Dan Ryckert is a guy with a couch and a Twitch channel. Every Sunday, he hosts a podcast about streaming movies and shows with his wife Bianca. He has set two Guinness World Records, got married at a Taco Bell, wrote numerous books, and is currently the #1 Gamer on Cameo. He used to work here.
Hello folks! I’m Dan, and you might remember me from this website. Been a weird year! Everyone’s done their best to take whatever positives they can out of a global pandemic, and for me it’s been discovering how much I love streaming games. If only I could find a job that would pay me to play and talk about video games, huh? Anywho, I’ve learned a billion things about production and can now beat Mike Tyson in Punch-Out!! on demand, so I’ve been happy to find some very clear personal and professional growth amidst all the time at home in 2020.
I’m gonna break down my top ten games of 2020, but first let’s take a look at some...
Honorable Mentions: Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Maneater, Bugsnax, Demon’s Souls
On to the list!
10. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Back in 2015, I was able to appreciate the gorgeous art style and incredible soundtrack of Ori and the Blind Forest, but the gameplay didn’t really grab me. It didn’t have a progression system that kept me going, and I found some of the big setpiece chases more annoying than rewarding.
This year, everything came together and resulted in one of my favorite Metroidvanias in recent memory. It’s still as gorgeous as ever, but the variety of powers, well-designed map, improved setpiece moments and boss battles, and simple yet effective story locked me in from beginning to end. Whereas Blind Forest saw me setting the controller down before finishing it, Will of the Wisps had me pursuing and achieving 100% completion. Not since Terminator 2 has a sequel improved so much on the original.
9. Cyberpunk 2077
I actively avoid “the discourse” when it comes to video game chatter on the internet, but even I couldn’t escape the fury that CD Projekt Red stirred up with this bungled-ass launch. I have zero interest in defending the console versions of this game--it sounds like they’re unfinished as hell and some of the clips I’ve seen of their performance are downright embarrassing.
It’s a shame though, because in my 25 hours of playing the game on a powerful gaming PC, it’s actually really good. That’s not to say it’s without bugs. I’ve had to restart a couple of missions due to broken AI and objectives, but most of the wonkiness I’ve encountered is more of the hilarious variety than game-breaking.
Despite appreciating some of what The Witcher 3 was doing, I’ve never been a big fan of fantasy settings, so it didn’t land with me as much as it did with others. While a lot of Cyberpunk’s whole thing is a little faux-edgy and occasionally a bit lame (I’m really not sold on Keanu’s character), the Night City aesthetic jibes with me far more than whatever fantasy land Geralt lived in.
My thoughts may change over time with this one, as I’m not far enough into it yet to know if it sticks the landing. But so far, I’ve really had a blast just walking around the city, using my hacking skills to mess with bad guys, and playing through the occasional massive story mission.
8. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
My enjoyment of playing as Spider-Man is as strong as my dislike of Peter Parker as a character, so I was able to look past the quips in 2018 and wound up loving that game. This follow-up is better in every single way.