The 50 best video games of 2020 - Polygon

They began to play games again, not as a workday distraction but as an after-work hobby. Top 50 Polygon GOTY 2020. For our 2020 guide to the ... Skiptomaincontent clock menu more-arrow no yes poly-lt-wire-logo Theclassof2020 Illustration:JamesBareham/Polygon |Sourceimages:Various Filedunder: GamesoftheYear2020 The50bestgamesof2020 Frombigtosmall,werankthemall By PolygonStaff Dec14,2020,11:47amEST IfyoubuysomethingfromaPolygonlink,VoxMediamayearnacommission.Seeourethicsstatement. Sharethisstory SharethisonFacebook SharethisonTwitter Share Allsharingoptions Share Allsharingoptionsfor: The50bestgamesof2020 Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email Whenthepandemichit,weallsaidgoodbyetoseeingfriends,attendingconcerts,touringmuseums,eatingatrestaurants,sittinginmovietheaters,andeverythingelsebeyondthewallsofourapartmentsandhomesthatcan’taccommodateCDCguidelines. Withtheoutsideworldlost,wecollectivelylookedforaworldinside.Andthere,asifpurposefullyconstructedasananswertothisquestionwefoundourselvesasking,satAnimalCrossing.Millionsofpeoplewho’ddabbledingamesontheirphonesrememberedwhatitwasliketositonacouchandplaygamesonatelevision.Withinfinitetimeandfewdistractions,theyorderedaNintendoSwitch.Theybegantoplaygamesagain,notasaworkdaydistractionbutasanafter-workhobby. Forour2020guidetothebestentertainmentoftheyear,Polygoniscountingdownourtop10withacollectionofessaysalongwithourfullTop50list.Throughoutthemonth,we’llbelookingbackontheyearwithspecialvideos,essays,andsurprises! 2020didn’tmakegamesnormal;thatprocesshasbeenhappeningoverthepastdecades.Gamesfilledprime-timetelevision,withCallofDutycommercialsrunningduringtheNBAplayoffs,andCBSsitcomsmakingreferencestoWorldofWarcraft.Millionsofpeoplewhowouldneveridentifyas“gamers”beganplayingidlegamesforhourseachday.ThencameFortnite,tyingtogethermobilefree-to-playgamesandblockbusterquality,andthediewascast. Thisyearsimplycementedthatnormalcystatus.It’slikewhenprestigeTVfilledcablechannels;suddenly,“Idon’tevenwatchTV”transitionedfromabragtoanembarrassment.Now,everybody’sexpectedtocareatleastalittleaboutgames,lesttheybemistakenforpopculturetroglodytes. Bythesummerofthisyear,itwasevidentthatAnimalCrossinghadbecomeagateway.Anecdotallyspeaking,thisyearweatPolygonsawournongamingfriendsspreadacrossthemedium.LiterarypalstookatriponKentuckyRouteZero.TheaterfriendsexperimentedwithvirtualrealityviaTheUnderPresents.MarioKart,MarioOdyssey,andMarioPartyremindedpeoplewhytheylovedthemediumbackintheday,andHadeshadotherfolksaskingwhythey’devenfallenoffthishabit.Thencamethenewconsoles,andthecorrespondingmarketingstriketeams,vacuumingallthesenewpotentialplayersintothehypecycle.Inayearofbadnews,itfeltgoodtolookforwardtoanything—evenifitwasjustaslightlybetterboxtoputbeneathourTVs. Somenewcomerswillreturntooldhobbies,butIbelievemostfolkswillkeepgamesintheirlives.Inturn,thegamescommunitymustevolvesothatnewcomerswanttostay.Sothattheyfeelwelcome. Somegamersstillexpressadefensivenessaboutthemedium:thatgamesaren’ttakenseriously,thatthey’renotperceivedashighart,notshowntherespectofbooksormusicorfilm.TheyseegameslikeCyberpunk2077andTheLastofUsPart2as“real”videogamesthatwillpulltheformclosertorespectability,andthatmobileandfree-to-playgames,gameswithcolorandjoy,willpropelthemediumintoaculturalghetto.Ofcourse,they’rewrong. Videogamesaretoomanythingstobeconfinedbysomenotionofuniversalrelevance.Gamescanbeadventuresandpuzzlesandreleasevalvesforouranxietyandfrustration.Theycanbetoolsforcommunicationandexperimentalspacesforself-discovery.Theycanbesports.Theycanbedangerous,encouragingyoutogambleawayyourpaycheckandconsumeeverymillisecondofyourfreetime.Or,youknow,justprovideafive-minutebreakfromthenightshift.Theycanbeart;theycanbefart. Videogamesarethemediumthatcombinesallothermediums,blendingartandfilmandmusicandeverythingelseintooneimpossible-to-summarizeconcoction.Notjustacreativemedium,butacreativeunifier.Andforthevideogamespacetokeepgrowing,weasaudienceandcreatorsmustbethesame,welcomingeverybodyunderthetent,whethertheypreferraisinganimalsinDwarfFortressorFarmVille,tocreatesomethingundefinable. —ChrisPlante,editor-in-chiefofPolygon HowthePolygontop50listworks Overthepastmonth,thePolygonstaffvoted,debated,andresigneditselftotheseriesofcompromisesthatisourtop50gamesof2020.Anyvideogamesthatwerereleasedin2020,updatedin2020,orachievedrenewedculturalrelevancein2020areeligibleforthislist.Youmaynoticeonemajorabsence:WedidnothaveenoughtimewithCyberpunk2077beforeassemblingthislist.Itwillbeeligibleforour2021top50. Bugsnax Image:YoungHorses 50.Bugsnax Kindofbugsandkindof’snax!WhenIfirstwastaskedwithplayingBugsnax,Ithought,OK,sure.Thesethingsarekindofcute,andIdolikegamesthatinvolvecollectingcrittersandcharacters.Noteven20minutesintothegame,Ibecameobsessed.Whileit’snotthetechnologicalachievementfornext-genconsolesthatpeoplemayhavebeenexpectingwithitsPlayStation5launch-dayrelease,it’sjustgoodfun. Related Bugsnaxreview:atastyappetizer Thecharactersareenjoyable,themusicisgreat,andthestoryisactuallyprettythrilling.IloveBugsnax,andIgenuinelyhopepeoplecanmakethetimetoplaythisshortcreature-catcher. —JuliaLee AvailableformacOS,PlayStation4,PlayStation5,andWindowsPC 49.NoMan’sSky NoMan’sSkyhasbeenasuccessstoryofonlinegamessince2018,whenHelloGameslaunchedtheenormousoverhaulknownasNext.Theuniversehaskeptevolvingsince,andthisyear,thestudioaddedabandonedspacefreightersandOrigins,amassiveupdatethattossesstorms,newworlds,sandworms,andmorediversityintothegame. Thespaceexplorationgameisinfantasticshape,andsetsavibrantbackdropforoneofthemostenthusiasticcommunitiesingaming.Playerscanbuildaspacebase,learnalienlanguages,exploreanendlessarrayofstunningworlds,runafreighterbusiness,workasatrader,pickupmercenaryjobs,andsnapphotosofalienvistas.NoMan’sSkyabandonsthehardscienceofotherspacesims,andhasgrownintoanextraordinaryexperience. —CassMarshall AvailableforPlayStation4,PlayStation5,WindowsPC,XboxOne,andXboxSeriesX 48.Helltaker Helltakeronlytakesaboutanhourtoplay,butit’saworthwhilehourofyourlifeifyoulikecutedemongirlsorpuzzlegames. ThefreeSteamgameoffersseveralchallengespresentedinthestyleofasimpleblock-pushingpuzzle,withsometwiststhrownin.You’llhavetocollectdemongirlsasyoudescendthroughhell,winningovertheirheartswhilealsosolvingthebrain-rattlingpuzzles.Thepuzzlesthemselvesaren’ttoohard,buttheyarejusthardenoughtomakeyousquintandfurrowyourbrow. TheartstyleisdeliciousandsoaretheFrenchcrepesfeaturedinthisgame.IfalargerversionofHelltakerdropsinthefuture,I’llbefirstinline,offeringmywallet. —JuliaLee AvailableforLinux,macOS,andWindowsPC 47.DoomEternal Doomtooktophonorsinour2016gameoftheyeardeathmatchwithanincrediblyconfidentreimaginingoftheclassicshooterfranchisethatstarteditall.Andaftersomedelays,itssequel,DoomEternal,finallymadeitswaytoplayersonMarch20,justaweekintowhenmostofusbeganquarantining.AndwhileanotherMarch20releasecametodefinemuchofourcollectivequarantine—thatwouldbeAnimalCrossing:NewHorizons—DoomEternalofferedplayerssomethingbesidestranquilityandtheallureofanislandescape:Itletyoublastdemonsintochunksandalso,inbetweenthat,jumparoundamurderplayground. Related DoomEternalreview:dancewiththedevil WhetherornotthoseinterstitialmurderplaygroundsweresuccessfulseemstobethelitmustestforwhetherornotyouenjoyedDoomEternalorreallylovedDoomEternal.Forme,itwasawelcomereleasevalvefromthemiseryof2020.ExcepttheMarauderfight.Screwthatdude. —ChrisGrant AvailableforGoogleStadia,NintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 46.SuperMegaBaseball3 