Top 2020 Games in Different Categories
The difficult 2020 year came to an end. Although for gamers it was more than pleasant because over the past 12 months there have been many worthy new products. We have collected the best, in our opinion, games of 2020 in different categories. We also wrote about the failure of the year, as well as about the most anticipated project, which has already received the unofficial name CyberBug 2077. Details are, as always, below.
The Biggest failure 2020
Crystal Dynamics studio and Square Enix company decided to hit the jackpot on hype comics and make an AAA game based on The Avengers. They added a detailed story to make fans feel connected to blockbusters and multiplayer to raise money in the long run. The result was Marvel’s Avengers, but nothing came of it.
With a budget of about $200 million, Marvel’s Avengers were sold just under three million copies, and in two months after release, it lost 96% of players on Steam. And if for an indie game, or even a more serious middle-class project, such sales are a great success, however, for such a blockbuster it is a box office failure.
At the same time, Marvel’s Avengers cannot be called unplayable, as it was with last year’s Anthem. It has a nice picture, an exciting plot, and fun gameplay. In this case, the online bet did not work and neither familiar heroes, nor fresh maps, nor missions, nor pumping, and activity helped. Therefore, Marvel’s Avengers deserved the failure of the year solely because of the box office failure and weak multiplayer. And for fans of story games and fans of other Crystal Dynamics creations, I still recommend going through the campaign.
The Biggest Pain in the Ass and Best Indie Game 2020
The Supergiant Games studio has been producing striking niche “roguelikes” for several years. First, there were Bastion and Transistor, then Pyre, and in 2020 ‒ Hades. This audiovisual beauty with hand-drawn graphics and simple combat seems light and fun at first. But literally from the first level, it shows that it is the brainchild of Supergiant Games, which means that it will be difficult, but insanely exciting. Besides, the creators brought a well-presented story in the setting of myths of Ancient Greece, beautiful invigorating music, and detailed aspects of the rogue-like genre.
The disadvantages of Hades are the small size of the game with five locations and the same number of bosses. True, firstly, try to go through this, and then we’ll talk. But if it takes relatively little time, then there is more than enough content for an indie game. And the impression of the picture, music, and gameplay has already delighted more than one million gamers. If you love challenging and retro-inspired 3D graphics, check out Hades.
The Most Anticipated Game of 2020
Part of the editors wanted to give Cyberpunk 2077 the title of the best game of the year. But then they decided that the comparison with other seasoned projects would not be in its favor: it was released three weeks before the end of the year, many did not pass, was not purchased, and did not overgrow with patches, but it was already fucked up and removed from the PS Store. It’s fair to leave the battle for 2021 and give Cyberpunk 2077 the true and vital title of “The Most Anticipated Game of 2020” later.
Long-term construction CD Project Red has already and firmly entrenched in the list of trends in 2020. As much as this game has not been discussed recently (except THLOU 2, and even then against the background of the LGBT theme and other things like that). And even after a not very successful start, Cyberpunk 2077 rushed to stream almost the entire Twitch from YouTube, and there were already published thousands of the nuances and walkthrough of the game. In any case, CD Project Red has created another brainchild for years, it has already become a cultural phenomenon and will continue to gain momentum.
The Best RPG 2020
Final Fantasy VII Remake is an updated version of the 1997 cult game that shaped the jRPG genre and set its trends. For the most part, it received the title of the best RPG of 2020 precisely in honor of the merits of the past, and as a gaming legacy of the era. But Remake came out solid in terms of re-release and completely redesigned world with graphics and gameplay elements.
The base, of course, was left the same, but they added chips from other parts and conveniently put it all into one large-scale and mandatory role-playing game of the year. There were some flaws, so fans scold each element a little bit. But still, they say that together it plays and works, and most importantly, it sets the correct perception of an expensive modern project with an admixture of nostalgia and pathos inherent in the franchise.
Separately, we note Wasteland 3, which lost to Final Fantasy VII Remake in the final vote, and at the same time, the game remains an excellent RPG in the post-apocalyptic setting.
The Best Sports Game 2020
Among the best games of the year again, a remake, and this time not one, but two games called Tony Hawkʼs Pro Skater 1 and 2. The original projects were released in 1999 and 2000, and the developers were the creators of Guitar Hero, studio Neversoft. Vicarious Visions was entrusted with updating the once-popular skateboarding projects. Judging by the million copies shipped in the first two weeks and the title of the best-selling game in the franchise, they did it.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 received fresh graphics, split-screen and multiplayer, a huge set of tricks from all parts of the series, vivid arcade gameplay, down-to-earth “skate” music, updated classic and new maps, and a bit of nostalgia for childhood and the first PlayStation.
The Best Racing simulator 2020
We voted DIRT 5 as the best racing simulator of 2020. The game lacks stars from the sky, but we are glad that Codemasters did not follow the path of the latest Project Cars 3 with its strange balance between arcade and classic simulators.
DIRT 5 is a fun car game where you don’t need to drive a virtual vehicle, but it will challenge you. And it will also cheer you up, offer beautiful tracks, an abundance of cars and modes, allow you to epic take off from trampolines and land no less abruptly, drive through mud and ice, perform tricks and get pleasure from it. If you have not played yet and want to have a good time with a fresh race, then DIRT 5 is a great option.
