Pizza Yeti’s 2020 Top 5: Video Games
Hey yall! To close off 2020, I wanted to recap on some of the things that helped me get through the year. This was a big gaming/streaming year for me. According to Nintendo’s wrap up, I spent 712 hours on my Switch and I also have a PS4 and a PC. I’m honestly not sure how much time I’ve spent in 2020 playing games. I just know it’s been a lot. Now, this is the same rules as the books, the game had to be new to me in 2020 to make it on this list. There might also be some honorable mentions at the end because it was hard to pick just 5 games, if I’m being honest.
A photo of two controllers, a Nintendo Switch in the dock, and the glass panel of my gaming PC.
5. Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn did originally come out in 2017, but it took me a minute to get to the game. I initially wasn’t sure if I would like playing as Aloy, but I finally started playing it in late 2019 and finished over half of the game in 2020. It was amazing. I want to play it again in 2021 to maybe try getting all the trophies and finish off the last side quests that I missed. I loved exploring the world and learning more about Aloy and her past. I also spent a lot of the game wanting to fight Sylens because he was condescending. I’m incredibly excited for Horizon Forbidden West!
A clip of Pizza_Yeti playing Horizon Zero Dawn and picking flowers while the world around her catches fire.
4. Spiritfarer
I’ve been looking forward to Spiritfarer ever since Thunder Lotus announced the project. The tagline that they used was that it was a cozy management sim about dying. And wow, did I not know how hard something like that would hit in 2020. You play as Stella, a young woman who dies and takes over the role of Spiritfarer in the afterlife. As the Spiritfarer, you are tasked with caring for spirits and allowing them to work through whatever is making them unhappy that they brought with them from their lives. Over the course of the game, you meet spirits who you come to love, looking at you Atul, and spirits who you struggle with, looking at you Giovanni and Astrid. But you’ll also come to understand the ways that you can care for people as they pass on.
The score by Max LL is amazing and he really makes each event fit the character and the wonder that they player feels. I’m looking forward to playing this game again after they release some added content. Thunder Lotus remains one of my favorite studios.
If you want to read the review I did of Spiritfarer, click here.
A clip of Pizza_Yeti playing Spiritfarer and saying good-bye to a spirit named Summer.
3. Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition
So I actually played Dandara twice this year. I don’t usually do that for games in the same year, if I’m being honest. But Long Hat House published the Trials of Fear DLC in March of this year and I knew that I had to try it. My second play through was streamed on Brown Girl Gamer Code’s Twitch channel. During that run, I published an article about Dandara and all that I had learned about the game and the woman who inspired it. The developer studio saw the article, and one of the devs actually got to see me finish the Trials of Fear final boss. That was definitely a highlight of the year and I look forward to running through the game again in the future to see what I’ve missed around the world of Salt.
Please, get yourself a copy of this game. It’s honestly really difficult at times, but it’s so worth it. The boss at the end of the Trials of Fear DLC was probably the hardest boss that I fought in any game this year. It was wild, but beating her while the dev was there was something that I’ll never forget. It was incredible.
If you want to read the essay I wrote on Dandara, click here.
Spoilers for the Trials of Fear boss in this next clip
A clip of Pizza_Yeti playing Dandara and fighting the final boss, Tormenta.
2. Spider-Man: Miles Morales
During the PS5 announcement, this was the game that made me think, dang, I really need a PS5. I loved the Spider-Man game that was released on the PS4. Miles Morales is my second favorite superhero (shoutout to IronHeart). When they told us that it would also be available for the PS4, I was so so happy! I knew that I wasn’t going to be buying a PS5 anytime soon so I was happy that I would get a chance to play Miles sooner rather than later. This game is great, it really is. This game also felt short.
You play as Miles as he’s learning how to be Spider-Man on his own when Peter Parker takes a vacation. Miles isn’t always confident in himself, but he knows that he has to do what’s right for the city. What was brilliant about this game is that Miles actually feels connected to his community in a way that Peter never did in Spider-Man. Miles knows the people who he is saving, he becomes friends with them, and that adds a depth to his fight that I never felt when playing as Peter Parker. Admittedly, I don’t love the ending of the game, but that doesn’t detract too much from my love of the game. Miles has great representation throughout the game as well. That was fantastic to see.
All together, this game is worth picking up. It might make you cry at times, it definitely almost got me a couple times. And while I wish it was longer, I’m glad that I can say that I got to play a game where the main character is Black and Puerto-Rican and a super-hero.
1. Hades
For a game that didn’t leave early access until Sep 17th of this year, you wouldn’t think that it would take over most of my attention. But since I started playing it on October 10th, I’ve put nearly 90 hours into the game. Supergiant really blew me out of the water with this game. Initially, I was a bit hesitant to play it, I wasn’t sure that I would like a game where you have to start all the way back at level 0 every time you die. But once I started it, I was hooked. The way that Hades works is you play as Zagreus, son of Hades, who is trying to escape the Underworld in order to find his mother. But what keeps you coming back is that the story unlocks the more times you die. It’s weird to be “rewarded” for dying, but since I mostly play games for their story, this was pretty dope. Also, all of the characters are really attractive and you definitely want to keep returning to talk to them.
I love the way that the story unfolds, the writing still hasn’t stopped for most of the characters I’ve spoken with. I think that I’m close to the end of the game, but I’ve gotta find more Nectar and Ambrosia to finish off the last few bonds that I need to forge. Get this game if you like rougelites and games with fun stories behind them. I don’t think that you’ll regret it. It’s a great game and I’m glad to see that it’s been getting some of the accolades that it deserves.
This one is loud… but I did it!!
A clip of Pizza_Yeti playing Hades. This clip is the end of the final boss fight.
So that’s my 2020 Top 5 Games. Gaming is an important part of my life. Without it, I wouldn’t have met the incredible people in Brown Girl Gamer Code, nor would I have met the people in my streaming community. I have a lot to thank gaming for and I’m excited to see what it brings in the future. Also I did want to add some honorable mentions/recommendations because it was really hard for me to only pick five.
Other games that I recommend you checking out:
Carto
Good Pizza, Great Pizza
Raji (although I had issues with this game crashing my Switch, so I didn’t get to finish it)
Forager
Old Man’s Journey — I wrote about this one here.
A Short Hike
Hyper Light Drifter — I mention this game here.
Risk of Rain 2 (it’s a lot more fun with friends)
Mulaka —
Children of Morta — I wrote about this one here.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order (be warned, Cal is annoying)
What games did you play this year? I’d love to know your recommendations, so hit me up on social media @Pizza_Yeti on Twitter and most socials, or let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading! Up next, we’re talking my top 5 pieces of tech from this year!