- Joined
- Feb 3, 2019
- Location
- Sydney Australia
- Favourite title
- Shenmue II
- Currently playing
- Tekken 7 (always Tekken 7)
- PSN
- danmann861
- Steam
- danielmann861
2020 is almost drawing to a close. Let's not sugar coat it. This year has been a shit year all around! But at least we had some decent games come out this year. In a year of turmoil, at least we found some comfort in some pretty damn good games. So, let's celebrate those games! What were your favorite games of the year?
I'll kick it off
-----------------------
10 Best Games I've Played in 2020:
-----------------------
10.) No More Heroes (Switch) -- I was very late to the party with this one. I never played these games back on the Wii but I was watching a friend stream the Switch re-releases and it made me curious to pick it up. Damn, I've been missing out! This game is totally up my alley combining all the things 15 year old me loved. Wrestling, beat 'em ups and wacky humor. I may have came into the party late on this one but I'm more than glad to be here now.
9.) Astro's Playroom (PS5) -- Who knew a glorified pack in tech demo designed to show off the new PS5 controller would wind up being one of the most charming games I've played all year? Astro's Playroom is not only a complete love note to everything both Sony and just gaming in general, it's also a surprisingly fun and varied little platformer. If you get a PS5, do yourself a favor and play this game! It's so worth the time and effort.
8.) Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 (PS4) -- An almost perfect remake bar one thing; the bloody revert timing. Yes, it still bothers me that the revert timing is ever so slightly off. But other than that, damn near perfect! Tony Hawk 1+2 captures the feel of classic Tony Hawk better than THPS5 or THPS HD could ever dream. It feels just about right, looks great with a fresh new coat of pain and is still the same addictive score attack fun it ever was.
7.) Doom Eternal (PC) -- I had fun with it. I don't know why it got the certain backlash it did but I had a lot of fun with Doom Eternal. The shooting felt as good if not better than Doom 2016. The platforming, while divisive, was fun and challenging to me. It was as frantic as Doom 2016. It felt much like Doom 2016 refined and I thought that was a good thing. I had a great time with Doom Eternal.
6.) Streets of Rage 4 (PS4) -- Streets of Rage 4 was a welcome return for a classic brawler. The newly added combo system was really fun and made scoring high combos addictive. The art design grew on me more and more while playing. It felt perfect for what it needed to be. All bar the somewhat disappointing soundtrack. It was good but not as good as Streets of Rage 2's soundtrack. But that one complaint aside, this was a perfect return to form for Streets of Rage. Loved it!
5.) Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) -- I guess I don't have as much attachment to the original FFVII so the changes made to the ending didn't bother me as much as it did the hardcore fans. I really enjoyed my time in Midgar. With that said, I will say I did fall off a little towards the endgame. But the first three quarters of the game were magical. I actually quite like the battle system in this game. It was a good mix between action and turn based. I hope they refine it more with FFVII R2 down the road. But yeah, I had a good time with FFVII Remake for the most part. It's worthy of my top 10 for sure. Plus, Aeris and Tifa are stunningly beautiful in this game. I'm a red blooded male, I'll say it without shame.
4.) Dreams (PS4) -- While I personally haven't made anything myself in Dreams, I do find myself going back to it a fair bit to look at other people's creations. It really is astonishing just how much this game lets you create and some peoples creations are mind blowing within. I feel like this game is way too overlooked. Even if you have no desire to create, you should really check out some of the creations within. They're doing some pretty amazing stuff within Dreams and it has constantly blown my mind every time I check back in on it.
3.) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC) -- This game is precious. Better than its predecessor—which was already pretty good—in every imaginable regard. Combat system is still quite simple but much more fun and fleshed out, as is the upgrade system; you get all the cool movement options very early on; world is very diverse and feels truly alive, with characters that are colorful and adorable; and the story is simple but awfully sweet. You will be emotionally invested.
2.) Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon (PS4) -- While divisive among the community, I think the move to turn based RPG paid off rather well for this installment. It felt largely refreshing coming from 15 years of fun and refined but somewhat stale beat 'em up mechanics. Don't get me wrong, I love the beat 'em up nature of the previous games, but I was ready for something new and Yakuza 7 gave me something a bit fresh. I had a great time with 120 hours I spent with Yakuza 7. The mini games were great, The story was compelling. I wasn't sure how I would feel about Ichiban but he is such a positive and sweet dork that he is kinda hard not to love. I do have some small niggles with it. The fact that they relied on the old guard once again was a bit of a downer for me, but all in all, I had a great time with Yakuza 7. It felt both fresh and familiar at the same time.
