Game of the Year 2020
Feature
Full of prestige - Hooked Gamers' PC Game of the Year
The final award is arguably the most important...Hooked Gamers' Game of the Year. It is a prestigious award that took weeks of discussion and arguments amongst the staff at Hooked Gamers. Each of the nominees earned their spot on the list, but only one can take home the coveted prize.
The Nominations…
Hades
Wonderful art style…check. Ambience setting music…check. Heroic story…check. Hades has it all and then some. As the son of the god of death Zagreus, gamers fight through the underworld against a myriad mythic beasts in an attempt to escape to the surface. But Zagreus is helped along the way by the legendary gods all with their own story to tell. It is a tough game, and players will die…a lot. But this is where Hades differs…death is rewarded with interesting conversations with those legends. With unique weapons and skills that will be advantageous in different scenarios, smooth controls, and characters with a droll sense of humour, Hades will keep players heading back into the underworld.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Whether you were stumbling through doors, dodging giant fruit, collecting eggs for your team, or leaping for the crown, each event in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout has been a heap of fun. Sure, it can be frustrating for your crazily dressed jellybean to be eliminated, but players can simply jump back into the next match of sixty competitors, each vying to be crowned the champion. With its colourful, cartoon visuals, simple controls and events that rival any from It’s a Knockout or Wipeout, the game is one that all ages can enjoy. And in a year that has had often felt grey and dreary, the light-hearted nature of Fall Guys has kept up our spirits.
Doom Eternal
Bang for you buck…and there are so many bangs in Doom Eternal. Firing away with the chaingun, the plasma rifle or the BFG 9000 certainly got our adrenaline pumping in 2020. This year has been hell, and what better way to commemorate this than to destroy zombies and all manner of hellish monsters with an almighty arsenal. Doom Eternal is as action packed as they come, having players carve their way through Hell’s legions as a Doom Slayer, performing Glory kills and leaving gore, blood, and a tonne of bullet casings in their wake. Doom Eternal has certainly reinforced id Software’s credentials as a quality developer.
Ghostrunner
Slicing and dicing in a futuristic cyberpunk setting. Nope, Cyberpunk 2077 did not make our list (sorry CD Projekt Red…your delays meant that it missed our cut-off for nominations), but Ghostrunner is set in a similar themed landscape. With our protagonist wielding a katana, he will slice and dice his way through a series of different enemy types that require the gamer to utilise the protagonist’s growing repertoire of skills. Ghostrunner requires pinpoint platforming and split-second decision making, but with tight controls deaths always feel as though it is the fault of the user. Instant respawns and generous checkpoints allow for a flowing game – one that has a multitude of ways in which it can be completed. And it makes a great way to practice slicing the Christmas turkey.
And the Winner is…
Hades
All four games would have been a worthy winner, each with completely different styles of gameplay, but equally (well…almost) enjoyable. But our love for the indie game and its deep storyline comes out on top over the others to be crowned the Best Overall Game of 2020. In a year like no other with many of us being stuck in some sort of lockdown, it was a wonderful opportunity to escape from our worries and experience the whole different type of hell that Hades provided. Journeying through the Underworld as Zagreus and building a relationship with those around him provides for a masterful coming-of-age tale for our hero. His interactions with other characters, particularly when he is respawned after one of many deaths are well designed and combined with the combat mechanics makes for a smooth gameplay experience and one that should not be missed.
Game of the Year 2020 Award categories
Best Strategy Game
Best Role Playing Game
Best Sports or Racing Game
Best Action Game
Best Multiplayer Game
Best Platformer or Puzzle Game
Best Indie Game
Best Sequel, Remake or Expansion
(Note. Cut-off for nominations was 1st December)