{"id":2027,"date":"2020-12-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1332439"},"modified":"2020-12-31T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-31T09:00:00","slug":"the-10-video-games-that-made-2020-bearable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=2027","title":{"rendered":"The 10 video games that made 2020 bearable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/plugged?filter_last=1&amp;fit=1280%2C640&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2020%2F04%2FAnimal-Crossing-New-Horizons.jpg&amp;signature=b0a8437eb134efa70d5e75ee09adeacb\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s been a heckuva year, hasn\u2019t it? Global pandemic, mass lockdown, political strife, civil unrest, protests, conflicts, and I\u2019m only just listing the things I can remember.&nbsp;But in the middle of it all, 2020 had one saving grace: video games. Stuck at home, more people turned to gaming than ever before. We had two console launches, both of which turned out to be pretty good.&nbsp;We had a few disappointments this year \u2014 the launch of&nbsp;<i>Cyberpunk 2077<\/i>&nbsp;is probably the biggest letdown of the year \u2014 but for the most part we had some great games and we had a lot to enjoy.<\/p>\n<p>Usually, I do a top 10 list of games, separated out by genre (you can read the ones I wrote for <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/gaming\/2018\/12\/27\/top-ten-video-games-2018\/\">2018<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/gaming\/2019\/12\/29\/tnws-top-10-best-video-games-of-2019\/\">2019<\/a>). But the way this year has been, it feels arbitrary and unsporting to limit the accolades to only one game per genre. Frankly, games did so much to make 2020 bearable that I don\u2019t want to make them compete against each other for some kind of top slot at all.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, I\u2019m going to list the games of this year that were the most enjoyable, the ones that did the most to distract us from this gloomy, daunting trip around the sun.&nbsp;So let\u2019s celebrate, in no particular order, the best games of 2020!<\/p>\n<h2>Animal Crossing: New Horizons<\/h2>\n<p>Was there any game that was more of a tonic for 2020 than this one? Pretty, low-stakes, child-friendly, and addictive, <i>New Horizons<\/i> was the game we needed in 2020. Thanks to a release date that coincided with the serious onset of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, most of us were happy to escape to our little island paradises.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_3YNL0OWio0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i>New Horizons<\/i> has remained a rather self-conscious part of the zeitgeist, becoming a staging ground for public events, including the 2020 US presidential election. It was odd, as this fluffy life simulator would probably, in a less eventful year, have been a niche product for dedicated Nintendo fans. Instead it was discovered by hundreds, if not thousands of new fans, and it continues to be supported to this day.<\/p>\n<h2>The Last of Us Part II<\/h2>\n<p>In contrast to the above, a game about a communicable disease ravaging the world and destroying lives might have been inadvertently flirting with poor taste. It\u2019s lucky then that <i>The Last of Us Part II<\/i> is such a darned good game that we can basically overlook that. While the gameplay may not have been a huge evolution from the first, <i>Part II<\/i>\u2019s most interesting additions were in the story.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/II5UsqP2JAk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>While it may have been somewhat controversial, Naughty Dog\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/gaming\/2020\/06\/12\/the-last-of-us-part-2-is-a-phenomenal-send-off-for-this-console-generation\/\">audacious story decisions<\/a> and new characters shook up the in-game status quo and introduced a complex central mechanic. It also allowed Ellie to take a deserved step to center stage and grow as a person. It\u2019s a rewarding sequel that doesn\u2019t merely trade on the love of the original, and a damned good horror game as well.<\/p>\n<h2>Doom Eternal<\/h2>\n<p>Coming out on the same day as <i>Animal Crossing: New Horizons<\/i>, you couldn\u2019t ask for a more different game than the sequel to 2016\u2019s <i>Doom<\/i>. <i>Doom Eternal<\/i> might be one of the only real representatives of the action genre to come out this year, but damned (literally) if it isn\u2019t an excellent one.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FkklG9MA0vM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>There has been no game this year as guiltlessly awesome and fun as <i>Doom Eternal<\/i>. Between the explosive speed of the gameplay, and the humor of the cutscenes, the game refuses to let you stop for breath. And I enjoyed every moment of it.<\/p>\n<h2>Hades<\/h2>\n<p>Okay, full disclosure: this is my personal pick for Game of the Year, if you force me to pick just one. Because this game did the impossible of drawing me in for dozens and dozens of hours, and I <i>hate <\/i>roguelikes. But even I, who could not have been less interested in this game\u2019s central mechanic, found myself absorbed and addicted to <i>Hades<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/91t0ha9x0AE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This game is a series of great things adding up to something better than the sum of their parts: great music, great character design, great use of classical myth, great blending of story and gameplay, and <i>really great <\/i>voice acting. It\u2019s a great game and probably the one I will spend the most time playing well into 2021.<\/p>\n<h2>Ghost of Tsushima<\/h2>\n<p><span>A game I\u2019ve been dying to see since it was announced, <\/span><i><span>Ghost of Tsushima<\/span><\/i><span> is <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/gaming\/2020\/07\/14\/ghost-of-tsushima-is-samurai-assassins-creed-and-not-much-else\/\">the historical ninja-simulator<\/a> that we\u2019ve kind of been hoping the <\/span><i><span>Assassin\u2019s Creed <\/span><\/i><span>series would be one day. But I\u2019m not sure how <\/span><i><span>AC<\/span><\/i><span> could top this, because <\/span><i><span>Ghost <\/span><\/i><span>tells such a great slow-burn story that I don\u2019t think it could be topped in the same time period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b_iU_gnn28U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On top of that, the game is just great to play. The combat is intuitive, the stealth is challenging without being punishing, and the map is not so large you get open-world fatigue. It\u2019s a game that commits to telling its story a certain way and knows what it wants to achieve, which I both respect and enjoy. Also, the multiplayer has turned out to be excellent.