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A tough 2020 is coming to an end. Although it was more than pleasant for gamers, because over the past 12 months many worthy new products have been released. We have collected the best, in our opinion, games of 2020 in different categories. They 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. They did not immediately choose the game of the year, but there will be a lot of controversy with it in the comments on the forum. Details, as always, below.
Biggest failure of 2020
Studio Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix decided to hit the jackpot on hype comics and make an AAA game based on the Avengers. It added a solid story to make fans feel attached to blockbusters, and multiplayer to raise money in the long run. The result was Marvel’s Avengers, but it didn’t work out.
With a budget of around $200 million, Marvel’s Avengers sold just under three million copies and lost 96% of players on Steam within two months of its release. And if for an indie game, or even a more serious middle-class project, such a number of sales is a big success, then 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 interesting plot and fun gameplay. In this case, the bet on online did not work and neither familiar heroes, nor fresh maps, nor missions, nor pumping and activities 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. Our review is here.
The biggest pain and best indie game of 2020
The Supergiant Games studio has been releasing bright niche roguelikes for several years. First there was Bastion and Transistor, then Pyre, and in 2020 Hades. This audiovisual beauty with hand-drawn graphics and simple combat seems at first to be something light and fun. But literally from the first level it shows that it is the brainchild of Supergiant Games, which means it will be difficult to pass it, but insanely exciting. In addition, the creators brought a well-written story in the setting of the myths of Ancient Greece, beautiful invigorating music and detailed aspects of the rogue-like genre.
Among the shortcomings of Hades, they note the small size of the game with five locations and the same number of bosses. True, first try it out, and then we’ll talk. But if, nevertheless, it takes a relatively short time, then there is more than enough content for an indie game. And the impression of the picture, music and gameplay has already pleased more than one million gamers. If you like to challenge yourself and enjoy retro 3D graphics, then check out Hades.
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 go through, not bought and not overgrown with patches, but it was already crap and removed from sale in the PS Store. It would be fair to leave the battle to 2021, and at the end of this year give Cyberpunk 2077 the true and vital title of “Most Anticipated Game of 2020”.
The long-term construction of CD Project Red has long been firmly entrenched in the list of trends in 2020. As much as this game has not been discussed lately, perhaps, no other (except for THLOU 2, and even then against the backdrop of LGBT themes and other things like that). And even after not the most successful start, Cyberpunk 2077 rushed to stream almost the entire Twitch from YouTube, and guides on the nuances and walkthrough of the game have already been published no less than borscht recipes. In any case, CD Project Red has created another project for the years, it has already become a cultural phenomenon and will continue to gain momentum. Our review is here.
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, the title of the best RPG of 2020, she received it in honor of the merits of the past, and as a gaming heritage of the era. But Remake came out solid in terms of re-release and a 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 must-play role-playing game of the year. There were some flaws, so the fans scold each element individually a little bit. But still they say that together it is played and works, and most importantly, it sets the correct perception of an expensively 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.
Best Sports Game 2020
Among the best games of the year is again a remake and this time not one, but two games called Tony Hawkʼs Pro Skater 1 and 2. The original projects came out in 1999 and 2000, and the developers were the creators of Guitar Hero, the Neversoft studio. Vicarious Visions was entrusted with updating the once popular projects about tricks on skateboards. Judging by the million copies shipped in the first two weeks and the title of the best-selling game in the franchise, they succeeded.
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, bright arcade gameplay, downhole “skater” music, updated classic and new maps, as well as a bit of nostalgia for childhood and the first PlayStation.
Best racing simulator 2020
We named DIRT 5 the best racing sim of 2020. The game lacks the stars from the sky, but it’s good that Codemasters didn’t go the way 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 have to drive cool virtual vehicles, but it will challenge you. It will also amuse you, offer beautiful tracks, an abundance of cars and modes, allow you to epic take off from ski jumps and land no less cool, drive through mud and ice, perform tricks and enjoy it. If you have not played yet and want to have a good time playing a fresh race, then DIRT 5 is a great option.