SuperMegaBaseballfeelslikethelittlevideogamefranchisethatcould,chuggingalongoverthepastsixyearstobecomeoneofthebeststoriesinthesportsgenre.Andwiththenewfranchisemodeinthisyear’sSuperMegaBaseball3,developerMetalheadSoftwareputthespotlightonthestoriesofitsbelovedbaseballbozos.IgottoknowmyentirerosterintimatelyoverthecourseofmyinauguralseasonrunningtheSawteeth,andIfeltheartbrokenathavingtomakethetoughchoicesrequiredtoputtheteaminapositiontowinthechampionship.Whoknewthatagoofy-lookingindiesportsgamewithplayersfeaturingnameslikeGreaseVeteranoandPexFlextwouldturntheemotionalscrewslikethis? TheSuperMegaBaseballserieshasalwaysbeenburstingwithcharm,andthefranchisemodesmartlyhonorsandcapitalizesonthatemotionalconnection.It’saterrificadditiontowhatisnowoneofthefinestsportsgamingfranchisesaround. —SamitSarkar AvailableforNintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne MarioKartLive:HomeCircuit Image:VelanStudios/Nintendo 45.MarioKartLive:HomeCircuit IcouldeasilyrunoffalonglistofwaysMarioKartLivefailsitslegacy.Thingswe’vetakenforgrantedforalmost30years,likethecameraplacement,orthecollisionwhenyourunintoordrivethroughotherracers.Andit’snotthemostpracticalexperience—itdoesn’tworkoutside,oronthickcarpet,orinsmallrooms.Andmultiplayergetsexpensivefast. Related MarioKartLive:HomeCircuitreview:yourhouseisMario’sgreatestchallenge Butwheneverythingworksthewayit’ssupposedto,there’smagichere,seeingthekartchangespeedsanddrift,andthevisualsreactasyouplay.It’sconfusing,really,howwelldeveloperVelanStudiosfusesaugmentedrealityfootagewithracingthatfeelssofamiliar.Itmayallbesomewhatunwieldyandimpractical—andit’sreallymoreofatoythanagame—buttheexcitementofthatfirstmomentwhenitworksishardtobeat. —MattLeone AvailableforNintendoSwitch 44.Creaks ItreasureeveryAmanitaDesigngameIplaybecauseeachoneisadazzlingworkofimagination,craftedinpainstaking,lovingdetail.TheCzechstudio’sadventuregamesarefullof2Dartworksoevocativeastotransportyouintotheirbizarreworlds,andAmanita’slatestone,thepuzzlegameCreaks,isnodifferent. Related Thissurrealadventureaboutbird-peoplemightbetheyear’sbestpuzzlegame Creaksunfoldsinamassivesubterraneanstructurehewnoutofcolossalstalagmites,amansionwhoseeveryroomtellsthestoryoftheeldritchbeingsthatoccupyit.Youplayasananxiouseverymanexploringthismystifyingplace,tryingtogettothebottomoftheforcesthatareterrorizingitsinhabitants.Eachroomisitsownpuzzlebox,andlightisyouronlyallyasyoutrytousethemechanicalmonsterstoyouradvantageinmakingyourwaythrough. Amanitageneratesaremarkablevarietyofpuzzlesfromafewsimpleconcepts,rules,andinteractions.Andalthoughthere’snohintsystem,theunorthodoxoriginalscorefromScottishmusicianJoeAcheson(akaHiddenOrchestra)providesmusicalcluesthatletyouknowyou’reontherighttrack.Theincrediblesynthesisofartwork,sound,puzzledesign,andanimationinCreaksconveysthegame’sstorywithoutasinglelineofdialogueortext.Don’tmissit. —SamitSarkar AvailableforiOS,macOS,NintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 43.CallofDuty:Warzone CallofDutyalwaysseemedlikeitwouldberipeforfree-to-playsuccess,andwhenthebattleroyalegenrefirstcaughtfirein2017,itallseemedlikeaperfectfit.Soontheonehand,it’salittlesurprisingthatittookActivisionuntil2020tomakeithappen.Ontheotherhand,thequalityofWarzonemadeitwellworththewait.Blackout,CallofDuty’searlierstabatabattleroyalemode,provedthatplayerswon’tstickwithagametheyaren’tinterestedin,nomatterwhatseriesnameisattached.ButInfinityWard’stake,Warzone,shines. Afteraroughfirstcoupleofmonths,thedeveloperturnedWarzoneintooneofthemostfun,fast-paced,andinterestingbattleroyaleshooters.Thegame’suniquemoneysystem,whichletsplayerspurchaseupgradesortheirowncustomloadouts,helpsgiveeachmatchitsownminiobjectivesoutsideofjustkillingopponents,andthefantasticbaseofInfinityWard’sModernWarfare2019gunplayandmechanicskeepseveryshootoutfun. ThefutureofWarzone,unlikethatofmostgamesonthislist,isupintheair.AftereightmonthsofimpressiveupdatesandimprovementsfromInfinityWard,thisweekthegamewillbeginaddingcontentfromCallofDuty:BlackOpsColdWar.Ifthetransitionisasuccess,itwillsetupbothWarzoneandtheCallofDutyfranchiseforyearsofsuccessasoneofthepremierbattleroyaleandmultiplayergames.Ifnot,well…there’salwaysnextyear? —AustenGoslin AvailableforPlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 42.Yakuza:LikeaDragon Yakuza:LikeaDragonreinventstheYakuzaseries.Thelong-runningfranchiseditchesitsmaincharacterandcombatstyleaftermorethanadecade,butitmanagestokeepitsperfectblendofstupidityandheart. LikeaDragondancesbetweenaheartfeltneedforfamilyandarealisticsettingwithsillyJapaneserole-playingabilities.Sure,IchibanKasugagoesthroughtheemotionalwringerwithhislongtimeYakuzafamilyatthestartofthegame,buthealsopullsabatfromtheconcretelikeit’stheswordinthestone—somethingthegamerecognizeswithsillyDragonQuest-likemusicandknowingcommentsfromhisallies. Related Yakuza:LikeaDragonreinvigoratestheseries,butcan’tshakeallofYakuza’sflaws It’sthatgoofinessthatpropelsmeforwardinLikeaDragon.I’veencounteredtoughsthatspendtheirdaysdoingdiaperrole-play—andnowIcansummontheminbattle.I’vewatchedmyhomelesspartymember,Nanba,deliverabeautifulspeechaboutwhatitmeanstobehomelessinhisworldandhowhegotthere.Andmomentslater,IwatchedNanbauseaspecialabilitywherehescattersbirdseedonagroupofenemies,summoningpigeonstoattackthem.That’swhatYakuza:LikeaDragondoes—itreelsyouinwithitsoutlandishstupidity,andbeforeyouknowit,youfindyourselfreallycaringwhathappenstoIchibanandhisbandofmiscreants. —RyanGilliam AvailableforPlayStation4,WindowsPC,XboxOne,andXboxSeriesX 41.InOtherWaters Atfirstglance,InOtherWaterslooksliketheslickmapUIfromsomeopen-worldblockbuster,exceptthatthemapinterfaceisbasicallytheentiregame.AsanAIofmysteriousprovenancestuckinthedivingsuitofaninterstellarexplorer,youhelpguideyourhumanpartnerthroughaverdantalienoceanworld.YouusethemapUItonavigateherthroughuniqueecologiesasshecatalogseachorganism’sparticularcharacteristics.Youwon’tbeabletoactuallyseeanyofthesealiensyourself,however:Theclosestyou’llgetisherroughfield-biologistsketches,andeventhen,onlyasarewardforextensivelystudyingeachindividualorganism. Related Oneof2020’smostuniquegamestakesplaceinsidetheminimap Instead,youmustrelyonherdescriptions,andluckily,theyareexquisite.You’llnotonlygetavividdescriptionoftheorganisms’appearanceandbehavior,butthewayinwhichtheyfitintothebroaderecosystem.ImaginationisInOtherWaters’mostpowerfulmechanic.Onthemapinterfaceyoumightseeabunchoflittleorangedotszippingthroughwaftingyellowchains,butyouknowthesearereallytoweringkelplikeforests,teemingwithstrange,alienlife.Thesynthysoundtrackcertainlyhelpslullyouintoastateofrelaxedcontemplationasyouanalyzeadiscardedshellandwonderwhatcreatureleftitbehind.Eventually,thedeliberatecatalogingofspeciesmakeswayforagranderstoryofecologicaldisasterandhumanhubristhat’sasaffectingasitisrelevant. —ClaytonAshley AvailableformacOS,NintendoSwitch,andWindowsPC WideOcean,BigJacket Image:TenderClaws 40.WideOcean,BigJacket DevelopedbyindiegamestudioTurnfollow,WideOcean,BigJacketplayslikeashortstory—acontainedcollectionofmomentsthatfillsoutafewhoursofplaytime.It’sarealdelight,droppingintothisstranger’sworld;whenIwroteaboutitinMarch,Isaidthatthecampgroundwhereitalltakesplacefeelslikeasnowglobe.Ofcourse,thereisnosnowhere.WideOcean,BigJacketisasummeradventure,anordinarycampingtripbetweenfourquirky,well-realizedcharacters. ThestoryTurnfollowtellsisonethathitsmanydifferentemotionalnotesinawaythatfeelssuccinctandperfected;there’swarmthandawkwardhilarity,withheartbreakingsadnessandrelief. —NicoleCarpenter