The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
12-27-20, 02:19 AM
#1
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The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
What a crazy year. I ended up playing quite a few games less than last year not because of any COVID reasons but because I got sucked into 300+ hours of Animal Crossing. In my eyes it was another fantastic year for games and my top 6 or so all could have been #1 and I have moved them around multiple times while doing this. Last year I had my top 5 most disappointing games and top 5 games not from the current year at the start of the thread but this year there wasn't too much I was hugely disappointed by and most of the non-2020 games I played were PSVR all of which I discussed over in the VR thread. So here goes.
20. Doom Eternal (PS4) - listing the system I played on
While Eternal definitely doesn't have the freshness of the original Doom (2016) and you can tell they tried to throw to much in the pot which takes away from the simple thrills of the original I still had quite a lot of fun with Doom Eternal. I actually enjoyed the platforming and found it pretty straightforward so I was surprised to see the complaints about difficult platform jumps in the game's thread. It still feels fun to run around in constant movement blasting away demons with only the Marauder in my eyes being a giant misstep (enough that Eternal dropped spots on my list because of these enemies) and just not fun to fight in the slightest so finding out they added more of them in the DLC makes it unlikely I will ever get around to playing it. Hunting for collectibles was fun and it told a fairly interesting story with some good voice acting.
20. Doom Eternal (PS4) - listing the system I played on
While Eternal definitely doesn't have the freshness of the original Doom (2016) and you can tell they tried to throw to much in the pot which takes away from the simple thrills of the original I still had quite a lot of fun with Doom Eternal. I actually enjoyed the platforming and found it pretty straightforward so I was surprised to see the complaints about difficult platform jumps in the game's thread. It still feels fun to run around in constant movement blasting away demons with only the Marauder in my eyes being a giant misstep (enough that Eternal dropped spots on my list because of these enemies) and just not fun to fight in the slightest so finding out they added more of them in the DLC makes it unlikely I will ever get around to playing it. Hunting for collectibles was fun and it told a fairly interesting story with some good voice acting.
12-27-20, 12:49 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
19. Final Fantasy VII - Remake (PS4)
It still feels kind of gross and misleading that Square isn't putting anywhere on the box that this is just the first few hours of the original as I'm sure a lot of people are assuming this is the full game. I bought the original Final Fantasy VII at launch and still to this day have never finished it. I've made it like halfway through twice and then stopped playing for whatever reason. So VII doesn't have the nostalgia for me that IX and X do. But onto the actual game it looks amazing. You can tell they spent a lot of money on this and the character models and voice acting are top notch. And with them dragging out a 5-8 hours section of the original game into 40 hours you get a lot more character development and fleshing out of lesser characters (Team Jessie all the way) and areas. There are a decent amount of side quests for you to do to help citizens and it definitely feels more lived in and alive then the original. The combat is engaging and I enjoyed the materia system and being able to build characters into whatever roles you choose. I'm looking forward to playing the next chapter in 2-3 years and completing the story on the PS6.
It still feels kind of gross and misleading that Square isn't putting anywhere on the box that this is just the first few hours of the original as I'm sure a lot of people are assuming this is the full game. I bought the original Final Fantasy VII at launch and still to this day have never finished it. I've made it like halfway through twice and then stopped playing for whatever reason. So VII doesn't have the nostalgia for me that IX and X do. But onto the actual game it looks amazing. You can tell they spent a lot of money on this and the character models and voice acting are top notch. And with them dragging out a 5-8 hours section of the original game into 40 hours you get a lot more character development and fleshing out of lesser characters (Team Jessie all the way) and areas. There are a decent amount of side quests for you to do to help citizens and it definitely feels more lived in and alive then the original. The combat is engaging and I enjoyed the materia system and being able to build characters into whatever roles you choose. I'm looking forward to playing the next chapter in 2-3 years and completing the story on the PS6.
12-27-20, 04:24 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
18. The Room VR: A Dark Matter (PSVR)
For anyone unfamiliar "The Room" is a series of originally mobile puzzle games (some have been ported to Switch) where you would solve increasingly more difficult puzzle boxes. I very rarely play mobile games but I had played the original and found it quite charming and addicting. So The Room VR: A Dark Matter is a completely new game made with VR in mind and they have out done themselves and made one of the best PSVR games I've played. The use of VR has allowed them to make use of far bigger rooms and more intricate puzzles with a great hint system. The story has an Indiana Jones vibe and the game looks quite good for being made by such a small team. If you like puzzle games and have a couple hours to kill give this one a shot.
