The Questyen

8. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (XB1)



I really loved the original Ori and The Blind Forest. It was an incredibly beautiful metroidvania with a sad story which stood out from most games in the genre. Will of the Wisps builds off everything from the first game and expands it with multiple upgrade systems, side quests, far more characters, and more intricate combat. You have a main hubworld in which you can help the residents with their problems and improve the town. As you play through the game unlocking new skills for platforming and combat it does start to get a little overwhelming and I can't imagine dropping this game for months and trying to go back to it. But while you're in it like most great metroidvanias you get a real sense of accomplishment when you are jumping around nailing a really difficult platforming sequence. My issues are it takes way too long to get to your map which is a huge no-no for a game like this where you need to be checking your map like every 30 seconds. I'm also over the soul crushingly depressing plotlines in these games. The first one felt sad but hopeful but Will of the Wisps just quadruples down on the torture porn and I really hope they pivot away from that if they make a third one.

The Questyen

7. Immortals: Fenyx Rising (PS5)



My opinions on Breath of the Wild are different then most. I think it is a very good game but didn't love it and it's not even in my favorite Legend of Zelda games. When I heard that from early impressions of Fenyx Rising that it was an homage to Breath of the Wild I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did (I think Fenyx Rising is a better game then Breath of the Wild). It's a bright colorful open world which at least on PS5 looks amazing. The character creator and other people you interact with have a high quality cartoony look that is pretty impressive. The voice acting (of which there is a ton of) is for the most part well done. The exploration in the game stands out with most treasure chests, vaults, and other collectibles requiring some sort of puzzle or other challenge to get. I spent a pretty big chunk of my play time just exploring, solving vaults, and finding collectibles none of which were required but were all fun to do and provided great bonuses. The combat is pretty straightforward although by the end you have unlocked a pretty big arsenal of attacks to use. The game employs a light more self aware take on classic Greek mythology with a lot of humor (which is hit or miss). The dialogue between Zeus and Prometheus (who narrate the story) was for the most part pretty groanworthy but the dialogue between the other characters felt a lot stronger. The character I created was one of my favorites in any game where character creation is an option and I can't wait to spend more time in this world when the DLC hits.
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parrotheads4

I just... googled it.

what else have you downloaded(besides New Super Lucky's Tale) ? We all want to know!

OldBoy

thanks for asking parrot!!! Dl’d bc of Quest and just got into Ori and the Blind Forest. Holy fuck is that a great and beautiful game!

That is why I love Quest’s year end list. He makes me discover games I may not have given a second thought to. The way he describes and summarizes just makes me want to play all, even though I can’t bc I don’t have all the systems, but sometimes there are the gems that I may even own and then he lists them like only he can and just makes me want to play. Opens up games and worlds I would never know and am truly thankful for this list to opening my eyes! So really, thanks Questyen!

Michael Corvin

I can't decide if I should go back to Maneater or start Fenyx Rising. I felt the exact same about Breath of the Wild, Questyen. It's a very good game, I just didn't love it. I played a couple hours of Maneater but swimming around eating other fish and fighting alligators isn't doing it for me. Letting you hunt people in the intro was a helluva tease.

I put a few hours into Ori 2 but I just wasn't feeling it. I loved the first game, but it's not a series/franchise that I needed more of. Ori just felt like a perfect one-off. The game was gorgeous though.

Decker

FWIW I think Fenix Rising is a much better game than Maneater, which is kind of fun but really repetitive and janky. Fenix is a huge fun game giving me an open world action game I liked way more than Valhalla.

OldBoy

^ can’t wait to get into Immortals: Fenyx Rising. I don’t start many video game announcement threads, but started this one when it was even called something else. Gods and Monsters or something. Followed it along the lines, saw the gameplay vids. Anyway, everything about this game and all these great user reviews have me giddy in anticipation. Got it for free and can’t wait, but as mentioned Ori has my attention right now.

The Questyen

6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)



New Horizons was my hardest decision on where to place it on my list. I played over 300 hours of it which is more than every other game on this list combined but sixth is where I ended up. I played it every day for like 4 months straight and then dropped it cold turkey and don't on plan going back. I gave the island over to my wife who was already a resident and she plays regularly and has eclipsed my playtime in it. I had a lot of fun with the game and spent a lot of time sharing and gaining info from posters here and the internet. It's incredibly addictive and a departure from the single player story driven games I usually play. I assume I don't need to sell people here on Animal Crossing since it's a known quantity and we have a massive thread about it.

Decker

Perfect storm of Game + Lockdown. But yeah once you “break up” you don’t want to go back.

Dan

Agreed!

The Questyen

5. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)



I was a big fan of the original Spider-Man game so I was excited for what Insomniac had in store with the next chapter. Thankfully they nailed it even with a smaller tighter game then the original. The character of Miles Morales is a welcome change from the known quantity that is Peter Parker with a great bunch of characters to interact with. The people in the neighborhood that you interact with all feel alive and well developed as does Harlem itself. The controls are perfect and the best at making you feel like Spider-Man then any Spidey game there has ever been. It also looking amazing on the PS5 and ran like a dream.

