It's time for our list of the top 20 best PC games of 2020, finally. With the kind of year 2020's been up until now, we'd hardly be surprised if the clocks up and decided not to turn come December 31st, 23:59. At the very least, however, we don't think we'll be getting any more major game releases before the year is up. 2021 is almost here, and it's jam-packed with, perhaps, even more awesomeness than we got this year 'round.
Anyhow, now that a great new game is rather unlikely to blindside us before the year is done, we decided the time was right for us to come up with our very own list of top 20 best PC games of 2020. Drawing from all major PC genres, releases, and niches, we believe we've come up with something pretty darn neat, all in all.
What you'll find below is a countdown of almost two dozen PC game releases that left a lasting impression on us. We've got indies, triple-A, and just about everything in-between. As ever, note that this list is, after all, a subjective creation, and chances are that you probably disagree with at least a few of the entries on it. Now, without further ado, let's get started!
Top 20 Best PC Games of 2020 List
#20: Resident Evil 3 Remake
Some like it, others don't: one thing we can tell you is that, had Resident Evil 2 Remake been released alongside 3, it definitely would've overshadowed it. That said, we think it's okay for a game to be less than perfect. RE3R is that, pretty much, but it's also an unforgettable adventure gaming experience that will leave you begging for more. We've got tight controls, fun gameplay, a great antagonist, and a narrative that's tried-and-true, owing to RE3R's pedigree. All in all, quite a lovely package, and probably the best zombie shooter we got in 2020.
#19: Othercide
Here's one you definitely didn't see coming! Othercide was a big surprise on most fronts, if you ask us. This incredibly stylish turn-based strategy game is set in a nightmarish cosmic horror universe that doesn't ever really let up. Sure, it is kind of edgy, but it's the right kind of edgy: one that's fun and engaging across the board, and manages to pull you in from the very start. Othercide's strange narrative will, for one, keep you coming back for more until you're done and done, and the Red Mother won't save herself, will she now? A must-play for fans of TBS titles, but a generous recommendation for horror and Lovecraft lovers, too.
#18: Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Golden launched on PC smack-dab out-of-the-blue. As you can probably imagine, this was widely regarded as a phenomenal move by ATLUS, and PC gamers have been hoping for more Persona stuff to make its way to PC ever since. On its own merit, this is a great game, even if you're not overly keen on its visual style or premise. Sure, it's not a "big" Persona release, but it definitely feels like one, and we think it's proven itself to be the perfect first foray for potential new fans of the franchise.
#17: Star Wars: Squadrons
Against all odds, Star Wars: Squadrons ended up being one of the best dogfighting games we've seen in... well, years now. This EA-produced first-person masterpiece offers everything you could wish for. It's got a lovely campaign with a fun and interesting storyline, a great multiplayer mode with enough players to keep matchmaking times low, and it's generally just a quality product across the board. It's just simple enough for anybody to be able to pick up and play while offering more than enough nuance for complex sky maneuvering and dogfighting for veterans of the genre.
#16: Darksiders Genesis
The first major offshoot of the long-lasting Darksiders franchise, Darksiders Genesis is a top-down "twin-stick" shooter featuring Strife himself. It's also got a two-player cooperative mode, where the other player picks up a sword in the role of War. A fun premise that quickly gives way to very solid execution. We felt Genesis got overlooked by many for its early 2020 release, but you'll be hard-pressed to find many better hack 'n' slash titles to have launched this year. While we'd really love to see Strife get a full Darksiders game as the other Horsemen did, it's hard to find a fault with Genesis on its own merit.
#15: Maneater
Maneater earned its place on our list of top 20 best PC games of 2020 by doing exactly what it set out to do. You get to play as a ridiculously customizable monster-shark, eat people and other assorted creatures, and have fun with a bunch of unlockables strewn across its open-world map. It's also delightfully focused and short: a perfect match for those who just can't afford to spend 40 hours on yet another massive RPG that'll go nowhere in the end. Don't underestimate Maneater - it's an incredible concept and an even better game.