<\/p>\n<h2>Fall Guys<\/h2>\n<p>Adding onto the above about colorful, joyous games really resonating this year, <i>Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout <\/i>was the multiplayer sensation this year for precisely those reasons. In a year in which many of us were separated from our friends and family, I can think of no better way to bring everyone together than a silly party game like this one.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wj3dUvGLjNQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i>Fall Guys <\/i>is that exact combination of cute and chaos that makes it perfect for everyone from the solo player to the Twitch streamer playing for a huge audience. It\u2019s also kid-friendly, something that I don\u2019t think can be underestimated given how many children were likely stuck inside with little else to do this year.<\/p>\n<h2>Ori &amp; the Will of the Wisps<\/h2>\n<p>One of the first games of the year, and probably my pick for the most beautiful, <i>Ori &amp; the Will of the Wisps<\/i> was an amazing follow-up to an already great game. It expands on and refines the platforming fun, and tells a touching story of love, sacrifice, and heroism with very few words spoken.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2reK8k8nwBc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I would go so far as to say this game is actually better than the original, because it <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/gaming\/2020\/03\/10\/my-favorite-thing-about-ori-will-wisps-its-characters\/\">adds one thing<\/a> the original was sorely lacking: a cast larger than four or so characters. Here Ori interacts with multiple creatures in its new home, doing actual sidequests and collecting missions on top of the main story. It\u2019s a great expansion of the original\u2019s winning formula.<\/p>\n<h2>Genshin Impact<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019d told me this time last year that a free-to-play, available-on-mobile, anime-style gacha MMORPG would be one of the big hits of this year, I\u2026 well, I wouldn\u2019t have doubted you, exactly, but I don\u2019t think even that description would have been enough to help me picture <i>Genshin Impact<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HLUY1nICQRY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This game\u2019s <i>Breath of the Wild <\/i>style and clever monetization are both the major factors that make it so absorbing. The world is so beautiful, and the characters so earnest and likeable that it more than makes up for the time and money it demands (or sneakily suggests) you invest in it.<\/p>\n<h2>Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla<\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s something so comforting about diving back into the world of <i>Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/i> \u2014 these games are always some combination of fun and educational, like a particularly stabby episode of <i>Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego<\/i>. This time, we slide into the shoes of Eivor the Viking and experience the life of this seafaring raider.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z-r2AhqxBzw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i>Valhalla <\/i>does take after the best parts of Odyssey, including the world exploration and the investment in side characters. While I\u2019m not a huge fan of how it overindulges in the Precursor backstory (something I consider to be the weakest part of the <i>AC <\/i>story), it is <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/gaming\/2020\/11\/09\/assassins-creed-valhalla-review-ps4-ps5-xbox-series-x\/\">a great joy<\/a> to return to the gameplay Ubisoft has spent over a decade polishing to a sheen.<\/p>\n<h2>Honorable mentions<\/h2>\n<p>These games weren\u2019t enough to make the list proper, but I felt they deserved acknowledgement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Madden 2021 &amp; UFC 4<\/strong>: I didn\u2019t play many (or any) sports games this year, so I bow to the superior knowledge of my colleague Tristan, who had this to say: \u201c2020 may have been tough for most gamers, but one silver lining was a return to form for EA\u2019s <em>Madden<\/em> and <em>UFC<\/em> series. <em>Madden 2021<\/em> solved the biggest problem from last year\u2019s title (imho) by fixing the passing game. The excellent \u201cFace of the Franchise\u201d and \u201cThe Yard\u201d modes both came out polished and ready to engage people beyond H2H and card-based modes. And <em>UFC 4<\/em> revolutionized its own control system, overhauled the career system and introduced a sweet old-school use-based experience system for individual moves that makes creating a specialist character with a bag of super-powered moves as easy as developing your own play style.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Astro\u2019s Playroom<\/strong>: Essentially a showcase for the <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/plugged\/2020\/10\/28\/hands-on-ps5-dualsense-controller-weird-shaky-wonder\/\">capabilities of the PS5\u2019s DualSense controller<\/a>, <em>Astro\u2019s<\/em>&nbsp;is a surprisingly fun little romp and a love letter to the history of Sony\u2019s console line. It may not have a compelling story or art design, but it was far and away the best puzzle game of the year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Among Us<\/strong>: Technically, I can\u2019t classify this as a great 2020 game because it didn\u2019t come out in 2020, but I would be remiss if I excluded <em>Among Us<\/em>, the little indie mystery social game that became a phenomenon thanks to Twitch streamers and YouTubers discovering it en masse. It\u2019s always nice to see an underdog triumph, and <em>Among Us<\/em> had by far the biggest cultural impact of any game this year.<\/p>\n<p>This is my last piece of writing as TNW\u2019s gaming geek, and it\u2019s great to go out on such a high note. May we all have as enjoyable a time gaming in 2021!<\/p>\n<p><i>Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/thenextweb\/newsletter\">and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-post-pubDate\"> Published December 31, 2020 \u2014 09:00 UTC <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/plugged\/2020\/12\/31\/the-10-video-games-that-made-2020-bearable\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been a heckuva year, hasn\u2019t it? Global pandemic, mass lockdown, political strife, civil unrest, protests, conflicts, and I\u2019m only just listing the things I can remember.&nbsp;But in the middle of it&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2027"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}