2020 is finally coming to an end! It’s no understatement to say that this has been one of the most difficult years for all of us, but all the while, we’ve had video games to help lighten the load and be a way to escape from the challenges of the real world.
I myself was able to play a good number of games this year (26 to be exact), with some of them being games that I probably wouldn’t have had time to get through if it wasn’t for the pandemic. So as I do each year, I’ve put together a two-part feature looking back on the games that I’ve played this past year. Part 1 here covers half of the games I played this year, so come back tomorrow for the second half that will be in Part 2. No more dawdling now. Let’s get into it!
Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind
The first big thing I played this year was the Re:Mind DLC for Kingdom Hearts III. I really enjoyed the game when it came out last year and was super excited to get some more content for the game. Unfortunately I was a tad let down by it at first, but I’ve come around on it some since earlier this year. A lot of Re:Mind felt like a rehash that could’ve been trimmed down and made more interesting. It’s not fun to have to redo the boss rush from the base game and watch every single cutscene, when only a few of them have been altered for this DLC. Once we’re past this large rehash section, we’re introduced to some brand new stuff. Being able to explore a more fully realized Scala ad Caelum is cool, even if it’s not as expansive as I hoped it would be.
There’s also a cool sequence where we play as the Guardians of Light as they try and stop Xehanort from outside Kingdom Hearts. The dialogue between the different characters is a lot of fun, and I wish we got more of it. Finally, we get to play as Kairi in the final boss fight against Xehanort! She’s a lot of fun to play as and it’s long overdue that she get her time in the spotlight.
The other part of the DLC, titled Limit Cut, takes place afterwards and is filled with nothing but super boss fights. If you want to see the game’s final secret ending, you have to get through all 13 of these fights in order to access the final super boss and the secret ending of the game. This content is real difficult and demands that you be at the proper level before you attempt it, something that I wasn’t at the time so I didn’t participate in it and just watched the secret ending on YouTube. It opened up a giant can of worms and has me really excited and intrigued as to where the series is going to go.
When I first played Re:Mind early this year, I was a bit let down by the content. But I went back to it a few months ago to do some of the super bosses, and they’re pretty fun! They’re challenging for sure, which is why I didn’t fight them in January, but their fights are certainly enjoyable. I still haven’t finished them, but I’ll go back to it at some point in the future when I have less stuff to play.
Borderlands 3
So I got Borderlands 3 for Christmas last year, but spent the majority of my time with it this year. It was fun to go back into that universe with crazy guns and even crazier characters. Being able to go to new planets was a great change for the story since being constrained to just Pandora would’ve been a bit lame to do all over again. Also great was the implementation of some characters from Telltale’s Tales from the Borderlands! Rhys and Vaughn were surprisingly important to the story and were far more than just the throwaway cameos that I thought they would be. I ended up liking the way the story and the gameplay, even if it didn’t do anything to radically change the game or innovate much. It was simply more Borderlands, and that was more than enough for me. I haven’t gotten around to playing the DLC yet. I would like to, but I just don’t think it’ll happen given all the other games that I want to play. Maybe one day though.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds was a game that I liked during the time I spent with it, and possibly would’ve done the DLC for, if it wasn’t for the fact that I screwed myself over at the end. You see, when you go to do the final mission, the game tells you that once you’re in it, you can’t go back to the main game. So I of course saved beforehand. Here’s where I screwed myself though. I also proceeded to overwrite that save DURING the final mission. So after beating the game, the only saves that I have are during the mission that I can’t leave from. What does this mean? Well, only that if I want to play any of the DLC, I’ll have to start a brand new game from scratch to do so. I liked The Outer Worlds. I thought the story was interesting and presented some tough choices over the course of its runtime. But I don’t like it enough to replay the entire game from scratch just to do some DLC. I’ll be happy to play a sequel though (assuming it gets made and released on PS5).
Pokémon Shield
Talk about a series that I fell off of HARD. I used to love playing Pokémon back when I was a kid. Pokémon Emerald was my favorite in the series, but Diamond was the last one I played hardcore. My cousin got me Black 2 a few years ago, but I never finished it and didn’t play any other games in the series. So when Sword and Shield came out last year, I thought this would be my grand return to the series. But for some reason, it hasn’t been. I’m not sure why because I do like playing the game, but I just don’t want to play it. I haven’t even completed the second gym yet! Believe me, it’s something that I’m not proud of and I intend to finish the game. It’s just that there are so many other games that I would rather play, that it just keeps getting pushed down the priority list for me. Maybe I’ll get back to it in 2021. I’m sure my Raboot misses me.
