Game of the Year 2020: Our Personal Lists

As 2020 is coming to a close it’s time to look back on everything we played and decide what exactly is our Game of the Year. It’s been a difficult year for all of us, but gaming has been there to keep us entertained and offer a sort of escape from the events of the real world. From big AAA blockbusters like Final Fantasy VII Remake and The Last of Us Part II, to smaller titles such as the critically acclaimed indie title Hades and the ever wholesome Animal Crossing: New Horizons, this has been an absolute banner year for gaming. And that’s not even mentioning the start of a brand new console generation for both PlayStation and Xbox.

Though we all played a lot of the same games, we each have also played some games that the others haven’t, and have a different ranking of our favorites. Because of this, each of us made a list of our top five games from this year. Who are the winners? Read on to find out!

Tyler

1. The Last of Us Part II – Game of the Year
2. Persona 5 Royal
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. Ghost of Tsushima
5. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Out of all the years that I’ve been gaming, this year is potentially the best one yet. The majority of the games I played were amazing experiences from start to finish that could easily be Game of the Year if they were released in any other year. But when stacked up against tough competition like this, some things just end up missing out on the top spot. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales was a fantastic launch title for the PlayStation 5 and an amazing successor to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Featuring a more compelling protagonist in Miles, and a heartfelt story with exciting gameplay, it rises above Insomniac’s previous foray in the Marvel universe. Then we have Ghost of Tsushima, a game that cemented developer Sucker Punch Productions as one of the greatest developers in the industry for me. They told an engaging, cinematic story that had me hooked from the moment it started, and kept me coming back for more thanks to the beautiful island of Tsushima and some of the most fun combat I’ve ever experienced in a video game.

Square Enix finally released Final Fantasy VII Remake, and it exceeded all expectations I had for it. They gave us a game that expands on the original in new and interesting ways by fleshing out the characters and world more, while still staying faithful what came before (for the most part). The way they also cleverly merged real-time combat with the more methodical ATB-system of the original game is ingenious and made combat a lot of fun. Taking the number two spot on my list is Persona 5 Royal. Like a thief in the night, this game came along and stole my heart to become not just my favorite game of the year, but one of my top five favorite games of all time. Everything about this game is just perfect. The story is a wonderfully told tale of rebellion and fighting corruption in society; the characters are each layered individuals that I was emotionally connected to; the combat is the best turn-based system I’ve ever used in a game; the sense of style and coolness that oozes from every corner; and of course the unforgettable music that I’ve listened to every single day. It all comes together to form a bona fide masterpiece that not many games can surpass.

Now although Persona 5 Royal is my favorite game of the year, I don’t think that it’s the absolute BEST game of 2020. That honor goes to none other than The Last of Us Part II. This may be a controversial opinion, but it’s one that I stand by 100% (even if I struggled to put Persona 5 Royal below it). The Last of Us Part II is not just Naughty Dog’s best game yet; it’s one of the best games of the PlayStation 4 console generation and a generation defining game. It takes risks with its storytelling that not many would take a chance on, but it ends up being worth it for the emotional and harrowing story that’s told. Anchoring it all is incredible writing and fantastic performances from Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey, who both pour their heart and soul into the characters of Ellie and Abby respectively. They make us empathize with them and understand exactly where they’re coming from, even if we don’t agree with their decisions. The rest of the cast shouldn’t be ignored either as they all do a top notch job as well with their roles in the story. Gameplay systems from the previous game are refined this time around as well, making for an all around more enjoyable experience. And then there’s the technical wizardry that Naughty Dog performs to make the world and characters look as realistic as they do. When you put all the pieces together, there’s no other game that can compete against The Last of Us Part II, which is why it’s my Game of the Year for 2020.

Kyle

1. Ghost of Tsushima – Game of the Year
2. Doom Eternal
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake
4. The Last of Us Part II
5. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Gamers had an assortment of fantastic titles to help them navigate the hellscape that was 2020. My workplace was closed for roughly two and a half months at the beginning of the pandemic, so even though I got to play a wider array of games than usual, I didn’t go hands-on with all of the year’s best. I’m looking at you, Hades, and hope you come to PlayStation platforms soon.