1.) Ghost of Tsushima (PS4) -- I wrestled with whether this spot would go to Yakuza 7 or Ghost of Tsushima, but in the end, I decided on Ghost of Tsushima. What a beautiful game through and through. Exploring every inch of that world was a treat. Following birds to haiku spots instead of relying on the map was almost refreshing. The world is astonishingly beautiful in that game. Watching the tall blades of grass flow gently in the wind never got old. I got so much use out of photo mode in that game (as some saw here in the Ghost of Tsushima thread) just because that world was so astonishingly breathtaking.
But more than that, I really enjoyed the story it told. The conflict between honor and the old ways versus breaking tradition and re-taking the island under new but questionable methods was compelling. I really got wrapped up in the story it told. The combat was also a lot fun. Not overly taxing in difficulty but not brain dead either. It felt like the right balance for what it needed to be and I had a lot of fun with the combat in that game.
All in all, astonishing work from Sucker Punch.
----------------------
Honorable Mentions:
----------------------
Persona 5 Royal (PS4) -- While I still haven't finished Persona 5 Royal, I've played enough to know it seems like the definitive version of Persona 5 to play. I've enjoyed my time with it. Will one day go back to it and finish it off. When I find time.
Demon's Souls (PS5) -- Bluepoint never fails to impress. They always do good work and Demon's Souls remake is no exception to that rule.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) -- A decent stop gap setting up further for the true sequel. It was a fun side quest game but nothing major worth talking about.
Resident Evil 3 (PS4) -- Not quite as good as the RE2 Remake. But I did have some fun with it none the less.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time! (PS4) -- A fun return from the Bandicoot, if not a fucking difficult return! This game is harder than it has any real right to be. But still fun.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (PS4) -- I did have some fun with it in the short time I played it. It wasn't without its charms.
Cyberpunk 2077 (PC) -- Playing on PC; I haven't had as many problems with it. Not a terrible game by any means, just a confused one. But I've had some fun with it in the 15 hours I've put in so far. Just not enough to make it into my top ten list.
-----------------------
"You've made my SHIT LIST!" (or the worst games I've played this year)
-----------------------
The Last of Us Part II (PS4) -- You've all heard me bang on enough about this game. You all know I really don't like TLOU2...let's just move on. I'm not gonna rant again. All I can say about it is that it is a game that thinks it's thematically deep, but really it's about as deep as a puddle.
Godfall (PS5) -- A very lame and utterly generic game in all accounts. Nothing more to say here. Moving on. Let's just forget about Godfall. It will be in the bargin bins soon enough.
Watch Dogs Legion (PS5) -- More Ubijunk. Yawn! I played about 5 hours of this and came to the same realisation I did with Watch Dogs 2. I am never going to like Watch Dogs as a franchise, so just stop trying to give it a chance. So I deleted the game and was done with Watch Dogs.
I'll kick it off
-----------------------
10 Best Games I've Played in 2020:
-----------------------
10.) No More Heroes (Switch) -- I was very late to the party with this one. I never played these games back on the Wii but I was watching a friend stream the Switch re-releases and it made me curious to pick it up. Damn, I've been missing out! This game is totally up my alley combining all the things 15 year old me loved. Wrestling, beat 'em ups and wacky humor. I may have came into the party late on this one but I'm more than glad to be here now.
9.) Astro's Playroom (PS5) -- Who knew a glorified pack in tech demo designed to show off the new PS5 controller would wind up being one of the most charming games I've played all year? Astro's Playroom is not only a complete love note to everything both Sony and just gaming in general, it's also a surprisingly fun and varied little platformer. If you get a PS5, do yourself a favor and play this game! It's so worth the time and effort.
8.) Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 (PS4) -- An almost perfect remake bar one thing; the bloody revert timing. Yes, it still bothers me that the revert timing is ever so slightly off. But other than that, damn near perfect! Tony Hawk 1+2 captures the feel of classic Tony Hawk better than THPS5 or THPS HD could ever dream. It feels just about right, looks great with a fresh new coat of pain and is still the same addictive score attack fun it ever was.
7.) Doom Eternal (PC) -- I had fun with it. I don't know why it got the certain backlash it did but I had a lot of fun with Doom Eternal. The shooting felt as good if not better than Doom 2016. The platforming, while divisive, was fun and challenging to me. It was as frantic as Doom 2016. It felt much like Doom 2016 refined and I thought that was a good thing. I had a great time with Doom Eternal.
6.) Streets of Rage 4 (PS4) -- Streets of Rage 4 was a welcome return for a classic brawler. The newly added combo system was really fun and made scoring high combos addictive. The art design grew on me more and more while playing. It felt perfect for what it needed to be. All bar the somewhat disappointing soundtrack. It was good but not as good as Streets of Rage 2's soundtrack. But that one complaint aside, this was a perfect return to form for Streets of Rage. Loved it!
