As 2020 (thankfully) comes to a close, the DualShockers staff is coming together to share their personal favorite games throughout the year. Unlike our official Game of the Year Awards, each of these lists is meant to reflect which games stood out personally to each of our staff members. Additionally, any game – not just 2020 releases – can be considered in each Top 10 List.
It goes without saying that 2020 was both one of the best and worst years that I’ve had pretty much in my entire life. As much as the COVID-19 pandemic was obviously something that we all had to face, this year personally brought some of the highest highs and lowest lows that I’ve experienced yet. As much as I’m looking forward to jump ahead into 2021 as much as everyone else, I do have to acknowledge that through it all, 2020 had a lot of good video games to play. Like,really goodones.
This year more than most, I really had to prune my list a bit to get down to the 10 games that really left an impression on me this year.DOOM EternalandResident Evil 3gave me a lot of high-intensity blockbuster action to enjoy when I needed it, and smaller games likeWide Ocean Big Jacket,The Pathless,Tell Me Why, andThe Solitaire Conspiracygave me thoughtful, unique experiences that I easily recommend playing. Of course, it’s also worth mentioningAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, the game that many like me turned to for a brief escape from the worst parts of 2020.
As always, there are a few games that I didn’t quite get to before the year’s end, but I’ll be looking forward to playing them all in the coming year. Notably,Spiritfareris probably at the top of my list as a longtime fan of developer Thunder Lotus Games, and more recently,13 Sentinels: Aegis Rimis starting to pique my interest with so many of our staff praising it so heavily during our end-of-the-year discussions.
But that being said, from what Ididplay throughout 2020, all of the games on my list helped get me through an especially difficult and challenging year. They were all bright spots during a dark year, and they’re all games that I heartily recommend if you haven’t had the chance to pick them up yourself.
10. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore
Usually I tend not to put remasters on my personal Top 10 each year, but I had to make an exception this time around forTokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Having missed out on the game’s original release for the Wii U, and more recently coming to love thePersonafranchise,Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encoregave me the type ofPersona-like experience that I was looking for on the Nintendo Switch. While it has a blend of elements fromFire EmblemandShin Megami Tensei, I still managed to really enjoy my time with the bright, J-pop-inspired world ofTokyo Mirage Sessions, its memorable cast of characters, and a combat system that had me look forward to every session that I played of it.
Check outDualShockers' review ofTokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore.
9. Kentucky Route Zero: Act V
As someone that has been playing each installment ofKentucky Route Zeroas they have released, I was really looking forward to seeing how the long-running journey would finally come to its end. Like the previous four episodes before it,Act Vdoesn’t really hold your hand when it comes to giving a clear explanation of what’s happening and how it all ties into the larger narrative ofKRZ. Heck,Act Vitself is quite a departure from what the entirety of the game has been so far, with a game that has been in the making for nearly a decade wrapping up in an Act that lasts for about an hour. But really, that hour-long finale ofKentucky Route Zerohas stuck with me ever since I played it at the beginning of the year, speaking to the strength of its story that I still find myself trying to fully piece together.
Kentucky Route Zerois likely not a game for everyone; it’s purposefully opaque, filled with vagueness, and it may not show its hand at first when you start playing. But after seeing how Cardboard Computer’s story comes together in its final Act, it only makes me want to go back and experience all ofKentucky Route Zeroall over again to fully grasp a deep, interesting story that has unfolded over the past several years.
Check outDualShockers' review ofKentucky Route Zero: TV Edition.
8. Star Wars: Squadrons
Of all the games on my Top 10 List,Star Wars: Squadronsis easily the title that I’ve had the most pure fun with throughout the year. TheStar Warsfan in me was thrilled withSquadrons, and more specifically, theStar Warsflight game fan in me was overjoyed at the chance to jump back into the cockpit of my favorite starfighters once again.
