Top Five Games of 2020

    I think for most people, 2020 was a year of disappointment and difficulty. The pandemic put all of our lives on hold and gave us all new perspective on what isolation really means. Unfortunately, the pandemic also seemed to leak into the world of game development as game after game was delayed throughout 2020. Because of this, the pickings for new games to play was pretty slim. I think most people ended up working through their backlogs for the better part of this year. I myself didn't really have any all time favorite games come out in 2020, but here are the top five games that I've enjoyed the most that released that year.

5. Star Wars Squadrons (Motive Studio)

If I'm being 100% honest, I don't remember everything that I liked about this game, but I do remember that I enjoyed it. I haven't played it since it released, so my memory is a little fogged. However, I do know that I enjoyed the gameplay quite a lot. This game might be the closest thing we ever get to a true Star Wars flight sim. The story for this game was also entertaining, especially as a Star Wars game. Being able to play both sides of the conflict is something we rarely see in modern day gaming. It is worth a play for any Star Wars fan, but I'd have a tough time trying to get anyone else to play it.

4. Doom Eternal (ID Software)

I really wanted to love Doom Eternal when I first played it. Doom 2016 is one of my favorite FPS games of all time, so you better believe I was excited for this one. It even dropped at the perfect time, right as the pandemic got started in The United States. When I first played it I was having a great time, then I got caught playing the in game version of Doom 1993. This prompted me to go back and play the original Doom games. By the time I made it back to Doom Eternal the next gen upgrades had come out, and that is the version of it that I played. While I still had a great time with it, I was a bit disappointed with it. I think the larger emphasis on story was a kind of a turn off for me. The gameplay was still way fun though.

3. Ghostrunner (Slipgate Ironworks)

I was initially turned off by Ghostrunner. I found the game to be too difficult and frustrating. However, upon learning that there was an assist mode that gave the player one extra hit point, I gave it another go. That extra hit point saved this game for me. Despite this not being a rhythm game at all, there is a real rhythm to the game's combat. Attacks must be perfectly timed, and movements must be exactly precise. The level design and enemy placement is set up in a way that each combat encounter serves as a puzzle and combat only acts as a why to move the pieces. Completing each level of this game was very satisfying and fun. 

2. Resident Evil 3 (Capcom)

Resident Evil 2 (2019) is one of my favorite video game's of all time. I was very excited to be able to play Resident Evil 3. It has a lot of the same elements that I love about Resident Evil 2, but with much more of an emphasis on the action. Thankfully the increased excitement serves this game well. The boss battles scattered throughout are engaging and never frustrating, the plot is interesting and very much B movie esq (which is a good thing). It was also suspenseful enough that it never felt like a straight up action game. As with most people, I do think the game is too short as I complete it in around four or five hours. Though maybe that is a good thing because the game definitely never overstays its welcome.

1. Deep Rock Galactic (Ghost Ship Games)

The first time I played Deep Rock Galactic, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My friends and I had just spent a decent amount of time sailing the seas and Sea of Thieves and we were looking for our next co-op adventure to get us through the isolation of the pandemic. We quickly got addicted. Never before have a played a co-op game in which every one of the four classes serves such a vital and important purpose. This game is playable with less than four people, but at it is at its best when four people are playing it. The game also has a ton of style in both the art and the gameplay. With all the rogue-lite elements featured, the game also never really gets old. Its varieties of missions also kept me engaged. This is a game that I constantly go back to with my friends, and because of it is constantly being updated, there are always new things to discover every time we play.