Most Anticipated Games of 2020 in Review
2020 In Review: Most Anticipated Games
At the start of every new year, the possibilities in the video gaming world seem endless. The hype and anticipation for what could be announced or even released is at an all time high at the beginning of every January. We fill our heads with wild dreams and hopes of things that will likely never come to fruition, but it doesn’t stop us from doing it every single year. Heading into this year we had the potential of a brand new generation of gaming to begin, which is the equivalent of an eclipse in the world of gaming.
In my lifetime, I have only been around for around six or seven generational launches deepening on how you categorize them. I remember way back when it was easier to see the clear differences, going from 8 bit to 16 bit or from 16 bit to 3D graphics. Reading magazines, yes print magazines like EGM to get every morsel of detail before a new console launch. Having a new console launch as part of the year looked to be just the cherry on top of the sundae.
However, 2020 had a different plan for the world that no one could have predicted. Although, most aspects of the gaming world have seen a major boon with manufacturers, publishers and developers showing massive increases in sales. Including Nintendo, who despite logistical troubles have seen their net profit increase almost 250% compared to the same six month period in 2019. We have also seen the flip side with a lot of many studios finding it hard to cope with the new 2020, leading to many delays, including three this year for CyberPunk 2077 alone
On the bright side, both Microsoft and Sony were able to launch their new consoles. However both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 saw missteps along the way with preorders, launch timing, and scalpers. Scalpers are always part of every new generation of consoles as they understand people are thirsty for the latest and greatest in gaming, especially if it only happens once a decade. In fact scalpers are always part of the world no matter what the product is, whether it’s hand sanitizer at the start of the year, Tickle Me Elmo back in the 90’s, the latest Air Force Ones, or the hottest thing in gaming.
Normally, people can eschew this problem by just going to the store and waiting in line. That wasn’t the case in 2020 as stores declined to offer launch products in store. Forcing every one to fight to the death in the modern coliseum known as online shopping.
Circling back around, most gaming outlets like to make lists at the beginning of the year featuring games that are most anticipated or make bold predictions about what could happen in the upcoming twelve months. Without exception, we compiled a list at the beginning of the year about the most anticipated games of 2020 and the timing is perfect to look back here is how it panned out.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
One of the studios that was best prepared for a pandemic is Moon Studios, the team behind the beautiful, heartfelt and challenging Ori series. Moon Studios is composed of people who work remotely from around the world and that’s how the studio was formed. One of my personal choices as best game of the past generation was Ori and the Blind Forest. We al know that the Xbox One generation missed the mark a little. Without doing a deep dive of why the Xbox One underperformed, the major reason was the lack of exclusives. This made great exclusive games all the more noticeable.
In 2015, Moon Studios released Ori and the Blind Forest. This is impressive because Moon Studios was only formed in 2010. Creating such a fantastic experience on their first video game is an impressive feat. It was such a pleasant surprise for a litany of reasons. The art style and visuals popped, causing Ori to stick out in a very crowded market, filled with Metroidvanias. Ori had tight, precise controls, an easy to play but hard to master gameplay but most importantly, Ori had heart.
We scored Ori and the Will of the Wisps a 19/21 or a 90% with technical hiccups holding it back for being a contender for game of the year. Here’s what we said in our review “The Will of the Wisps was one of my most anticipated games of this year and this can sometimes have a negative effect when expectations don’t meet reality. Moon Studios have created a masterpiece by delivering a true sequel by keeping the soul of the game by improving upon almost every aspect in it, even if some ideas feel borrowed from some of the best in the genre. Technical issues keep this game from being perfect”
It’s not a surprise that Ori was one of my top games from last generation because other games on that list include Dead Cells and Hollow Knight. These are two games from the genre that are in the upper echelon of quality. Apparently, Moon Studios also noticed the high bar set by these games as Ori and the Will of the Wisps borrowed one of the more hated aspects of Hollow Knight, which was the cartographer. The feature was divisive but it was a slight surprise to see the team at Moon use an idea that wasn’t something they put their own spin on.
Expectations are hard to meet when they are unrealistic. This can sometimes lead to disappointment when there shouldn’t be, but it also works the opposite way when expectations are low or non existent, which is what happened with Ori and the Blind Forest. However, Moon Studios just needed to play it safe for a follow-up to their fantastic 2015 debut, more Ori and a few new things to be introduced. This is exactly what they delivered as Ori now had some new skills and the game was longer. Trying to meet the heartfelt nature of the first was a far bridge to cross but Moon studios did manage to imbue a sentimental tone to the sequel as well.
I wasn’t able to find an Xbox Series X as of yet but from what I have read, Ori and the Will of the Wisps runs flawlessly and the team at Moon Studios also updated the game to take advantage of the power of the new generation. The new update now allows you to play Ori in 4K with a locked 120FPS and HDR. If you don’t have a TV capable of 120FPS just yet they also added another mode that super samples 6K at 60 FPS output at 4K, which according to the studio feels like playing printed concept art.
