Tell GR is a weekly Game Revolution community feature in which we ask you a question, and you answer it in the comments section below. Read the GR editorial team’s opinions before sharing your own responses!
We’re nearly halfway through the year (thank god), so the Game Revolution team has been looking back at the absolute abhorrence of 2020 and trying to wring any positives we can out of a woeful 6 months.
While the world was burning to pieces around us, video games were as good as ever, so let’s focus on those, shall we? The GR team has listed their candidates for GOTY 2020 below, and we want to read your opinions in the comments section below.
“Animal Crossing… I’m still putting in 20 minutes or so each day”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: Animal Crossing: New Horizons is my Game of the Year so far. While the base adventure is short and simple, the possibilities are endless when it comes to customizing my island and getting involved with community designs and events.
New Horizons launched at the perfect time, too, as we all suddenly found ourselves locked inside. An island escape, where you could join up with friends, was perfect.
Months after release, I’m still putting in 20 minutes or so each day to do my chores and see what’s going on. It feels like a form of meditation at this point!
“Valorant is becoming a strong contender”
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: Animal Crossing: New Horizons has kept me playing since launch, and I’ve only just started to drift away from it. A game that becomes a pleasant addition to your daily routine is exactly what we all needed this year, and I have no doubt I’ll keep returning to it throughout 2020.
Valorant is also becoming a strong contender. I’m surprised by how much fun I’m having with it, and even though it’s quite barebones at launch with only 2 modes and a handful of maps, it’s a hugely satisfying FPS that has completely replaced Overwatch right now as my go-to shooter.
“I’m glad Square didn’t go the safe route with Final Fantasy 7 Remake“
Jason Faulkner, senior editor: So far, my favorite release this year is Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Though it understandably rubbed some people the wrong way, I think it captured the original game’s magic while expanding the lore in significant ways. I’m glad that Square Enix didn’t take the safe route and just go with a 1:1 remake. The game would have still been good, but it would have been predictable.
Getting to see Midgar in 3D with correct proportions enhanced my enjoyment of the original as well. So much of FF7 was left to the imagination, and it’s incredible seeing just how vast Midgar is, and how oppressive life in the slums must be. I love that Square Enix didn’t cheap out and remove any content, too. Everything from the original is there, sometimes slightly rearranged, but lovingly recreated none the less.
I’m excited to see where the next entry of Final Fantasy 7 Remake takes us. I have a deep emotional connection to the original game, and I’m glad that the remake didn’t just tap into that nostalgia, and is instead forging its own legacy.
“Doom Eternal would be an easy GOTY contender in any year”
Michael Leri, lead writer: Doom Eternal is my Game of the Year so far with Nioh 2 right underneath it. While getting ripped and torn into pieces in Nioh 2 was a sadistic joy, doing the ripping and tearing in Doom Eternal is a power fantasy that just barely edges that out.
The combat loop doesn’t get old and forces you to adapt and think quickly. Constantly trying to keep your chain and flow going while listening to a killer soundtrack is why it’s one of the best shooters ever made and something I can’t wait to replay on the PS5 via backwards compatibility.
Eternal would be an easy GOTY candidate in any year, but it’s also helped out by how odd 2020 has been even just within the scope of gaming for me. The response to RE3 remake, the follow-up to my 2019 GOTY, was underwhelming enough to keep me from playing it (for now). I don’t care about Animal Crossing or FF7. There are flawed games like Journey to the Savage Planet and Predator: Hunting Grounds that I personally enjoyed quite a bit even if they sit near the bottom of my top 10. We still haven’t seen many of the games coming out later this year.
However, despite all of these unusual factors, it’s still going to be quite a feat to take down the Doom Slayer.
