Well it’s been a year that’s for sure. With all the weirdness in the world I found myself turning to lots of what I would call my “comfort food” games. Games like No Man’s Sky, Forza Horizon 4, and Master of Orion. The games I can get into and not have to think about it much, just escape. I also found with a sudden abundance of time to spend at home I finished up lots of games I had started and had just moved on from, not because I didn’t like them but because something shiny got my attention. Games like Ape Out, Breath of the Wild DLC, and Luigi’s Mansion 3.
There were also lots of new games, new experiences, and even a new console generation started. There probably would have been more games this year, had there not been you know a global pandemic, but it was almost a blessing to gamers as many people started diving into their back catalogs of games bought with good intentions of playing and playing stuff they felt they didn’t have time for before. Like I said it’s been a weird ass year.
Please remember our lists here at the Grumpy Old Gamers are not necessarily games that came out this year, just the best things we played. So without further adieu here is my list of top 5 games I played this year.
Number 5
The Division 2 – PS4
It all started early February 2020, in preparation for the release of the expansion DLC for The Division 2, Ubisoft put the base game on sale for a ridiculously low price, I paid $3.99 for it. I thought this was crazy, one of Ubisoft’s flagship titles at such a low price, so I bought it everywhere I could. I had heard that The Division 2 wasn’t living up to expectations and that they were going to fix it all with the Warlords of New York DLC. So I thought heck I have the game now and I had recently enjoyed my journey through Assassins Creed Origins, let’s hop in and give it a go.
Well I never expected to be sucked in as quickly as I was, especially with the storyline hitting a little close to home with what was happening in the world at the time (The Division takes place after a biological weapon wipes out large numbers of humanity). I had tried a couple hours of the first Division and it never really clicked, it had seemed super dependent on online groupings and it really felt if you weren’t grouped up with friends or strangers that you were in trouble, whether it was the case or not I found none of that here. I hopped in and started blasting my way through Washington DC, I had never played any of the other Ubisoft Tom Clancy shooters (Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Ect) and hadn’t played a Splinter Cell since it was on Gamecube so I really had no idea what to expect. Gameplay wise I also had never really played a shooter where taking cover was one of the main gameplay mechanics, a little tricky to master at first but the intuitive controls soon became second nature and away I went.
In the Division 2 Ubisoft has created an amazingly detailed version of Washington DC and this was one of the main things that really drew me into the game. Every building you go into and every street you walk down feels unique and never cookie cutter or re-used, it all feels quite authentic. The loot of the game is expansive, there are so many types and styles of gun you will find yourself upgrading constantly, I found myself constantly being surprised by the latest cool ass gun I had looted in my backpack and played many different styles of them before settling on my favorites. The main campaign of the game is expansive and a great story, and there is never a lack of things to do. There are always NPC’s you can assist and you constantly have calls from other players for assistance (you can call for help too) who are having trouble in levels or with instances. My online matchmaking experiences were almost overwhelmingly positive, because you can fight your way solo through some of the later content, but it goes a lot more smoothly with a group and you all are there for the same reason, so griefing was a minimum.
I completed the main campaign in a few weeks and decided at that time not to pursue the Warlords of New York expansion. It was a weird time in the world and my life and the further threat of a humanity ending virus was a little too real. I have just recently picked up the expansion and I must say it’s pretty awesome, maybe it will end up on next year’s list 😉
Number 4
Stardew Valley – Nintendo Switch
Stardew valley came to me at a perfect time in my life. It started out I got my wife playing it and after watching her play a few dozen hours it was looking more interesting to me. So I dove in, and I found it was exactly what I needed, no killing, no multiplayer hassles just sweet sweet farming. Its 16-bit like graphics really add to the charm and a sense of comfort to this game. Stardew Valley has become my bedtime game and it’s the perfect pace to help me unwind after a stressful day. The brief story of the game is you work at a giant corporation and you just become sick of it one day and head to the farm that your Grandfather left you in his will. From there you meet the welcoming townsfolk and begin your farming career. You start off with some basic seeds and from there you need to make your money selling what you grow and what you collect. For collecting there is seasonable stuff that appears, but there is also mining, forestry and fishing. The seasons change and there are 28 days to a season, and there is always a ton to do everyday. I honestly find the most solace in tending my garden, watering my plants, trying to get the best yields from the different things I plant. I know you can look up a multitude of spreadsheets online that can lay this out for you, but really where is the fun in that? So let me say if you are feeling a bit of the COVID blues, a trip to Stardew Valley might be just what you need.
