Excluding 2020 releases, what are your top games of the year so far?

[Mayellie]

I saw a thread about people’s interim GOTY earlier. I’ve only played one 2020 release (The Last of Us Part 2), so I don’t have many options to pick from, and others haven’t played any 2020 releases at all. However, I’ve played a couple of games that weren’t released in 2020 which are my favorites of the year (for now, at least).

 

So, excluding 2020 releases, what are your top games of the year so far? (Any console)

 

Mine are:

• Yakuza 0 (A crazy fun game, easily up to 150+ hours’ worth of playtime, a great story, and a regular sale price of $9.99 to boot. What’s not to like?)
• God of War III Remastered (Kratos destroying shit in an awesome way. Enough said)
• BioShock (About 13 years late to the party for this one. Still playing through it, but easily the most innovative shooter I’ve played)
• LA Noire (In a parallel universe, I’d be a detective. The story is interesting, the cases well-designed, and I loved examining crime scenes and interrogating suspects)
• Assassin’s Creed: Origins (Loved the setting and the gameplay was fun)
• Cat Quest II (Can’t believe I forgot this one and had to edit it in. Easily the most cheerful, vibrant, and lighthearted game out there, and it’s full of cat puns. Love it!)

Edited July 28, 2020 by Mayellie

[nrs1nrs1]

My actual 2020 GOTY right now is FF7 Remake, but I've played plenty of games that weren't released in 2020 this year and I think it would boil down to:

 

• Final Fantasy 7 (1997) - Never played it when it released and I'm blown away by how much I enjoyed it.
• Afterparty - very dry and silly humor that I found incredibly compelling and a short game to boot.
• Days Gone - obligatory "this game is underrated", I had so much fun with Days Gone, the hordes were exactly the type of challenge I enjoy!
• The Wolf Among Us - another one that I had previously overlooked, I loved the setting and characters immensely.
• Resident Evil 7: biohazard - one of my bigger games this year, I started RE7 years ago and was too spooked to continue. Came back this year and absolutely adored it, even on Madhouse difficulty.

[Beyondthegrave07]

Bloodborne with Catherine Full Body being a close second.

 

I played Bloodborne mostly with a friend and we had a blast. I did a bloodtinge/Skill build and he was more of a bulky tank with a huge sword. We died a lot, but we had so much fun together. I took on some of the chalices and side bosses by myself, but I found playing with a friend more satisfying. I loved it so much that I made it plat #100 and bought the DLC and completed it.

 

I also really loved Catherine Full Body as well. The story is just fantastic, and I absolutely adored the intense cutscenes and gut-wrenching moments. The gameplay was also really unique. I love puzzle games like these and it's one of those games that's easy to pick up but difficult to master. The music is fantastic and there were times I'd chill in the bar to listen to it or attempting Babel several times because the OST for those specifically are great.

 

Really have played some great games so far. Hoping to squeeze in some more in the next few months since my PTO is building up. Haha.

[Golem25]

Persona 4 Golden.

 

It took me until this year to buy and play it on Vita. I should be absolutely ashamed of myself, and I frankly am. Platinum will be my 4,000th Trophy next month.

[WayfarerFox]

Hmmm I haven't played a ton of games this year honestly mainly due to everything I've played has been pretty grindy. My favourites though have to be;

 

• Yakuza 0 - It was you who got me to buy this game and it turns out it was one of the best suggestions you've ever had for me.? The overall sheer amount of content in the game is satisfying. When it got serious and all the whacky moments were all amazing to experience. Even the time you beat my ass at all of the mini games. I'll let you off with that one though due to the fact you pushed the series on me.
• Cat Quest 1 & 2 - Another series you introduced me to. I absolutely love these style of games and everything they stand for. All fun, good humoured games which don't take themselves too seriously. Made the first one a milestone of mine and had an absolute blast playing the second game with you recently. Wish the platinum would of counted on my account to.  
• AC Origins & Odyssey - Bunched these together because I have the same thing to say about them. The best move the series took in a long time was switching it to an RPG styled game. Had an absolute blast on Origins and had an even bigger one on Odyssey. 
• Evil Within - This game is so trippy. I had an absolute blast with it though. Finding stuff out as you progress really makes you go further down the rabbit hole and definitely worth playing if you're into horror games.

Edited July 28, 2020 by ImmortalFox-

[StraightVege]

Hitman (2016) and Hitman 2 (2018). What a return to form for the series after Absolution; I didn't expect these to be so good.

[Deadsh0tdoubleG]

I am on the same boat. The only 2020 release that I have played so far is TLOUP2.