AvailableforiOS,macOS,NintendoSwitch,andWindowsPC 39.LeagueofLegends Itmayseemsurprisingtoseeagameoriginallyreleasedin2009onalistof2020’sbest,butit’strue.LeagueofLegendshasbeenacompetitivepowerhouseandoneofthemostpopulargamesintheworldforyearsnow,and2020mayhavebeenitsbestseasonever. Forthosewhomaynothavekepttrack,LeagueofLegendsisacompetitivemultiplayeronlinebattlearenagame,anddeveloperRiotGamesreleasesapatcheverytwoweeks.Thismeansthatthemetaofwhat’sgoodandbadinthegamechangesconstantly.And2020wasastandoutinthatnearlyeverybalancedecisionRiotmadehelpedmakethegamemorefun.Duringtheentireseason,youcouldplayanyoneofthegame’s140champions—includingafewfantasticnewones—andnooneonyourteamwouldbataneye.Matcheswerefunwithoutbeingtoolongorshort,eachofthegame’sfiverolesfeltlikeitmattered,andtheprofessionalesportsscenewasasexcitingandcompetitiveasit’severbeen. Agamemanagingtoevenbeplayed11yearsafteritsreleaseisimpressive,butLeaguefindingthebestversionofitselfthisyearistrulysomethingspecial. —AustenGoslin AvailableformacOSandWindowsPC 38.Arknights AfterplayingdozensofmobileRPGswithgachaelementsovertheyears,Arknightsistheonethathaslockedmeinwithitsgameplay,music,story,andcharacterdesign.Themobiletowerdefensegametossesanoccasionalbrain-twistingchallengewhilelettingmefawnoverthecoolanimal-earedcharactersdeckedoutintechwear. Related ArknightsistheonlygachagameIrecommendtopeople Iwon’tsugarcoatit.Itisagachagame,whichmeansyou’llhavetorollthedicewhenyouwantnewcharacters.ButArknightsisfairlygenerouswithvaryingmethodstoobtainthem,andfromplayingthestoryandoccasionalevents,you’llearnastrongrosterquickly.Thegamedoesn’trequireaconstantgrindtoprogress,andthereisn’tmuchlockedbehindgacha-gatedcharacters.Justpushyourbraincellstogetherandfigureoutwhichcharactersyouneedtoplacedowntowin. —JuliaLee AvailableforAndroidandiOS 37.Desperados3 “Tacticalstealth”isn’texactlyaboominggenre,butdeveloperMimimiseemstohavetheformatperfectlydialedin.AfterthesuccessofShadowTacticsin2016,theteamtookthosesamedesigntenets—smallsquadsofspecializedunitstacklingarmiesofsoldierswithprecisionandquick-saving—totheWildWestwithDesperados3. Desperados3changesverylittleaboutwhatmadeShadowTacticsgreat.It’sstillanisometricstealthgamefilledwithvisionconesandseeminglyimpossibleodds.Butsmalltweaks,likebeingabletocueupyourentiresquad’snextactionstoallplayoutatthesametime,makeitamuchmoresatisfyingexperiencethanitspredecessor. Theadventureismadeupofstellarlevelsthatlookmorelikedioramasbroughttolife,eachfilledwithcharmanddetail,fromtherainystreetsofNewOrleanstothedustybywaysofasun-beatendeserttown.Pickingtheselevelsapart,piecebypiece,usingeachofyoursquadmembers’specializedabilities,istremendouslysatisfying,likeasudokupuzzlewithmoreknifethrowing.FansoftheclassicCommandosserieswillfeelrightathomehere. —RussFrushtick AvailableforPlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 36.ParadiseKiller ParadiseKillerisawelcomeonslaughtofswaggerandstyle.Setonagetawayislandfullofimmortalhotdeities,theopen-worldmurdermysteryasksyoutoenactjusticehoweveryouseefit.Questionsuspects,inspectclues,gooveralibis,andmaybestartaflingortwo—allinthenameoftruth.Evenifyouwalkawayunsureofthefinalverdict,thebangin’citypopandjazz-inspiredsoundtrackmakesturningovereveryrockontheislandagenuinejoy. —PatriciaHernandez AvailableformacOS,NintendoSwitch,andWindowsPC Dirt5 Image:Codemasters 35.Dirt5 WhenMicrosoftandSonylaunchnewconsoles,theyusuallyhavefirst-partymotorsportstitlesalongsidethemtoshowcasethehardware’svisualfidelityandprocessingfirepower.Butin2020,thattaskfelltoDirt5,athird-partyarcade-styleracerfulloflast-seconddivebombsintothecornersoffantasyracecourses,andverylightondrivingcleanlapsormuseumlikepresentation. Dirt5istheperfectracerfornewconsoles.Gorgeous,muddy,aggressive,andfastashell,itquiteliterallyexplodesintoaction,withultra-fastloadingtimesthathaveyoublowingthroughthecareermodelikeit’sabagofpotatochips.NolanNorthandTroyBakerstaraselitefoesinafictitiousracingseriesthattakesplaceonafrozen-overEastRiverinNewYorkCityonedayandunderneaththearchesofaRomanaqueductthenext.Buttherealheroesarethecars,whosehandlingespeciallyreachesanewunderstandingthroughthehapticsofthePS5’sDualSensecontroller. Related Dirt5remindedmehowmuchIneededMotorStormbackinmylife Dirt5isthethirdchapterofarallyracingseriesthathasembracedform(theprocedurallygeneratedcoursesof2017’sDirt4),function(2019’sdemanding,technicalDirtRally2.0),andnow,flat-outmuscle.Unlikeotheriterativeracingorsportstitles,itdoesn’toverwritethesuccessofitspredecessors;itmakestheracingfanappreciateandreturntothemasdistinctexperiences.TheXboxSeriesXmayhavelaunchedwithoutanewForza,andthePS5doesn’thaveaGranTurismoyet,butCodemasterswasmorethanuptothejobforbothconsoles. —OwenGood AvailableforGoogleStadia,PlayStation4,PlayStation5,WindowsPC,XboxOne,andXboxSeriesX 34.TonyHawk’sProSkater1and2 Thegame’sbeenoutforthreemonths,andIstillcan’tquitebelievetheyactuallypulleditoff. ThefirstfewTonyHawk’sProSkatertitlesarerightfullyrememberedaskickingoffaculturalphenomenonattheturnofthemillennium.VicariousVisions’remakemanagestocapturetherebelliousspiritofthoseseminalgames—thanksinlargeparttotheirpunk/skasoundtracks—and,moreimportantly,thefeelofhowtheyplayed.Mythumbshavelostsomedexterityoverthepasttwodecades,andtheleftoneseemstodevelopcallusesmorequicklyfromfuriousD-padaction,buttheol’musclememorystillsurvives20yearslater(eventhoughI’msurelynotcomingclosetomyoldhighscores). Related TonyHawk’sProSkater1and2review:Cominghomefeelsgreat It’sajoytoseefaithfulre-creationsofclassiclevelslikeWarehouseandSchoolIIinglorious4KHDR.Andit’satonoffuntotearthemupwithmiddle-agedversionsofTonyHawk,RodneyMullen,EricKoston,ElissaSteamer,andtheotherskatersIrememberfrommyteenageyears(plussomediversenewcomers).Somehow,VicariousVisionswalkedthetightropeofreinvigoratingtheseclassicswithoutlosingwhatmadethemspecial:thebrilliantleveldesign,theresponsivecontrols,andthethrilloflandingonemoretricktoextendyourcombopastthetwo-minutetimer. —SamitSarkar AvailableforPlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 33.PaperMario:TheOrigamiKing IhadneverplayedaPaperMariogamebeforePaperMario:TheOrigamiKing.IhadalwayspreferredtheaestheticofYoshi’sWoollyWorldandYoshi’sCraftedWorld,islandsfilledwithknittedandcrochetedcharactersthatverycloselyalignedwithmypersonalhobbies.I’dneverreallybeenapapercraftkindofgal,untilthisyear,andnowTheOrigamiKingalsoperfectlyalignswithmyaesthetic.Eitherway,I’mgladIpickeditup,becauseit’sapure,paperdelight.Allthedetailsfeelperfect—thewaystickerspeeloff,thejaggededgesoftornpaper,thesoundsofpaperruffling. ThoughIfoundthebattlesystemfrustratingattimes,itwasnevertooagonizingtomakemewanttostopplaying.TheOrigamiKingisbothhilariousandsad,andeverythingIwantedtofeelinaMarioworld. —NicoleCarpenter AvailableforNintendoSwitch 32.TheSolitaireConspiracy FromThomasWasAloneandVolumestudioBithellGames,TheSolitaireConspiracyreimaginesarepetitive,thanklessgameintoasetofpuzzlingchallengesthatfeelslikeone-playerchess.BuiltofftheStreetsandAlleysversionofthecardgame(versustheversionyouusedtoplayforfreeonWindows),TheSolitaireConspiracyrewardscontemplationandpatienceasyourestockdecksusingsuit-basedabilities.There’snotickingclock,andonlyamovecountifyouchoose,buttheabsenceofan“undo”functionmakeseverychoicecount,maximizingpressureinanymode. There’sanoverarchingspyplotthatstringsalongthegameplay,puttingtheplayerinthethickofaMission:Impossible-likescenariowithKindaFunny’sGregMillerastheultimateadversary.It’s...notthegoodpartofthegame.TheblissofTheSolitaireConspiracyisthatit’sperfectsolitaryplay,atamomentwhensprawlingwords,connectivity,andrelentlesscompetitionseemtobeeverything.BithellhaschallengedplayerstocompeteagainsttheAI,andthenagainsttheirownlimitations.Andit’sgranderthanabrainlessmobiletitle;asleekdesignandascorebyJonEveristthat’sworthyofHansZimmerbecomeparamounttobuildingtension.Everysecond,youhopetoGodyou’re10movesahead,andthatthenextcardflipputsyouonthepathtosuccess.Whenitinevitablydoesnot,startingoveranddivingbackinis,vitally,justasfun. —MattPatches