Punch of the Year Awards 2020
2020 has been a rough year for obvious reasons, but our favorite pastime also brought us some very cool games. There was a slight shift in more ‘social games’ like Among Us and Fall Guys, but also nice to see was the big rise in popularity of virtual racing during the off season. For other communities like the FGC not being able to organize locals or tournaments anymore was a tough pill to swallow, so hopefully 2021 (also known as 2020-2) will bring more joy in that regard.
But let’s cut to the chase, here are PTG’s awards for 2020, and as you will see my personal flavor of the year has definitely shifted towards RPG’s again.
Punch of the Year Award
Final Fantasy VII Remake
My most loved game of 2020! While I had severely lowered my expectations for the official remake of one of my all time favorite games ever, I was quickly proven wrong while playing the demo featuring the Bombing Run. The game definitely has its flaws, but also strongly captures (and adds to!) the whole ambiance of what Final Fantasy VII is and has been. I have no shame on being biased on this one, this is a must play and I cannot wait to dive back in once we see it released on PC as well.
Tag Team Teammate Award
The Last of Us Part II
When I asked my tag team companion Treble Toe Charko what his personal pick of the year was, he had little doubt and pointed out The Last of Us Part II. I’m going out on a limb here since I haven’t play this one myself yet (Shame! Shame!), but I’ve deliberately skipped it on PS4. Once I get my hands on a PlayStation 5, this will be one of the first I’ll play, I promise! Besides, from what I’ve heard playing it on next gen really adds to the experience, so one to keep in mind!
Technical KO Award
Cyberpunk 2077
The backlash this game has received since it’s release is wild … And while I agree the ‘old gen’ versions look rough around the edges to state it mildly, I think this is without a doubt one of the best RPG’s ever made. The whole atmosphere of tech based human decay is not for the faint of heart, but if you have the hardware to run this game (PC ‘master race‘ seems to be a must) definitively give it a shot. If you’re looking for a first person open world RPG where you can go full on Bigus Dickus, this the game for you! It brutal, it’s at times gruesomely mind-boggling and it’s really that good!
Surprise Attack Award
Immortals Fenyx Rising
This game took me by surprise. It was a very close call compared to Assassins Creed Valhalla, but the lightheartedness (read: humor) and perfect implementation of ‘borrowed’ game mechanics gave it an extra edge. Smooth gameplay, cool story and a gorgeous colorful world all add up to make it one of the stronger games of the year all while being Padawan Proof!
Undercard Notice
This is my personal wall of shame of games I didn’t play yet, while I do believe these could have been strong contenders as well. As you may know gaming remains a hobby where you can’t play them all, so these titles remain untouched on top of my shortlist. Besides the already mentioned The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima is perhaps one of my biggest regrets of not having it played. I’ll probably give this open world samurai game a spin once (if ever) I get my hands on a PS5.
Other games on my ever expending to do list are Sackboy and perhaps even Demon’s Souls. During Steam Sales I also got my hands on Doom Eternal, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Hades which I’ll still need to give a go. Oh Priorities!