If playing Ori and the Will of the Wisps was first experienced in one of these modes without the technical issues that plagued it throughout the game constantly, we would be having a different discussion about what else is in the game of the year conversation with Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The team at Moon Studios managed to meet my expectations, I just wish I could have experienced the game how it truly should have been with these new modes.
Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft is the best selling video game of all time, due to its widespread availability on just about every platform and it’s sandbox nature, which provides you with endless fun if you know how to find it. The Diablo series, another one of the best selling games of all time with its near endless dungeon exploring and its extremely satisfying gameplay loop. Combine these two genres and you should have an excellent game, which is the true problem for Minecraft Dungeons. It should be drastically better than it is for a myriad of reasons. The studio behind it, the amount of time it was in development, the visuals shoudnt’t be hard to process for any platform you can find it on and the list goes on.
I am one of the 200 million people who bought Minecraft fairly early on, but never truly connected with its gameplay loop but very much appreciated what it was doing understanding that it wasn’t for me. Dungeon crawlers, especially the Diablo series has always been right up my alley. Whether playing alone or having a great time with my significant other slashing our way through dingy halls looking for one more treasure, Diablo has delivered.
We scored Minecraft Dungeons a 16/21 or a 76% saying that it wasn’t a bad game just was fairly shallow, with technical shortcomings and missed the mark in many departments. Here’s what we said about it back in June from our review. “You could make an argument for the short length, or the technical shortcomings, or the erratic difficulty spikes but the actual worst part about this game is knowing how much better it could be. It is a very competent game and a great value, but the difference between Diablo 3 when it launched to its end product and Minecraft 2008 compared to its end product leave a large gap between where Minecraft Dungeons is now and where it is likely going”
Minecraft Dungeons still sold well enough, although concrete sales numbers are hard to find at the moment, it was the first game to dethrone Animal Crossing New Horizons from the Nintendo Eshop as the best selling digital game, which in 2020, says a lot. I have revisited Minecraft Dungeons recently to see how it has been patched since its first month of release. Although things seem to be getting better, in terms of more vendors and the ability to trade weapons with friends, it still seems to be lacking and still doesn’t run great on the Switch.
As one of my most anticipated games of 2020, Minecraft Dungeons left me disappointed in so many areas of the game. The enemy variety was basic, the loot was uninspiring and there was a lack of secret discoverability that dungeon crawlers need. These are all superficial areas where patches and steady updates can bring Minecraft Dungeons to the place it should be. There is hope that with Microsoft behind this product, it will eventually turn a corner similar to something like No Man’s Sky, or even how another dungeon crawler, Diablo 3 rebounded from rocky start.
CyberPunk 2077
At the time of making the list for most anticipated games of 2020, CyberPunk2077 was due out in April, then it was pushed back to the end of October, then to mid November and finally now early December. I never connected with the Witcher series that way that I would want to due to its setting. However the futuristic, dystopian setting looks like a playable version of Blade Runner, which checks the boxes for me.
As the latest game from CD Projekt Red is now days away from release, there is little possibility that this game will be a disappointment. With all of the coverage that we have seen of this game from past gaming expo’s, media outlets and the studios own coverage from their series Night City Wire, there seems to be very little that is hidden other than the story.
Which is a possibility that the story will be too immature and tone deaf, but from all of the coverage that has been shown so far, that seems like a low chance. CyberPunk 2077 isn’t going to be the best thing since sliced bread but the expectations for a solid game have been substantiated from what we have seen so far and CD’s work on last generation.
Halo Infinite
If you said that a new Xbox was going to launch without a new instalment in the Halo franchise, no one would have believed you. For starters, Microsoft took their lumps during the Xbox One generation for lack of exclusive games among other issues from the rocky launch that persisted too long. What better way to give the new generation of Xbox a head start than launching with a brand new Halo game, a game that has been in development for over five years from a series that is known for having one of the best system sellers ever with Halo Combat Evolved.
Halo Infinite was poised to be just what Microsoft needed. Why else would the Xbox One generation only see one original, mainline Halo entry, unless Microsoft had decided that it made more sense to hold it for the launch of their next system. Obviously Halo Wars and Halo MCC don’t count as mainline entries. A tough decision to make at the time, if in fact it was made but reducing the scope of the game and launching it last generation could have been a shot of adrenaline that the Xbox One needed to sell some extra systems. The flip side is that launching another Halo that left fans disappointed was not what the franchise needed after the launch blunders of MCC and the divisive campaign from Guardians.
Halo Infinte was going to the promise of what 343 had been working hard on since taking over the franchise from Bungie. After delivering Halo 4 and showing promise as the new care taker of the Halo series, consistency was lacking afterwards. Halo MCC had some great anniversary remastering for the single player campaigns but lacked proper matchmaking, which was a staple of the Halo series. Halo 5: Guardians had some of the finest Halo multiplayer content with excellent maps, weapons and improved movement speed that the series needed to stay relevant. They even had some great ideas with Warzone variant that showed the team is capable of innovative ideas in the multiplayer arena. Missing was a good single player campaign and removed was the split screen aspect that had been a pillar of the series from day one.