AvailableformacOSandWindowsPC 31.GhostofTsushima ThestoryofGhostofTsushimatakestheideaofthehonor-boundsamuraitropeandletstheplayerexplorethelimitsofthearchetype.Itisn’tlonguntilthenarrativeteststhefoundationsandformscracksinitsdesign.BecomingthetitularghostthatultimatelysavesTsushimaisahauntingandnecessaryevilthatslowlyerodestheidentityofthemaincharacterandthenecessityofthesamuraicode. Related GhostofTsushima,Kurosawa,andthepoliticalmythofthesamurai JinSakai’stransformationisaslowone,theeffectsofwhichricochetoffeveryoneontheislandhe’stryingtosave.Theconsequencesofbecomingaspecterthathauntshisenemiesalsoinstillfearsintotheverypeoplehe’stryingtosave.Thefinalmomentsofthegamedon’tlettheplayerrevelinajobwelldone,butratherquestionwhetherthecostofsucceedingwasworththepathtovictory. —JeffRamos AvailableforPlayStation4 OriandtheWilloftheWisps Image:MoonStudios 30.OriandtheWilloftheWisps 2015’sOriandtheBlindForestwasabeautifullyanimated2Dplatformerthatmanagedtomatchitssumptuousvisualswithgreatmechanicsandadeep,oftendifficultcampaign,soexpectationswereunderstandablyhighforthisyear’ssequel.Andafterfiveyearsindevelopment,MoonStudiosreturnedwithOriandtheWilloftheWisps,anotherbeautifullyanimated2Dplatformerthatmanagestomatchitssumptuousvisualswithgreatmechanicsandadeep,oftendifficultcampaign. Related OriandtheWilloftheWispsexpandsonnearperfection ThatfamiliarityisbothacomfortandacostforOri’slatestouting.Moon’sstandardofexcellenceisnolongerasurprise,andthecompetitivelandscapeforbeautifullyanimatedMetroidvaniashaschangedsubstantially.Butwhileallofthatchangesthecontextintowhichthegamewasreceived,itdoesn’t(oratleast,itshouldn’t)diminishthequalityoftheworkondisplayhere.Whichis,incasethiswasn’tclearalready,excellent.Andsure,whilethecoreofthegameremainsterrific,andlargelyfamiliar,thereissomethingnewhere:asurprisinglymovingstorythatIwilladmitnow,attheendofthisblurb,mademecry. —ChrisGrant AvailableforNintendoSwitch,WindowsPC,XboxOne,andXboxSeriesX 29.MurderbyNumbers Murdermysterypicrossgame.Murdermysterypicrossgame!!Murdermysterypicrossgamethat’salsoavisualnovelin1980sHollywood?!Onitssurface,MurderbyNumbersisobviouslymadeforme,butstillIwasworried—Ihadneverdonepicrossbefore. Thepuzzlegameinvolvesfillinginacertainnumberofsquaresinagridtocreateafacsimileofanimage.Eachrowandcolumntellsyouthenumberofsquaresthatcanbefilledin.I’mnotaterriblynumbers-orientedperson,andwhenmynumber-panickedbrainlookedatthisboard,Isawsudoku,eventhoughpicrossdoesn’trequiremath,justcounting.IwasworriedIwouldn’thaveTheStufftosolvethesepuzzles.ButMurderbyNumbersbuiltupmyconfidence,andbeforeIknewit,Iwasplayinginnormalmode,andonlycheckingforerrors...well,sometimes. PicrossexpertandPolygoncomicseditorSusanaPoloalsoenjoyedthegame,butsaidthatforpicrossveteransit’smissingacouplequality-of-lifefeatures,likedisplayingacountofsquaresasyou’rehighlightingthem. Theconceitofthegameisthatabroken,amnesiacrobotnamedScoutwakesupinajunkyard,andgoeslookingforsomeonetohelphimfigureouthismysteriouspast.HelandsonHonorMizrahi,anactresswhostarsintheTVshowMurderMissTerri—notinthetitularMissTerrirole.Scoutcanscananenvironmentforcluesandreconstructtheminhisvisualdatabase—whichmeans,Igettodothatviapicross.Igottasay,thevisualnovelpartsofthegamearedelightfulandall,butnothingisasfunaswhenIdiscoveranewpuzzleandsettleinforathrillinground. —SimonedeRochefort AvailableforNintendoSwitchandWindowsPC 28.Destiny2:BeyondLight Everyyear,Destiny2remindstheworldthatitstillhasthebestgameplayofanyshooteroutthere.Thisyear,BungiecontinueditsseasonalmodelwithupsanddownsrangingfrombarrenperiodslikeSeasonoftheWorthytomoreengagingoneslikeSeasonofArrivals.Butasalways,Destiny2’snewexpansioniswhathasplayersbuzzingagain. BeyondLightaddedwhatfeelslikethebiggestdestinationtodate;anewraid;abunchofnewweapons;andStasis,awholenewbrandofsuperpowers.ThisisBungie’sfirstrealattemptataddinganewelementtothegame:ice.AndwhileStasiscertainlycamewithsomefrustrations—mostnotably,inthegame’smultiplayermode—it’sundeniablethatStasisfeelslikeacompletelynewtoolsetinDestiny. Related Destiny2:BeyondLightisDestiny3withlessbaggage Destiny2alsowentthroughatransformationthisyear,withBungieremovingagoodchunkofitscontent.Butasmuchasitstings,thattoomadetheoldfranchisefeelfreshagain.WithBungierampinguphowquicklyittacklesissues—releasingnumerouspatchesinonlyafewshortweeks—Destiny2feelslikeit’sinanewera.Andwithtwomoreexpansionsalreadyannounced,Destinyfanshavealottolookforwardtointhefuture. —RyanGilliam AvailableforGoogleStadia,PlayStation4,PlayStation5,WindowsPC,XboxOne,andXboxSeriesX 27.HyruleWarriors:AgeofCalamity It’srarethatI’mcaughtoffguardbyNintendo.ThecompanytendsnottotuckvaluablenarrativedetailsinplacesI’mnotexpectingtolook.It’sfairtoassumethatnecessarycanonwon’tbefoundingameswherebelovedNintendocharactersmightberompingaroundwithravingRabbidsorintheanything-goesworldofanewSmashBros.title.However,withtheBreathoftheWildstoryline,I’mnotsurewhereNintendoisgoingtosurprisemenext. Related HyruleWarriors:AgeofCalamityisamust-playforZeldafans Iwasn’texpectingararesequeltoaZeldagametogetannouncedlastyearduringE3,andIdefinitelywasn’tpreparedforapseudo-prequelinthisyear’sHyruleWarriors:AgeofCalamity.Thehack-and-slashformulaadoptedfromKoeiTecmo’susualbrawlertitlesisanunexpectedbackdropforkeydetailsintheBreathoftheWildbackstory.It’sanoddplacefornarrativenuggetstoexist,asIimaginemanyplayersmightdismissthegameasasimplespinoff.ButAgeofCalamityhasbeenoneofmyfavoriteandmostsurprisinggamesoftheyear.NotonlydidIreallyenjoytheKoeiTecmoformulawithaHyruliantwist,butthestorythatcamealongwithitwasasgrandasIwouldexpectfromanystandardZeldatitle. —JeffRamos AvailableforNintendoSwitch 26.StreetsofRage4 Thebrawler—onceastapleofarcades—haslargelyfallenoutoffavor,it’sfairtosay.Andsoperhapsit’sfittingthatthisreturntoformisthelatestentryinoneofthegenre’sbiggestfranchises.TheStreetsofRageserieswasinstrumentalindefiningtheSegaGenesisasamorematureconsole,withacartoonishvisionof’90surbanviolenceandasoundtrackstraightoutofadanceclub.Overthecourseofthreeinstallments,theseriesseareditswayintoourcollectivememoriesandthen...disappeared.For26years.Whichis,whenyoustoptothinkaboutit,actuallywild. Related StreetsofRage4review:Thecoolkidsfinallygetawell-earnedsequel Soalleyeswereonthetrioofdevelopmentstudiosworkingonthisnumberedsequel.Andtheydidn’tmakeagreatfirstimpression—whenthegamefirstpoppedup,thecharacterspriteslookedbigandchunky,thenewhand-drawnaesthetictooksometimetogetusedto,andthemusicinthefirsttrailer,well...itdidn’tinspireconfidence.SoimaginemysurprisewhenIlearnedthatStreetsofRage4isreallyit.Themusicstandsuptothebestintheseries;thegameplayhasbeenmodernizedjustenoughtokeepitinteresting,whilenotovercomplicatingthesimplicityoftheformat;andthosehand-drawngraphics?They’reperfect.Ihonestlydon’tknowwhatIwasthinking. Sometimeschangeishard,butit’satestamenttotheworkofdevelopersDotemu,Lizardcube,andGuardCrushGamesthattheymanagedtodustoffStreetsofRageafter26yearsandstillmakeitlookeasy. —ChrisGrant