It’s safe to say 2020 hasn’t been a normal year. From raging bushfires to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, there’s been plenty of challenges to overcome. These changes have been met head on by the video games industry, which has continued to thrive in 2020. In a year with so much hardship game releases have continued, giving everyone a much needed break from reality.
Final Fantasy VII Remake made waves when it launched in March and Animal Crossing: New Horizons follow suit a few weeks later, bringing everyone the joy they were missing at the start of the year. We also had the incredible Ori and the Will of the Wisps in March, the gorgeous Ghost of Tsushima in July and the impressive rise of Fall Guys in August.
With so many incredible games already released this year, it’s difficult to narrow down our favourites — but read on to see which games made the final cut.
Kotaku Australia’s 2020 GOTY List
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
If you’ve ever wanted to play a game “just for fun”, then the Yakuza series is exactly what you want. Filled to the brim with ridiculous moments, Like A Dragon ups the ante with some surprisingly effective turn-based combat and a new protagonist that truly fits the franchise.
Plus, what other next-gen game will let you summon a hen that shoots out an egg at light speed just to heal your party? Only Yakuza will.
BUY the game here.
Demon’s Souls
An absolute triumph, and a crowning achievement for the continued excellence of Sony’s in-house masters of remasters, Bluepoint Games.
Read our full review here, and buy the game HERE.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
An excellent continuation of the Spider-Man saga, with an arguably more empathetic and engaging character. Miles’ journey to save Harlem and his city is an excellent opening for the PS5, and a great technical benchmark for future titles.
Read our full review here and buy the game HERE.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
BUY the game here.
Among Us
Among Us first launched in 2018, but its discovery by international streamers helped launch the deceptive party game into one of 2020’s most enormous hits. “That helped us get popularity there, and then sometime in the middle of 2019, [a YouTuber] in Brazil played it, and their fanbase picked it up, and it’s just been kind of slowing growing from there,” one of the developers told Kotaku.
You can download Among Us for free on Android or iOS through your phone’s app stores, or buy the game on PC through Steam.
Hades
Supergiant know how to make video games, and it’s not a stretch to say that Hades might be the pinnacle of the studio’s already excellent track record. “It’s an excellent roguelite, with an amazing story and addictive gameplay. But there’s another big reason why Hades is seeing such a massively positive response: Everyone is so friggin’ hot,” Ash wrote.
You can buy Hades through the Epic Games Store or Steam,where it has a 98 per cent user rating from almost 45,000 reviews. Not bad, Supergiant.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Seriously, you won’t find an RPG like Paper Mario anywhere else. You can buy the digital version through the eShop or the (cheaper) physical copy here.
Star Wars: Squadrons
I’m still waiting for some crucial patches to fix up parts of the PC experience, but even if you skip the multiplayer and just enjoy the campaign alone, Star Wars Squadrons is one hell of a game. And, if we’re being honest, the kind of Star Wars game everyone has been screaming at EA to make since they got the license.
You can buy Star Wars Squadrons HERE for consoles, and here on Steam.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
Fall Guys
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
Crusader Kings 3
Paradox games are always incredible in scope — but for maybe the first time, they’ve also backed up with some serious UI improvements. A huge recommended game to anyone who enjoys visual novels, Bioware games, system simulators, you name it — you’ll find something in Crusader Kings 3 to your taste.
You can read our full review here, and buy the game through Steam.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
You can read Leah’s full review of the latest Crash here, and buy the game here.
Golf With Your Friends
Blacklight Interactive’s Golf With Your Friends proved to be a very popular title back in May, reaching Steam’s top steam releases when it launched. There’s a good reason — Golf With Your Friends is wacky good fun, and great to play with friends. There’s a range of wild courses to choose from and each one has its own unique secrets to discover. Whether you’re good at the game or not doesn’t matter. It’s so fun you’ll have a good time anyway.
It’s always nice to see Aussie games succeed and Golf With Yout Friends certainly deserves its place among the best games of 2020.
WATCH the Kotaku Australia playthrough here.
BUY the game here.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
Desperadoes 3
READ the Kotaku Australia impressions piece here.
BUY the game here.
Valorant
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
PLAY the game here.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
The Last of Us Part 2
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
Ghost of Tsushima
READ the Kotaku Australia review here.
BUY the game here.
What are your best games of 2020 so far? Did we miss any of yours? Share your best games of 2020 below, and tell us why they should be on the list!
Stay tuned to Kotaku Australia for all the latest news and updates from the worlds of gaming and pop culture.
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