The game I was enamored with most this year was Ghost of Tsushima. Sucker Punch’s open-world samurai epic features some of the best art direction of the PS4 era, and that’s without enabling its stunning black and white Kurosawa Mode. I loved how effortlessly the game was able to push me toward points of interest on the map, either through the Guiding Wind feature or more natural environmental cues. Between its dynamic combat, a riveting tale of vengeance, and the excellent Legends co-op mode, Ghost of Tsushima delivered the best gaming experience of 2020 on any platform. I even stuck around to earn its platinum trophy, which for me, doesn’t happen very often.

Ghost of Tsushima was but one of several top-notch games I played this year, however. Doom Eternal was also a blast, and it provided one of the best FPS experiences I’ve had in a very long time. I was extremely skeptical of Final Fantasy VII Remake before its release, but I’m glad to report that Square Enix nailed it. Not only was the remake’s multi-part structure justified with a first entry that felt like a full game, but its reimagined combat kept me from longing for the battle system of the 1997 original. I also enjoyed my time with The Last of Us Part II, and while it was a great game, some plot structuring issues kept it from surpassing its predecessor. And lastly, I capped my gaming year off with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which introduced us to a great new protagonist and reaffirmed why we needed upgraded game consoles.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that 2020 was one of the worst years in recent memory, but the same can’t be said for its games. We’ll be really lucky if we see a similar output of quality experiences in 2021.

Tori

1. The Last of Us Part II – Game of the Year
2. Bioshock: The Collection (Switch)
3. Watch Dogs Legion
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake
5. Ghost of Tsushima

2020 has been nothing short of a difficult year, and because of that, I actually found myself putting a lot of hours into some old favorites and catching up on what seems to be my never-ending backlog. While I didn’t play through as many 2020 titles as I would have liked, I did have a handful of anticipated releases that I really enjoyed and have found myself returning to throughout the year.

The release of The Last of Us Part II was definitely the bright spot I needed in 2020. I’d been anticipating the game since its announcement four years ago, and finally being able to experience a new chapter in Ellie and Joel’s story was a huge comfort, despite the controversial nature of the story and one of the major gameplay decisions Naughty Dog made. I’d managed to stay away from all of the leaks that occurred earlier this year, so the shift that happens mid-way through the game genuinely took me by surprise. It was something that challenged my thoughts about the game as a whole and the very nature of Ellie’s character. Ultimately, I came away from the game loving the direction Naughty Dog took. The new gameplay mechanics made combat more exciting, and the new, open feel of the environments encouraged a deeper level of exploration in the game that I loved. I flew through The Last of Us Part II when it released, but since then I’ve been consistently returning to the game, not even to trophy hunt, but just to play through some of its quieter story moments again.

I’ve been loving the convenience of my Switch this year and have probably put more hours into my Switch games in 2020 than I have in the last couple of years I’ve owned the console. One game I couldn’t get enough of was BioShock: The Collection, which includes all three games and the DLCs. BioShock and BioShock: Infinite are easily two of my all-time favorite games, and despite the expected drop in graphics on the Switch, I was still surprised to see how smooth the port runs. Moments of combat in BioShock: The Collection feel a bit more chaotic on the Switch, but I’ve really enjoyed being able to revisit Rapture and Columbia from the comfort of my bed.

Watch Dogs: Legion has also been one of my favorites this year. I’ve been a long-time fan of Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs franchise and the hacking components at the heart of the game. Legion maintains that same chaotic, sandbox style of gameplay but adds an element that works so well. In Watch Dogs: Legion, anyone can become a hacker and join the rebel hacker group DedSec. Honestly, it was a gameplay decision I was a bit skeptical about, but the more I play through Legion, the more I wonder why Ubisoft hadn’t done this sooner. No two missions feel the same, and though I’m about a month into the game, everything still feels fresh and exciting.

Final Fantasy VII Remake was another great release this year and was an excellent reimagining of the original game. Square Enix nailed the new combat system, creating something that was both open and fluid. Combat was easily one of my favorites elements of the game, and switching up/creating new strategies was something that kept me coming back to the game long after I finished it. Ghost of Tsushima is a title I’ve been taking my time with since its release, to the point where I haven’t even been pursuing the main story path anymore. Instead, I’ve been enjoying mastering the combat and exploring the open world of Tsushima. Ghost of Tsushima manages to make its own mark in what already feels like the crowded open world genre. The map is stunning in every way, but its size still feels relatively contained, and using wind and animals as navigation tools has made exploration more exciting.

Those are our lists! Did one of your favorites appear on our lists? What do your lists look like? Let us know what your Game of the Year for 2020 was in the comments section!