Today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 best video games of 2020 so far, for this list we’ll be looking at some of the best games released in the first half of 2020.
We’re only considering brand new titles from this year which means re-releases such as Kentucky root zero tv edition and enhanced releases like persona 5 royal won’t make the cut.
#10 Media Molecule
Media molecule has been a champion of user-created content since the original little big planet but it still felt like the British developer was taking a huge risk with dreams. Best characterized as an ambitious experiment dream gives players the tools to make their wildest video game fantasies a reality to make a shooter.
How about a puzzle-platformer all are possible thanks to media molecules intuitive creation tools not interested in designing your own game no sweat you can dive into other players’ creations and just have fun. While the jury’s still out on how sustainable media molecules community-driven game will be in the long run, it’s hard not to admire what dreams have achieved so far.
#9 Nioh 2
Nioh 2 in an industry where every new third-person action game seems to owe a debt to dark souls, few titles have actually managed to crack from software’s winning formula. Nioh team ninja’s surprise 2017 hit arguably came the closest and three years later the sequel offers improvements in nearly every category set in a heightened fantasy version of Japan’s Sengoku era.
Nioh 2 two’s best asset is its flashy rhythmic combat system which is both complex and deeply customizable frankly, it can all be a bit overwhelming at times but players looking for a challenge will no doubt relish all that Nioh 2 throws at them.
#8 Ori and the Will of the Wisps
So, listen to Ori in the blind forest remains one of this generation’s most pleasant beautiful surprises. Expectations for the sequel were high and for the most part, the will of the wisps meets and exceeds them less punishingly difficult than its predecessor the game still manages to be bigger in scope and ambition as an adorable guardian spirit.
Ori players are taken on a journey filled with wonder melancholy jumping puzzles heated combat and a whole lot of backtracking thankfully, navigating the game’s massive map is made a bit easier. This time around with slick traversal mechanics and a slew of fast travel points while frame rate tips and other technical problems hurt the overall experience this is still one of the finest 2d action platformers of its generation.
#7 Valorant
Valorant counter-strike global offensive has been a dominant force in esports for years but that didn’t stop riot games from going after valve directly with Valorant.
A hero shooter that shares a lot of DNA with cs goes however this is no mere copycat applying what they’ve learned from years of dominating a competitive MOBA scene, with league of legends riot injects a healthy dose of personality and fresh ideas.
The five versus five ground-based shooter templates by tossing fun player abilities into the mix Valorant strikes a satisfying balance between overwatch’s dynamic team play and cs goes hardcore skill-based experience. Only time will tell if it can compete with those titans over the long run. Best Video Games
#6 Doom eternal
Doom eternal sometimes you just need a power fantasy escape a direct sequel to the shockingly good 2016 reboot doom eternal cranks everything to 11 and lets players run wild through a heavy metal hellscape. Best Video Games
Filled with demons that need slaying or disemboweled or shotgun to the face or well you get the idea whereas most games punish you for being too aggressive. ID software shooter demands constant movement creating an intoxicating dance with death filled with guns’ explosives and mountains of demon gore.
While we could do with less annoying platform sections that grind, the pacing to a halt. When the action clicks doom eternal is easily one of the most primally satisfying games of the year or any year for that matter.
#5 Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII remake most modern remakes of old games are content to slap on a new coat of graphical paint and call it a day, not Final Fantasy VII. Though instead square Enix has crafted a faithful recreation of the RPG classic that’s also a bold departure taking the original game’s first act and blowing it wide open.
Sure, there are updates you’d expect the new engine is gorgeous and the overhauled combat system is deep stylish and real-time. It’s the new content the extended scenes the mysteries how Midgar comes to life that really set this one apart in short, it’s both Final Fantasy VII and an all-new game. It’s also the new gold standard in video game remakes, I am just here for the paycheck then do the damn job.
#4 Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx while many fans are surely still upset to not have half-life 3. What they got instead is an incredible game in its own right following fan-favorite resistance leader Alex Vance Valves. The latest is both a satisfying new entry in the half-life universe and an incredible virtual reality experience at the cutting edge of everything the tech offers on an action horror game. Best Video Games
It’s a tense experience where even the simple act of healing your character is uncomfortable and strange, while it’s unfortunate that the game’s VR exclusivity limits the number of people who will get to experience. Half-life Alex is still a welcome return to a long-dormant franchise.
#3 Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima, if you’ve been itching to live out your samurai or ninja fantasy then this game is for you while Ghost of Tsushima looks like another standard open-world game.
There’s more to it than meets the eye combat constantly keeps you on your toes forcing you to change stances when appropriate and giving you an arsenal of tools to take down foes quicker.
The layout of Mongolian, bases gives you plenty of options on how to bring them down. Environments are so beautiful that it makes us forget all about fast travel no other game could have been a more perfect swan song for the ps4.
#2 The Last of Us Part II
The last of us part two if, I ever was to lose you. I surely lose myself. Naughty dog’s original survival horror epic is regarded as one of the best games of the last console generation.
Naturally, expectations were through the roof for the last of us part 2 and while the response has been somewhat polarizing there’s still plenty to admire about this.
The ambitious sequel on the aging PS4 hardware naughty dog’s game is a technical marvel and the talented vocal cast delivers some of the finest performances in the medium while it’s debatable.
How well the game succeeds in its narrative ambition’s players are meant to feel bad about their actions but are also encouraged to brutally kill hundreds of enemies.
Hey did someone say Ludo narrative dissonance the last of us part 2 is an absolute must-play? I won’t let you take her this is our future think of all the lives. Best Video Games
We’ll save before we unveil our top pick here are a few honorable mentions journey to the savage planet for reminding us. Sci-fi games are allowed to be funny monster trains for scratching that deck building itch man-eater because we need more games, that let you play as a shark bug fables the everlasting sapling for being paper Mario with bugs.
#1 Animal Crossing-New Horizons
Animal Crossing-New Horizons every so often a game comes along at just the right time and in a year like 2020, timing really can make all the difference animal crossing new horizons was released just as much of the world was entering lockdown stuck in their homes and filled with unease about the outside.
Worlds millions of players turned to this Nintendo switch title for some much-needed relaxation and social interaction the game’s low stakes island community building became an escape. Best Video Games
While the unique online features allowed players to share the experience with friends and strangers in a suddenly socially distant. The world is new horizons the best game of the year from a critical perspective maybe not but is it the most important absolutely in the mood.
For more such content, keep watching this space.