Most yearly gaming round-ups are a showcase of the best and brightest that year had to offer. This is not that list. To be fair, I don’t think it was that YEAR either – majority, if not all, games were delayed. And we saw potentially one of the weakest next-gen console launches in history.
We have been told to stay at home, isolated and socially distant. But this is what we’ve been training for – for we are gamers!
I was ready. I AM ready.
Here’s where a lot of quarantine time went. My top 5 games of the year (that I played!):
Number 5
Rocket League
I was several years late to the party on this one, and what a party it is.
Hard to fault this game- incredible entertainment value! (it recently became free-to-play). Also, hard to explain this one, but I will do my best:
It’s.. Soccer. But with rocket cars. Sounds fun right?
It is.
Number 4
Steamworld Dig 2
Metroidvanias are awesome. Steamworld Dig 2 is one of the best iterations of the genre if you’re a fan, OR a great place to start if you’ve never delved into this type of game. The setting: A Steampunk/Western game in which your mining robot digs through sprawling caverns and catacombs, while collecting resources and items that allow you to go a little bit deeper each time. It is legitimately one of the MOST addictive gameplay loops in recent memory. I can’t count the number of times this game kept me up past my bedtime. That urge to cash in, and head back down for one more dig. And before you know it the one more dig was actually five more digs.
But yeah, ONE MORE DIG.
Number 3
Shantae: Half Genie Hero/Seven Sirens
This is cheating, as this is two separate games. They are fairly short experiences for a single play through, roughly 10 hours a piece, so I’m doing a 2-in-1.
I really feel like more people should know about this series. WayForward has developed Shantae games since the GameBoy Color in 2002, with 5 games total in the series. The series itself has gathered somewhat of a cult-following. For example, Limited Run games releases highly sought physical/collectors editions that sell out in moments. So, what is it?
A solid platformer/Metroidvania. Seven Sirens leaning more in the classic Metroidvania territory. The titular protagonist using her half genie powers to traverse and unlock more areas through an immensely colorful world. All facets of these games have been crafted with care and attention to detail; from the beautiful art style and great writing, to the awesome music that will surely get stuck in your head. The only gripe I had with either of them is that the initial play throughs are a bit short, however multiple playthroughs are encouraged through character unlocks and alternate game modes. Completionist playthroughs will be much longer as there are many secret areas to discover.
Hopefully, this is a series that continues, as these two games have made a huge fan out of me!
Number 2
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Recently nominated for RPG of the year at The Game Awards; a unique take on both the Yakuza series, and the turn based RPG genre as a whole. And one of the most likable protagonists in video gaming, ever, in Ichiban Kasuga. A washed up 40-something ex-Yakuza, with a fanatical obsession for Dragon Warrior video games. His fascination for that old-school turn based RPG is the correlation for Like a Dragon’s own turn based battles; he sees the “real world” like a JRPG. It is sort of meta, brilliant, and allows the awesome ridiculousness of this game to fit within the Yakuza franchise.
I’m new to the Yakuza franchise myself, having only recently played through Yakuza 0 when it arrived on Game Pass (and then subsequently started Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the original Yakuza from the PS2), Like A Dragon is a stand-alone in the series- so you’re alright to jump into this one if you’re not wanting to play 1.5 decades worth of Japanese crime drama.
If you’re into quirky Sega humour, or turn based RPGs (and I’m into both!), there’s a ton of fun to be had here. This will eat a lot of my time over the holidays.
Number 1
Splatoon 2 – Switch
Like many gamers, I have played copious amounts of shooter games. There are some legendary classics like Goldeneye, and long-standing favorites like Halo 3; but there is NO shooter like Splatoon 2.
I’ll just get this out of the way, I’ve put more than 200 hours into this game. Most people I talk to about this game have poignant things to say, like “what?” or “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” This is somewhat surprising, as this game has sold about 11.3 million copies, putting it at #9 of best selling Switch games to date.
Splatoon 2 is a genuinely innovative competitive squad-based shooter. The outside appearances might have most mature gamers thinking this is a kid’s game- kids can play too due to the wealth of accessibility options (gyro aiming, for instance), and “non-violent” aesthetic (all weapons fire ink instead of bullets)- but the depth of this game is enough for gamers of any age. Nintendo are truly masters of game design in any genre, and this is no exception. One example: Most shooters have you dashing, ducking, and reloading in efforts to get the jump on your opponents; Splatoon 2 has all three of those mapped to the same button. You swim through your team’s own colored ink, and while doing so you move much faster, and refill your ink reserves at the same time.
This release does have a single player campaign, which is very well done, but serves mostly as a purpose to prime you for the online play. There is also a cooperative PvE mode added in as well (known as Salmon Run). Truly a full package.
It’s not a perfect game, Nintendo went WAY out of their way to make simple things like voice chat a tremendous pain in the ass – you must use the Nintendo mobile app on your smartphone and chat through there (I’ve setup discord to circumvent this.. seriously Nintendo, get it together) Not all ranked game modes/maps available at all times, but they rotate through a set schedule. (this has the possibly intentional effect of never having to wait long for accurate matchmaking , but if you’re not into the particular game type offered, you have to wait for up to 2 hours for the refresh). League matches are for pairs and foursomes only, if you have a 3rd wheel you’re out of luck unless you play regular Turf War, or the aforementioned PvE mode.
This all said. It’s the game I’ve played the most this year, and likely a good chunk of 2021 as well.
The Grumpy Old Gamers 
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