AvailableforLinux,NintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne Hardspace:Shipbreaker Image:BlackbirdInteractive 25.Hardspace:Shipbreaker It’snothardtofindasciencefictionvideogamethatfocusesonstoriesofwarordiscovery.SoinsteadofcenteringHardspace:Shipbreakeronruggedheroesornewfrontiers,BlackbirdInteractivemadeagameaboutwhattechnologicalprogressleftbehind:old,decayingspaceshipsandthe“cutters”whotakethemapart,piecebypiece.It’sathanklessjob:Justgettingintospaceincursanastronomicalamountofdebtthatyou’llspendtherestofthegamepayingoffbysalvagingasmanyvaluableshippartsasyoucan,asquicklyaspossible. You’lldothatwithyourhandycuttertool,whichallowsyoutoslicemostanypieceofaspaceshipintwo.Thenyoucanuseyourgrappletograbthepiecesandnudgethemtowardthefurnace(inzerogravity,alittlepushgoesalongway).Thoughyou’reaimingtoworkfast,youalsoneedtobeextraordinarilycareful:onewrongcut,andyou’llnickafuelline.Ifyou’reunlucky,thatcanstartachainreactionthatblowsuptheengines,orevenstartsacoremeltdown.Butjustbecauseyou’vebeenincinerateddoesn’tmeanthegameisover.You’llquicklybecloned,andchargedfortheconvenience—anotherdayolderanddeeperindebt. —ClaytonAshley AvailableforWindowsPC 24.Spiritfarer Onthesurface,Spiritfarerisaresourcemanagementgame.Youhavelimitedspaceonyourferry,andyou’vegottofindaplaceforyourflourmillandorerefineryamongallthehouses.Therotatingcastofboatguestseachhavetheirowndesires,fromcravingfriedchickentoconfrontingagiantseadragonthathauntstheirdreams.Andit’suptoyoutofeedthemandhugthemandkeepthemhappy!It’sveryrewardingtogettoknowthemandbecomeinvestedintheirhappiness. Related Videogamesrevelindeath,Spiritfarerfocusesonwhathappensnext WhichiswhereSpiritfarerreallygetsyou.It’sarelaxinggame,andfindingnewingredientsorharvestingwoolisneverstressful.Butthatdoesn’tmeanthegameiswithoutintensity.Allofthefetchquestsandconversationsarebuildingtoyouhelpingafriendfindpeaceandpassintotheafterlife.It’sdevastating!Youmightnotgetemotionallyattachedtoeverycharacter,butwhenyoudo(I’mactivelytearingupthinkingaboutAlicethehedgehog),lettingthemgototheirfinalrestisadeeplymovingexperience.It’ssad,butinanemotionallycleansingway,likewatchingafamiliarmoviethatyouknowmakesyoubawl. —JennaStoeber AvailableforGoogleStadia,Linux,macOS,NintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 23.Demon’sSoulsremake Demon’sSoulswasthedemotapethatlaunchedFromSoftwaretostardomwithspiritualsequelslikeDarkSoulsandBloodborne.Assuch,it’salittlerougharoundtheedges,butBluepointGames’PlayStation5remakeofthe2009gamesmoothesthoseedgesdown,sharplyincreasingthefidelitybutnotsacrificingthesoul. Related Demon’sSoulsonPS5isaclassicreborn ThenewDemon’sSoulsplaysmostlyliketheoriginal—samebrutalchallenge,butnowwiththekindofquality-of-lifeimprovementsplayershavecometoexpectoverthepastdecade.Demon’sSouls’incredibleatmospherehasbeencarefullyrebuiltbyBluepoint,whilethegame’squirksandgroundbreakingsystemsremainintact.It’sanimpressiveaccomplishmenttobothsatisfythehardcoreDemon’sSoulsaudience,onethat’sbeenpartoftheSoulscommunitysincedayone,andalsodeliversomethingthatplayslikeatruenext-genconsoleexperience. Demon’sSoulsisafittingtributetothescrappyoriginal,andagreatshowpieceforPS5.I’mthrilledthatanall-newaudienceisdiscoveringitforthefirsttime. —MichaelMcWhertor AvailableforPlayStation5 22.StarWars:Squadrons Lastyear,everyoneseemedtoagreethattheX-Wingserieswasdeadandburied.Itssuccessors—gameslikeElite:Dangerous,StarCitizen,andEve:Valkyrie—hadallhadtheirtimeinthesun.NooneexpectedStarWars:Squadrons,andyetherewearerankingitamongthetopgamesof2020. Related StarWars:Squadronsisatriumphoffocuseddesignandsuccinctstorytelling Personally,I’dliketoseeitrankedevenhigher.IfeelthattheteamsoperfectlynailedthelookandfeeloftheStarWarsuniversethatittranscendsthegamesthatcamebefore.ThoseclassicLucasArtstitlesweregood,butSquadronsfeelsevenbetter.It’stoobaditdoesn’thaveameatiersingle-playercampaign. Additionally,thegame’simplementationofvirtualrealityissoambitious—andultimatelysosuccessful—thatIthinkit’sashameweweren’tabletoincludeitinourtop10.Sadly,it’sthosesameover-the-topvisualandsimulationgameplayelementsthatputmanyplayersoff.Flyinganairplaneishard,andflyingastarfighterissometimesevenharder. —CharlieHall AvailableforPlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 21.GenshinImpact GenshinImpactisanabsolutemessofgenres.It’sanopen-world,free-to-play,role-playing,online,craftingactiongamewithgachaelements.Andyetitallcomestogetherinafantasticfantasyexperiencethatbrokeintothemainstream. Gachagames—thosethatmakeyoupaymoneytospintherouletteofavailablecharacters—areinherentlypredatory,andGenshinImpactisnodifferent.EverytimeIgotanewcharacter,Ihatedmyselfforthein-gamecurrencyorreal-lifemoneyittooktogetthere.ButthegameofferedsomuchelseforfreethatIletmyselfenjoymypurchasesratherthanresentthem—liketheembarrassingvaultofreal-moneyskinsI’veacquiredovertheyearsinLeagueofLegends. Related HowtoplayGenshinImpact GenshinImpactsucceedsbecauseeverythingoutsideitsmonetizationnursesthat“onemoreactivity”feelingwithoutbeingpredatory.Everyday,whenIloggedin,IfeltlikeIwasabletomakesomeamountofprogressasIexploredthegame’sgiant,beautifulworld,ordelvedintoadeepercombatpuzzle.Everyday,IfeltlikeIdiscoveredanewsecretinaquestorfoundanewtellonabossI’ddefeatedahundredtimesbefore.Andthatcombinationofskillandprogresskeptmelogginginforweeks. —RyanGilliam AvailableforAndroid,iOS,PlayStation4,andWindowsPC TheJackboxPartyPack7 Image:JackboxGames 20.TheJackboxPartyPack7 WheneveranewJackboxcomesout,thereistypicallyagameinthepackthatdoesn’tgetmuchattention.TheJackboxPartyPack7doesnothavethisproblem. Betweenthekindofco-opTheDevilsandtheDetails,thefauxpowerpoint-makingTalkingPoints,andthefighterdrawingChamp’dUp,thereisnolullwhenplayingthelatestentryintheseries.Andthat’sstillleavingouttheclassicQuiplashandthefunwordassociationgameBlatherRound.Whetheryouliketodraw,you’reagoodpublicspeaker,oryoujustwanttoshoutconstantlyoveryourfriends,there’ssomethingforeveryoneinthispack. IshouldnothavetotellyouthatJackboxgamesaregood,butIwilltellyouthatthisishands-downthebestonereleasedinalongtime. —JuliaLee AvailableforLinux,macOS,NintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,WindowsPC,andXboxOne 19.TheLastofUsPart2 TheLastofUsPart2putsyouinabadmood,andthat’swhatIlikeaboutit. It’sbeenagloomyyearforeveryone.Andfromitsinitialgutpunchtoitsbittersweetending,TheLastofUsPart2asksyoutosufferalongwithit,ratherthantakeyoufromtragedytocelebration.Fromopentoclose,it’salmostalldownhill.Fromonemiserablemomenttothenext,Iexploredcollapsedresidentialareas,andbuiltmachinesofpaintoinflicthateuponpeopleIdidn’tknow—andoccasionallythoseIdid.MostgameswouldbuckleundertheweightofawfulnessintheworldofTheLastofUsPart2. ButthejoyofTheLastofUsPart2isitsmostunexpectedfeature,anditssavinggrace.Atendermemoryofexplorationwithalovedone,aknowinglookwithafriendturnedpartner,buildingamakeshiftfamilyoutoftheashes.ThosemomentshithardnotonlybecauseofNaughtyDog’spracticedstorytellingskills,butbecauseeverythingelsearoundthecharactersissohorrible.Ineededsomethinglikethatthisyear,tohelpmewallowinmyowndespairandtoappreciatethelightwhenitpeeksthrough. —RyanGilliam AvailableforPlayStation4 18.Assassin’sCreedValhalla Assassin’sCreedValhallaisbig.It’sbigandweighty,justlikethemaincharacterEivor’sax,andsomehow,itjustifiesthatsize.ReleasedinNovember,Ubisoft’sopen-worldrole-playinggamesprawlsfromNorwaytoEnglandandbackagain—eventouchingtheshoresofNorthAmerica.Eachoftheseplacesisgorgeousinitsownright,atruetestamenttothepuretechnicalprowessofagamelikethis.Sure,therearebugs,butnonedeterredmefromwantingtoexperiencemoreoftheworld. Atfirst,whenplayingforreview,Ithought,Maybethisgameistoolong.ButasI’vecontinuedplaying,longafterfinishingthestoryandmostobjectives,Iamenjoyingtheworld’ssize—howeverythingfeelsintertwinedyetsofaraway.It’sthekindofgamethatIcouldspendmonthsin,seekingoutsecretsandsidestoriestofillouttheworld’slore. —NicoleCarpenter AvailableforGoogleStadia,PlayStation4,PlayStation5,WindowsPC,XboxOne,andXboxSeriesX 17.FallGuys:UltimateKnockout FallGuys:UltimateKnockouttakesthecompetitivethrillofabattleroyalegameandcombinesitwithasugary-sweetpastelpartygame,where60playersrunthroughavarietyplatterofminigamesandobstaclecourses.Attheend,onlyonejellybeanavatarcanseizethecrownandwinthegame. Related FallGuys:UltimateKnockoutistheperfectchaoticbattleroyale Eachroundisaconstantandsteadystreamofchaos,ascontestantsraceuprampsslickwithslime,bouncegiantsoccerballswiththeirfaces,andflingthemselvesintomassivehammers.Whenwesitdowntoplay,myfriendsandIalternatebetweenholleringatouropponents—“Hey!Hey,thatbean’stryingtoblockthefinalramponSlimeClimb!”