#14: Desperados III
Now that we have a chance to look back, 2020's been a great year for strategy gamers. We got heaps of awesome new games, a phenomenal remaster (more on which later), and an all-new Desperados title. Better still: a really, really good Desperados title! The bottom line is really simple: Desperados III does precisely what you'd expect it to do, and does it with gusto. It's a great story-driven stealth strategy game with a solid enough narrative that'll keep you coming back for more until you're done. It's also set in the Wild West, so that's a huge plus for many people!
#13: Prodeus
Having written about Prodeus a while back, the game remains a must-play delight even now. And yes - even though it's in Early Access. Prodeus is, at its core, a celebration of classic first-person shooters of yore. Add its Brutal Doom DNA to the mix, though, and what you get is a downright incredible FPS gaming experience that will only get better with time. Did we mention it's absolutely loaded with content, too? Well, now we have, and it's a right hoot.
#12: Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection
When it was first announced, we had literally no idea what to expect out of Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection. Will it be a full rework of the games? Will it include all the content? Is it going to be any good? Then, the project got handed to Petroglyph Games, the original devs of the series, and the rest is history. This is precisely what it says on the tin: a modernized and - indeed - Remastered collection of all the original C&C titles. Whether it's nostalgia or curiosity that's getting to you, make no mistake: this is a wonderful game that'll easily keep you busy for a long, long while.
#11: Football Manager 2021
Year in, year out, Football Manager 2021 keeps getting better and better as time goes on. But look, FM21 isn't necessarily just about football. Alright, technically it is, but if you look underneath its outward appearance, there's more. A masterclass in management game development. Incredible organizational tools and visual spreadsheet models. A gameplay loop that should, by all counts, be completely unintuitive and uninteresting. Yet, here we are: singing its praises. Football Manager 2021 is pretty darn great, all things considered. Football fan or no, it's hard not to appreciate that sort of achievement.
#10: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon made a fair few changes compared to its celebrated predecessors. Some enjoy its new turn-based combat system, for example, while others would rather it stuck with what worked. On our end, though, we can't help but love the fact that even such a long-lasting niche franchise is continually and continuously evolving still. Like a Dragon has just about all the charm you'd expect out of a Yakuza game, except with a slightly different gameplay loop. Still deeply satisfying, mind! Just, y'know, different. What you get here is a great out-of-the-box narrative and a game that'll keep you busy for dozens of hours on end. Plenty of mini-games, too. Of course.
#9: Horizon: Zero Dawn - Complete Edition
One of the several former console exclusives on this list that finally found their way to PC in 2020, Zero Dawn is something else. Even when you take away the uniquely fascinating premise of the coexistence of organic and inorganic ecosystems alongside one another, what you get is an incredibly competent action-adventure with enough content to last you months of play. Then comes the expansion pack, with even more good stuff added on top! Goes without saying that Zero Dawn looks phenomenal on PC. Now that its performance issues have been resolved, too, we can safely put it in our top 10 games of 2020.
#8: Death Stranding
We'd say that Death Stranding is unique, but that sort of misses the point. It's been specifically designed for uniqueness, and that's a hard thing not to appreciate. The first proper walking simulator, where the core gameplay loop is traversal, Death Stranding looks incredible, runs perfectly, and offers a New Weird narrative that you really won't find anywhere else. Or anything remotely close to it, for that matter. We loved it from start 'till the end, though we fully understand that Kojima's trademark tackiness might simply not be everyone's cup of tea.
#7: Monster Hunter: World - Iceborne
The first and - so far - only Monster Hunter game on PC, Monster Hunter: World, and its incredible Iceborne expansion pack are truly a sight to behold. Fighting huge fantasy monsters had never been quite as exhilarating as it got to be in World, and that's owed in no small part to powerful hardware and extensive control schemes provided by non-mobile platforms. All the usual suspects are here, too: hundreds of hours of regular content with endgame plastered on top, and that's without Iceborne adding more of everything to the mix. A must-play, we think.
#6: Mafia: Definitive Edition
We're huge fans of reworks and remakes, and Mafia: Definitive Edition is a prime example of why that is the case this year. Sure enough, the original game is a real classic and much can be said about playing classic video games as they were, but things get out of date fast in this industry. Mafia: Definitive Edition gives us that same narrative experience and a similar gameplay loop, but vastly modernized and improved. Just about every aspect of the game is now purpose-built to be fun and satisfying, from driving to shooting, and you'll have a hard time finding a better mafia-centric game in recent years.
