Top 10 Video Games of 2020

Well we’ve made it through another year and 2020 has been a very hectic and depressing year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But throughout these trying times were going through, We’ve had video games to keep us entertained. And 2020 had quite the releases and even new consoles out on the market. So before this year ends, here is what I consider to be the Top 10 Video Games of 2020. Now like with every other year I’m only listing games that I have played. So obviously there’s ones that won’t be on the list like Final Fantasy VII Remake and also Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales won’t be on the list because I don’t have a PS5 yet. And finally this is all just my own personal opinion so take this list with a pinch of salt. So with that said, onto the countdown.

Number 10. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition.

I’ve been on a bit of a RPG binge throughout 2020. Mainly because of being stuck at home which has given me more time to play these kind of games. One of which is a game that I’ve been wanting to play for the past 10 years, Xenoblade Chronicles. A game originally released for the Nintendo Wii back in 2010. The story of Xenoblade Chronicles takes place on the frozen bodies of two warring titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis. The people of Bionis, including the human-like Homs, are in a perpetual war with the Mechon machine race of Mechonis. Key to the Homs' efforts in fighting against the Mechon army is the Monado, a sword that is said to have been wielded by the Bionis. During an attack on his colony, the main protagonist Shulk discovers his ability to wield the Monado and sets out on a quest for revenge with his best friend, Reyn, with others joining in as the game progresses. The gameplay is really good with a battle system that’s easy to get used to but at the same time has a bit of a learning curve to it. Complete with side quests you can optionally do if you want a break from the main story. Presentation has greatly improved since the Wii original with lush environments and cool looking character models. Sound is great with a soundtrack that fits the setting of the world you traverse and epic sounding battle music. The default soundtrack is the new arranged version made for the definitive edition but you can switch to the original soundtrack if you so choose. Voice acting is pretty good as the British accents are a good fit for each of the characters. Even though I’m not long into the game I’ve enjoyed what I’ve played so far and I’m definitely gonna play more of it going into 2021.

Number 9. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

Now here’s a game that took many gamers by complete surprise. A brand new original Crash Bandicoot game. This is something I’ve been waiting years for and one of the reasons I wanted a PS4 back in 2015. After the success of the N Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled. Spyro Reignited Trilogy developer Toys For Bob gave us a brand new Crash Bandicoot game to help end off the year. Taking place after Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped and officially retconning Wrath of Cortex, Dr. Cortex and N. Tropy escape from their prison of the past and it’s now up to Crash and his sister Coco to stop Cortex and N. Tropy from enslaving the multiverse. Gameplay is the traditional classic Crash Bandicoot 3D platformer affair. Getting from start to finish in each level, breaking boxes and collecting Wumpa fruit in order to obtain Gems. But like the first three games, this is really challenging to at some parts rage inducing. And this is very apparent when trying to beat a level in four deaths or less. And Crash and Coco aren’t the only playable characters because there’s also Cortex and for the first time outside of CTR, Dingodile and a version of Tawna from an alternate dimension. Each of these of characters have their own abilities that are different from Crash and Coco and their levels even tie into the Crash/Coco levels. Presentation looks incredible and is easily the best looking Crash Bandicoot game to date. And if you’re playing on a PS4 Pro, PS5, Xbox One X or Xbox Series X, the game runs at a solid 60fps. But if you’re playing a base PS4 or Xbox One, the game runs between 30 and 40fps. So it’s still playable. Sound is great all round with a good soundtrack and stellar voice acting that brings the characters to life. Even though I’ve only been playing it for a few days now, I’m really enjoying Crash 4 despite its difficulty spikes. Great to have you back Crash. ...Spyro 4 when?

Number 8. Paper Mario: The Origami King.

If there’s one good thing about 2020, that would be that it marks the 35th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. And one of the things we got from this was a new instalment of the Paper Mario series. And it’s a good but flawed game this time round. But more on that in a bit. Upon arriving at Peach’s Castle for the Origami festival, Mario and his brother Luigi notice that everything is strangely quiet so when Mario enters the main hall of the castle he notices that Peach looks very different. She had been turned into origami and been brainwashed by King Olly. So now it’s up to Mario and his new companion Olivia to save Princess Peach and the entire Mushroom Kingdom from King Olly’s evil reign. Gameplay follows the usual Paper Mario mechanics in terms of exploration with character interactions that shows off the superb writing. But for the battle system this time round, I have mixed feelings towards. Battles use a ring system where you have to rotate and rearrange rings to form lines and groups of fours within a time limit to deal extra damage. While it’s playable but at times it’s very stress inducing. Same can be said about the boss battles where you have to rotate and rearrange rings to make a pathway to attack the bosses using arrows. Thankfully you can spend in-game coins to increase the time limit and get hints from Toads to help make the battles a little easier. Presentation is easily one of the good things about this game with various types of paper being used for the NPCs, environments and buildings and the soundtrack is really top notch. Paper Mario: The Origami King is a good game but it’s held back by a frustrating battle system. The previous game Paper Mario: Color Splash was much better in my opinion and really hope it gets ported to the Switch at some point. Which given the amount of ports of Wii U games that there is on the Switch it’ll likely happen sooner or later. And speaking of ports of Wii U games...