Decker

^ Agree with all of the above about Miles Morales, except maybe those last four words.

The Questyen

4. Astro's Playroom (PS5)



A pack-in game with the PS5 Astro's Playroom is a perfect showcase for the Dualsense controller and a love letter to the Playstation's history. Between their previous title Astrobot: Rescue Mission in PSVR and now Playroom this studio has shown that they have mastered 3D platformers. This easily would have been my number 1 but it feels like it is over way too quick. I normally don't use game length as a measuring stick because plenty of short games are the perfect length but at less then half the length of Rescue Mission it feels especially light on content. I got the platinum and all the collectibles in about 4 hours and unless you like speedrunning their is no other content. I really hope we get another Astro's game from Sony sooner rather than later.

Michael Corvin

A full length Astro would be smart after giving everyone a taste of it with every system sold, especially given how well it was received.

The Questyen

3. Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)



I really liked the original Paper Mario and it's follow up Thousand Year Door but other than a few hours of Super Paper Mario I hadn't played a game in the series in a while. I was sold on The Origami King from the first trailer. Nintendo has knocked out of the park every game I've played with this crafty style and Origami King continues that trend. The plot and characters are well written with some quite sad/dark moments but also the funniest game I played all year. The levels are fun to explore and filled with Toads to find. The combat ring system isn't going to be for everyone. It grew on me as I got farther into the game and got better items and accessories. It really shines during boss battles where figuring out the puzzle is more in-depth and took me a few tries on most of them to figure out. If I had the choice to switch to turn-based combat I would definitely choose that but the ring system I still found fun and didn't effect my opinion on the game negatively. The Origami King is my new favorite Paper Mario title.

Michael Corvin

So... Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima or will we get a curveball and see spainlinx's Hades?

The Questyen

2. Hades (Switch)



I shouldn't have doubted Supergiant. I loved all 3 of their previous games (Bastion, Transistor and Pyre) but when I heard their next game was going to be a roguelike (a genre I loathe) I was immediately going to skip it. When the early reviews started coming in raving about how great it was even if you don't like roguelikes I figured what the hell and I was blown away. The procedurally generated levels and repeated deaths/restarts were built in to the story magically and it always felt like I was building towards something. Supergiant spun a fresh take into all the classic Greek characters which was helped by wonderful voiceacting. The artstyle and level design never got old in the 30+ hours I spent in Hades. Even after I rolled credits the game still had more to offer with further storylines and character interactions.

spainlinx0

I recently got the credits to roll, and I can’t believe how there still looks to be so much more story to unlock. I’m loving it.

Decker

I really wish I was better at it, but it really is a remarkable game. And not just remarkable for an indie game, it’s just fantastic and so well made. Unbelievable how much voicework is in this game that, let’s be honest, nobody would have minded if it were all just text dialogue.
Glad you changed your mind on that one Q. I need to put some time into it and not get so frustrated with it. My son has put in 115 hours so far.

Dan

Yeah, when I heard it was an isometric roguelike/instadeath sort of game, I had zero interest. Hell, even the ancient greek gods aspect was a turn-off in some regards, but with all the love the game was getting, I decided to use my eShop credit and buy it ($1.50 out of pocket), and I'm glad I did.
I'm still struggling through it, but having a blast.
The voice acting really is top notch, with loads of variation in what could have otherwise been dull and repetitive.

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The Questyen

1. Ghost of Tsushima (PS4)



Ghost of Tsushima is about as close to a perfect open world game as I've ever played. It's obviously gorgeous and so colorful (I played for an hour or so in black and white but you miss out on so much). It's technically amazing also with the best loading times on the system and runs great also considering how much is going on. It's filled with side quests and collectibles and just exploring the world finding stuff never got old. They nailed the combat progression where at the beginning I would get overwhelmed easily but like 2/3 of the way in I was just running into villages skipping all the stealth and destroying everyone. I really felt like the badass the story had made me out to be. The story is emotionally impactful and well written and I became quite attached to my character and his friends. I really hope we eventually get a sequel.

Decker

That would be my #1 game as well. Loved it. I was pretty disappointed that it didn’t get better reviews and was left out of most GOTY awards. Thought it was great and played it for hours at a time.

kefrank

Really appreciate this thread as I do every year. I need to check out I Am Dead now. I'm still tempted to pick up Ghosts of Tsushima, but I'm not too big on open world games nor on games that take many tens of hours to get through these days. But I love all things samurai and it looks so gorgeous.

spainlinx0

I tried playing Wilmot's Warehouse for a little bit, but I admit after the tutorial, I was like, "huh, I don't get it." Maybe it was too short, or maybe I need to pay more attention during it.

I will try to give it more of a fair shot later, but right now I'm still all about Hades. I have escaped around 25 times now, and there still seems to be plenty of story and things to unlock.

Dan

Same. I'm going to give it another go, though. I like the game's style.

I haven't escaped yet, but I feel like I'm SO close!

Anyway, I love it.

A question about FF VII Remake... but it's super spoilery...

To be clear, I haven't played it... but I was wondering if that would affect some folks' enjoyment of it, after seeing a thread on another forum where someone praised the game for this.