Games bring people together. It is one of the purest aspects of a medium: the constant invocation of others to enter, enter the magic circle, and absurdity. (Or dangerous. Or silly. Playing so many things for many people.) Even when we’re talking about single-player games – ostensibly single-player experiences, with their modular player locked in a room, removing icons from an open-world map like Geo Roomba – the desire persists – In addressing the hobby we love, to discussing games that happily colonize our times and our minds. We can acknowledge the dangers and pitfalls of “gaming rhetoric” – the struggle with employee rights issues, toxic masculinity, and anger over unfocused and awesome social media – while acknowledging that there are few pleasures in this world more wonderful than digging with someone else around a piece of digital art that made you. You feel something deep and deep. (Or even just wacky and fun. Once again: Play is play.)
That is why, as we do every yearAnd the The AV ClubThe gaming crew is handing over the reins a little to our readers. Because while we like to talk about it The games we loved at All halves For 2020 – from big budget releases to mobile entertainment – we’re excited to hear more about games. You are I loved him for this wild, playful year. Here they are: They were left out of keyboard geniuses who took part in my favorite games last week of this year, the ones I loved in 2020.
First: Here is Amalthia Elanor, speaking of inclusiveness Final Fantasy VII remake:
I mentioned this again at mid-year point, but liked it Final Fantasy VII remake Because it has made itself available to beginners like me. The original game is very much appreciated in gaming culture, and I missed the boat playing it for the first time. Going in without knowing (I knew Sephiroth kills Aeris, and that’s it) I was glad I found that, despite a number of references happening around me (I was too oblivious to seeing it), in any way impeded my enjoyment of the game. Quite the opposite: It has great productivity values and a really cool combat system (something I generally like less and less about JRPGs). And while I don’t have the same 20+ year-old attachment to the characters, I still find myself captured by them, thanks to the great writing and performances. Moreover, it is fun to be aware of; For the first time forever, I finally became a fan who “gets it” when it comes to it Final Fantasy VII.
Ditto erakbgg, which also nodded to Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout:
I loved Final Fantasy VII: Remake To change my mind about real-time combat in FF. Usually I don’t like fighting in a 3D environment, however FFVII: R.A mix of real-time combat and stopping for some good old fashioned FF The menus were beautifully executed. I enjoyed it so much I doubled down and played FFXII for the first time.
I love Fall guys Because he’s so gloriously fast and stupid, you can’t stay mad at him for long. I have no interest in playing the games for hours on end. Sarcastically, Fall guysThe “quick mini-games” and “just one more situation” resulted in sessions of over 4 hours for me. Alhamdulillah my wife loves the soundtrack or else she will go crazy now.
Several users agreed with our selection Hades As one of the top players of the year, including Evan Waters:
Curse is being Hades Gorgeous. It’s the best feedback episode I’ve ever seen: things come out and smash, they die in the end, you’ll be rewarded with cool storylines, interactions with elegant characters, and also tangible improvements to your new abilities and choices. A bad run will still give you some results at home, but a good jog really feels great, and you just keep getting better a little.
Meanwhile, Liebkartoffel praised the game’s high customization difficulty:
Hades” God Mode was a lifesaver for someone with dirty toes like me, and it was the first roguelite / like game that I played and I didn’t feel completely frustrated and bored after the first two hours. I really appreciate my ability to experience gameplay, story, and beauty like everyone else, but on my skill level, in a way that I never felt like I was cheating. Hell hit – then spanking later Hades-This was a rewarding experience, even if I can only do so when reducing damage by 40%.
Needle Hacksaw spoke of her narrative focus:
As someone who has loved Supergiant ever since stronghold And finding rogue likes is almost perfect If you are looking for short, focused sessions that feel meaningful when you reach them, no wonder Hades It is my game for this year. I stopped playing as soon as I defeated the head of the outside world for the first time. There are many rogue players out there who have played more than that – sometimes up to the point where I was frustrated by the fact that my willpower wasn’t strong enough to put it aside. I think focus on narration Hades It gave me a fulfilled feeling by reaching an “end” that was actually very welcome. It really is the culmination of everything Supergiant does well.