Number 7. The Wonderful 101 Remastered.

Well here’s something I not only didn’t expect to happen but also had a successful kickstarter to fund it. A remaster of Platinum Games’ debut Wii U title that was well received but sold poorly due to the system it was on. But thanks to the cult following it gained and being on multiple platforms except the Xbox One, more gamers can experience this hidden gem. The game takes place during a third war between Earth and an alien terrorist organization called the Geathjerk Federation that has invaded the planet. The only hope for humanity is the Wonderful Ones, a group of tokusatsu inspired superheroes working for the CENTINELS Planetary Secret Service, an organization created by the United Nations. Gameplay is the traditional Platinum Games affair where you beat up bad guys using hack ‘n slash esque movesets by forming shapes related to one of the six heroes you control. And the more civilians you save by changing them into heroes, the bigger the version of the weapon you can form for extra damage. But even on the easy mode the game kicks my ass from either not dodging at the right moment or by how annoying the camera can be which is either too zoomed in or too zoomed out making some battles and platforming sections rage inducing. But once you get used to it the game is fun to play and it looks fantastic too as the presentation is top notch while running at a nearly smooth 60fps. Sound is also great with a solid soundtrack and superb voice acting that brings the game’s clever writing to life. Featuring the voice talents of Roger Craig Smith and Tara Strong just to name a few. If you missed out on the original Wii U release like me and several others than I can definitely say The Wonderful 101 Remastered is worth picking up.

Number 6. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

As we wait for the sequel to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we were treated to a second instalment of Zelda’s Dynasty Warriors spinoff title, Hyrule Warriors. Which also serves as the canonical prequel to Breath of the Wild taking place 100 years prior and depicting the Great Calamity, a war frequently mentioned in the original game. Within the few days of playing this, I can say this possibly the best of the Nintendo Dynasty Warriors games in terms of gameplay. The hack ‘n slash mechanics are solid and satisfying to use with side missions and spots where you can make new recipes, fuse weapons and level up characters to name a few. However being a Dynasty Warriors game, combat can get repetitive and monotonous so it’s best enjoyed in short bursts. Presentation stays true to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild merging the designs of Twilight Princess and Skyword Sword with the cel shading of The Wind Waker. Which looks still look fantastic though the performance does take a hit at certain moments during gameplay. Sound is pretty good featuring rearranged versions of tracks from Breath of the Wild and the voice acting during cutscenes is also pretty good. It’s only been a few days now but I’m enjoying what I’ve played of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity so far and I’m definitely gonna be playing more of it. Hopefully when 2021 rolls round we might finally get Breath of the Wild 2.

Number 5. Tokyo Mirage Session #FE Encore.

Well will look at that, another port of a Wii U game and it’s a game that I didn’t expect to be ported! A game that crosses over Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series with Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series. With a hint of Persona throw in. Taking place in modern-day Tokyo and featuring real-life locations such as Shibuya and Harajuku, the game centres around hostile beings known as Mirages who seek to harvest energy known as Performa from humans and are responsible for several disappearances. The story follows a group of teenagers who become allied with friendly Mirages, based on characters from the Fire Emblem series, and merge with them to become Mirage Masters. Under the guise of the Fortuna Entertainment talent agency, the Mirage Masters fight to protect innocent people from the Mirages and find out who is behind the attacks. Gameplay feature open city exploration for buying items for delving into dungeons and fighting Mirages with easily one of the battle systems I’ve seen in a RPG. The session chain attacks is a great addition and super helpful for boss battles. Which are activated by using elemental weaknesses like in Shin Megami Tensei and Persona or use weapon based weaknesses similar to the weapons triangle system from Fire Emblem. Presentation has an anime art style to it which looks fantastic for both in-game and the FMV’s and sound is superb for both it’s Japanese voice acting and it’s big selling point, the soundtrack. You have good background music when exploring and engaging in battles but you also have catchy J-Pop songs to accompany the music videos that are scattered across the game. I know music is subjective but honestly I think Japanese Pop music is way better than most western pop music nowadays. And for some new additions to this Switch release, you have a brand new EX Chapter, new song and new costumes. One of which being Joker from Persona 5. So if you’re craving for a Persona game on the Switch, this will surely tie you over until Persona 5 Strikers comes out. Hands down one of the best RPGs on the Switch.