—tolaughingatourowninevitablefailures. WhileFallGuysisacompetitivegame,it’sjustluck-basedenoughtotakethestingoutofaloss.Watchingascoreoflittlebeanswobbleandfumbletheirwaythroughsomedevilishlydesignedchallengesispure,simplejoy. —CassMarshall AvailableforPlayStation4andWindowsPC 16.Astro’sPlayroom Astro’sPlayroomisashockingdelight.Ithooksyouimmediately,anddoesn’tletgountilithastakenyourfour-plushours. I’mnotamorningperson,butinaboutofSaturdayinsomnia,Ifoundmyselfupat4a.m.IsatdowntoplayAstro’sPlayroomforthefirsttimewithacupofcoffeealoneinmylivingroom,therestofthehousestillsleeping.Iintendedtoplayforjustanhourorsoandthenmoveontoabiggergame,likeSpider-Man:MilesMorales.Butasmycoffeegotcolder,Iwentfrom“I’llplayonemorelevel”to“IguessI’llfinishthegame”and“ohlook,nowIhaveanotherplatinumtrophy.”Fortherestofthemorning,myeyesdashedfrommynewconsoletothestairs,waitingdesperatelyformywifetodescendsoIcouldshowherthisadorablenewtoy. Related Astro’sPlayroomisastellarshowpieceforPlayStation5 Astro’sPlayroomisashowpiece,anditknowsit.TheDualSensecontrollerfeaturesfeelampedupandthePlayStationnostalgiaiseverywhere.Thosethingsmakeitdelightful—activatingthechemicalsinyourbrainthatmakeyoufeelgoodaboutyournew$500machine.ButAstro’sPlayroomsucceedsbecauseit’satightplatformerandagoodvideogamebeforeit’sashowpiece,likeWiiSportsbeforeit.WhenAstro’sPlayroomended,IfoundthatIcould’veplayeditfortwiceaslong.AndthatmixofjoyatwhatI’dexperiencedandlongingformorewastheperfectmood-setterforthestartofanewgeneration. —RyanGilliam AvailableforPlayStation5 13Sentinels:AegisRim Image:Vanillaware/Atlus 15.13Sentinels:AegisRim 13Sentinelsanswersthequestion“whatifsomebodymadetheperfectspiritualvideogameadaptationofLostandnobodynoticed?” Youhaven’theardof13Sentinels?Igetit.Ican’tblamethemajorityoftheEnglish-speakinggamingcommunityforoverlookingthelatestgemfromVanillaware.Thestudioreleasesroughlyonemasterpieceageneration,withOdinSphereonPlayStation2,Muramasa:TheDemonBladeonWii,andDragon’sCrownonPlayStation3.Eachgamereceivedreviewsspanningthefullcriticalspectrum,andnoneachievedmainstreamsuccessintheU.S. Vanillawareexclusivelymakesimperfectgames,creativelarksthatreachbeyondthestudio’scomparablymodestresourcesandthetechnologicalcapabilitiesofthetime,whilesuccumbingtotackyfanserviceandnarratologicalwhimsies.Butthoseflawsareabyproductofanambitionrarelyseeninthemedium.I’mwillingtocompromisewhentheresultsaresorefreshing. Related 13Sentinelshasasurprisinglyhopefulmessage Becauseunlikesomanyoftheirbig-budgetcontemporaries,thecreatorsof13Sentinelshavesomethingtosay:abouttheimpactofWesternmediaonJapaneseculture,abouttheemptystrengthofglobalsuperpowersinthefaceofunfetteredcorporategrowth,abouttheendgameofcapitalism,aboutthemeaningoflifeanddeath. SowhatdoesthishavetodowithLost?13Sentinelstellsacomplexstoryinanepisodicfashion,spanningmultipletimelinesandoveradozenco-protagonists.In10-to15-minutenuggets,youcancatchupontheteenagedetectivelookingforherbestfriend,thehighschooltoughcaughtinaGroundhogDaytimeloop,orthenerdyathletetryingtogetheralienrobotfriendahome. Yes,itborrowsliberallyfromnearlyeverysci-fistoryevertold,butwithoutspoilingthemagic,that’spartofthepoint.Andyes,Ihaven’ttoldyouthisgameishalfvisualnovel/halfreal-timestrategygame,becauseI’mworriedthegenreswillscareyouaway.Theynearlyputmeoff,too!Andyes,IusedtheLostcomparisontostealyourattention. Butoverlookingthisgamewouldbeamistake,justasitwasamistaketooverlookVanillaware’sothercreations.Inaseaofsameness,I’msogladwehavepeopletakingtheserisks—eveniftheycanonlyshipsomethingneweveryhalf-decade. —ChrisPlante AvailableforPlayStation4 14.UmurangiGeneration UmurangiGenerationisafirst-personshooter,butnotinthewayyouprobablyexpect.Insteadofagun,theplayershootsphotos“intheshittyfuture”withacamera.Thisshittyfutureisactuallyacatastrophicend-of-the-worldscenariothat’splayedoutinscenesindifferentlevelsofthegame. Createdbyasingledeveloper,NaphtaliFaulkner,UmurangiGeneration,despitebeingsetinafuturisticcyberpunkNewZealand,feelswidelyrelevantto2020,too.Itsthemesofunrelentinghopefulnessandactionbetweensightsofimpendingdoomarepoignant,observedintheselargelystillworldsandtoldthroughposters,newspapers,andashiftinglandscape.It’sagamethatsurprisedme;itfeelssosimplewhenitbegins.Findandtakeaphotoofaseagull.Takeaphotoofsomemarkers.Findarolloffilm.Butthoseobjectives—thephotosyouneedtotake—adduptosomuchmore. There’snodialogueinUmurangiGeneration,butthegamedoesn’tneedit.EverythingisalreadyintheMāorisci-fiworld. —NicoleCarpenter AvailableforWindowsPC 13.Valorant Buildingagamefromthegrounduptobeahardcorecompetitiveshooterisgenerallyarecipefordisaster.EvenRainbowSixSiege,thebest-casescenarioforgamesthataren’tnamedCounter-Strike,tookyearstogetgood.Sodespiteitssterlingtrackrecord,RiotGamesreleasingsomethingasimmediatelygoodandpopularasValorantwasstillasurprise. Related Valorantisjustgettingstarted WithValorant,Riotcreatedagamewithrock-solidshootingmechanicsandarosterofcharactersthatmanagestomakeeverymatchfeeldifferent,makingforoneofthemostfuncompetitivemultiplayergamesreleasedinyears.Overthesixmonthsthegamehasbeenout,RiothasalsoproventhatValorantisbuilttolast,translatingtheeffectivepatchcadence,contentupdates,andopencommunicationthathashelpedLeaguethriveforoveradecade.It’srarethatyouplayagameandinstantlyknowthatitwillbeanimportantpartofgamingfortheforeseeablefuture,butwithValorant,that’sexactlywhathappened. —AustenGoslin AvailableforWindowsPC 12.IfFound... IfFound...isaquietgamethatmakesagoodcaseforplayingwiththeSwitchdockedtotheTV.It’savisualnovelwherethecursorisaneraser.TheonlywaytoprogressistowipeawaythebeautifulillustrationsandnotesinthemaincharacterKasio’sjournal,whichrecountsatriphometoAchillIsland,theisolatedplacewhereshegrewup. ErasingKasio’slifestory—goodmemoriesandbadalike—isaverypersonalexperience.NicoleCarpenterwroteaboutitinherreview: I’vewonderedhowotherpeoplemightapproacherasure:Aretheyquickandeagertoerasesomeofthesememories,asIamwiththemorepainfulones?Whatpartofthepageareotherserasingfirst?