yesterday I know @ShogunRok will have P5R as his Goty plus GoT in there, a bunch of RPGs and probably TLOUII at 5. I mean the guy didn't have GoW in his list in 2018 and he was faking what a great game it was in another article, had me in tears 😆😆 Still P5 is a good game but overpriced and a bit overrated. They're still selling silly costumes that are supposed to be gotten naturally in any RPG.
I started Persona 5 from Dec. 2019, and finished it Mar. 2020.
Went into it 99.9% blind, only watching a combat gameplay video on YouTube to see how the combat was. After 121 hours, I love the game to bits and it's in my Top 5 favorite JRPGs of all time.
I plan on playing Royal sometime in the future.
Ghost of Tsushima hit different. Loved it from beginning to end.
I also have DQ11 in my Top 5 JRPG list and I only played the original.
What a great list. Persona 5 Royal is one of my all time favourites. Such a wonderful game!
Great list, Persona 5 (vanilla) is in my top 3 of the gen. It's truly special.
Ramsey is such a weeb. He's a cool one, though.
The REAL GOTY list for PS4.
Great list! Y’all have put 13 Sentinels on my radar and I think I’ll finally assuage my curiosity with Dragon Quest XI. Thanks!
Finally properly giving Dragon Quest XI S a go thanks to Game Pass but now I need to get to the point I was at in the original version before I get bored and quit! IIRC it was some kinda pyramid temple thing so idk how long that will take. Here’s hoping it lives up to the hype though, I’ve only heard good things.
@Rob_230 Looking forward to Strikers but I'm not expecting it to blow my mind. Just want it to be a nice addition to Persona 5.
@BranJ0 Final Fantasy VII Remake is a weird one for me. I think it's a great game overall, but there are parts of it that I really don't like. It would be in my top 10 for sure, but didn't quite make top 5.
I keep seeing 13 Sentinels but just by looking the gameplay on YouTube I know it’s not a game to me even if it looks good with a great story to me gameplay will always be more important, but besides that great list
Awful, shameful choices.
Quality list! Still haven't played the newer version of Dragon Quest, but these are all excellent choices!
This is about as weeby as a Top 5 can get, and yet I still definitely respect it.
@ShogunRok Hi there friend.
Great list, full of RPGs. Love it.
Ghost of Tsushima is my personal GOTY, since it is what I always wanted: a open world samurai game.
Hope we can get a sequel in the mainland and be able to fully explore feudal Kyoto in glorious 4K 60 fps.
I really need to try out 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
People are going crazy over that game.
It must be that good.
Cheers, stay safe and happy new gaming year to us all
So happy DQ11S finally came over. I have about 65 hours on it and it's already my favorite game I've played this year. 13 sentinels is definitely going to be one of my next purchases. I just hope it's not too late to get it physically
I'd put genshin impact as an honorable mention, just for being an amazingly well made open world game that's free despite also being a gacha
5 good games, neat.
@Rob_230 look forward to persona 5 strikers dude. 😁😁
No Yakuza Like a Dragon in this list?
Haven't played it, just curious.
Also, already purchased and looking forward to playing Dragon Qust XI S.
Now this is a sweet list 😁 I have zero disagreements with your list to the point that I question whether you're actually my secret Doppelganger. Also happy new year everyone 🥳
@ShogunRok Odd list having 2 "special editions" of games from previous years. I know each game added stuff but S and R aren't sequels. Your list, your call, but it still seems odd. I suppose it was 2020. 🤷♂️
So, do people really call you Robert? When I first saw the title my brain read it as myself - you're Shogun, or Ramsay - so it took me a second to even remember that was your name. My birth certificate says Robert but I don't think anybody has ever called me that. I've been Bob, Bobby, Rob and mostly my last name. Last name may be a NY thing, but if my first name was Robert and my last name Ramsey everybody would be calling me "Pharaoh". I knew a kid named Ramsey in high school and everybody called him Pharaoh. Robert is just so, reserved for graduation ceremonies only. I'm putting it in my Will, no Robert on my tombstone, my ghost won't know which grave to go back to. 🤣
@Blacksmith1985 Yakuza JUST missed out. Would probably be number 6 or 7 next to Final Fantasy VII Remake.
@rjejr I've never been called Pharaoh sadly! Most people call me Robert but some people go for Rob which I don't mind at all. Robert definitely sounds more ceremonious though, like I've got some kind of status or something.
The thing about P5R and DQXI S is that they're both just so good. I get that they're technically not new games, but I can't deny how much I enjoyed playing them. The new stuff in P5R alone was enough to make it my GOTY — that's just how much I rate it.
A bit boring but I've gotta speak the truth!
@ShogunRok Speaking the truth is good. DQ11 was awesome. As much as I enjoy a great JRPG - decided it's time to get Trials of Mana which I lost track of during the pandemic - I can't get into those REALLY anime kids in high school JRPG. I skipped Tokyo Mirage Sessions on both Wii U and Switch as well. I need the fantasy.
Finished Hearts of Stone the other night, starting Blood & Wine this week. Then Tomb Raider 3 on PS+. Then all 14,000 Kingdom Hearts games, then Trials of Mana.
BTW - I wouldn't expect them to call you Bobby over there since that's your nickname for the police. I have a cool police ornament on my Christmas tree my sister brought back for me on a trip long ago. I'm still calling you Shogun. 😉
Which game is it Rob loves? Everyone gone to the Rapture or the vanishing of ethan carter or something?
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