2020 is almost at an end…a year that most of us are very happy to say goodbye to. Still, there was some good gaming to be done. Let’s see which games made 2020 a good gaming year for our writers!
Yvonne’s Top Games 2020
What a year….but I’m guessing we all feel like that. I often think back to New Year’s Eve 2019, thinking how we went into 2020 with hope of a wonderful time. If you’d told us back then that now we would stay at home and not leave the house unless with a face mask, we’d have thought it a giant prank. How different is reality.
COVID for sure had an impact on the world of video games, with games delayed, big events cancelled and no way for indie developers to show their games in person. On the other hand, seems there has never been a better moment to start playing video games. Travel to an exotic new world when you can’t go out yourself.
Which brings me to my list of games I enjoyed the most in 2020
Animal Crossing New Horizons
Genre: Simulation
No doubt about it, it was the game I played most this year. Though I have a modest amount of hours on the clock, as I see many of my friends easily have double of my 260 played hours. Do you know what the game is about? Well, both Paula and Elena have the game in their top games of 2020 so you must have already read about it.
It had been a long wait for New Horizons to come to the Switch, after New Leaf that we got on the 3DS in 2013. But boy, was it worth it! I remember my daughter Caroline and me waiting side by side for midnight on March 20 to launch our pre-downloaded game. The first look at the texture in the graphics of my animal neighbors! The game looks so good and is so detailed it’s amazing. And looking at all the items you can use to decorate your island and your house. Wow!
At times I feel as if I don’t even know where to start: around the time ACNH was released I had started a new job ( working from home of course) so sadly I lacked the time to dive in fully. Which meant that friends had the most amazing islands, designed to the max, while I hadn’t unlocked the building aspect yet. No matter though, my island is slowly forming and keeps its wild charm.
Café Enchanté
Genre: visual novel
I love Café Enchanté! Visual novel, yes. About coffee making? No! About hot guys? Yes! But your average ones ending in happily ever after? Well, not exactly. CJ compared the game to the Hallmark Movie of Visual Novels, and I totally agree. The main story is so good, that the character chapters after that feel like a bonus.
It’s so much more then just a love story with beautiful guys. Mistake me not, they are indeed hot guys, even if a little strange (my taste, yours might differ). But aside from that, the story line of the main story is a real treat, it kept me playing to know what would happen next. Café Enchanté takes directions that I hadn’t expected, and doesn’t limit itself to building up just the love interest.
Love romantic stories? This is one with a twist. Not into overly romantic? This visual novel brings an interesting story to the table, so it may still be one to go for.
Summer in Mara
Genre: simulation
Summer in Mara is a simulation adventure of the kind that the Switch still needs more entries of in its library. It’s a purely wholesome game. I remember reviewers saying the game was merely a collection of quests going from A to B. But I disagree with that, you have to keep this in mind: you don’t play the game to go from A to B. You don’t play it to just to do all the quests and live the adventure. No, you do the quests to make the Home Island of Koa more beautiful, more bountiful and a real home. And meanwhile, you discover new islands, learn the story of new people and live through new adventures.
We have all been a little spoiled in simulation gaming by Animal Crossing: New Horizons but you must remember this game is made by a small studio, Chibig. It is clearly a project of love, so well made into the little details. Yes, there are some bugs to repair and there are some parts I’d like to see added, like a fully functioning inside of Koa’s home. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that I loved playing it.
Spiritfarer
Genre: simulation
Spiritfarer is a strange game, based on a sad concept but made in a beautiful way. You take over the role of Cerberus and ferry the deceased to the afterlife. But not before you travel with them for a while, their souls being in animal form.
Your boat gets bigger and bigger, housing crafting stations and rooms for your passengers. And only if they have laid the ghosts of the past to rest, can you bring them to their final destination. The game has sim elements like crafting, farming, questing and exploring and all of that is done in a unique way.
Aside from being a very special game, the soundtrack is wonderful too!
Atelier Escha & Logy, Alchemists of the Dusk Sea DX
Genre: simulation RPG
You may know that I’m a huge fan of the Atelier series, and you may also recognize Escha & Logy is an older entry in the series. But the game was released on the Switch in a special DX version as part of the three Dusk Atelier games.
It was my first time really playing the game and loving it. In the Alchemists of the Dusk Sky you get a choice right at the beginning: want to play as Escha Malier, a young girl in her first job as an alchemist? Or as Logix “Logy” Fiscario, the somewhat mysterious young man who got re-assigned from working as an alchemist in Central City to the backwaters of Colseit.
Choosing between the game offers a different perspective on the events that happen with some scenes even being different. Compared to the current Atelier Ryza you could say this game has more of a management game character.
People often ask me what my favorite Atelier game is, but honestly, I can’t choose. I just know this is a gem.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising
Genre: Action | Adventure
On the one hand I feel I haven’t played enough yet of Immortals: Fenyx Rising for the game to be on this list. On the other hand though, this fairly new game deserves spotlights in 2020. It is an adventure game that has looked very closely at Breath of the Wild, sure. But it has managed to give it its own brand too, based on Greek Mythology and chock full of humour. And what’s even better (for me): the game can be set on super easy, which makes the fighting a breeze. Exploring the beautiful world, solving the puzzles and following Fenyx on her quests. I love it, and intend to play a lot more during the Holidays!
Can someone play this Atelier game who hasn’t played any of the other games in that series?
Yes, that wouldn’t be a problem at all. Atelier games in fact all stand on their own, as in each the synthesis and battle systems are different from the last! You asked me once what my favorite would be, and I’ve thought about that a lot. I find it impossible to make a choice…Ryza though is the most complete one, an RPG ticking all the boxes in simulation gaming too. Like questing, crafting and decorating a house. The battle system is a bit more hectic then in older games. Still, if you want to jump in, this is a great start.