Gayming Magazine’s Favourite Games of 2020

I’ll be honest with you all – Gayming Magazine has kicked some major ass in this year of 2020. We’ve pulled in a huge number of different readers with our features, columns, reviews, and guides. We’ve hosted a number of different events, and we’ve made history with the upcoming Gayming Awards 2021.

But it isn’t just about the work we’ve done – it’s about the games we’ve played, and boy, have we all played quite a bit. It’s because of our variety of tastes that these 4 games chosen by myself, Robin, Ed, and Matt are so different from one another. I’d like to think that just makes our list a tad more exciting. So, from all of us here at Gayming Magazine, a big thank you for the support you’ve given to us.

Now go on, read us go on a tangent about some video games.

Baldur’s Gate 3

It took me a long while to narrow down my favourite games of this year, and in all honesty, it surprised me that Baldur’s Gate 3 came out on top. Mostly due to the fact that the game isn’t even close to being 100% finished yet and is still very much in Early Access. For some that may be enough to put you off Larian Studio’s next epic fantasy game, and that’s fair, but in my mind that doesn’t negate the mastery that Baldur’s Gate 3 shows in both its gameplay and in telling a thrilling Dungeons & Dragons story.

It has everything that you could want in a game: an intriguing story, a range of different characters that’ll either make you love or hate them, character and class builds to work yourself around, and there’s even some romance, too! It’s hard to put into words just how excited this game has got not only me, but a community of players that are desperate to have a game that respects their choices in the way games like Dragon Age: Origins and the original Baldur’s Gate series did.

Did I also mention that it’s incredibly gay? Yeah, that too!

Combining the lore of Dungeons & Dragons with Larian Studio’s twists, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece of a game and one that truly makes me believe that this will become one of the most important, incredible RPGs of all time.

— Aimee

Borderlands 3: Guns, Love & Tentacles

OK, you know me, you know my love of Borderlands. So imagine my excitement when this summer we had a DLC arrive for Borderlands 3 which is a story about gay marriage! Borderlands is already an incredibly diverse franchise, full of queer characters, but for a AAA game to dedicate a whole DLC to the celebration of gay love and relationships is amazing!

However, what really makes this game special is that it’s real, authentic love. Jakob Wainwright tells you of his nerves ahead of the big day. His eleventh hour doubts echo so many of our thoughts when we doubt our relationships, particularly whether we’re worthy of our partners.

This authenticity, combined with traditional Borderlands shooter/looter action and it’s trademark sense of humour, really does make this game a standout favourite of mine from the year.

You can read Matt’s full review of Borderlands 3: Guns, Love & Tentacles here.

— Robin

Final Fantasy VII Remake

For the most iconic game of the year, a game that will sum up the lockdown experience of 2020, look no further than Animal Crossing. But I’m voting with my heart here, and my heart belongs to Cloud.

The same can be said for much of the cast of Final Fantasy VII Remake too, as they’re certainly a thirsty bunch in this new and (somewhat) improved version of the PS1 classic. But can you blame them when it all looks so good? This is the game as it was in our heads back in the day, now with the added ability to move the camera and look upwards at the awesome yet horrific city of Midgar. And it sounds so good too, taking those familiar themes and presenting them in new and exciting ways.

The game isn’t perfect for representation, but Square Enix did update the infamous cross-dressing scene, not least of all adding in a whole new character who openly celebrates queerness. And while I fully admit to wearing nostalgia smothered glasses here, not even the controversial ending could sour this opportunity to experience such a wonderful, timeless story and its cast of memorable, hot characters.

— Ed

ALL OF THE GAMES

Naming a “Game of the Year” for 2020 is a really, really tough proposition. In gaming terms, the year has been almost inverse to how awful the real world has become, blessing players with a host of fantastic experiences – and two brilliant new consoles to play them on! – while the real world burns. I could easily echo the picks of Baldur’s Gate 3, Borderlands 3’s brilliant ‘Guns, Love, and Tentacles‘ add-on, or the sublime Final Fantasy VII Remake, or pick from dozens of others.

In January, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore finally gave me reason to pack away my Wii U, with an enhanced version of the brilliant Shin Megami Tensei/Fire Emblem crossover landing on Switch. Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! brought my beloved Ulala back to life in glorious VR. Animal Crossing very nearly made my pick, having been a daily respite in the early days of the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed. Tonnes of games – Ghost of Tsushima, Paper Mario: The Origami King, Fall Guys, Among Us, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, The Last of Us Part II, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla­, on and on – any could have snagged my top spot. It’s been a very good year for gaming.

Two in particular really stood out to me though. The first is Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The PS5 launch title is nothing short of a masterpiece, refining the bloat and sprawl of the original PS4 Spider-Man title into a tighter, more focussed, and all-round better superhero opus. The combat is varied and engaging, thanks to Miles’ expanded power set, and the navigation and speed are phenomenal thanks to perfect web-slinging physics, but where it really shines is its story. It’s a tale of legacy and expectation, with Miles following in Peter Parker’s footsteps as New York’s signature hero, but also of surpassing those expectations, of becoming your own person, your own hero, away from others’ examples. It’s also a story of community, with Miles deeply rooting himself in Harlem and the lives of the people who live there – a timely reminder that while “with great power, there must also come great responsibility”, we all have power and responsibility to each other.

The second is Immortals: Fenyx Rising, which is shaping up to be something of a sleeper hit. Even I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I have but, following an utterly dismal year, a colourful romp through Greek mythology has been a much-needed palate cleanser. While it definitely shows its roots in Assassin’s Creed – the germ of an idea for the game came from a bug in the development of Odyssey! – a more overt emphasis on combat, supernatural abilities from the Gods or their armaments, dungeons and world building largely based on puzzle solving and intellect, and a sharp, fourth-wall breaking script make it a joy. It’s also beautifully, overtly queer – Zeus refers to male and female lovers, Hermes is a cartoonish (if stereotypical) catty gay, Aphrodite is coded as a femme top, and there’s even a very subtle RuPaul’s Drag Race reference! Few games have captured the fluidity and sexuality of the Greek Pantheon as well as Immortals: Fenyx Rising, and fewer still have been so enjoyable at the same time.

So, picking a single best or favourite game from 2020’s slate leaves me conflicted. And so, I’m punking out by not making a choice. This year has been absolute hell for millions. Any one of literally hundreds of titles could have brought someone solace or respite from the nightmare of reality. In 2020, they’re ALL games of the year.

— Matt

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