5.) Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) -- I guess I don't have as much attachment to the original FFVII so the changes made to the ending didn't bother me as much as it did the hardcore fans. I really enjoyed my time in Midgar. With that said, I will say I did fall off a little towards the endgame. But the first three quarters of the game were magical. I actually quite like the battle system in this game. It was a good mix between action and turn based. I hope they refine it more with FFVII R2 down the road. But yeah, I had a good time with FFVII Remake for the most part. It's worthy of my top 10 for sure. Plus, Aeris and Tifa are stunningly beautiful in this game. I'm a red blooded male, I'll say it without shame.
4.) Dreams (PS4) -- While I personally haven't made anything myself in Dreams, I do find myself going back to it a fair bit to look at other people's creations. It really is astonishing just how much this game lets you create and some peoples creations are mind blowing within. I feel like this game is way too overlooked. Even if you have no desire to create, you should really check out some of the creations within. They're doing some pretty amazing stuff within Dreams and it has constantly blown my mind every time I check back in on it.
3.) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC) -- This game is precious. Better than its predecessor—which was already pretty good—in every imaginable regard. Combat system is still quite simple but much more fun and fleshed out, as is the upgrade system; you get all the cool movement options very early on; world is very diverse and feels truly alive, with characters that are colorful and adorable; and the story is simple but awfully sweet. You will be emotionally invested.
2.) Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon (PS4) -- While divisive among the community, I think the move to turn based RPG paid off rather well for this installment. It felt largely refreshing coming from 15 years of fun and refined but somewhat stale beat 'em up mechanics. Don't get me wrong, I love the beat 'em up nature of the previous games, but I was ready for something new and Yakuza 7 gave me something a bit fresh. I had a great time with 120 hours I spent with Yakuza 7. The mini games were great, The story was compelling. I wasn't sure how I would feel about Ichiban but he is such a positive and sweet dork that he is kinda hard not to love. I do have some small niggles with it. The fact that they relied on the old guard once again was a bit of a downer for me, but all in all, I had a great time with Yakuza 7. It felt both fresh and familiar at the same time.
1.) Ghost of Tsushima (PS4) -- I wrestled with whether this spot would go to Yakuza 7 or Ghost of Tsushima, but in the end, I decided on Ghost of Tsushima. What a beautiful game through and through. Exploring every inch of that world was a treat. Following birds to haiku spots instead of relying on the map was almost refreshing. The world is astonishingly beautiful in that game. Watching the tall blades of grass flow gently in the wind never got old. I got so much use out of photo mode in that game (as some saw here in the Ghost of Tsushima thread) just because that world was so astonishingly breathtaking.
But more than that, I really enjoyed the story it told. The conflict between honor and the old ways versus breaking tradition and re-taking the island under new but questionable methods was compelling. I really got wrapped up in the story it told. The combat was also a lot fun. Not overly taxing in difficulty but not brain dead either. It felt like the right balance for what it needed to be and I had a lot of fun with the combat in that game.
All in all, astonishing work from Sucker Punch.
----------------------
Honorable Mentions:
----------------------
Persona 5 Royal (PS4) -- While I still haven't finished Persona 5 Royal, I've played enough to know it seems like the definitive version of Persona 5 to play. I've enjoyed my time with it. Will one day go back to it and finish it off. When I find time.
Demon's Souls (PS5) -- Bluepoint never fails to impress. They always do good work and Demon's Souls remake is no exception to that rule.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) -- A decent stop gap setting up further for the true sequel. It was a fun side quest game but nothing major worth talking about.
Resident Evil 3 (PS4) -- Not quite as good as the RE2 Remake. But I did have some fun with it none the less.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time! (PS4) -- A fun return from the Bandicoot, if not a fucking difficult return! This game is harder than it has any real right to be. But still fun.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (PS4) -- I did have some fun with it in the short time I played it. It wasn't without its charms.
Cyberpunk 2077 (PC) -- Playing on PC; I haven't had as many problems with it. Not a terrible game by any means, just a confused one. But I've had some fun with it in the 15 hours I've put in so far. Just not enough to make it into my top ten list.
-----------------------
"You've made my SHIT LIST!" (or the worst games I've played this year)
-----------------------
The Last of Us Part II (PS4) -- You've all heard me bang on enough about this game. You all know I really don't like TLOU2...let's just move on. I'm not gonna rant again. All I can say about it is that it is a game that thinks it's thematically deep, but really it's about as deep as a puddle.
Godfall (PS5) -- A very lame and utterly generic game in all accounts. Nothing more to say here. Moving on. Let's just forget about Godfall. It will be in the bargin bins soon enough.
Watch Dogs Legion (PS5) -- More Ubijunk. Yawn! I played about 5 hours of this and came to the same realisation I did with Watch Dogs 2. I am never going to like Watch Dogs as a franchise, so just stop trying to give it a chance. So I deleted the game and was done with Watch Dogs.
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