Our 2020 GOTY Honorable Mentions

Not every game can be a game of the year pick. There are so many elements that can hold it back. Maybe a mechanic didn’t work well. Perhaps it was great, but not as great as everything else around. So in this Siliconera Speaks Up, we’re sharing all of our 2020 GOTY Honorable Mentions.

I was really looking forward to playing Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE again. I swear. It is a fantastic JRPG. I adore its music. And the Switch release makes it so much easier to play. But as much as I loved Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, it felt like its time had come and gone once I really got into it. People should still definitely play it again! But its time has come and gone. — Jenni.

Say what you will about its rocky launch, Fallout 76 has put out some damn fine quality content this year. NPCs returned in April 2020, bringing with them our first Factions missions and companions. And now that the Brotherhood of Steel has moved into the ATLAS Observatory there have been more changes to West Virginia. 2020 was a great year for Fallout 76 players and that deserves some major props. — Annette 

In Game of the Year discussions, it’s typical to think about how great games are, but maybe forget about the “of the year” part. It’s not just a calendar distinction. It’s the defining nature of the year and our experience within it. Given that? My pick is The Jackbox Party Pack 7 and it’s not even close. It’s built for how we could socialize in 2020. It’s about defusing tense times with humor. Most importantly, it’s a good entry in a franchise that was in danger of getting long in the tooth. — Graham

I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try to get a mention in for Sakura Wars. I’m well aware it’s not exactly the best game of the year (or even the best Sakura Wars game), but it’s a good return to form for a series long thought dead. With some luck, and perhaps a global release of Sakura Revolution, the franchise may yet be revived to lead the people into the next decade.  — Josh 

I suppose I need to throw my hat in the ring for Immortals Fenyx Rising since this game took me completely by surprise. I expected the typical Ubisoft format to be sure, but I didn’t expect all of the humor baked in. Prometheus and Zeus telling Fenyx’s story together is pure delight, especially when it comes to retelling all of the classic Greek myths. It helps that the gameplay is pretty fun, too. — Keri

Let me start by saying that I was pretty apprehensive about playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t ready to start a new Yakuza game without my boy Kiryu as the MC. The whole “first RPG of the series” thing was fine, but I wasn’t interested in the new guy Ichiban Kasuga right away. However, after putting aside my Kiryu bias, I decided to give it a shot. Now I’m all for team Kasuga. If you’re feeling the same way, I really recommend you to try it out and give Kasuga a chance. He’s a great guy, I promise! — Sato