I really can’t do a Top 10 since I barely play much more a year but I want to highlight 3 games I really think are something special.
- 1: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
I already said many good things about this game in the OT but besides being a very enjoyable RPG the standout fact is that no other game moved me more emotionally. YLAD has a great way to tell its expensive and emotional tale about family and trying to be part of one, of loyalty and forgiveness. All this is transported by a great cast of characters with Ichiban Kasuga being my favourite video game character of all time. He is naive and young but his goals are always honorable and the japanese voice actor transported the desperation in Ichibans journey so well that I was moved to tears multiple times throughout the game. I know this game won’t be for everybody, but there is nothing in 2020 that had more of an Impact on me like this game.
- 2: Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the blind forest was a beautiful Metroidvania 2D Jump n Run back in 2015, but the will of the wisps is such a massive leap over that arleady great game that it feels like there is a generation in between and it has to be the artistically most beautiful game I have played since cuphead in 2017 I guess. The game is better in every aspect than its predecessor but especially where it matters the most. The combat is fun and very dynamic and the bossfights benefit greatly from this. The overall production value feels triple A really. The whole game is like one of the great walt disney animations from back in the day. And nowhere is this more pronounced than through its epic score. The soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece and mixed perfectly in the experience. A really special game this year, which makes me curious for everything moon studios is doing next.
- 3: Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer is the surprise for me in 2020. Without Game Pass I would probably never have touched this game since all the trailers looked okay I guess but didn’t grab me right away. But when you boot this game up on your living room display you realize how pretty it really is. The art and animation are beautiful and got me curious what kind of game this is. And then you get to the management side and this got me hooked. It’s a beautiful management sim wrapped in this unique afterlife setting with gorgeous handpainted-like sprites and animations. Along your journey you meet a lot of interesting characters with each having their own challenges to overcome. It’s really addicting and a very long experience. I loved the deep management aspect and how they integrated a lot of gameplay styles to progress. I definitely revommend everyone to check this out if you got Game Pass. It’s a nice change of pace from your typical triple A blockbuster.
I also played Black Ops Cold War, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1+2, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Streets of Rage 4, Star Wars Squadrons and Tetris Effect Connected which were all released in 2020 and I really liked. They are all good expriences.
- Best Ongoing Game: Halo: The Master Chief Collection
With the recent Upgrade for Series X I got back in playing this milestone of a game collection. All 6 Games belong to the Olymp of FPS and being able to play my favourite game franchise in 4K, 120 Frames per Second and HDR is just a treat. I am super happy that they are still updating these games and it shows that there is no other franchise like Halo getting this much love and care in all of gaming. I am spending a lot of time with the multiplayer recently and it still is such a blast to play. Needed a little time to get adjusted to the slower pace in comparison to modern shooters but when you have done that it’s as good as ever. It’s the greatest collection of games ever for me and it’s been brought up to the next gen standard in 2020.
- Best Publisher: Xbox Game Studios, I don’t think any other publisher put so much high quality games out in 2020 as XGS. But overall it’s a hard question.