Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
As wild and unpredictable of a year as 2020 has been, it has undoubtedly been a more than solid year for video game releases. We’ve spent our extra time at home playing more games than ever before, and would like to look back at the best releases on PC. These aren’t necessarily exclusives, but just a listing of the best PC games of the year.
There are still more games to launch on PC this year, but these are the best games we here at Shacknews have played over the course of 2020.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. It goes beyond being cool. It’s a game that allows players access to the entire earth with real-time flights that offer stunning graphics and deep immersion. It’s a game that allowed me to visit the location Canadian troops landed on D-Day, a game that let me visit my family’s island after over 20 years of not visiting, a game that let me fly by my old apartment, and a game that let me explore parts of the world that we simply cannot visit in a pandemic. Microsoft Flight Simulator is a game that will be overlooked by a lot of people because they don’t have the hardware to run it, but for those that can run it, it’s a game that must be played.
Death Stranding is a game unlike anything anyone had ever seen or heard of. On the surface, it doesn't sound like a grand time: schlepping across America delivering cargo. But the whole package (pun definitely intended) is wrapped up in such a beautiful environment and deeply intriguing story, that one cannot help but want to experience everything on offer. Then when 2020 hit, all the themes of Death Stranding hit home: the sense of isolation, the love you have of the delivery person dropping someone off at your house, everyone connected through online means. It was almost prophetic in its delivery. Kojima has proved, once again, that he's an auteur in the video game space.
Riot Games made its foray into the world of team-based shooters with Valorant, an FPS heavily inspired by CS:GO and Overwatch. Valorant features the strategic gameplay and tight gunplay that fans of the tactical shooter really appreciate. The game also manages to weave the abilities of its numerous agents into gameplay in a way that compliments combat but doesn't dominate it. More than anything, Valorant feels like a game made by passionate fans of the genre. The development team is constantly listening to its community, and taking this feedback into account for new updates and changes.
Trackmania 2020 brings back the exciting high-octane action that racing fans have enjoyed over the years. Praised for its creativity and fun time trials, Trackmania stands among some of the best games to hit PC in 2020.
Few RPGs have come close to the scale and amount of control that Wasteland 3 puts in the player's hand. This full-fledged RPG takes everything that the developers at inXile have learned throughout its storied history and turns the entire genre on its head. Player decision runs the world, giving players a number of ways to expand and explore, directly impacting the flow of the story. Kill anyone, do almost anything. It's a freedom that few games have managed to excel at, but one that inXile manages to pull off expertly.
Genshin Impact came in like a sneak attack. This free-to-play MMO-esque game has a lot in common with titles like Breath of the Wild and brings a lot to the table for fans of the gacha genre. While there are some issues that the developers are working out, the game itself offers a stellar combat system built on combo hits and elemental attacks. It's a surefire hit and with no buy-in, there's no reason not to try it out.
If you're looking for a new RPG to cut your teeth on then Baldur's Gate 3 could be a great choice. There are a few caveats, though. First, the game is still in early access. This means there are bugs, saves are going to break, and the content itself is limited to the first act of the game. But, if you want to experience a deep D&D driven system, there's nothing else like it out there. While it's still early in development, Larian is poised to make waves with Baldur's Gate 3.
Fall Guys has been an absolute blast for anybody looking for a friendlier sort of battle royale experience. It's a game filled with wholesome mascots who compete in Mario Party-style party games until ultimately only one player is left standing. The variety of games keeps the experience feeling fresh, especially as Mediatonic works to add new games each season.
The PC version may not have had the free entry that the PS4 version offered for PlayStation Plus members, but it's arguably the better version of the game. The crisper-looking visuals, the lack of input lag, and the more reliable online experience make PC the best way to play Fall Guys. And with everything coming down the pipe, we'll be playing Fall Guys for a long time.
Torchlight 3 might not be the most complex ARPG on the market, but it makes up for that with its charm and addictive gameplay. Players that have been waiting for more dungeon-crawling goodness will certainly find plenty to keep them hooked in this third entry in the long-running Torchlight series. With new classes to play, a Fort for each player to personalize, and ample loot and gear to farm, there's a lot to keep you playing until the sun peeks over the horizon. Plus, co-op ARPGs are always a blast, and Torchlight 3 is no exception.
