Editor’s Note: All Photos in This Article Are Screenshots from Actual Gameplay from Reviewer’s Personal Video Game Consoles.
This past year has been one of the craziest years for gaming yet. From the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles marking a new generation of gaming to indie games like Among Us and Fall Guys absolutely dominating on Twitch and creating new communities of fans, there’ve been so many wild things that happened this year in the gaming world. Hell, I’m still wrapping my head around the idea that Sephiroth and Cloud are in Smash Bros. together and that the Cyberpunk 2077 news has gotten as bad as it has. However, it’s time to look back on 2020 and recognize the five best games that came out in these very different times.
As always, these are just my personal picks, but you’re highly encouraged to talk about your favorites in the comments without throwing too much hate my way – this year’s already been tough enough after all. With there honestly being a lot of great games this year, it’s also worth honoring some honorable mentions.
Now, it’s worth noting that big indie titles like Hades and Among Us aren’t going to be here since I didn’t really get the chance to play and experience them – although Among Us is the number one game I watch on Twitch and I hear nothing but excellent things about Hades. There’s no way that Animal Crossing: New Horizons could go unmentioned since it brought fans back into the vibrant and comforting world of Animal Crossing right at the start of the pandemic, right when we needed a game like it, and continues to help players build and expand their islands. Who could forget that the PlayStation 5 delivered one of the best launch lineups in recent years with excellent first party titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Bugsnax, and Bluepoint’s remake of Dark Souls.
The biggest shoutout that I have to give though definitely has to go to Naughty Dog for delivering a legendary sequel and breaking past so many obstacles with The Last of Us: Part II. It brought fans back into a world that many came to love in the 2013 original while breaking past barrier for diverse and inclusive representation in games, taking big risks with deep emotional payoff, enhancing the already enticing and action-packed gameplay, creating impactful character arcs for Ellie (voiced by Ashley Johnson) and Abby (voiced by Laura Bailey) that are elevated through the top-tier performances from Johnson and Bailey, and taking fans through a two-sided revenge story that cuts deep. It was legitimately on the cusp of making the list because it’s so great and is a series that everyone should check out. Now that that’s all out of the way, let’s delve into the best of the best this year has had to offer.