Merve, a mainstay of the gaming coverage, has made some great indie picks:
Loved Timelie Because she surprised me with her intelligence. At first glance, Timelie Sounds like a somewhat offside puzzle game. But because it adds mechanics and complexity, it reveals hidden depths. And then it pulls the turns with such amazing intelligence that I still can’t get it out of my head. It completely re-contextualizes the previous puzzles of the game. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s on par with Gateway Painting’s discovery Gate 2. Timelie It is Urnique Studio’s number one game, and now it brings my attention to whatever they bring up in the future.
Loved Golf with your friends Because it allowed me to play golf with my friends. It sounds silly, but it is true. GWYF is a marginally more refined fun experience than Cyberpunk 2077But when you play with your friends, it’s cool. It turns into a wacky party game and breaks the laws of physics. Who among us has never wanted to strike physics with its stupid, ugly face?
Loved Necroparista Because he demystified death by making it more mysterious. This sounds like a jargon of terminology, so let me clarify. Necroparista It revolves around a magical realistic café where the dead go before they pass to the other side. Baristas work as psychiatric coaches, offering words of wisdom and a warm cup of coffee before caring for the deceased in the afterlife. What awaits them there? The game has no answers. But by embracing the fact that death is ultimately unknown, Necroparista It helps us untangle our complex feelings about it.
While Robottowa faltered badly in a match, she was Easy inclusion in our mid-year roster:
The most defining game for my year was We lasted the second part. the original We delay It is one of my all-time favorite games and it was a bit of a swan for my relationship with video games – it was the last AAA game I played before my life got too busy to play games. When I heard that a sequel was being done, I was incredibly skeptical: the end to the first We delay Perfect, and I thought the sequel was going to be excessive. But it was not. part two It is a masterpiece. Sure, the storytelling with its sprawling nature runs into some more obstacles than its predecessor, but the game’s ambition is paying off more than it doesn’t. Even the aspects of the game that I didn’t really like in the end – mid-game evolution – have grown on me massively. Every character in the game is lovable, complex, and understandable. Much of the game is spent hoping people will make the right decision. It earns its dramatic final showdown, the mining relationships that were forged over the course of both games to create a vent that originally made me cry. It’s also an incredible game; Graphically, I can’t think of anything to rival it, and all of its systems work great in positioning you in the shoes of their heroes. It also has several unforgettable locations and staples: the broadcast station, the first time you meet Scars, the hospital (both times you go there), the sniper, the bridge, and the village. There’s a lot to love about this game – not even the shallow and dangerous speech surrounding it spoils me in it.
Finally, Hank_Dolworth made an enthusiastic defense of the free-to-play phenomenon Jinshin effect:
Am I the first person to put Jinshin effect On this list? I’ve played my fair share of f2p games over the years. Give It still has a spinning “banner” of limited-time characters, but they end up connecting them with the same Zelda– Clone like all other characters. Most importantly, settling these characters requires as much boss battles and collectibles as any other character; There is no possibility to improve your character through in-app purchases other than the drawing / sign mechanism itself. Quite frankly, Give Sounds like a “real game” over The Avengers The game for which you paid $ 30 that has mintransactions baked into many aspects of the game’s serving model. I haven’t put any actual money into the title yet … but I feel as though I have to back a game that allegedly managed to rake in the first few weeks of its operation. This is the game I play on the PS5 while I wait for most of the “real” 2020 games to get the next generation of paint layers
While Perfolas pulls back in the backlog of some great games from years past that started their day in the sun in 2020:
Watch dogs 2. Yes, I cheat. it’s not LondonIt’s San Francisco. London is still very expensive. But Watch dogs 2 wonderful. It ditches the grim excitement tone of the original for a more fun hipster adventure comedy, and a ubiquitous dumb plot where honest ethical hackers battle vicious companies that try to do exactly the same things as theirs. But a lot of fun. Powerful escape, penetrates a city with parkour and all-out magic piracy. A feeling of lightness and freedom, in a casual and traditional everyday environment. With a touch of real-life tourism, and a true love for San Francisco’s history, culture and attractions. I am totally convinced that 2020 watch dogs Totally good (although I imagine London as a more boring city), but not the city I played in in 2020.
If you want to read more of our readers’ thoughts on the best games of 2020 – and you really should, because there is a lot of gold that we can’t include here without amplifying this feature until 2021 – you can check out the comments section from Our official list. (And audio here, if you like!) Happy games guys, and we’ve got a great 2021.
