My 5 Favourite Games of 2020

 

Finally we have my 5 favourite games of 2020!

 

Once again, these aren’t all games that were actually released in 2020 or my advice as to what the best games currently out there are. This is simply a list of 5 games that I most enjoyed playing this year and have sunk the most time into - and as you can see from this list I have played a lot of games this year!

 

Anyway, some honourable mentions first:

 

 

Honourable mentions

 

Celeste – A hard as nails platformer with super tight controls that manages to subtly encourage you to continue rather than make you tear your hair out and give up. Previously written about how great it is here.

 

Dead Cells – A bit chaotic at times, but a fun rogue-like with excellent pixel art and choice of weaponry at your disposal. Speed and efficiency is encouraged in later runs rather than just surviving and the game feels rewarding accordingly.

 

The Mummy Demastered – Developer Wayforward have a great track record of games and this is no exception. A smart little metroidvania that has almost nothing to do with the film it is based on (which is for the best). Also features a great moody synth score.

 

Steamworld Dig – Simple but so very addictive. You are largely free to dig down into the mines as far as you want without it being too aimless and open-ended. There’s a great feedback loop and feel of progression to the mining system - the game is somewhat short but very sweet. Honestly couldn’t put it down!

 

Metroid: Samus Returns – A remake of the Gameboy classic that improves upon the original in almost every way. It innovates and makes many necessary quality of life improvements whilst also delivering a hearty dose of nostalgia.

 

 

      Now onto my 5 favourite games played in 2020:

 

 

 

Super Mario Odyssey

 

 

      The latest in the mainline flagship Mario games, Odyssey is bright, colourful and almost overwhelming at first with the amount of things you can see and do in any given area. But the great thing is you don’t even have to do it all. Unlike previous games, you only need a certain number of collectible moons to in order to progress to the next world – so each new area you explore becomes more like a playful sandbox. It gives you the freedom to stop and explore or press onwards at your own chosen pace and coupled with the varying degrees of challenge that obtaining different moons offer, it makes this game so accessible, as gamers of any skill level can find enjoyment.

 

      Although Mario is easy to control on a fundamental level, you also get a genuine sense of skill and mastery that comes with the additional mechanics involving the hat toss. When you master certain techniques you can eventually use them to reach previously inaccessible places, traverse areas much quicker or access shortcuts like you could not before. It is a very satisfying sense of progression that is obtained by simply playing the game and learning the nuances of the control rather than having to ‘unlock’ these moves like in some other games. The ’possession’ mechanic where you can take control of different enemies is also fun and fresh and allows you to approach many puzzles in a different way.

 

      Having also played through the older titles again this year (Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy), it is evident just how far the series has come and improved upon with each iteration. For me, Odyssey is leaps and bounds ahead of those titles and the detail and level of polish on show is incredible.

      The more I played this game the more I loved it and went as far as to keep playing until I got (almost) every single moon – that’s around 880 in total!

 

 

 

Octopath Traveler

 

 

      On the surface its presentation is something in the vein of a classic JRPG evoking the likes of the old Final Fantasy games in terms of its story, characters and map design. As a result it feels very nostalgic to play but there are also some modernised aspects too. For example the pixel art style is given a three-dimensional diorama effect that is very alluring and helps to draw you into the world.

 

      The game progression is interesting in that there are 8 stories to start with – one for each character and you can essentially do them in any order, with the particular character (whose story it is) being accompanied by whomever you have recruited so far. This gives a nice flexibility to how you approach the game rather than in one single set order that all players must play through. In terms of combat it is the classic turn-based affair that I am a fan of, with the ‘break’ system adding an extra layer of strategy to encounters. And when you unlock additional jobs later in the game you can further customise your characters abilities and open up even further layers of strategy in combat.

      I also loved the orchestral score and there was surprisingly good voice acting too. The whole thing was so endearing and charming from beginning to end and I thoroughly enjoyed my play through of the game. A must for fans of classic JRPG style games but with a fresh lick of paint.

 

 

 

Ring Fit Adventure

 

 

      Not so much a game as a gamified form of exercise, but the light RPG elements and consistent feeling of progression encourage you to keep playing. My partner and I have put many hours into this (we recently hit level 100 in the story mode and there still appears to be a lot more to go!) – and it honestly works and feels like a legitimate workout. It has been a godsend during the pandemic when we are avoiding gyms and not wanting to go out and about too much in general.