Number 3
A Plague Tale: Innocence – Xbox One
A Plague tale: Innocence is described as an action adventure, stealth, survival horror. I think that sums it up pretty well. In 1348 France two siblings Amicia and Hugo escape their estate after Inquisition forces attack looking to take Hugo into custody for some reason. Your mother directs you to find the family doctor and your journey begins. The setting of this game is great, such a weird archaic time, and the stealth mechanics work great. The real stars of this game are the hordes upon hordes of RATS, there are just so many in swarms, and the only thing they fear is light. Which makes for some great stealth and puzzle situations. Amicia is armed with a sling shot and she will do things like knock a lamp over to spill fuel and make more light so you can get by a swarm or knock a guard in the head and make him walk into a horde of rats. So between the stealth, the puzzle and the story this game really drew me in and kept my attention until the end. If you like the stealth games and the puzzles that can come with it, I highly recommend A Plague Tale: Innocence.
Number 2
Last of Us 2 – PS4
So there will be some people that are surprised this isn’t my number one, but there really was one other game that I enjoyed playing more this year. But let’s get to LoU2. LoU2 was definitely the second most anticipated game of 2020 for gamers, it suffered some release delays but they were short compared to others. To start off this game is a technical marvel on every level, this is one of those games that at the end of the life of the PS4 they have figured out how to get every last bit of juice out of a PS4, and used it all to its highest potential. The amount of love put into the details of the environment of this game put The Division 2’s details to shame, I did find myself looking and searching everything I could, not only because you should “Always Be Scavenging” in this game if you are going to survive it, but because there was always something to pique my interest or visually stun in every nook and cranny. The journey in LoU2 is a difficult one, and I’m not even referring to gameplay, I played in normal mode and there was only 1 encounter I had to walk away from for a bit because I found it frustratingly difficult. I am referring to the journey of Ellie, and boy is it a doozy. Ellie is hell bent on revenge and does not care who or what gets in her way on her journey. This is where my problem lies in the game, playing Ellie I was constantly put in situations where I was forced to do things I wouldn’t do In my life, and honestly when the game was all said and done, I’m just not a fan of Ellie. I know this is where so much debate of this game came up, but in this day and age of video gaming, the choices felt way too linear for what was seemingly this huge expansive journey, and quite often the choices were between being bad and being worse. Her journey of revenge often just feels like a homicidal murder spree filled with senseless cold blooded killings that show that Ellie may be more of a monster than any clicker ever is. But luckily Ellie’s journey is only half the game, I won’t spoil what the other half of the game is, and might have revealed too much already but will leave it at that. The last half of the game I had such a better time than the first half, but that was until the final act/epilogue. The finale of this game had me angry and sad and just feeling like “enough already” which I will give kudos for because that is the sign of an amazing game to spark so much emotion. Also as many others have said this game leaves you thinking long after you’re finished playing on the story and your decisions. After much thought I came to the conclusion that Last of Us 2 is a masterpiece… and Ellie is an A-hole.
Number 1
Control – PC
I know I know late to the party again, but I really wanted to wait and play this on a PC that could handle the beautiful graphics, and I am so glad I did wait. This game is gorgeous, and on top of the gorgeous graphics the story is right up my alley. A quick summary is you play Jesse who may or may not have some latent psychic abilities, but someone has led her to the oldest house. Which is basically this paranormal skyscraper that seems to be the epicenter of all paranormal activities in the world. Jesse was led to this building because the people who run this building came and took her brother away when they were just children. The people who run the building are called the federal bureau of Control. The mystery unfolds nicely and there is plenty to do with the main story and side missions, and it all takes place in the oldest house. I ate all this stuff up, there is so much detail and love put into everything, even though so much of it shouldn’t make sense… but it does. The action in this game is top notch, the puzzles are challenging but not frustrating, and the bad guys are numerous. But the thing that put this over the top for me were the final 2 levels of this game. The second last level I haven’t felt that pumped playing a level since I was a kid, my wife came to see what was wrong while I was playing cause I was hooting and hollering and just making a bunch of racket. Then the final level I have never felt that a game has brought such a perfect culmination of everything you have learned previously in the game, to use in the final showdown. This game alone is worth trying just to get to these 2 levels, which I know is a big commitment, but boy you won’t be disappointed.
The Grumpy Old Gamers 
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