The Best fighting game 2020
2020 is not rich in fighting games, so the winner of the One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows category received the title not only for its qualities but despite them because there are no worthy competitors. And if anyone remembers Streets of Rage 4, then let’s say that this is first of all beat-’em-up and arcade, and only then everything else, so the game is cool, we agree, but for the reasons described above it cannot even participate in the selection.
The very same One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is based on the popular manga and anime series of the same name, which means it is made in the same style, but everything is strange in concept. Firstly, and most importantly, it’s wild to play a fighting game, where one of the heroes, in theory, should endure everyone with one blow. This does not happen, otherwise, it would be strange.
The game doesn’t do well with combat and the balance of heroes, but if the first is somehow trying to pull out epic demonstrations of the use of techniques, then the second was ignored on the development stage. One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a fun game for a couple of nights with fellow series and manga fans.
The Best strategy 2020
In 2020, studio The Coalition released a turn-based strategy game for the Gears of War franchise and called it Gears Tactics. The gameplay is an XCOM-like game, and the plot is a prequel to all parts of the original games. We consider it the best strategy for 2020.
Gears Tactics has a well-developed world, however, this is not all the merit of the creators, but a rich background for the series. The project is often praised for its turn-based battles, but some, of course, like them more in the latest XCOMs. Although some fans of the genre say that everything is better here, so this is how the updated XCOM series should have done. Players are also pleased with the detailed picture, sound, and a minimal number of bugs. Gears Tactics is recommended to all fans of the genre and certainly fans of Gears of War, who will find here a lot of references and explanations.
The Best shooter 2020
The new part of Call of Duty, subtitled Black Ops Cold War, has become the best shooter of 2020 for us. If you thought about Doom Eternal, then it has also won the nomination, but different and lower. Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War continued the popular Black Ops sub-series, and the guys from Raven Studios made an unexpectedly adequate, as for a shooter, plot with an abundance of pathos, cranberries for the USSR and the Cold War.
With multiplayer, everything is still a little worse than in Modern Warfare 2019, but the game has already been merged with Warzone, a lot of content has been delivered and the engine is not the most stable.
The Best Action Game 2020
We recognized Doom Eternal as the best action game because to call this game a pure shooter, you can’t turn your tongue and your hand is rubbed to calluses. In Doom Eternal, almost everything is perfect, except for the plot. Of course, it is weak, and even when it was better, but let’s admit that it’s not for the sake of history that everyone plays Doom.
Doom Eternal has an incredibly cool combat system and crazy gameplay. It’s almost always difficult here, and some don’t like the too bright picture and they advocate the visual gloom of the first part. For others, it just now seems pale and boring, and if not according to the schedule, then the speed of the events taking place per second.
The Best Platformer 2020
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is the craziest and most fun trend of the year, and even the best platformer of 2020. On the one hand, silly and cartoonish, on the other, fun and addictive, this game was able to attract huge attention and completely take over the public on Twitch. Over time, the peak of frenzy subsided, but Fall Guys are still at the top and continues to entertain with uncomplicated, stoned gameplay and bright heroes.
The Best VR Game
Half-Life: Alyx is a revolutionary virtual reality game and the best VR project of the year in our opinion. Its main problem is the limited audience, which has not yet come to VR en masse. But those who are already there, for the most part, were delighted with the fresh story in the cult series. Of course, Valve didn’t manage to do something as long-lasting as the second Halva, but we are sure that this is only the first step and probing the ground, and then the project will be much more serious.
Try to get your VR headset and play Half-Life: Alyx. This game will be a lot of fun and will show the familiar world from a completely different angle. They did not blunder here with an adequately written plot, and the graphics will pleasantly surprise.
The Best Online Shooter 2020
In a challenging 2020, Riot Games continued to climb esports peaks and released the tactical multiplayer shooter Valorant. The game is cartoonish and has taken a lot from CS: GO, therefore it is tailored for serious battles on the network. There are heroes with their skills and there is a store with “skins”.
Valorant is not a specific FPS for everyone, but in the online segment, this is the best shooter of 2020, naturally, in our humble opinion. Fans of Call of Duty or Battlefield will find it slow and boring, but fans of Contra and other similar projects will appreciate local maps with classic lumbago zones, tactical skills, and shopping in stores, weapons, and hero features.
The Best Game 2020
If you already guessed, then The Last of Us: Part II was recognized as the game of the year and it deserves this title. During the discussion, no one thought about LGBT people, the plight of women, gender inequality, and other aspects popular on the Internet. We just rated Naughty Dog’s story game and it was the best.
It should be said that The Last of Us: Part II is difficult not in terms of passing, although this can also be included here, but in terms of moral mood. If you are an optimist and enjoy the sun in the morning, then a couple of dozen hours in TLOU 2 will make you a hardened pessimist on the verge of collapse. The game changes consciousness and psychological mood, makes you suffer, and think about revenge. It is these feelings that overwhelm the heroine, which means that Naughty Dog again managed to make a game with a capital I ‒ not a project for entertainment, but an art form and a way of self-expression, catching the important strings of the soul of every gamer and just a person.