As someone that put countless hours into theRogue Squadrongames as a kid,Squadronscaptured everything that I love about a universe that I care deeply about, and especially for bringingStar Wars' space combat into greater detail and excitement than ever before. From dogfighting with TIE Fighters in an X-Wing to narrowly dodging asteroids with an A-Wing,Squadronsis a tightly-focusedStar Warsgame that excels in so many ways, especially after playing in VR. There’s also the fact that it includes the Y-Wing, my personal favoriteStar Warsship of all-time, so it only gets even higher marks from me for that.
Check outDualShockers' review ofStar Wars: Squadrons.
7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Much like the original before it,Ori and the Will of the Wispswas a game that I knew going in to it that I would thoroughly enjoy. As a lover of Metroidvania games it is exceptionally crafted, and even more than that,Will of the Wispsis simply one of the most visually striking and beautiful games that I’ve played all year.
WhereOri and the Will of the Wispsreally got to me is through its surprisingly emotionally storytelling, which is made even more impressive by its virtual lack of dialogue. Moon Studios deserves praise for being able to tell a story that tears at your heart in the way that it has withWill of the Wisps, and at points throughout its story, it feels as emotionally devastating as the first 10 minutes of Pixar’sUp. From top to bottom,Will of the Wispsis incredible to play, and it shouldn’t be missed.
Check outDualShockers' review ofOri and the Will of the Wisps.
6. Persona 5 Royal
If there is any singular good thing to come out of the pandemic, it’s the fact that I found myself with the time to finally play throughPersona 5all the way through. WithPersona 5 Royal, I finally had the chance to dive into a game that I’ve been meaning to play for three years, and it’s arguably been my “pandemic game” to help get me through the worst parts of 2020.
Even more so than other games that I’ve enjoyed this year likeAnimal Crossing,Persona 5 Royalwas really the game that I could let myself turn to for an escape from an especially challenging time. Fighting against injustice and corruption, spending time and bonding with those you love most; every aspect ofPersona 5 Royalshined a little bit brighter in the wake of 2020, and the nearly 100 hours that I sunk into it over the summer felt like it flew by along the way.
Check outDualShockers' review ofPersona 5 Royal.
5. Among Us
WhilePersona 5 Royalwas the single-player experience that probably resonated with me the most throughout the worst parts of the pandemic,Among Uswas the multiplayer title that I really needed this year. Though I don’t tend to play a ton of multiplayer titles,Among Uscaught my attention during its surge of popularity earlier this year and has since become one of my go-to games to play with friends throughout the year.
So many of my favorite gaming-related memories from this year come fromAmong Us, whether it was accidentally getting caught while using a vent and scrambling to kill the witness, or trying not to laugh as the Crewmates self-sabotage themselves and vote off everyone else but me as the Imposter. No game this year has had quite the breakout success thatAmong Ushas, and it only make me more excited to see what else InnerSloth has up its sleeves.
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake
I need to go into my thoughts onFinal Fantasy VII Remakeacknowledging that for the most part,I am Not aFinal FantasyPerson™. To date (other thanFFVII Remake), the onlyFinal Fantasygames still that I’ve actually finished and played all the way through are the originalFFVII,FFX, andFFXV, other than the insane amount of time I put intoFinal Fantasy Tactics Advanceas a kid. It’s nothing necessarily personal that I have againstFinal Fantasyor anything, but I always get a bit hesitant jumping into a series once it starts hitting double digits in the number of installments that it has.
That makes it all the more surprising thatFinal Fantasy VII Remakewas able to resonate with me as much as it did, having only played through the original game about five years ago. Everything that Square Enix brought to the table withFinal Fantasy VII Remakenot only made me see and feel what has made the original game stand the test of time, but also managed to craft a game that isn’t beholden to it. Remaking an all-time classic is no easy feat, butFinal Fantasy VII Remakemanaged to strike a perfect balance of honoring the original and setting up its future installments for an exciting, bold direction.
Check outDualShockers' review ofFinal Fantasy VII Remake.
3. The Last of Us Part II
Going into our review ofThe Last of Us Part IIand the waves of online conversation surrounding it up to release, I knew that I might have some complicated feelings around Naughty Dog’s latest title. It was hard to try and ignore the negativity and heated opinions that were coming in light of the game’s story, especially against the backdrop of the pandemic, social injustice, and times of deep division and hatred that we’ve experienced throughout the year.