Number 4. Doom Eternal. 

After years of waiting developer Bethesda has given us the eagerly anticipated follow up to Doom 2016. And it’s a sequel that delivers on so many notes. Set some time after the events of the 2016 game, the story follows the Doom Slayer once again, on a mission to end Hell’s consumption of Earth and foil the alien Maykrs’ plans to exterminate humanity. The gameplay is the same ultra violent high adrenaline first person shooting action like the previous game but with some new mechanics thrown in to keep things fresh. And it’s a lot more challenging this time round but there are some frustrating moments like fending off huge hordes of demons in small cramped areas. Visually this game looks awesome from its character models to the detailed environments. All while running at a buttery smooth 60fps. And awesome is what I can also describe the soundtrack. The high adrenaline metal music perfect fits what’s happening on-screen. As of this list I’ve still yet to try out the multiplayer but honestly like the previous game, Doom Eternal is best enjoyed for its single player experience. And it’s one hell of an experience at that. Hopefully whenever I do get a PS5, I’ll enjoy even more when the PS5 upgrade comes out.

Number 3. Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

Yeah I know this just a compilation of three games with not much changed to them but honestly I love this collection and the games that are featured in this. You’ve got Super Mario 64, the game that helped paved the way for 3D platformers that came after it. Super Mario Sunshine, a game that was well received when it first came out but was criticised by fans for its difficulty spikes yet still has a cult following. And Super Mario Galaxy, one of the best game on the Nintendo Wii and easily has one of the best soundtracks in the entire Mario series as a whole. Each game still play great with Super Mario Galaxy having the best control improvements as you can use a pro controller to play it and use the gyroscope to collect star bits. Though if you wanna play it like the Wii original you can also use the Joy-Cons. Assuming that neither of yours have started drifting yet that is. However if you’re playing in handheld mode you have to use the Switch touch screen to pick up star bits. Presentation is good across the three games. Super Mario 64 retains it’s original 4:3 aspect ratio while Super Mario Sunshine has been native widescreen which make the game play slightly less infuriating. But easily the best looking game in this collection is Super Mario Galaxy which looks amazing in HD. As for extras, you in-game soundtracks for each game which you can access from the main menu. My only gripe I have with Super Mario 3D All-Stars is that for some reason Super Mario Galaxy 2 wasn’t included in this collection and it’s a limited production run for both its physical and digital release. And it’s is only available until March 31st 2021. So you if you wanna play three of the best 3D Mario games on the Nintendo Switch, grab this while you still can. Because nobody likes scalper prices. Looking at you PS5 scalpers!

Number 2. Streets of Rage 4.

Out of all the classic video games to make a come back, Streets of Rage is a series that I did not expect to make a return. And what a return it is! Set ten years after the events of Streets of Rage 3, in which the criminal mastermind Mr. X was defeated, Wood Oak City falls under the control of a new crime syndicate led by Mr. X’s children, the Y Twins, who plan to brainwash its citizens with hypnotic music. Blaze Fielding calls in some old favors to take the twins down. Joining Blaze are her old friends Axel Stone and Adam Hunter, Adam’s daughter Cherry Hunter, and Floyd Iraia, a cybernetically enhanced apprentice of Dr. Zan. Like the first three games, it’s a side scrolling 2D beat ‘em up and it plays just like the originals but with some refinements to make the combat flow much better. And if single player isn’t enough, there’s co-op multiplayer up to four players locally and online. The comic book style visuals for the presentation looks stylish and impressive running at 60fps with characters moving at 24fps for a cartoon aesthetic and the soundtrack is phenomenal featuring multiple composers including the legendary Yuzo Koshiro. Street of Rage 4 is a great return of a classic 90’s series and I hope we see more of it in the future. Two months after its released it received a physical release containing the game, an artbook and a keyring. And it’s pretty cheap too and it’s definitely worth it too.

And before I get to Number 1, I wanna give out a few quick Honourable Mentions.

Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection.

Now I’m still playing through Mega Man Zero 1 so I can give out my thoughts from I’ve played so far from this collection. And it’s really good like the previous Mega Man Legacy Collections. The games are really hard but thankfully there’s a save assist and casual mode for each game to make them less anger inducing. The games are emulated really well and the anime FMVs from the Mega Man ZX games have been cleaned up. A must have for Mega Man fans.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.