Need for Speed Heat
For me, the Need for Speed series was at its best with Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005). The story was cheesy for sure, but interesting; the driving was a lot of fun; the customization was great; and cop chases were challenging and exciting, yet fair as well. Other games in the series released, but never interested me until 2015’s Need for Speed. That was a game that had some bright spots, but was held back in others. I thought that Need for Speed Heat would be a much better game than that one, and in some ways it is, but in others it’s not. I, for one, didn’t really care for the story in Heat and was shocked at just how short it was. Then there’s the difficulty of races. In this game, races have a different level to them. You want your car’s level to be at least the same as the race so that you’re on even footing with your opponents. The problem was that some races had opponents with drastically higher levels than what the race asked for, meaning that they would constantly have a drastic lead that I couldn’t surpass. Dropping the game’s difficulty down to Easy for some of these races made them doable, but it’s ridiculous that the balancing was so out of wack that I needed to do that.
Then there’s the cops, which were absolutely absurd in this game. The fact that the slowest cop cars could keep up with my souped up racing machine while going 130 mph is ridiculous. Giving the cops health that can only be lowered by ramming into them, thereby damaging myself, is even worse. Even when my car was able to hit speeds of 200 mph, it was still damn near impossible to shake the cops, even when I was only at Heat Level 3. The cop system made driving at night an exercise in frustration and really made me enjoy the game less than I hoped I would. Why can’t we get a Need for Speed game that’s as good as the original Most Wanted was? That’s all I want.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered
One of my favorite games ever made a surprise return this year, and it came at the perfect time. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered released early in the year, and though it wasn’t with the multiplayer portion of the iconic game, the classic campaign was enough to satisfy me. Being able to relive one of the best campaigns in the franchise with a fresh coat of paint was a joy and a fun way to take a break from the games I was playing at the time and experience something that I played numerous times in the years since its original release.
Gravity Rush 2
I started playing Gravity Rush 2 last year, but I made the mistake of starting it while playing a bunch of other games, so it got put on the back burner. At the start of this year though, I committed myself to completing the game, and as expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Kat remained as charming as ever, and the new cast of characters that were introduced were also really likable. The much larger city that the game takes place in was vastly different from Hekesville, with a wholly different vibe and energy that I just loved. And of course, the new powers that Kat receives in this game are a lot of fun to play around with. Gravity Rush 2 makes it clear that this series should’ve been on console from the very beginning, and it’s sad to think that we may not get another entry. The game ends in a way that could leave things as they are, but it could also continue on if the cliffhanger ending is anything to go by. I’m seriously hoping that we get a third Gravity Rush. This series is too special to let end so soon and would benefit so much from the power and features of the PS5.
Life Is Strange: Before The Storm
The first Life Is Strange was a game that surprised me. It’s story hit me on a number of emotional levels, and the gameplay did some new things that made the standard Adventure game format a little more nuanced and interesting. Taking away the time-travel element had me a bit worried that Before the Storm would feel lesser than it’s predecessor, but that was far from the case. Focusing entirely on Chloe before the events of the first game gave us a chance to see just what leads her to become the person that she is when she reunites with Max, making her an even more interesting and relatable person than before. Her relationship with Rachel Amber is realistic and portrayed in a way that makes you understand why Rachel is so important to her in the first game. While not a necessary game for those that have played the first Life Is Strange, it’s definitely one that adds depth and color to characters that may have only been perceived one way before, enhancing the story that the original game told.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
A game that was hyped for years prior to its announcement, only for that hype to skyrocket once it was officially announced and then reach even higher levels once gameplay was revealed at E3 2019, Final Fantasy VII Remake is here everybody. And damn did the mad men at Square Enix completely succeed in living up to the hype that this game had built up over time. When I played the demo prior to release, I could see that this was going to be a great game. But damn did it still manage to blow me away during the 30 or so hours that I spent playing it. The combat was a masterful blend of new and old systems that kept me on my toes and always had me excited to get into fights, and the city of Midgar was fleshed out in a way that I only could’ve imagined. That same sentiment is extended to the character as well, with people like Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge being more than just throwaway side characters that don’t contribute much to the story. And the music is just phenomenal. Seriously, go listen to the music.