For anyone unfamiliar "The Room" is a series of originally mobile puzzle games (some have been ported to Switch) where you would solve increasingly more difficult puzzle boxes. I very rarely play mobile games but I had played the original and found it quite charming and addicting. So The Room VR: A Dark Matter is a completely new game made with VR in mind and they have out done themselves and made one of the best PSVR games I've played. The use of VR has allowed them to make use of far bigger rooms and more intricate puzzles with a great hint system. The story has an Indiana Jones vibe and the game looks quite good for being made by such a small team. If you like puzzle games and have a couple hours to kill give this one a shot.
12-28-20, 12:30 AM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
17. I Am Dead (Switch)
If you remember last year's favorite games list I had Wilmot's Warehouse as my favorite game and I Am Dead is their follow-up. As you can see by its placement I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Wilmot but it is still a really fun game. You play as a museum curator of a small island who has recently died. Your main focus is trying to find a protector for the island since a volcano is about to erupt and destroy it. The main gameplay element is you have this x-ray like vision where you find objects and then can look through them to find memories of the residents. Hard to explain without seeing it but it's very straightforward and a lot of fun to do. It has a great cartoony look with regular humans, fish people, robots and ghosts inhabiting the island and the whole thing has a very bizarre odd vibe but also quite endearing. The banter between you and your also deceased dog is quite entertaining and the voice acting really shines.
If you remember last year's favorite games list I had Wilmot's Warehouse as my favorite game and I Am Dead is their follow-up. As you can see by its placement I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Wilmot but it is still a really fun game. You play as a museum curator of a small island who has recently died. Your main focus is trying to find a protector for the island since a volcano is about to erupt and destroy it. The main gameplay element is you have this x-ray like vision where you find objects and then can look through them to find memories of the residents. Hard to explain without seeing it but it's very straightforward and a lot of fun to do. It has a great cartoony look with regular humans, fish people, robots and ghosts inhabiting the island and the whole thing has a very bizarre odd vibe but also quite endearing. The banter between you and your also deceased dog is quite entertaining and the voice acting really shines.
12-28-20, 07:23 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
16. Tell Me Why (XB1)
If you played any of the Life is Strange games then you know what to expect with this Xbox exclusive. Tell Me Why is easily the most polished of these type of games they've made and the gameplay is more engaging with puzzles and some detective work. The story is solid with you splitting time playing as a transgender man and his sister but I didn't connect with the characters as much as I did with the ones in LiS. I much prefer the release schedule they did with this one instead of many months between episodes Tell Me Why had its three episodes released one each week. It made it alot easier to remember all your decisions when you started a new episode.
If you played any of the Life is Strange games then you know what to expect with this Xbox exclusive. Tell Me Why is easily the most polished of these type of games they've made and the gameplay is more engaging with puzzles and some detective work. The story is solid with you splitting time playing as a transgender man and his sister but I didn't connect with the characters as much as I did with the ones in LiS. I much prefer the release schedule they did with this one instead of many months between episodes Tell Me Why had its three episodes released one each week. It made it alot easier to remember all your decisions when you started a new episode.
12-28-20, 10:52 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
15. Spiritfarer (PS4)
This probably would have ended up higher on my list if it wasn't the game I played directly after putting hundreds of hours into Animal Crossing. A lot of the gameplay in Spiritfarer involves crafting, cooking, harvesting, fishing, etc except instead of doing it on your island like in AC you are doing it on your ship. It was fine at first but eventually starts to feel like busy work which is just killing time in between the parts of the game you're there for. So the plot of the game is you have taken over as ferrymaster and are taking souls to the afterlife. These souls hang out on your ship spending time with you, helping you with quests, and then eventually when they are ready you send them off. If you've heard anything about this game it is probably how sad it is and people are getting emotional while playing it. It didn't affect me in that way even though it has a great cast of characters you interact and build relationships with. They all stand out in their own way and I quite enjoyed the time I spent with each one. The world is interesting and building out your boat in whatever way you see fit is fun other than the busy work. It takes in the ball park of 20-25 hours to complete and they really should have halved that. Besides the repetitive chores there are a lot of fetch quests which have you go back to areas you've already explored multiple times which can get tedious. So while I definitely recommend Spiritfarer it has enough elements that kept me from truly loving it.