Supergiant Games sure did spend quite some time in Epic Games early access with Hades, but nearly two years later, that wait feels so worth it. The Version 1.0 of this game is on a level few roguelikes ever touch. It's got a vast array of powers and abilities to take on colorful randomized rooms full of Greek-themed denizens of the underworld. More than that, Hades takes a lot of the sting out of dying with a well-crafted story and progression system that keeps you moving forward no matter how many times you fall. Every player will find their personal favorite style of weapons and god-given power-ups, and the journey will be a perilous one as foes become even more varied and treacherous as you defeat them, but you put it all together and Hades might be one of the most delightful PC games of the year.
There was a stink about the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series for far too long after THPS 5. It was a wretchedness that could barely be washed out and left us wondering if we'd ever see a good return to the glory days of skateboard games again. When we first learned of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, we were cautious. We had every right to be, but Vicarious Visions worked to win our hearts over. This love letter to much of the working parts of the series brought back the old skaters with some new faces, a full listing of the classic music along fresh new tracks, and ground-up rebuilds of levels across the first two games. THPS 1+2 went above and beyond, and it makes us wonder (or perhaps hope with all our hearts) that a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 remake is in the cards.
Here at Shacknews, we have a very strong history with games like Doom and Quake. So, of course we’re going to eat up a game like Hellbound that pays homage to so many FPS games of yore. Players will take on horde after horde of demonic Hellspawn as they make their way through a tormented landscape. It’s got the quips of Duke Nuke’em, the powerful weaponry of Quake, and the violence of Doom all in one tight package. If you’re an old-school FPS fan, or looking for a game for that classic player in your life, Hellbound is a great choice.
Big loads, big trucks, and big levels — SnowRunner has it all. Part logistics simulator and part mud-bogging Dark Souls, the Saber Interactive-developed game is certainly unique. Building on the foundation of previous titles like SpinTires, SnowRunner manages to flesh out the progression and mission design that was sorely missing from its predecessors. With the ability to elicit frustration and elation, SnowRunner walks a fine line that makes it one of the standout titles of 2020.
Paradox Interactive would have us believe that Crusader Kings 3 is a grand strategy game, and it plays like one, but beyond that, it's a vast and infinitely flexible storytelling machine of rulers and statecraft. The sheer magnitude of things that can occur in a single Crusader Kings 3 game, from a ruler being married, to having children, to having separate kingdoms from their spouse, to accidentally going to war with their spouse, to becoming estranged with a child who takes their parent's throne and remembers said war, is just a glimpse of the shenanigans that can occur. It is safe to say that no player's journey through this game's web of political intrigue will play out quite the same, and with a burgeoning mod community and plenty of support from Paradox, this will continue to be a game that keeps on giving back.
Doom 2016 took the gaming world by storm. It was a breath of fresh air into a franchise players hadn’t experienced in a long time. With a lot of hype surrounding it, Doom Eternal was announced and released to the hounds. It’s always tough trying to build on perfection, but the masters at id Software managed to add to the raw fury of the Doom series in a way only they know how. It wasn’t just runnin’ and gunnin’ anymore, Doom Eternal added even more movement into the mix, allowing players to still feel like an unstoppable force but with the added pleasure of grappling hooks and flipping around the arenas of death while slaying demons. Plus, nothing quite gets the pulse pounding like Mick Gordon’s heavy metal choir.
It’s been a long, long time since we’ve had the opportunity to slip into the world of Half-Life. It’s been so long that many were beginning to wonder whether or not Valve had the ability to deliver something that lived up to the game’s titanic mythos. And so came along Half-Life: Alyx, an entry in the franchise unlike anything experienced before. As Shacknews CEO Asif Khan describes it, Half-Life: Alyx will “undoubtedly go down as one of the best virtual reality games ever made.” I don't know about you, but that gets me searching for the best VR system to purchase so that I might be blessed by this experience.
That covers it! The best games we've played on PC throughout 2020. This list was a collaborative effort between the staff here at Shacknews. What were some of your favorites? What did we leave out? Feel free to sound off below!