 

      As well as the ‘adventure mode’ you can also do custom workouts, play just the minigames you like or even try some rhythm-based games as well. There is plenty included and if you stick with it you will definitely get your money’s worth. Now if only there were other Switch games that could make use of the ring-con…

 

 

 

Blasphemous

 

 

      I love dark fantasy and the challenging-but-fair progression of games such as Dark Souls. I also love metroidvanias that feature great pixel art. Blasphemous is indeed both of these things but also much more. The art design is simultaneously both fantastic and grotesque - taking its cues from inquisition-era Catholicism, medieval torture devices and twisted religious iconography. It’s very cohesive in terms of its themes and world building - the environmental artwork, music, sound design, enemy and boss designs and pixel art animation are all fantastic.

 

      Similar to Dark Souls you are just dropped into this mysterious world without too much backstory and things remain largely mysterious with the overarching narrative only inferred at in item descriptions and enigmatic NPC ramblings. It’s challenging at times but the combat is very satisfying and beating a particularly challenging boss feels very rewarding.

      Made by a small Spanish indie developer The Game Kitchen, it will be interesting to see if they follow up with something similar in the future.

 

 

 

Hades

 

 

      Hades is the one game I have sunk the most hours into of any game I have played this year. Not only is it the fluid and satisfying combat mechanics and the unique design and art direction that keep you engaged, but it is also all the characters involved in the story and the ever changing and evolving relationship with them that keeps you coming back and repeating the process - run after run. And that’s pretty rare for a game, especially for one that on the surface appears to be a simple 'run'-based game. First and foremost it is a testament to how fantastic the writing is in Hades.

      Even at the point when you think you have finished the story and reached the 'ending', things surprisingly continue and you press on as you want to see things through to the end,  to see how your relationships develop and progress with each different character. From a design perspective, the feeling of progression is masterful. New stuff gets unlocked and revealed all the time. I have completed over a 100 runs and new things are still popping up and surprising me. The game is so well laid out - with longevity in mind - but does this without feeling cheap or exploitative. Power ups and upgrades combine in new and unique ways that no 2 runs feel exactly the same but are not so varied and unfocused as to bewilder you.

      

       As well as the writing and game mechanics, the rest of the presentation is equally incredible: the music and the voice acting especially are superb. There is so much dialogue in this game – and all of it of an excellent quality as well. Characters talk about other characters you have just encountered or comment on feats and achievements you have recently accomplished. I have played this game to almost 100% completion and characters are still somehow spouting fresh dialogue – its insane how much was recorded for this game. Supergiant games seem committed to producing the best experience possible. Initially released on Steam Early Access over 2 years before the game's official release, they have continually worked at tweaking and improving the game since and this final version is testament to the hard work and commitment they have put in.

      Darren Korb's soundtrack is also remarkable. Each area has familiar themes without sounding repetitive, atmospheric and catchy without being annoying, dynamic to change at the beginning and end of boss encounters - there are so many points to praise. The original songs written for Hades are also all fantastic. What's even more incredible is that Korb also provides the voices for some key characters in the game - including the lead Zagreus himself! 

       Whilst the game and the environs that you explore themselves aren’t hugely massive (and not truly random either like other ‘roguelikes’) this actually serves to help you in your familiarity as well as tying in with the story. The main character Zagreus grows in his experience in the story as you do in learning how to play the game. I may have been quite vague as to what the story and backdrop of the game entails but going into the game without knowing too much up front really is the best way to experience it. The only thing I would suggest is to enable ‘god mode’ in the options from the beginning. This adds to the sense of progression by making Zagreus a tiny bit more resilient every time he dies (which will be alot) and help you to progress a tiny bit faster if you are struggling. This does not make the game too easy by any means but it fits well with story and appropriately matches the character's ‘growth’ after each death.

 

      Whilst I have not ranked a no.1 in my other 2020 lists, Hades is undoubtedly my game of the year of 2020 and maybe even up there among my favourite games of all time, just because I have been so impressed with how meticulously crafted the experience is. I have spent weeks playing this, day after day, a couple of runs at a time for an hour or two after work each day – a satisfying feeling of progression obtained each time. Your relationship in terms of your own progression in the game mirrors Zagreus' own progression of his journey of discovery, your familiarity of the characters he interacts with matches Zagreus' mutual deepening of relationships with those same characetrs. It's a remarkable feat that the developers of Hades have pulled off - to get you so emotionally invested. So much so that it feels kind of sad that I have now done everything and unlocked everything in the game.

 

      Therefore although I am finished with Hades for now, I will definitely keep an eye on what  Supergiant create next as my experience with this game was stellar. I may even finally go back and check out Transistor which has been sat on my 'games to play' list for far too long.

 

 

And so that is it for my games list. If you haven’t already checked out my Top Films and Top TV Series of 2020 you can so do so by clicking on the links.

That’s it for this year - see you in 2021!

 

 

29^th Dec 2020