At first, 343 dismissed the idea of having a Battle Royale mode as part of the series. Back in 2018, a few members of 343 were hosting a mixer stream, when they were asked about the notion and replied “the only BR we’re really interested in is Battle Rifle”. This all happened well before Battle Royale had hit the heights it currently resides upon and well before Mixer closed down. With Free to Play models showing outstanding success with seasons and battle passes, 343 would be remiss if they didn’t figure out a way to make a Halo BR. Just like Halo:CE was able to innovate on the multiplayer shooter back in 2001, there is a decent chance that it could do the same thing again given the amount of people that work at 343 and the innovative ideas were have seen since taking over the franchise.
The Halo world is ripe for a battle royale with futuristic weapons, original vehicles, and outstanding map design the series has seen so far. The good news is that the latest news regarding a Halo BR is that it is back in the conversation at the studio. 343 community manager took to social media to respond to speculation that there will be a Battle Royale mode in Halo Infinite “I’m aware we could help solve this with real news. We certainly have some things we’re overdue on and eager to talk more about. We’re in the process of pulling together a year end update” Based on my knowledge of corporate jargon, if its not true then it gets fully debunked and if its true then respond, while eschewing the actual topic, which is what happened here. This statement comes off very strongly that the speculated mode will be in Halo Infinite.
The latest Xbox seems to have launched with good results with the general critical and consumer consensus being positive. A new console is going to sell right away, no matter what, as people want the newest thing. Getting that second wave to purchase becomes harder as you are now trying to convince people to buy the system as opposed to trying to keep up with demand. The Halo Infinite delay might turn out to be just what Microsoft needed to revitalize the franchise.
Nintendo Anchor
It seems that one of the companies that were affected most by the events of 2020 were Nintendo. There were multiple reports throughout the year of logistical problems, yet Nintendo kept churning out system sales due to how many people rekindled their love of gaming. In many parts around the world, finding a Nintendo Switch at a retailer was like trying to find a Switch during it’s launch window, or any Nintendo hardware during its launch window.
In 2017, the launch year of the Switch, the system launched with Breath of the Wild and in the fall Super Mario Odyssey anchored the lineup. In 2018, the big anchor at the end of the year was Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. Finally, in 2019 there was a lot of great games to keep Switch owners happy including Luigis Mansion 3, Links Awakening but the real anchor of Nintendo’s lineup was Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Even with next to nothing announced for 2020 at the beginning of the year, Nintendo was still going to release a big tentpole title to sell Switch hardware and compete with the launches from Sony and Microsoft, right? It wasn’t wrong to think that there would be a premium, first party Nintendo title to grab consumer attention. Expecting a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey wasn’t out of the question as Nintendo had shown precedent of this in years past.
Ocarina of Time was released in 1998 and then quickly followed up with Majora’s Mask in 2000. Super Mario Galaxy was released at the very end of 2007 and Super Mario Galaxy 2 was released near the start of 2010. Finally, there was Metroid Prime released in 2002 and the sequel, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was followed up in 2004. Nintendo has shown a pattern of quickly following up a successful entry in a series when using the same engine and same development team. This lead to the assumption that Super Mario Odyssey 2 was possible in 2020 as a sequel to the very successful game seemed like a sure thing. We also knew that Breath of the Wild 2 was in the works and 2020 would be a turnaround of three years from the original, which wouldn’t be unheard of based on using the same assets from the original.
What ended up happening was that Nintendo decided to scrap their 2020 plans and keep things operating at a very low level. The big speculation near the start of the year was that Nintendo had big plans for Mario’s 35th Anniversary, which did end up happening. However, the 3D All Stars bundle was underwhelming and the highly anticipated port of Super Mario 3D World was pushed out until 2021. On the Direct side of things, we haven’t seen a true direct since September 2019. We have seen Indie World Directs, Smash Directs, Mario Directs, and even a new category for Directs, Third Party Showcase.
Not taking anything away from Nintendo and the year they had as they clearly know what they are doing with record software sales generated by Animal Crossing: New Horizons at the start of the year and the continued support of Pokemon and Super Smash. There was just an assumption that like every year past, Nintendo was going to have a very strong fourth quarter, first party release.
Hindsight is 20/20
2020 was not the year that anyone had in mind. There were plenty of high profile delays but we still saw many great games released during the past 12 months and two brand new consoles made it to market, in spite of the logistical nightmare that it likely was to ship a new console during a pandemic. Looking at my most anticipated games of 2020 list in hindsight, there was a lot that didn’t happen due to unforeseen circumstances. Halo Infinite was delayed, Nintendo likely shelved their initial 2020 plans, and Minecraft Dungeons came up a little empty for my taste.
On the bright side, Ori and the Will of the Wisps was as good as it could have been for a true sequel and if CyberPunk 2077 connects with me the way I am hoping that it will, the list will be somewhat salvaged. It was still a great year to catch up on games from the backlog or even spend more time playing simple games that make you feel good.