SWERY is a game director best known for his work on games like Deadly Premonition, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, and The Missing: J.J. MacField and the Island of Memories. He's @Swery65 on Twitter.
I think it should go without saying that 2020 was an unusual year for everyone around the world. Amidst everything that's happened, I'm overjoyed from the bottom of my heart that Giant Bomb, who I love, has given me another chance to look back on my own year.
Just like last year, it seems like more and more games are being released every year. This year, we also saw the next generation of consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X) along with a big update to the PC world with the Geforce RTX 3000 Series and the Ryzen 5000 Series.
In the world of VR, the Valve Index and Oculus Quest 2 were released, and the very first TV commercial for a VR machine was broadcasted in Japan. And, of course, new models keep coming out in the world of smartphones.
It really made me think about just how one's own unique ideals and tastes can influence which choice of hardware will best complement one's life.
Now, I'd like to put the spotlight on a few of the games I've played this year. Just like with last year, it's not going to be a straightforward 'top 10' list or anything like that--I'm just going to focus on several games I enjoyed from different points of view. My only hope is that this list may complement the lives all those who read it.
A game that healed me during COVID: PokerStars VR
I wasn't able to go outside due to COVID, and I especially wasn't able to meet up with any friends from overseas, but this game gave me a chance to have fun with my friends in VR. I think I spent more time drinking virtual beer and smoking virtual cigarettes than I did actually playing poker.
A Flight Simulator that Surpasses other Flight Simulators: Microsoft Flight Simulator
I didn't take a single trip overseas this year, but I flew through the skies with this game. Instead of visiting popular tourist attractions, I visited the venues of the conferences I go to every year, as well as the towns where I did research for Deadly Premonition, D4, and The Good Life, and submerged myself in my memories.
Amazing Japanese Indie Game: Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
When I saw this game several years at BitSummit, none of the rice cultivation elements were present. (Perhaps they hid them.) The finished product is a very unique game that mixes hack-and-slash action with Japanese culture. It's also a very well-polished game, which really surprised me. Another laudable point about the game is how it forces you to view the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website in the real world in order to proceed with the rice cultivation segment. I also liked how playing the game made me want to eat some piping hot rice.
Amazing Game Design #1: Death Stranding
I first played this game this year. I was shocked by the quality of the game design, and the next thing I knew, I had put a ton of hours into the game. In lots of open world games, gameplay and game events progress based on points (destinations) that have been scattered across a vast map. There isn't much to do while you're traveling from point to point, so the players are given cars or horses to ride. The developers can utilize a few tricks here and there to make sure the player gets wrapped up in battles. But the truth is, the fact that that time exists at all is a thorn in their side. In the worst case scenario, they just add fast travel to get rid of the traveling time entirely. But in Death Stranding, the traveling from point to point is the focus of the game. I was also shocked by the idea of being able to use tools set by other players through the online functionality. It really was a game built around the idea of 'connectivity.' I didn't like the story, but I think the game design is truly genius.