This probably would have ended up higher on my list if it wasn't the game I played directly after putting hundreds of hours into Animal Crossing. A lot of the gameplay in Spiritfarer involves crafting, cooking, harvesting, fishing, etc except instead of doing it on your island like in AC you are doing it on your ship. It was fine at first but eventually starts to feel like busy work which is just killing time in between the parts of the game you're there for. So the plot of the game is you have taken over as ferrymaster and are taking souls to the afterlife. These souls hang out on your ship spending time with you, helping you with quests, and then eventually when they are ready you send them off. If you've heard anything about this game it is probably how sad it is and people are getting emotional while playing it. It didn't affect me in that way even though it has a great cast of characters you interact and build relationships with. They all stand out in their own way and I quite enjoyed the time I spent with each one. The world is interesting and building out your boat in whatever way you see fit is fun other than the busy work. It takes in the ball park of 20-25 hours to complete and they really should have halved that. Besides the repetitive chores there are a lot of fetch quests which have you go back to areas you've already explored multiple times which can get tedious. So while I definitely recommend Spiritfarer it has enough elements that kept me from truly loving it.
12-29-20, 03:27 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
Waiting to see Hades on here.....
12-29-20, 04:10 PM
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12-29-20, 04:27 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
I hope that means it's high up and not excluded...
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12-29-20, 06:54 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
14. Resident Evil 3 (PS4)
I consider myself a RE fan and I had never played the original game. I always preferred the slow moving exploration of the first 2 games so finding out in the 3rd one that you were being chased by Nemesis the whole time put me off completely. Thankfully in this remake you only have to deal with Nemesis in preset areas and he never becomes to much of a headache. Coming off of the RE2 remake which was well loved this game is far more action focused but still feels like a good continuation of that game. It's too bad that they cut content out of this remake from the original because as it is only lasts about 6 or so hours on a first playthrough and the short length contributed to the mediocre reviews. The engine they are using looks amazing with Jill especially looking fantastic. I was really hoping we were going to get Code Veronica and Zero remakes also but instead it looks like 4 is up next.
I consider myself a RE fan and I had never played the original game. I always preferred the slow moving exploration of the first 2 games so finding out in the 3rd one that you were being chased by Nemesis the whole time put me off completely. Thankfully in this remake you only have to deal with Nemesis in preset areas and he never becomes to much of a headache. Coming off of the RE2 remake which was well loved this game is far more action focused but still feels like a good continuation of that game. It's too bad that they cut content out of this remake from the original because as it is only lasts about 6 or so hours on a first playthrough and the short length contributed to the mediocre reviews. The engine they are using looks amazing with Jill especially looking fantastic. I was really hoping we were going to get Code Veronica and Zero remakes also but instead it looks like 4 is up next.
12-29-20, 09:36 PM
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13. Maneater (PS4)
Maneater at least in it's previous console versions is one of the jankiest games I've played all year and at points when multiple bounty hunters are chasing you the slowdown is so bad the game comes to a complete stop but with all that said I looked past all of it because I never stopped having a blast playing it. The first hour or so when you are a low level shark I wasn't sure if I was going to like this game but as you grow stronger and start feeling more badass (with equipable gear) it really shines. Climbing up the beach and eating a bunch of people never got old. The narration/story is fairly well written and provides you with some context besides murdering everything you come in contact with. My only negative gameplay wise was it really could have used a lockon button but otherwise Maneater is some of the most pure fun gameplay I experienced all year.
Maneater at least in it's previous console versions is one of the jankiest games I've played all year and at points when multiple bounty hunters are chasing you the slowdown is so bad the game comes to a complete stop but with all that said I looked past all of it because I never stopped having a blast playing it. The first hour or so when you are a low level shark I wasn't sure if I was going to like this game but as you grow stronger and start feeling more badass (with equipable gear) it really shines. Climbing up the beach and eating a bunch of people never got old. The narration/story is fairly well written and provides you with some context besides murdering everything you come in contact with. My only negative gameplay wise was it really could have used a lockon button but otherwise Maneater is some of the most pure fun gameplay I experienced all year.