After having played the game, the story is both one of the things I liked the most and also the one thing that I’m most worried about. Without getting too spoilery, the ending throws everything you knew about the original Final Fantasy VII out the window and teases a potentially new story or retelling of events that may lead to a radically different outcome than fans know. I think that’s potentially exciting, but I also liked the story or the original game already and don’t want to it be altered too drastically. Doing so could possibly kill any excitement I have for any new installments in this remake project. It’s too early to tell, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Regardless, I’m super excited for what’s to come and do want to replay Remake again at some point in the coming months.
The Last of Us Part II
I never would’ve thought that The Last of Us Part II would end up being one of the most controversial games of the year, but that certainly ended up being the case. I did think though, that it would be one of the best game of the year, if not THE best game of the year. When I reviewed it, I said that it “will not only be one of this generation’s defining games; it will also be the one to help push the entire medium forward.” That’s a statement that I stand by and wholeheartedly believe all these months later. Its story was as much a brutal tale of revenge that made you question whether or not all of the violence was necessary, as it was a tale about obsession, love, and the consequences of our actions. Backed up by performances deserving of awards from both Ashely Johnson and Laura Bailey as Ellie and Abby respectively, this was a game that hit hard and never let up. I’m happy to say that Naughty Dog created their best game yet with The Last of Us Part II. And although it isn’t my favorite game of 2020 (that’s coming in the next post) I can’t deny that The Last of Us Part II is the Game of the Year for 2020.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
I’ve never played an Animal Crossing game before. They were just never really my type of game. But the pandemic happened this year, and seeing all the cute pictures/videos that people were sharing from Animal Crossing: New Horizons just made me decide to get it. Boy was that a great decision because I ended up liking it WAY more than I ever thought I would. I know I abruptly stopped the journal series I was doing for the game on here, but I’ve continued playing the game and did some great stuff! I completed my island, got the game for my girlfriend and have spent time in it with her (she has an AMAZING island by the way), and I’ve also enjoyed each of the updates that have been released for the game. It’s not a game that I play every single day, but I do enjoy the time that I spend with it. I’m not quite sure what’ll be coming in future updates, but I’m definitely looking forward to whatever the devs add next.
Ghost of Tsushima
In the lead up to the release of Ghost of Tsushima, I was excited for the game, but not all that hyped for it. I thought it would simply be a cool Samurai game with a good story and fun gameplay. What I got was an amazing Samurai game with a great story, fantastic combat, and a gorgeous open world that begged to be explored. I would even go so far as to say that this is the most beautiful game of the PS4 generation, with only Horizon Zero Dawn right behind it in close competition. I reviewed this game for LoadingXP and absolutely loved it. It’s one of the best new IP’s that’s been introduced this past generation, and definitely one of the best PlayStation exclusives. Sucker Punch really knocked it out of the park with this game and I’m super excited to see what they do next in this world.
Super Mario Odyssey
I know what you’re probably thinking right now. “Tyler, you just started playing Super Mario Odyssey this year?! How is that possible?!” Believe me, I wanted to play this game a LONG time ago. Especially since’ve I’ve had the game ever since I got my Switch back in 2018. The time never arose for me to play it, but this year I made time for it. Admittedly I haven’t beaten it yet, but I have made it a fair chunk of the way through the game. It’s such a fun game to play that I’m kind of mad at myself for not playing it sooner! I don’t go crazy for Mario games like most people do, but I do think they’re a good for a fun time in between other games, and that’s what Odyssey did for me. It came at a time where I had games to play, but didn’t really want to play any of them. I just wanted to play something more casual, wholesome, and fun, and Super Mario Odyssey fit the bill.
That’s 13 games right there! The final 13 will be featured tomorrow in the second part of this feature, so be sure to come back and check that out! Have you played any of the games that appeared in this part? And what games did you play this year? Let me know in the comment section below!
TheComfySpot 