Along with the awards voted by our staff, the game of the year, each of our writers has compiled their own personal lists, covering their top five PlayStation 5 and PS4 titles of 2020. Today is the turn of the producer of video Liam Richardson.
Confession Time: I haven’t played any games in Dreams yet. I know, pretty embarrassing right? The thing is, I find that dreams are the best time when I treat it like an obscure second-hand store I’ve discovered in a sporadic little ally, away from the road. What exciting trinkets will I discover today? Ah, a game where Kermit the Frog has a machine gun! Alas, a Sonic game where all the enemies are Sora from Kingdom Hearts. Dreams not only encourages players to express their creativity; he embraces them to enjoy the absurd. Just for that reason, it’s one of my favorite experiences of the year.
Wow, Streets of Rage 4 is a bit of a winner, right? Not only is it a faithful (and canonical) sequel to the original Mega Drive trilogy, but it also successfully reinvents it for the modern era. The 16-bit sprites are replaced by gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations, giving new life to the returning characters and newcomers to the series. His soundtrack, composed by various artists, is a synthesizer wave treatment based on the tracks found in the three original titles. And the game? Well, this is where the real magic lies. Mostly unchanged, some new mechanics result in one of the most satisfying combat systems in the genre. It may have taken 26 years to arrive, but believe me, it was worth the wait.
Is Astro’s Playroom the best console package from Wii Sports? Sure, it’s up there, but maybe not for the reasons you might expect. You see, Playroom is Sony’s Super Smash Bros., a celebration of the brand in a way the company has never managed to finish. Of course, the PS3 had a literal clone of Smash Bros. in the form of a PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but it lacked something that Astro’s Playroom has in abundance. Cor. This is a love letter, so adorable that it includes a realistic 3D model of the GPS image of the PSP attachment as a collectible. Nothing made me smile as much as Astro’s Playroom in 2020. A shining gem in the PlayStation crown.
Activision has been a bit of a winner recently in terms of remasters, but none has been treated as carefully as this year’s excellent Tony Hawk collection. Both the celebration of the series as a whole and the remake of the two original games, THPS1 + 2 incorporates later title features (such as the essential reversal) to create arguably the best skateboard game ever created. The bird man is back, broski, and he’s more radiant than ever. Here we hope that Activision will take advantage of the huge success of this release with a real sequel as soon as possible.
Tsushima’s ghost is at its best when its katanas are safely wrapped. When the roars of the invading Mongols are replaced by a soothing bird song, bubbling streams and the soft whisper of a guiding wind. In a year as heavy as 2020, the ability of games to cater to escapism has never been so hot. Of all the digital worlds I’ve visited, none have been as enjoyable as the Japanese island of Tsushima. Walking through golden forests, lush fields of flowery flowers and next to coastal cliffs is an almost meditative experience, the game’s vibrant artistic direction results in stunning views that look nothing like on PS4. Do yourself a favor. Take a trip to Tsushima and experience its beauty for yourself. You will not regret it.
What do you do about the 5 best PS5 and PS4 games from Video Liam? Film your response in the comments below.