Despite whatever hesitation I had going into playingThe Last of Us Part II–a game that otherwise I have been immensely looking forward to–what really shone through for me was that Naughty Dog’s game goes far beyond what its reveal (and especially its marketing) billed it as; a game about hate. Yes, the core theme that ties together Ellie’s and Abby’s story is a search for revenge at the loss of loved ones. But really,The Last of Us Part IIis truly a game about perspective, and the only way to really grasp what it has to say is to experience it for yourself.
Check outDualShockers' review ofThe Last of Us Part II.
In a similar way toFinal Fantasy VII Remake, I am Not Really a Roguelike Person™. Other thanDead Cells, I’ve never really found a roguelike game that has clicked for me, especially once I start growing weary of the whole dying-repeatedly thing. However, going into it mainly because of my love for Supergiant Games' past titles,Hadesinstantly made me understand the appeal of the genre while being a damn good game in its own right.
For me,Hadesbrings everything that Supergiant has done so impressively in their past games while also delivering their most infinitely replayable game yet.Hadesis filled with the the kind of interesting and memorable characters that made me loveBastion,Transistor, andPyre, while also making every run through the underworld feel fresh, exciting, and thrilling. It took quite a bit of time for me to finally clear my first run and make it through to the surface, and no matter how many times I died,Hadeskept me motivated with a masterful blend of storytelling in the dynamic framework of a roguelike.
Essentially, for me playingHadeswas like finding one of its Duo Boons; it gave me a whole new appreciation for the roguelike genre, and it may have just become my favorite title from Supergiant Games.
Check outDualShockers' review ofHades.
1. Half-Life: Alyx
Even in a year that brought us the next-generation consoles and games that pushed the boundaries, for meHalf-Life: Alyxwas really the game that embodied where the medium can go from here. That’s aside from the fact that we got a newHalf-Lifegame in 2020, something that simply felt like a pipe dream up until now (and especially after playing all the way through to the end).
For me,Half-Life: Alyxpushed the boundaries for how games can tell deeper, more immersive stories and how players can interact with them.Half-Lifeas a series has always thrived on deep narratives that pull players into its well-defined and interesting world, butAlyxhas brought that to an entirely new level through VR. In the game’s opening moments, the scale and depth of City 17 is more fully realized than ever, especially once you see a Strider towering over you and a Combine skyscraper looming in the distance.
Though I acknowledge the barrier to entry that it has by only being available to play with a VR headset, for me there is simply no other game that has demonstrated the power and immersion of VR thanHalf-Life: Alyx. Its integration of VR not only adds to its world and setting, but it also elevates everything thatHalf-Life: Alyxhas to offer from a storytelling perspective. Even against the next-gen experiences that we’ve been able to play on new consoles in the past few months, for meHalf-Life: Alyxshows even more untapped potential that awaits.
Check outDualShockers' review ofHalf-Life: Alyx.
Check out the rest of theDualShockersstaff Top 10 lists andour official Game of the Year Awards nominees:
December 23:Lou Contaldi (General Manager)//Ben Bayliss (Features Editor)
December 24:Grant Huff (Senior Staff Writer)//Camilo Olmedo (Associate Staff Writer)
December 25:Kris Cornelisse (Staff Writer)//Ricky Frech (Reviews Editor)//Ryan Meitzler (Editor-in-Chief)
December 26:Michael Ruiz (Contributor)//Mehrdad Khayyat (Senior Staff Writer)
December 27:Sam Woods (SEO Editor)//Peter Szpytek (Video Editor)
December 28:Scott White (Video Editor)//Justin Kucharski (Associate Staff Writer)
December 29:David Gill (Staff Writer)//Allisa James (Senior Staff Writer)
December 30:Rachael Fiddis (News & Culture Editor)//Cameron Hawkins (Staff Writer)//Charlie Wacholz (Staff Writer)