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 in spite of them, because there are no worthy competitors. And if anyone remembers Streets of Rage 4, then let’s say that it is primarily 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. First, and most importantly, it’s wild to play a fighting game where one of the heroes is supposed to endure everyone with one blow. In fact, this does not happen, otherwise it would really be strange.
The game is not doing well with the combat and the balance of the characters, but if the first one is somehow trying to get it out with epic demonstrations of the use of techniques, then the second one was apparently put on the development stage. As a result, One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a fun game for a couple of evenings with friends who are fans of the series and manga. Alas, 2020 did not give more.
Best Strategy 2020
In 2020, The Coalition released a turn-based strategy game based on the Gears of War franchise called Gears Tactics. In terms of gameplay, this is an XCOM-like game, and in terms of plot, it is a prequel to all parts of the original games. We consider it the best strategy of 2020.
Gears Tactics has a well-designed world, although this is not the whole merit of the creators, but the rich backstory of the series. The project is often praised for turn-based combat, but of course some people like it more in the latest XCOM. Although some fans of the genre say that everything is better here, therefore, this is how the updated XCOM series should have been done. Players are also pleased with the detailed picture, sound and the minimum number of bugs. Gears Tactics is recommended to all fans of the genre and definitely fans of Gears of War, who will find many references and explanations here.
Best shooter 2020
The new part of Call of Duty with the subtitle Black Ops Cold War has become the best shooter of 2020 for us. If you thought about Doom Eternal, then she also won in the nomination, but a different one 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 on the USSR and the Cold War.
With multiplayer, everything is still a little worse than it is in Modern Warfare 2019, but the game has already been merged with Warzone, a lot of content has been brought in, and the not-so-stable engine has been optimized. Our review is here.
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 worn to calluses. In Doom Eternal, almost everything is perfect, except for the plot. Of course, he is weak, and even when he was better, but let’s admit that everyone plays Doom not for the sake of history.
Doom Eternal has an incredibly cool combat system and crazy gameplay. It’s almost always difficult here, and some don’t like a too bright picture and they stand up for the visual gloom of the first part. For others, it just now seems pale and boring, and if not in terms of graphics, then in terms of the speed of events taking place per second of time. Read our review here.
Best Platformer 2020
The crazy and fun trend of the year, and even the best platformer of 2020, is Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. On the one hand, silly and cartoonish, on the other hand, fun and addictive, this game managed to attract huge attention and completely capture the public on Twitch. Over time, the peak of insanity subsided, but Fall Guys is still in the top and continues to entertain with uncomplicated stubborn gameplay and bright heroes.
Best VR Game
Half-Life: Alyx is a revolutionary game for virtual reality and the best VR project of the outgoing 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 new story in the cult series. Of course, Valve did not manage to make 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 a VR helmet and complete Half-Life: Alyx. This game will bring a lot of fun and 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 you.
Best Online Shooter 2020
In a difficult 2020, Riot Games continued to storm the esports peaks and released the tactical online shooter Valorant. The game is cartoony and took a lot from CS:GO, so it is geared towards serious online battles. There are heroes with their skills and there was a store with “skins”.
Valorant is not a specific FPS for everyone, but in the online segment it 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 Counter and other similar projects will appreciate local maps with classic shooting zones, tactical skills and purchases in stores, weapons and character traits. In the spring we played beta and you can read about it here.
Best Game 2020
If you guessed it, then we recognized The Last of Us: Part II as the game of the year and it definitely deserves this title. During the discussion, no one thought about LGBT, the plight of women, gender inequality and other aspects popular on the Internet. We were just judging Naughty Dog’s story game and it was the best.
At the same time, it should be said that The Last of Us: Part II is not difficult 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 literally changes consciousness and psychological attitude, 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 a form of art and a way of self-expression that catches important strings of the soul of every gamer and just a person.
And what did you like about this wild and crazy, but already outgoing year? Which of our decisions do you agree with and which do not? Share your opinions in the comments. And all the best games in 2021, as well as the year itself.
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