 

As for the rest:

• Outer Wilds (Xbox One) Easily the best game I have played so far. Unique and intriguing like very few games out there. Getting it for free from a Mixer (RIP) E3 Stream a few years ago was the icing on the cake!
• Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) Another great Yakuza game. Can't wait to continue the Kiryu saga with the remaining four games. For now, I am getting my dosage with Judgment, which is quite strong so far.
• Bastion (PS4) I was really impressed by the newer Supergiant games (Pyre and Transistor), this one was no different.
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4) I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed Human Revolution (which is one of the best games I have ever played), if not more.
• AC: Revelations (Xbox One) A nice ending to the Ezio trilogy.

As a bonus, I would mention Death Stranding, cause I finished it in 2020 ?, And if I wasn't including games that I explicitly started this year, it would be right beside Outer Wilds at the very top.

[Dr_Mayus]

Best game so far is Dragon Quest 11

[Conor]

 

 

I would go for God of War, which I just platted and could well be my Game of The Generation. I've also loved Horizon Zero Dawn, Jedi: Fallen Order and I'm also playing Bloodborne on an alt account, but I'm really loving it so I'll begin again on this one soon.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Lan Stee

[Aceterix]

For me it's between Yakuza Kiwami and Assassin's Creed Origins, it's too close for me to call a winner from those.

 

Honourable mentions must go to Broken Age which I was very pleasantly surprised by and Steins Gate 0 which i thought was more consistently enjoyable than the first game.

[Feral]

Stardew Valley, it's just got a certain charm to it. Also really enjoyed Deus Ex Human Revolution, awesome game.

[Aceterix]

2 minutes ago, Feral said:

Stardew Valley, it's just got a certain charm to it. Also really enjoyed Deus Ex Human Revolution, awesome game.

Did they ever make Stardew valley multiplayer? I remember it said it was on the box but then there was no option

[JaM]

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception - Revived my love for Visual Novels. I have just finished Mask of Truth but I still prefer Mask of Deception's story.

Tokyo Xanadu - Fun combat system. The story dragged a bit (what's new right Falcom?), the added functions in EX+ is nice addition I guess?

Nioh - Found at random while checking my "Free" games... Frustrating but fun. 

 

[EcoShifter]

No order

• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Marvel Spider-Man
• Rime
• Dragon Ball Z: Kararot
• Call of Duty Classic

[Feral]

55 minutes ago, Aceterix said:

Did they ever make Stardew valley multiplayer? I remember it said it was on the box but then there was no option

Yeah, you can play co-op

[thinktank79]

Zombie Vikings- one of the legit funniest games I’ve played. A side scrolling beat ‘em up But it has tons of personality & doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. It’s by Zoink but it’s in the vein of Stick it to the Man than what Fe was. 
 

If you’re going for trophies the net code is funky so it’s easier if you have someone at home to play with 

[Dav9834]

So games I've played this year but we're released before 2020

 

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered hands down, loved it, even for the 40th (probably more) time of playing the game

Edited July 29, 2020 by Dav9834

[Whitelightnin683]

My top games in no order:

• Furi - Best indie title I've played in a while. A short action game filled with fun and intense boss fights.
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - This one barely makes the cut (released in 2019), but a great expansion to an awesome game. 
• Tokyo Xanadu eX+ - Another quality JRPG from Falcom as usual. Good story and combat system similar to the modern Ys games.
• Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - Not much to say here other than classic FF at it's best.
• Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception - Excellent VN. Looking forward to it's sequel Mask of Truth.

[Z1MZUM]

Lots of great games played

 

• Shinobido 2 on Vita TV - First game I bought in Japan back in January, loved it so much I bought the American and Eu versions when I got home.
• Akibas Trip 2 on PS3 - Second game I bought in Japan, bought 4 other versions and I really loved playing it.
• Persona 3 FES on PS3/PS2 - I love this game and played many times.
• Yakuza Ishin on the PS3 - How is this game not translated? Even on the PS3 this game looks and plays amazing, I got most of the story.
• Earth Defense Force 3 Portable Vita - EDF Mofo's

[PeachyJacobs]

Death Stranding for me. I was so on the fence with this game on whether to get it or not which is why I played it late. Amazing game. So glad I decided to jump in and give it a go. It's really one not to be missed and I highly recommend trying it out for anyone that hasn't played it.

 

I also finished up my 100% on Resident Evil 7 earlier in the year, that was quite rewarding. Some of those DLC's were a challenge. I really enjoyed the game as a whole as well and looking forward to seeing where they take things with 8.