#5: Risk of Rain 2
Having finally launched from Early Access, Risk of Rain 2 proved its worth time and again. In fact, there's a big expansion pack coming out sometime in 2021, so there's much to be looking forward to! Disregarding as-of-yet unreleased content, however, this is a perfect rendition of the original game's 2D platforming gameplay in full third-person 3D. The game is incredibly fun and offers more content than you could shake a stick at. Its unique roguelike stacking mechanics mean that every run is different, and evolving enemies and bosses provide a challenge until you really cannot go any further. A lovely game to play, really.
#4: Crusader Kings III
For a long, long while, Crusader Kings II has ruled (ha!) supreme as the ultimate grand-scale strategy/RPG hybrid. Its many expansion packs have, over the years, filled in the blanks, and provided just about every improvement imaginable, making it a must-have for fans of the genre. Enter Crusader Kings III, which is simply better. This would be expected in an ordinary franchise, but Paradox Interactive worked hard to make CK2 the best it could be, and to see CK3 beat it in sheer fun-factor was truly a sight to behold. Make no mistake, there's not a decade's worth of content in CK3 - yet. What is there, however, is more than enough to keep you happy and engaged for a very long time.
#3: Mount & Blade: Bannerlord
While some games may have launched out of Early Access in 2020, Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord has only just started its trip down that particular lane. No matter, however! The game works, and it's a bunch of fun. Bannerlord takes everything you know and love about the series and makes it better. From the novelty of fresh gameplay features to old classics such as open combat, Bannerlord is already proving to be among the best games of this generation. Will that continue? We think the answer can only be a resounding 'yes'. Doubly so once it finally launches in full!
#2: Ghostrunner
Ghostrunner is awesome. This statement honestly cannot be overstated. The cyberpunk Hotline Miami on steroids is incredibly satisfying and just a grand old time however you flip it. Its levels are essentially short bursts of speed and badassery with a puzzle-based slowdown here and there. To say that they lend themselves well to speed-running is the understatement of the year. Remember: one-shot kills all around. This philosophy is central to Ghostunner, and no matter which sword you end up going with, you'll have the time of your life.
#1: Doom Eternal
We suppose it was hard not to see this one coming. Doom Eternal marked 2020 in a way few other games could ever hope to. Fast, brutal, and both more and less complex than its immediate predecessor in many ways, Eternal is a badass cookie to be chewing on. Once its fascinating gameplay loop clicks, you'll be leaping in and out of combat like a true Doom Slayer. Of course, it does help that said loop consists of incredible brutality, gallons of demon-sourced blood, and big bad guns all around. If Doom 2016 was a return to form for lightning-fast shooters, Doom Eternal presents us with an evolution of the genre, rather than allowing it to stagnate into circle-strafing and large health-pools. Nothing short of fascinating, we'd say. A well-deserved winner as the best PC game of 2020, in our book!
Did you like our list of best PC games of 2020?
Though it might not seem that way if you've not yet had the chance to get busy with Ghostunner, it was a pretty close mash-up between it and Doom Eternal in the end. We're talking about two incredibly fast, incredibly brutal first-person experiences that we'd not have expected to see again since the days of, say, Quake! All in all, we got the impression that PC gaming has turned into a very healthy ecosystem over time, and especially so if you consider what it looked like during the Brown Era. Shoddy console ports are now few-and-far-between, and advanced visual features such as raytracing and deep-learning super-sampling are all the rage. It's a good time to be gaming on PC, to summarize.
We can't say for sure whether 2021 will continue treading the same road, but it sure seems like we're in for a hell of a year no matter what. Pandemic or no pandemic, earthquake or no earthquake, at least PC gaming's going to thrive. The silver lining, right? Happy New Year!
It’s time for our list of the top 20 best PC games of 2020, finally. With the kind of year 2020’s been up until now, we’d hardly be surprised if the clocks up and decided not to turn come December 31st, 23:59. At the very least, however, we don’t think we’ll be getting any more major game […]
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