Among the many industries affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, newer entertainment releases got hit hard. While plenty of video games still hit their projected dates, if they didn’t suffer a small delay, pretty much all of Hollywood pushed back their releases to sometime in 2021 or released some of their films onto streaming services. This means that we didn’t see nearly as many newer films as we would have liked, but we experienced enough new entertainment that we felt confident making our annual lists.
As always, this list is in no particular order and based entirely on what we were able to play or watch ourselves.
Top Movies of 2020
Video game movies have steadily improved over the years and Sonic the Hedgehog shows that all it takes is having a team that respects the IP. The story may feel safe, but it incorporates elements of Sonic the Hedgehog pretty well into the setting and a surprisingly restrained Jim Carrey helps carry the film. I’m already looking forward to the sequel, especially with that exciting mid-credits sequence.
Compared to Onward, which released in the same year, Soul shows that Pixar still has that special spark that makes their catalog so captivating. Its message about appreciating life and finding your purpose is a universal one and the film finds a very mature way of delivering it. The incredible animation and likeable characters, not to mention the well-timed humor, also help make this a must-see film.
Top Games of 2020
Helltaker’s release took me by surprise, but I’m glad I checked it out. Its concept is simple, but the puzzle gameplay keeps you thinking and the pure passion that went into the project really shines through. Each of the sharply-dressed demon girls also have their own unique personality, so players can more easily find one they like the most (I personally like Justice). It’s fun to play, fun to speedrun and it’s free, so there’s no real excuse not to try it.
As someone who has played every Tony Hawk game, I found the latest entry, Pro Skater 1 + 2, the best representation of the original PS1 titles. Both games are faithfully recreated in stunning detail and modernized without forgetting what made the games fun in the first place. Unlike the previous attempt, Pro Skater HD, tricks have that signature weight to them and going for 100% completion is actually very fun and doable. The experience may not last very long, but it’s well worth it and I can’t wait to see what Vicarious Visions has in store for the series’ future.
Following the already strong Doom (2016), id Software played to their strengths with Doom Eternal and improved on the formula in several areas, including a flow-based combat approach and an absolutely fire soundtrack by Mick Gordon. It’s not completely flawless, with surprisingly unimpressive boss design and annoying purple goo that stops the momentum cold, but I still had fun killing demons with a catharsis that only the Doomslayer can provide.
In an era where older games receive remakes that truly bring them into the modern day, Final Fantasy VII Remake stands out. While its story may not appeal to everyone, particularly the last act, the combat is very satisfying and keeps the game fun throughout. If you’re already familiar with the story or haven’t picked up the original game before, you’ll find something to like.
Top Disappointments of 2020
With the news that Kingdom Hearts III would not receive a Final Mix version and instead paid DLC, I hoped that the trade-off would be worth the money. Unfortunately, the amount of content in Re Mind feels $10 too expensive, with a new scenario that could easily have been a free add-on and a total of fourteen new superbosses that pad out the length with a huge difficulty spike. I’m still curious where the series will go from here, but Re Mind fell short of its true potential.
While a sequel to the original The Last of Us already felt unnecessary considering how perfectly it ended, I still had hope that The Last of Us Part II would live up to the original after a seven-year gap. Unfortunately, it failed so hard in the writing that not even its truly impressive technical achievements and accessibility options can make up for it. I’m not sure how many people will truly recognize its flaws in say ten years, but I’m already soured on supporting Naughty Dog in the future if they’ll end up making more games like this one.
With some great DTV films under Scooby-Doo’s
belt, it’s amazing how none of the franchise’s big screen attempts have worked
out. Scoob! feels cold and calculated, which results in rushed and
unfocused writing that tries harder at establishing yet another cinematic
universe than it does telling a good story. The only thing I really liked was
the animation, but that alone is not worth the price of admission. Get your Scooby-Doo
fix elsewhere.
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