2020 has been a strange year for video games. With the coronavirus pandemic quickly sending the world into lockdown, a significant number of this year's most anticipated games were pushed into 2021. Halo Infinite, Deathloop, The Medium, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Psychonauts 2, Dying Light 2, and so many huge titles meant to grace this year have had to take their leave due to the unforeseen consequences of dealing with COVID-19.
However, it's meant 2020 has been packed full of massive surprises. From Animal Crossing's viral takeover of social media to the astronomical rise of Hades, few would've predicted 2020 would be such an incredible year for video games during the early stages of the pandemic. As the year comes to an end, one final annual gaming tradition is left to come, with Geoff Keighley's Game Awards slated to air on December 11.
Of course, the big question is which game will take the show's coveted prize: its Game of the Year award. With Keighley recently revealing which games are in with a shot of securing the event's highest honor, it's worth having a look at exactly what makes each of the candidates worthy of being crowned the victor.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Few games have defined 2020 quite like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Coming at the very beginning of COVID-19's viral spread across the globe, it quickly became a refuge for thousands of players, allowing them to take a minute to forget the world outside, hang out with friends, and generally engage in one of this year's biggest social media trends. In a time where people felt more isolated than ever, New Horizons brought gamers from all walks of life together, whether that was through trekking to friends' towns to sell turnips or playing an elaborate game of musical chairs with thousands of bells on the line.
But that's not to say it's the only reason New Horizons deserves the accolade of Game of the Year. It's also easily Nintendo's most expansive take on the Animal Crossing license to date, seeing players venture to a stunning new island with a ton of adorable residents to meet. It added the ability to craft items, place furniture in the world, and even terraform the terrain of villages so players could customize their island however they saw fit. There were even fresh bugs and fish to catch for long-time fans of the series.
Doom Eternal
A stark contrast to Nintendo's bid for the crown, Doom Eternal is one of this year's biggest and boldest action experiences. Picking up where its predecessor left off, the Doom Slayer's latest outing is a brutal, bloody, and gratifyingly gruesome first-person shooter extravaganza, taking the world by storm due to its slick combat and old-school values.
Eternal sees the Doom Slayer's battle with the demonic forces infesting Mars shift to Earth, as the planet is overtaken by Hell's minions. It expands heavily on the arsenal and mechanics first introduced in Doom's 2016 reboot, giving players access to a ton of satisfying new weapons, wrist-mounted blades, fire-launching back cannons, and even a one-hit-kill laser broadsword. Players can't get too comfortable though, as their bigger arsenal means tougher enemies to face, including the heavily-armed Doom Hunter and the notoriously punishing Marauder.
Ghost of Tsushima
With an expansive open-world, an epic story, and brutal, free-flowing combat, Sucker Punch's stab at the samurai genre through Ghost of Tsushima was a masterful one. Centered around one of the last samurai on Tsushima following its invasion by the Mongols in the late 13th century, its take on the Japanese island is filled with authentic locals, renditions of era-appropriate culture, and some of the most stunning scenery of the generation.
But it's everything contained within this war-torn setting that makes Ghost of Tsushima such a spellbinding adaptation of the samurai genre. Its narrative weaves a tale full of epic battles and quiet, character-filled moments, while its combat sees both players and their opponents felled with only a few strikes, meaning fights crux on timing and perfectly placed counters.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
After years of waiting and tons of speculation, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is here, bringing the Midgar section of the original game to the modern generation. Built from the ground up for the PlayStation 4, it soon became apparent to those returning to the iconic story that Square Enix had made some pretty major changes this time around. Yes, its graphics were significantly better, with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barett, and the rest of the gang being reimagined in striking HD alongside a beautiful rendition of the streets of Midgar.
But alongside that, its combat and plot took some notable deviations from its source material. As for the former, it moved away from the turn-based strategy of the original release, opting instead for a spectacle-heavy, real-time system where players have to manage each of their party's various abilities to succeed. Meanwhile, the plot's reinvention of Final Fantasy 7 came with a host of intriguing mysteries and moments, hinting that subsequent chapters will alter the iconic story's timeline and provide a fresh interpretation of the game's world and characters.
Hades
Easily one of the biggest sleeper hits of the year, SuperGiant's newest release, Hades, has taken the gaming world by storm over the last few months. A roguelike that sees players assume the role of Zagreus, the son of the titular Hades, the game's central task is simple: beak free from the underworld and ascend the various realms of hell in a bid to reach the Pantheon of the Greek gods. Yet, while that goal might seeming very achievable on paper, there's a lot of opposition to contend with in practice.
Taking place over a set of procedural dungeons, players start off every run with little more than their trusty weapon, acquiring buffs, skills, and powerful abilities as they press on. Naturally, there's a range of enemies standing in their way, as players repeatedly die, respawn, and once again try to conquer Hades' punishing realms. The gameplay loop has proved to be one of this year's most ruthlessly compelling, as players continue to discover different ways to conquer Hades' forces and make their escape.
The Last of Us 2
Although no one would've predicted it earlier this year, The Last of Us 2 has likely been one of the most divisive games of the year. Regardless of their take on Naughty Dog's long-awaited sequel to its iconic PlayStation 3 classic, there are few who would deny it was one of this year's most important releases and one that led to some hotly debated discussions about the future of video games as a medium.
Seeing Ellie return in a new post-apocalyptic adventure, the plot focuses on the protagonist's rage-fueled pursuit of a mysterious new character called Abbie, with her journey seeing her become entrenched in an ongoing war between two factions occupying Seattle's streets. As expected for a follow-up to the last game, it's a noticeably story-focused affair, mulling on hate, revenge, and violence in a world that constantly questions its inhabitants' ethics.
The Game Awards will take place on December 11.