[...]Areplayerslingeringinthesamespotsasme? AndsoitwouldbereasonabletoassumethatIfFound...isaperfecthandheldgameforplayersonSwitch.Instead,Iblasteditontoa55-inchTVandfellintoitsgorgeousdetails.Ilovetheroughedgesofmyeraser,andtheslightanimationsonsomeoftheillustrations.Ilovethecontrastofthesimplerpencilsketcheswiththeglitteringplanetsandstarsofthegame’souterspaceB-plot,andIlovewipingawayonebackgroundtorevealabrighterone,swallowingupmylivingroom.IfFound...isalittlegamethatdeservestobeappreciatedonabigcanvas. —SimonedeRochefort AvailableformacOS,NintendoSwitch,andWindowsPC 11.Spelunky2 IspentanastonishingnumberofhoursplayingSpelunkyHD,easilyseveralhundred.Eventhoughit’ssevenyearsoldatthispoint,Icangobackandpickituplikeridingabike.Ithought,Bah,Spelunky2willbeabreeze,right? Turnsoutsomeone(ahem,DerekYu)thoughtitwouldbeagreatideatomakeSpelunky2evenmorepunishingthanitspredecessor.Andyet,there’ssomethingfarmorewelcomingaboutthissequel,andfarmoreambitious. Related Spelunky2review:perfection Thankstoitsemphasisonexploration(withmultiplepathwaysthroughthemaingameandahiddenbackgroundlayertodelveinto),I’mstillstumblinguponwildsecretsandincrediblesurprisesinSpelunky2.I’mmorethanhappytothrowmyselfintothewoodchipperifIfeellikethere’sachanceIcanseesomethingneweachtimeIplay. Asfor“beating”thegame?Nope,thetrueendingstilleludesme.But,astheysay,it’saboutthejourney. —RussFrushtick AvailableforPlayStation4andWindowsPC AmongUs Image:InnerSloth 10.AmongUs AmongUsisanincrediblysimplegame,yetnotworoundsarethesame.Upto10playersallheadintospace,whereabandofbeansservingascrewmatesonastationorshiphavetoworktogethertocompleteavarietyoftinytasks.Theproblemisthatonetothreeofthosecrewmatesarehiddenimpostors,whohavetheabilitytosabotagethestationandmurdertheircomrades.Whenaplayerdiscoversabodyorhitsanemergencymeetingbutton,everyonegatherstogethertotryanduncoverthetruth,anditinevitablygoeswrong. Image:InnerSlothviaPolygon AmongUssavedtheworldfromZoomfatigue AmongUsgavepeopleaplacetospendtimewithfriends,andchangedstreamingforever.Readourfullessay. Everyroundisaslowburn,asthecrewmatesareslowlyeliminatedbysneakyimpostors,whothenturnaroundandtrytoframetheinnocentcrew.Playersflingaccusationsbackandforth,proclaimtheirinnocence,andlaunchsuspectsintospace. Despitelaunchingin2018,AmongUsrosetoprominenceonTwitchduringthe2020quarantineafterthedevelopersreleasedtwonewmaps.Sincethen,thetinyindiegamehasbecomeahouseholdname,evenbeingusedasapublicoutreachtoolbyRep.AlexandriaOcasio-CortezandCanadianNewDemocraticPartyleaderJagmeetSingh. —CassMarshall AvailableforAndroid,iOS,andWindowsPC 9.Blaseball Iamoneofthemanywhohaveneverparticularlygottenintowatchingsports.IparticipatedinathleticswhenIwasyounger,butitwasnevertheteam-basedstuffpeopleenjoywatchingandtalkingabout.MyintroductiontoBlaseballwasmyfriendmessagingmeonSteamasking,“WhatBlaseballteamdidyoupick?”asifIwassupposedtoknowwhatthatmeant,withnocontext.IhastilyloggedintotheprovidedlinkandpickedtheBaltimoreCrabs,asthat’smylocalteam.(I’malsoaCancer,so...)Fromthere,thingsspunoutofcontrolveryquickly. Image:TheGameBandviaPolygon Blaseballshowcasesthepowerofahealthyfandom Blaseballisafreebrowsergameandasocialmediaphenomenon,inspiringfanart,fanfic,albums,andmore.Readourfullessay. IbecameaddictedtoBlaseball,andnoteventhegamblingaspectofit.Iwasaddictedtotheabsurdity.IforcedallmyfriendstoplayBlaseballandpickteams,andwe’dspendthedaysmack-talkingeachotherandtalkingaboutthegames.Forthefirsttimeinmylife,Iwastalkingaboutsports.“ThatsucksthatYorkSilkgottrappedinagiantpeanutshell,”I’dsaytomyfriend,asifthat’sacompletelynormalthingtosayoutloud. Blaseballcreatedasportsenvironmentforjustabouteveryonetoenjoy,andthesurprisesandinterestingstorylinesjustkeptcoming.Wewentfrom,“Wow,oneoftheweatheroptionsisnow‘peanuts.’That’swild!”to,“Yes,sowefoughtagiantgodandthenasquidgodappearedandapologizedformissingtheparty.”Thanks,TheGameBand,forgivingmeandmyfriendssomethingtodiscussforweeksonend. —JuliaLee Availableforbrowsers 8.CrusaderKings3 Terriblekings,vengefulcousins,andmedievalkingdoms—CrusaderKings3isawonderfullydensegamethatrewardspatientplayers.Aplayerselectsakingdom,duchy,orregionaroundtheworldduringthemedievalera.Fromthere,theytakecontrolofthatregion’sruler,andbeginthecomplicatedbusinessofrunningakingdom. Image:ParadoxInteractiveviaPolygon CrusaderKings3istherarestrategygameeverybodyshouldplay LikeanAPEuropeanHistoryteacherwhomakesclassfun,CrusaderKings3capturesthejoyfulweirdnessofitssourcematerial.Readourfullessay. Settingtaxes,choosingadvisers,andcontrollingarmiescanbesatisfying,butthereallureofCrusaderKings3istheelaborateinterpersonaldramathegamecreates.Theplayermanagestheirruler’srelationship,andeventuallytakestheroleoftheirheir.Everymemberofyourcourt,everyadviser,isanNPCliabletogeneratechaoticnarrativesthatthreatenyourreign. It’slikeafeudalversionofTheSims,withseduction,coups,assassinations,childhoodbullies,andaffairs.Thegameisalsoflexible,allowingacustomcharactercreatorandtheabilityforplayerstoswitchthehistoricalnormsonissueslikesexualityandreligion,whichaddsanextralayerofintrigueforpeoplewhowanttocrafttheirownstories. —CassMarshall AvailableforWindowsPC 7.HalfLife:Alyx HalfLife:Alyxmakesmefrustrated.No,it’snotbecauseit’savirtualrealitygame.Infact,theVRimplementationisdoneexquisitely.Fromtheaccommodatingmovementstylestothewiderangeofcompatibleheadsets,Iwasrarelyeverfrustratedwhileplaying(orwantingtoplay)Alyx.It’salsodefinitelynotthegameplay:Thephysicssystemisajoytointeractwith,andthefirefightsaresomeofthemostintenseactionsequencesI’veplayedthisyear.Iwasn’tevenannoyedthatthegamewasaprequel,andnotjustbecauseyourco-pilotRussellisoneofValve’smostendearinglywrittenandactedcharacters. Image:ValveviaPolygon Half-Life:Alyxmakesreloadingagunadevastatingadventure Howmanywayscanreloadingagungowrong?Readourfullessay. No,I’mfrustratedbecauseit’sareminderofhowlongit’sbeensincewe’veexperiencedaproperValve-developedvideogame.HalfLife:Alyxisamasterclassinnarrativeleveldesign.It’sconstantlyteachingtheplayernewconceptswithoutthemrealizingthey’rebeingtaughtsomethingnew.Everypotentialplayerpathisconsidered,everyvignetteofenvironmentalstorytellingcaringlycrafted,andeverypuzzledesignedtomaketheplayerfeellikeasupergenius. Combatencountersagainstjustafewenemiesfeeldauntingatfirst,buttheintensityrampsupsograduallythatbytheendofthegame,you’repracticallylookingforwardtofightingCombineforcesandAntlionsatthesametime.Eventhoughthegameisthoroughlylinear,numeroussideroutes,hiddenrooms,andverticalpathsmaketheworldfeelbothwideopenandinterconnected.PastValvegamesmayhavebeenmorerevolutionary,butthecraftsmanshipofHalfLife:Alyxisnearlyincomparable.Here’shopingwedon’thavetowaitanothernineyearsforafollow-up. —ClaytonAshley AvailableforWindowsPCviaHTCVive,OculusQuest,OculusRift,ValveIndex,andallWindowsMixedRealityheadsets 6.Spider-Man:MilesMorales Spider-Man:MilesMoralesmarkedthefirsttimeIunderstoodwhytheweb-slingerisoftencalled“yourfriendlyneighborhoodSpider-Man.” Image:InsomniacGames/SonyInteractiveEntertainment Spider-Man:MilesMoralesisthefutureoftheMarveluniverse ThegameprovidesaglimpseintowhyPhase4oftheMCUissopromising.Readourfullessay. 