The following are my favorite gaming experiences of 2020. These games may not have necessarily been released in 2020, but I played them in 2020 and enjoyed them tremendously!
2020 was a bit of a light year for games, but was the start of a new console generation. The year the global COVID-19 pandemic struck the US and a large part of the world.
Marvel’s Avengers
I’m a huge mark for Marvel properties, so a lot of bias here. I’m also a big fan of Crystal Dynamics (the developer). The single-player story was a lot of fun, I even enjoyed the multiplayer for a bit – though admittedly the multiplayer is the weakest part (not well designed from a gameplay loop perspective). The game had a rough launch with technical issues related to performance and multiplayer content, though the PS5 combined with the developer’s optimization work corrected all of the technical issues for me. I’m in the minority enjoying this game, but I did enjoy it quite a bit to the point of obtaining the platinum for the game. The title is now shut down as of this writing because it was intended as a live service game, which is a shame because the single-player adventure was fun.
Dead by Daylight
I spent quite a bit of time on this game with friends. Publications call this type of game an asymmetric multiplayer game, essentially it’s a game where there are 5 players per match, 1 is selected to be an overpowered monster who hunts the other 4 while the 4 try to escape. It’s a lot of fun if you have 4 or 5 friends to play with for a session. The game is a lot of fun, it’s monetized by new characters (both monsters and escapees). If you’re a fan of horror and have some friends who also enjoy it, I would recommend giving it a shot!
Ghosts of Tsushima
Ghosts of Tsushima is a fantastic samurai game, one I’ve wanted to play ever since I watched my first Kurosawa film with my best friend growing up. The story was great, the sound was excellent, and the ‘wind’ mechanic for leading you to your next objective if you need it was great and subtle. It is a great game.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Remaking and reimagining a classic is a tall order. I really enjoyed my time with FF7 Remake. It was fun, weird and generally a good time. The combat system was interesting, graphics were beautiful story is… well… the FF7 story with some twists here and there. I’d recommend the game for new players and old.
PS5 (Updated Framerates For PS4 Titles)
Odd item to put in, I know. I replayed multiple games I enjoyed on PS4 for PS5 because of the updated framerate and resolution updates developers facilitated following the release of the PS5. I replayed Nioh, Marvel’s Avengers became a great experience, Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), and Ghosts of Tsushima to name a few.
Assassins Creed Valhalla
I was torn whether or not to put this game on the list, I have a love-hate relationship with it. I enjoyed the story, the gameplay is nice but is so bloated with meaningless content and gameplay loops. The last couple of Assassin’s Creed titles have acted like they were MMOs, or content for the sake of content to keep you playing longer. The additional time-sink content hurts the game immensely. I spent about 120 hours in the game and I regret about 80 hours of that time. 40 hours of time spent I enjoyed, the graphics are beautiful and stunning, voice acting is top-notch. I’d be hard-pressed to recommend the game due to the total time obligation to finish it / see credits, but it’s enjoyable to play.