While we did get an English version of this in the form of the DS remake, this is the first time that the 8-Bit original has been released in the west. I’m not too far in because I’m still getting to used to how Fire Emblem played when it first came out. But it is a good game from what I’ve played and will play more of it in the new year. And just like with Super Mario 3D All-Stars, it’s only available for purchase until March 31st 2021. So get it while you can.

Doom 64.

After year of waiting, the forgotten Nintendo 64 classic has finally been given a re-release on modern platforms. It plays just like Doom 1 and 2 and controls really well. Presentation is cleaned up and shows off the demonic characters and environments and music is composed by the same guy who did the music for Ultimate Doom for the PS1 and Sega Saturn so it’s more demonic compared to the more hard rocking music of the OG Doom. But it’s still good just like this game.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid.

When this first came out it was very limited in terms of content. But over the years its been given tons of improvements. The game itself is a surprisingly solid 3v3 fighting game that controls really well once you get used to the mechanics. Presentation is really good running at a solid 60fps and sound design is top notch featuring the voice talents of some of the original Power Rangers actors. It recently got a physical release that comes with the Season 1 DLC characters plus a download code Lauren Shiba from Season 3 sold at a budget price. And for its price, it’s definitely worth it for if you’re a die hard Power Rangers fans and fighting games in general.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition.

God damn that’s a long ass name! But long name or not, this is a fantastic RPG and a great introduction to the Dragon Quest series. Superb storytelling, great game mechanics and a vastly superior symphonic soundtrack. And like the rest of the series, character designs are done by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama so it’s all good. A must have for any Switch collection and the definitive edition has recently been ported to the PS4 and Xbox One making it the first Dragon Quest game to be released on a Xbox platform. So there’s plenty of ways to play this.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

I REALLY wished I’d bought this on my birthday last year instead of Daemon X Machina. Because if I did, this would of easily been my Number 1 game of 2019. Amazing story, superb gameplay that’s accessible to newcomers, presentation looks stunning for a Switch game and sound is amazing all round. For the first Fire Emblem game I’ve played all the way through, this is hands down my favourite instalment.

And without a shadow of a doubt, the Number 1 video game of 2020 is...

Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Out of all the video games that came out in 2020, this was the game that took me by surprise and gave me the most enjoyment. Usually I’m not into life sims but this is not only the first one I really like but also my first ever Animal Crossing game. And ever since I got it I’ve been hooked. The premise is that you’ve been given a getaway package courtesy of Nook Inc and are sent to an island where you can live out a new lifestyle with other villagers. Here you can interact with villagers, craft tools and furniture with resources you can find around the island, catch bug, go fishing and dig for fossils. And there’s online features such going to your friends islands and can also invite them to your island. Everything you can do in this is very time consuming and really draws you in. There’s even a custom design feature where you can make signs and clothing which is really cool. Presentation is colourful with pleasing and joyful character models that runs at a consistent 30fps with no drop in performance for both handheld and docked mode. Music is chilled and relaxing and fits the island setting with some gibberish being used for character voices which give the villagers their charm. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game that me and many others needed throughout 2020. It gives us the escapism and social interaction that many of us have been seeking during these trying times. And it did just that through its island exploration, crafting and interacting with others wither it’s with NPCs or friends that come to your island or when you go to theirs. It’s relaxing, charming and it’s thanks to its features that made a huge impact in the world of gaming throughout 2020. And it’s for those reasons alone I consider Animal Crossing: New Horizons the Number 1 Video Game of 2020.

And that was my Top 10 Video Games of 2020. Going into this it might have been obvious what was gonna take the Number 1 spot. But hey, it’s far better than what won Game of the Year. Like seriously, Fuck The Last of Us Part 2 and Fuck Neil Druckmann for shoving his woke agenda down people’s throats. And once again, there were games that I didn’t get round to playing like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Immortals Fenyx Rising. And since I don’t have a PS5 yet, I didn’t get the chance to play Marvel’s Spider-Man: Mile Morales. But what did you all think? Do you agree with this list? What were your favourite video games of 2020? Feel free to let me know on social media. Now I know 2020 hasn’t been a good year for everyone because of the Covid-19 pandemic but just remember, things may seem dark right now, but just try to stay positive during these trying times. Keep your hands clean, wear a mask if you need to go outside for essentials and shop responsibly. With that said, thank you for all reading, have a hopefully happy and safe New Year and I’ll see you all in another list. Take care and stay safe everybody.

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