[Mayellie]

12 hours ago, nrs1nrs1 said:

Afterparty - very dry and silly humor that I found incredibly compelling and a short game to boot.

 

Afterparty is on my wishlist! I very unexpectedly enjoyed Oxenfree, so I’ve had my eyes on Afterparty since release. TWAU is also great, and it's my favorite Telltale. I hope the sequel doesn't take ages to release.

 

12 hours ago, Beyondthegrave07 said:

Bloodborne with Catherine Full Body being a close second

 

Bloodborne is in my backlog waiting for its turn (thank you, PS+). I’ve never played a “Soulsborne” game, so it’ll be an interesting experience because I'm pretty impatient. I’ve also heard a ton about Catherine: Full Body, so I think it might be worth looking into!

 

 

10 hours ago, Deadsh0tdoubleG said:

Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) Another great Yakuza game. Can't wait to continue the Kiryu saga with the remaining four games. For now, I am getting my dosage with Judgment, which is quite strong so far.

 

10 hours ago, Aceterix said:

For me it's between Yakuza Kiwami and Assassin's Creed Origins, it's too close for me to call a winner from those.

 

Yakuza is such a fantastic franchise. I definitely need to dive into Kiwami (missed it when it was on PS+... ?). Still not done with the side businesses in 0, though. I didn't think it'd be such a "busy" game with tons of activities to do post-story, but I'm glad it is.  

 

 

10 hours ago, Lan Stee said:

I would go for God of War, which I just platted and could well be my Game of The Generation.

 

God of War is in my backlog! At first, I wasn’t sure about how they reinvented it. Something like “don’t fix it if it ain’t broken”, but I’ve heard nothing but immense praise. So I look forward to playing it  

[xxEliteCDxx]

I would say Horizon zero Dawn, it is a very enjoyable Role-Playing game, with a really interesting plot and an excellent combat system. It has a wide variety of main storyline missions and additional side quests, and the Frozen Wilds DLC was a great addition to the game!

 

Another great game that i really had a wonderful time playing was Raging Loop, a horror virtual novel!  It has a really interesting combination of comedy and mystery, and it is definitely one of the best virtual novel games that i have played up to now!  ?

 

 

 

 

[JoaLoft]

I play a lot of fresh releases each year (as you know, @Mayellie), but I do try to catch up to older games. I also played a few games again, mostly for trophies, so I do have two kinds of games to list so far: games from before 2020 that I finished for the first time, and games from before 2020 that I already finished in the past. The latter will be marked with an asterisk.

 

• BioShock Infinite(*): Won't have to tell you that I still think this is a phenomenal game (ditto story). No further comment, you'll have to play it for yourself!
• Titanfall 2: Multiplayer was pretty fun, but the campaign was so solid! BT-7274 has to be one of my favorite sidekicks in recent gaming memory. I really hope we'll get a Titanfall 3 sometime down the road.
• Yakuza 0: I own all main Yakuza entries on PS4, and it's a travesty I only got around to finishing one of them this year. But, Yakuza 0 was such a thrill. I'm excited to play all the other ones now too (when I find the time, haha!)
• Shadow of the Colossus (PS4): That game. That soundtrack. THAT SOUNDTRACK! *cough* Really great game, that will be all.
• L.A. Noire(*): Another smash hit from Rockstar's stables! There's nothing quite like this out there and the possibilities for a spiritual sequel are near-endless. I wouldn't mind a "London Noire", truth be told.

 

I did also replay Mafia 3 and finish Spyro Reignited Trilogy this year, but I wouldn't count both as absolute must-plays. Mafia 3's open world events tend to get tedious, and Spyro is pretty light-hearted. Still recommend you check them out, though!

 

Those are my top games of the year so far (that didn't come out in the clusterfuck of a year that 2020 has been so far).

[DrBloodmoney]

Of all the non-2020 games I played this year, so far none can hold a candle to Outer Wilds.

[mecharobot]

I don't have many stellar experiences this year, especially with new games. I think the winner of 2020 is going to be Suikoden V, though it does feel incomplete at points and a few other issues like somewhat formulaic plot progression once the game establishes itself. Still 8/10 game, liked many of the characters, art, music and got a bit emotional at few scenes.

 

Frankly speaking I'm not sure if I'm going to start another story heavy game and certainly not a "cinematic" one. For some reason I don't have this problem with older (or lower budget) games with reading text boxes and such... dunno why that is, but these games with long cinematics of characters talking about nothing make me bored real fast. Have a few fighting games and rhythm games ordered, so maybe that'll be a change of pace.

Edited July 29, 2020 by mecharobot