2018’sSpider-Manwasgreat,butitfailedtoestablishPeterParker’sroleinthefabricofthecity.MilesMorales,ontheotherhand,isSpanishHarlem.Hisstory,identity,andreasonforputtingonthemaskareallinserviceoftheneighborhoodherepresents.Hisrootstiehimtoatimeandplacethatneedhisversionoftheherotoholdittogether.ThroughoutSpider-Man:MilesMorales,wegettoseehimgrowintoadefenderwhodoesn’tsaveNewYorkCityastheheroofsomesortofmonolithiclocation,butastheheroofaspecificZIPcode. Hegainsthetrustofhisneighbors,eatsempanadasandpastelesfromanearbyrestaurant,anddesperatelystrugglestosavehislocalbodega’scat.Hisactsmayfeelsmallcomparedtotheworld-shatteringeventstheAvengersmightbemixedupin,buttothefolkshesharesablockwith,theseproblemsaretheirentireworld.Milesisnotonlydefendinghisneighborhood,butalsothelivesandhistoriesthathavebecomeintertwinedwiththebricksandasphaltthatsurroundthem.That’swhatmakeshimthetruefriendlyneighborhoodSpider-Man. —JeffRamos AvailableforPlayStation4andPlayStation5 KentuckyRouteZeroscreenshot Image:CardboardComputer 5.KentuckyRouteZero KentuckyRouteZero’sfinalchaptercameoutinJanuary2020,butCardboardComputer’shauntingpoint-and-clickadventureisnotexactlya2020videogame.KentuckyRouteZerohasfiveacts,thefirstofwhichwasreleasedinJanuary2013.Somuchhaschangedbetween2013and2020,andKentuckyRouteZero’ssnapshotsofhumanlifeserveasasurrealrecordoftheeconomicstrifethathasbesettheworkingclassintheUnitedStatessincethe2008economicrecession. Image:Image:CardboardComputer/AnnapurnaInteractiveviaPolygon KentuckyRouteZeroisthegameabout2020—despiteitsdecadeindevelopment Oneofthebestgamesofthepastdecadeonlygainsrelevanceintheageofthepandemic.Readourfullessay. Thegamemeandersthroughitsstrangeandsupernaturaltaleofatruckdrivertryingtomakeafinalmysteriousdelivery.Accordingtovideogamelogic,thedeliveryshouldbetheendgame,thewholepointofthejourney.Butasthegamegoeson,itbecomesclearthatthisisnotastoryabouttickingoffquestmarkers.Itisaboutfailure,abouttheghostsweleavebehind,andthetorturedprojectsthatwebeginandnevermanagetocomplete. PlayingthroughKentuckyRouteZerofeelslikewritingapoem,gropingtofindthewords,andleavingwiththesad,weirdfeelingthatit’sstillnotquiterightbutit’lljusthavetodo.It’snotlikeanythingelse. —MaddyMyers AvailableforLinux,macOS,NintendoSwitch,PlayStation4,andWindowsPC 4.FinalFantasy7Remake Ididn’tgetmyhopesupwatchingthetrailersforFinalFantasy7Remake.IthadbeensomanyyearssinceIlastplayedtheoriginalgame...somanyyearssinceIwatchedmyBlu-raycopyofAdventChildrenComplete,afilmthatIstubbornlymaintain“isgood.”Couldthisshinynewgamereallyhaveanythingtoadd? Image:SquareInixviaPolygon FinalFantasy7Remakeavoidedtheremaketrap SquareEnixmetimpossibleexpectationsfrommillionsofFinalFantasyfans.Readourfullessay. WELL.Inaword,yes.FF7Remakeisn’tjustafreshcoatofpaintonanostalgicproperty.EachareaofMidgarissothoughtfullydetailedanddesigned;thearchitecturetellsmeclearlywhatlivingineachsectorislike.AndthemassiveplatethatloomsoverSector7!It’sonethingtoknowit’sthere,anothertoseeit.It’sgotdanglingwires,andcrumblingedgeswhereShinrahasgivenuponmaintenance.Aftertheplatefell,IlookedupfromSector5andsawthesliceofdirtyskywheretheSector7plateusedtobe.Owie! FF7Remakeisquirkyandfunny,too.Itdidn’tmatterthatIhadseenitmemedtodeath;IshriekedwithdelightwhenCloudhadadance-offagainstAndreaRhodeaattheHoneyBeeInn.It’soneofmanywelcomeupdates,formeatleast,thatmakesRemakemorecomfortingtocomebacktothantheoriginalgame. —SimonedeRochefort AvailableforPlayStation4 3.MicrosoftFlightSimulator Ofallthefancifuldestinationsthatvideogamesletyouexplore,planetEarthwasoneIdidn’texpecttocomeinnearthetopofmy2020list.Butinagodforsakenyearduringwhichaonce-in-a-centurypandemicpreventedusallfromtraveling,ofcoursethatwouldbethecase. Havingsaidthat,virtualtourismisn’tevenmyfavoriteelementofMicrosoftFlightSimulator,andcallingita“videogame”feelsreductive.It’samind-bogglingtechnologicalgestalt,bringingtogetherasetofcutting-edgetools,techniques,anddisciplinesinre-creatingeverysquaremileoftheplanetasflyovercountryforyouraerialadventures—andin,y’know,simulatingtheflightofairplanes,whicharesomeofthemostcomplexmachineshumankindhaseverbuilt. Image:AsoboStudio/XboxGameStudiosviaPolygon OnlyonecompanycouldmakeMicrosoftFlightSimulator Whenaviationloversneededitmost,MicrosoftFlightSimulatorlandedonourPCs.Readourfullessay. MicrosoftFlightSimulatorreliesonastaggeringamountofartificialintelligenceanddata,whetherit’sinthephotogrammetryprocessusedtogeneratephotorealisticcitiesfrom3DBingMapsdata;theAItechnologyusedtogeneratetherestoftheplanetfrom2Dimagery;thereal-timeflightandweatherinformationusedtopopulatethegameworld;orMicrosoft’scloudcomputingplatform,Azure,whichprocessesallofthisdataandstreamsittoyourgamingPCovertheinternet.It’sanincrediblepieceofsoftwarethatlikelywouldn’thavebeenpossibleevenfiveyearsago. Andyet,noneofthewordsinthatparagraphIjustwrotecanconveythecapacityofMicrosoftFlightSimulatortobringallofthattechnologytobearinthemostbreathtakingways.GamedeveloperRamiIsmailtookatrans-AtlantictripfromMontrealtoAmsterdamwhileflyingthatsamerouteinthegame;hissimulatedflightlandedaboutfourminutesaheadofhisreal-lifeone,andtheweather,thestarsinthesky,andthesunriseallmatched.InearlybroughtmywifetotearsbypausingaflightoverTokyoandpositioningthedronecameratomatchtheviewfromthehotelwestayedinduringourfall2019honeymoon.Nooneknowswheninternationaltravelwillbeathingagain,butuntilthen,I’mgratefulthatitstillexistsinMicrosoftFlightSimulator. —SamitSarkar AvailableforWindowsPC 2.AnimalCrossing:NewHorizons AnimalCrossing:NewHorizonsexplodedafteritlaunchedinMarch.Thankstothedisturbinglygoodreleasetiming,peoplewerelookingforwaystodistractthemselvesfromthegrimrealitiesofthecoronaviruspandemicaswellaswaystodigitallygather.NewHorizonsprovidedbothofthose. Image:NintendoviaPolygon AnimalCrossingkeptupwithallthetwistsandturnsof2020 AnimalCrossing:NewHorizonshascomeinsecondonPolygon’sGameoftheYearlist.TheNintendogamecameatexactlytherighttime,buthaschangedalotasthepandemiccontinues.Readourfullessay. Whetheritwasfishingupbigcatcheswithyourfriends,perfectingyourtarantulafarmingtechnique,orplayingtheturnipstalkmarket,itseemedlikethegamehadsomethingforeveryone.PeoplewhohadneverplayedvideogamesbeforewerepickingupNewHorizonstobondwiththeirfriendsandfamily,andtheywerefindingenjoymentinsomethingnewandrefreshing. Beinghonest,atonepoint,NewHorizonswasthemaindriveformetogetoutofbedinthemorning.IwantedtograbmySwitchandcheckinonmyislandtoseewhathadchangedovernight.MaybeIhadaspecialvisitor,ormaybemyshophadsomenewfurnitureIwaslookingfor.ThoughaheftychunkofNewHorizonsplayershavenowburnedout,it’sundeniablethatthegameprovidedanimmensesenseofjoyandbelongingduringaprettybadtime. —JuliaLee AvailableforNintendoSwitch Hades Image:SupergiantGames 1.Hades Hadesisaclassiccoming-of-agestorydrenchedinGreekmythology.ThegametellsthetaleofZagreus,sonofHades,whoismakingabreakfromthedepthsofhellinanattempttoreachthesurface.Zagreuswillendupdyingdozensoftimesoveryourquestthroughthegame,soyougetusedtotheagonyofmurderrealquick. Image:SupergiantGamesviaPolygon WhyHadesisPolygon’sgameoftheyear Hadesisthebestgameof2020.YoucanplayitnowonWindows,Mac,andNintendoSwitch.Whatareyouwaitingfor?Onceyou’redone,readyourfullessay. ButdespitetheconstantdeathanddunkingbyZagreus’rudedad,Hadespullsoffthefantasticfeatofbeingkind,cozy,andwelcoming.Sure,IgotmyfaceblastedoffbythebonehydraandI’mstillmadaboutthebutterflyballsofElysium,butIalwayshadasoftplacetoland.Thegameremovesthetraditionalbarriersofaroguelike,easilygivingthethrillofthegenretonewplayers. Withabigcastofcharacters,mostofwhomarefamily,it’snosurprisethatthingsgetincreasinglycomplicatedasyoudie,talktoyourfriendsbackhome,buyapreciousupgrade,andthendieagain.Upinthewildsofhell,youmasternewweaponsandperfectyourtechniqueagainstimpossibleodds.Whenyougetbackhome,youtrytomakethingsalittlebetterforyourfriendsandfamily.Thetwopathsseamlesslymixtogether,creatinganunforgettablecampaignofstruggle,despair,triumph,andsatisfaction. —CassMarshall AvailableformacOS,NintendoSwitch,andWindowsPC Fortniteguide Fortniteguide:Destroyandcollecttelescopepartsinasinglematch Culture StreamerbeatsCeleste‘driving’throughitwithsteeringwheel Fortnite Fortnite’snewpatchbringstornadoesandlightningstorms ViewallstoriesinNintendoSwitch Loadingcomments... Sharethisstory Twitter Facebook