12-30-20, 07:35 PM
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12. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Switch)
I really enjoyed the original Hyrule Warriors game even though I'm not a musou fan. It was filled with Zelda fanservice with areas and characters from throughout the franchises history and getting to play as a ton of different Zelda characters never got old. Age of Calamity is a Breath of the Wild prequel so it misses some of that wide variety since it's specifically Breath of the Wild fanservice. The list of playable characters is smaller because of that (although you get a decent amount by the end) but they do manage to have some inspired choices and everyone plays vastly different from each other. Besides the main story quests you have a ton of side quests to do along the way and they are pretty perfectly paced where I would say let me do just one more and then I'd end up doing like 20. I did pretty much all the quests available through the main game (a ton more unlock after you beat it) and it took me around 40 hours. You could easily cut that to less than 20 if you just mainlined the main story but alot of the character unlocks and fun moments are in the side stuff also. If you're a Legend of Zelda fan give both of these games a chance.
I really enjoyed the original Hyrule Warriors game even though I'm not a musou fan. It was filled with Zelda fanservice with areas and characters from throughout the franchises history and getting to play as a ton of different Zelda characters never got old. Age of Calamity is a Breath of the Wild prequel so it misses some of that wide variety since it's specifically Breath of the Wild fanservice. The list of playable characters is smaller because of that (although you get a decent amount by the end) but they do manage to have some inspired choices and everyone plays vastly different from each other. Besides the main story quests you have a ton of side quests to do along the way and they are pretty perfectly paced where I would say let me do just one more and then I'd end up doing like 20. I did pretty much all the quests available through the main game (a ton more unlock after you beat it) and it took me around 40 hours. You could easily cut that to less than 20 if you just mainlined the main story but alot of the character unlocks and fun moments are in the side stuff also. If you're a Legend of Zelda fan give both of these games a chance.
12-31-20, 12:27 AM
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11. New Super Lucky's Tale (XB1)
I love me some 3D platformers (as you'll see further up my list) so I was fairly excited when the original Super Lucky's Tale came out on Xbox One back in 2017. Unfortunately it was plagued with poor floaty controls and a bad camera so after a few hours I gave up. Thankfully they decided to release this updated version (a remake/sequel) which fixed the previous issues and also added new and remixed levels. It came out on Switch in 2019 and then in August 2020 for PS4/XB1. New Super Lucky's Tale has a nice cartoony look and plays great with tight controls. The levels are varied with 2d and 3d sections, different type of puzzle levels in each world and tons of collectibles to collect.
I love me some 3D platformers (as you'll see further up my list) so I was fairly excited when the original Super Lucky's Tale came out on Xbox One back in 2017. Unfortunately it was plagued with poor floaty controls and a bad camera so after a few hours I gave up. Thankfully they decided to release this updated version (a remake/sequel) which fixed the previous issues and also added new and remixed levels. It came out on Switch in 2019 and then in August 2020 for PS4/XB1. New Super Lucky's Tale has a nice cartoony look and plays great with tight controls. The levels are varied with 2d and 3d sections, different type of puzzle levels in each world and tons of collectibles to collect.
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12-31-20, 10:08 AM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
11. New Super Lucky's Tale (XB1)
I love me some 3D platformers (as you'll see further up my list) so I was fairly excited when the original Super Lucky's Tale came out on Xbox One back in 2017. Unfortunately it was plagued with poor floaty controls and a bad camera so after a few hours I gave up. Thankfully they decided to release this updated version (a remake/sequel) which fixed the previous issues and also added new and remixed levels. It came out on Switch in 2019 and then in August 2020 for PS4/XB1. New Super Lucky's Tale has a nice cartoony look and plays great with tight controls. The levels are varied with 2d and 3d sections, different type of puzzle levels in each world and tons of collectibles to collect.
I love me some 3D platformers (as you'll see further up my list) so I was fairly excited when the original Super Lucky's Tale came out on Xbox One back in 2017. Unfortunately it was plagued with poor floaty controls and a bad camera so after a few hours I gave up. Thankfully they decided to release this updated version (a remake/sequel) which fixed the previous issues and also added new and remixed levels. It came out on Switch in 2019 and then in August 2020 for PS4/XB1. New Super Lucky's Tale has a nice cartoony look and plays great with tight controls. The levels are varied with 2d and 3d sections, different type of puzzle levels in each world and tons of collectibles to collect.
12-31-20, 10:39 AM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
My only issue with Lucky's Tale was the atrocious loading on the Xbox. The Series X is supposed to be be significantly better in this regard. It was one of the games Arstechnica tested the loading time improvements on. I'll probably jump back in to beat the bonus levels now that loading isn't as big of a problem.
