Much like the last transitional year for console gaming in 2013 — a year that brought us Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, and BioShock Infinite — 2020 has been a strong year for new games. With the first half of the year behind us, we've compiled a list of all 56 games that received a review score of 8 or higher from IGN. Note that, despite their qualifying scores, expansions (e.g. The Division 2: Warlords of New York) and games in Early Access (e.g. Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord) aren't included.
Click through the gallery below or continue scrolling for our full list of 2020's best games (so far), ordered from lowest score to highest.
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Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Vanillaware |
Platform(s): PS4
From our review: Vanillaware games have always looked great, but 13 Sentinels is the first time the studio has put a bulk of its focus on storytelling. And it pays off. This revival of classic sci-fi ideas hits all the right notes and goes deep without overstaying its welcome, even at over 20 hours long. And while Vanillaware’s attempt at doing something different with combat by branching out into real-time tactics to portray its city-scale mechs-vs-kaiju warfare is commendable, the storytelling and rich characters undoubtedly doall the heavy lifting in making 13 Sentinels an enjoyable journey.
– Matt T.M. Kim
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Rare, Dlala Studios |
Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
From our review: After more than a quarter of a century in limbo, this new iteration of the legendarily difficult Battletoads takes everything that made the NES original memorable and reworks it into a friendlier, funnier beat ‘em up. Entertaining characters with a great visual style, simple but rewarding combat and minigames, and a rad soundtrack coalesce into a respectably enjoyable revival, with its most notable shortcomings being that enemy variety is a little slim and the story is over too quickly.
– Terrence Wiggins
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/17/game-of-the-year-watch-2020-begins"]
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Crowbar Collective |
Platform(s): PC
From our review: Whether you played Half-Life back in the day or not, Black Mesa is definitely the best way to experience one of the crown jewels of first-person shooter history. It doesn’t look like a 2020 remake – because it’s not, really – but it still makes great use of the distinctively creepy atmosphere and excellent combat that left such a mark on this genre. And what better way to get ready for Valve finally returning to the Half-Life universe?
– Dan Stapleton
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Paper Cult |
Platform(s): PS4, Switch, PC
From our review: Even after completing it, I’ve continued trying to master Bloodroots’ levels because the loop it introduces in its opening minutes remains fun all the way through its campaign. It doesn’t revolutionize its genre but is such a solid entry, with a variety of weaponry to master, some fantastic boss fights, and an overall immediacy to its action. Dressed in a beautiful art design and coupled with a Tarantino-esque tale, Paper Cult elevates its murderous mayhem with an intriguing world. Aside from some slippery nuisances in certain level designs, and a somewhat predictable ending to the otherwise fun story, Paper Cult has crafted a bloody fun time.
– Jonathon Dornbush
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Mimimi Games |
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
From our review: Desperados 3 is an uncompromising tactical stealth game that tests your patience and rewards your willingness to experiment. Playing with a charming team of toy soldier-sized assassins in a series of deadly and detailed dioramas is tough and requires a lot of trial and error, but success is more rousing than a whiskey chaser. Dormant for 14 years, in Desperados 3 the series enjoys the most triumphant comeback in the Western genre since Clint Eastwood made Unforgiven.
– Tristan Ogilvie
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Mediatonic |
Platform(s): PS4, PC
From our review: A collection of exciting minigames and a smattering of every colour under the rainbow makes Fall Guys a consistent delight, even if it can also be a frustrating one at times. A few quality of life annoyances aside, it sets itself apart from both the party and battle royale games that inspired it in its own ludicrously fun way. I may only have a handful of crowns to my name so far and can’t wait to get hold of more, but most importantly I’m looking forward to the excitement, yells, and laughs I’ll have on my way to them. Joining the frosty, war-torn Verdansk and the wild, looming cliffs of King’s Canyon is an ocean of pink slime that stretches as far as the eye can see. I know where I’d rather be.
– Simon Cardy
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Square Enix |
Platform(s): PS4
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/06/final-fantasy-7-remake-review"]
From our review: The expectations around Final Fantasy 7 Remake are sky high, and it mostly manages to deliver. Its combat is top notch, its enemy variety kept me constantly entertained, and seeing this snippet of story fleshed out with real emotional arcs and the previously hidden humanity behind Midgar filled me with pure joy. The boring RPG filler and Kingdom Hearts-esque convolution that was inserted in between did stop my ear-to-ear grin from being constant, but never long enough to kill the mood completely. That leaves this remake as one that still delivered on letting me relive (part of) a classic in stupendous fashion, while also standing as a great RPG all its own.
– Tom Marks
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Splash Damage, The Coalition |
Platform(s): PC (Xbox One version coming later this year)
From our review: Gears Tactics is an excellent turn-based tactics game that does a superb job of melding Gears’ famous style and action with the mechanics laid down by XCOM. It’s one intense and satisfying tactical battle after another, and it looks absolutely fantastic doing it. It does slightly wear out its welcome with too much of a good thing in its Gear-grinding side missions, and due to the lack of larger strategic decisions I don’t see it as being as replayable as its tactical role model. Even so, it’s a strong campaign that leaves a great impression with some clever, Gears-appropriate original ideas.
– Dan Stapleton
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: ARC System Works |
Platform(s): PS4, PC
From our review: Following in the footsteps of BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is one of Arc System Works’ most approachable fighting games yet. It smartly balances considerations for more casual fighting game players without ever stepping on the toes of its hardcore audience. The result is a more grounded and neutral-heavy ArcSys alternative with all of the usual ArcSys flair, which is a fantastic breath of fresh air. Its RPG mode is dull, and its 11 character roster feels way too light, but all things considered, Granblue Fantasy: Versus feels like it could be the start of another special 2D fighting franchise.
– Mitchell Saltzman
Review Score: 8 |
Developer: Cardboard Computer |
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
From our review: Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful poetry generator in the body of a point-and-click adventure game. It’s frequently stunning to look at and beautifully written throughout.