12-31-20, 06:06 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
10. Paradise Killer (Switch)
Paradise Killer is both the coolest and the weirdest game I've played all year. It's a first person open world murder mystery filled with awesome characters, a decent sized world to explore, and a really engaging storyline. You play as a detective "Lady Love Dies" trying to solve a murder in Paradise. The gameplay is really open ended and nonlinear allowing you to spend as much time working on the case as you'd like before you try to solve. There are side quests, puzzles to solve, and crime scenes to investigate. The premise sucks you in immediately and I was invested in solving the crime more than any other mystery game I can remember. It's also fairly meaty for this type of game and took me around 13 hours to complete.
Paradise Killer is both the coolest and the weirdest game I've played all year. It's a first person open world murder mystery filled with awesome characters, a decent sized world to explore, and a really engaging storyline. You play as a detective "Lady Love Dies" trying to solve a murder in Paradise. The gameplay is really open ended and nonlinear allowing you to spend as much time working on the case as you'd like before you try to solve. There are side quests, puzzles to solve, and crime scenes to investigate. The premise sucks you in immediately and I was invested in solving the crime more than any other mystery game I can remember. It's also fairly meaty for this type of game and took me around 13 hours to complete.
12-31-20, 06:34 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
10. Paradise Killer (Switch)
Paradise Killer is both the coolest and the weirdest game I've played all year. It's a first person open world murder mystery filled with awesome characters, a decent sized world to explore, and a really engaging storyline. You play as a detective "Lady Love Dies" trying to solve a murder in Paradise. The gameplay is really open ended and nonlinear allowing you to spend as much time working on the case as you'd like before you try to solve. There are side quests, puzzles to solve, and crime scenes to investigate. The premise sucks you in immediately and I was invested in solving the crime more than any other mystery game I can remember. It's also fairly meaty for this type of game and took me around 13 hours to complete.
Paradise Killer is both the coolest and the weirdest game I've played all year. It's a first person open world murder mystery filled with awesome characters, a decent sized world to explore, and a really engaging storyline. You play as a detective "Lady Love Dies" trying to solve a murder in Paradise. The gameplay is really open ended and nonlinear allowing you to spend as much time working on the case as you'd like before you try to solve. There are side quests, puzzles to solve, and crime scenes to investigate. The premise sucks you in immediately and I was invested in solving the crime more than any other mystery game I can remember. It's also fairly meaty for this type of game and took me around 13 hours to complete.
12-31-20, 07:10 PM
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Re: The Questyen's Favorite Games of 2020
Paradise Killer is on sale at the Nintendo eshop for $13.99. The sale ends tomorrow. I would get it, but I have a huge backlog right now. Hopefully it'll be cheaper after I clear some titles off my backlog.
12-31-20, 09:49 PM
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9. Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5)
I told you earlier I loved 3D platformers and here's another fantastic one. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a mix of the structure and gameplay of Super Mario 3D World and the aesthetic of Yoshi's Crafted/Wooly World. It surprisingly features a great cast of British actors doing voicework including Richard E. Grant as the main villain. The collectibles are very well hidden and sometimes took me multiple times through levels to try and find everything. The controls are tight (not floaty like the Little Big Planet games which Sackboy spawned out of), the music fits the world, and the levels are varied and fresh. Each world includes one or two multiplayer specific levels (that are optional) and my wife who is not much of a gameplayer (other than Overcooked and Animal Crossing) played through them with me and we quite enjoyed the teamwork aspect of them and while they were challenging with a new player not insurmountable.
I told you earlier I loved 3D platformers and here's another fantastic one. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a mix of the structure and gameplay of Super Mario 3D World and the aesthetic of Yoshi's Crafted/Wooly World. It surprisingly features a great cast of British actors doing voicework including Richard E. Grant as the main villain. The collectibles are very well hidden and sometimes took me multiple times through levels to try and find everything. The controls are tight (not floaty like the Little Big Planet games which Sackboy spawned out of), the music fits the world, and the levels are varied and fresh. Each world includes one or two multiplayer specific levels (that are optional) and my wife who is not much of a gameplayer (other than Overcooked and Animal Crossing) played through them with me and we quite enjoyed the teamwork aspect of them and while they were challenging with a new player not insurmountable.
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