Top 9 PC New Games to Hit Us in 2020
2020 brought with it gameplay that was bigger and upped in intensity, challenges designed to push you to your limits and games that were more immersive, more visually captivating and more addictive to play! Narrowing this list to just 9 was HARD. Let us know what you would have liked to see in this round up in the comments below.
The humble PC has been a staple of the video game industry for decades. Often looked down upon as the lesser cousin to it’s more futuristic counterparts, we prefer to think of the PC as the one constant that remains to experience the best gaming has to offer. Consoles come and go, there’s a “new generation” every quarter and the nostalgic classic scene is revisited time and time again, but what always stays true to essential gaming is our favourite: the PC.
We’re taking a look at some of the top PC games that graced us in a year when everything was upside down, and some of the most eagerly anticipated games still to come in 2020.
Games releasing soon (we hope!)
Age of Empires 4
Do we even need an introduction for this iconic game..? Chances are we don’t have to tell you what Age of Empires is all about. For years fans around the world have been asking Microsoft to return the strategy series that got many people into the RTS genre in the first place. Although there’s no official release date yet, the fact that we’re finally getting the long awaited entry into the dormant RTS series was one that worth making the list. We’re told to expect a release in 2020 (or later) so can only assume the full development is going to be *absolutely* worth the wait.
Watch the gameplay reveal here.
Fall Guys Season 2
It’s not our fault we’re suckers for over the top, wacky gameplay. We can’t be alone though, because since it was released in August, Fall Guys continues to blow up. Although it was a free title with a massive audience ready at the launch (via PlayStation Plus), it’s dominated social media, YouTube and Twitch and fans are eagerly awaiting the new update, referred to as seasons, where a new set of levels and costumes will be on offer. Mediatonic - the developers behind the phenomena - have already unveiled that season two will be centered around medieval times. It wouldn’t be Fall Guys without a decent dose of randomness so within the new update is also a massive swinging hammer dubbed the Big Yeetus, which allows players to either risk getting hit to fling them further into the level, bypassing certain obstacle elements, or potentially kick them into oblivion, forcing the players to restart at a checkpoint area. Calendars ready, October 6th 2020 we’re told this could be released!
The Forgotten City
Once upon a time this was a fantastically popular mod for the video game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. On the back of that success, the decision was made to bring out a standalone installment into the market in 2020. For those unfamiliar with the mod, The Forgotten City can be summed up as a murder mystery. You time travel to a once-buzzing area of Rome after stumbling across it in present day ruin. The focus is then on attempting to figure out what caused the downfall of the once great city. With exploration, communication and a touch of combat it’s a game that allows for replay value as there is a branching system with different endings.
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Tried, tested and highly rated:
HALO 3
The Master Chief Collection released its most anticipated entry in July, marking the circle being finally complete. The closing act of Bungie’s trilogy sure knows how to go out with a bang. Aside from a bump up to higher resolutions and 60fps, the visuals to Halo 3 have remained largely untouched which fans are touting as a good thing - the rework on Halo 2: Anniversary was stunning and Halo 3 marks a carry on from this without messing with the original’s broad strokes. There’s still not a multiplayer shooter quite like it and the Halo formula is at its best in Halo 3.
MANEATER
Perhaps not for anyone suffering from galeophobia… An open-world, grisly RPG, Maneater is where you play a vengeful bull shark swimming around at high speeds eating up sunbathers, surfers and fishers. Dive in to this quirky game and discover the good ocean fun on offer. Game play changes depending on how you evolve your shark and there are a few base movements to combine together to make killer combos. A reprieve from the intensity of some others in the list, Maneater is a speedy, stealthy game that’s a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Half-Life: Alyx
Hold on to your headsets. Half-Life: Alyx has proven to be one of (if not the best) VR games ever made and a title entirely worthy of the Half-Life legacy. A first person shooter VR published by Valve, Half-Life relies on the original elements of physics puzzles, combat, exploration and survival horror. By using VR to interact with the environment and fight enemies, gamers can enjoy a complete immersive experience and have already acclaimed Alyx for its graphics, voice acting, narrative and atmosphere. Worth the VR system as an investment to completely understand the enthralling nature of this play, we hope it doesn’t take Valve another 13 years to make a follow up to this exciting, surprising and sort-of puzzling ending.
Phantasy Star Online 2
One of the most popular games in Japan, it’s taken Sega 8 long years to get the game ported to the West. With a unique mix of anime-style flair and electrifying gameplay, PSO2’s combat system, progression and super engaged community have proven it was worth the wait. Anyone looking for a new MMO with a few hundred hours spare will want to try this one out. Prior franchise knowledge is absolutely not required to understand it, but experience with the original PSO does help out. Lack of a strong storyline actually aids this - the game is simply about plowing through enemies – and having a lot more fun as a result. PSO2 is all about the combat and gameplay, evidenced in the popularity of ‘Urgent Requests’. These are limited-time missions that pop up server-wide at predetermined times that are announced on the official website. During the time period the Urgent Quest is active, everyone on the server can join in and do that mission together in big multi-party groups. An absolute blast to do and well worth it if you can fit in.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
It was long-awaited and didn’t disappoint. Budding pilots can fly beautifully detailed aircraft anywhere in the world, with 37,000 airports to choose from a live weather conditions to navigate purposefully through. It’s mega-realistic and you can even recreate famous flight scenes from movies (TopGun, anyone?). One of our favourite features in a year of being cooped up inside was that you can use fly over to visit African safaris, giving that ultimate sense of outdoor freedom without needing to actually get on a plane. Playing with friends and co-pilots is a fun way to experience the challenges that the game can offer should you wish to accept. A full five stars from us in one of the most ambitious and accurate simulation games on the market.
Snowrunner
As one of the most innovative and intense driving experiences in recent years, it’s surprising that Snowrunner has been undetected and somewhat under the radar thus far. Likened to a survival driving game, Snowrunner is all about navigating some of the most hostile environments in the world with the help of some large, powerful and all-together grunty vehicles form over 40 different brands. Without the emphasis on speed and aesthetics, this driving game offers something completely different in a fundamentally ugly (yet coincidentally beautiful?) way. The graphics are exceptional and the physics are on point - it’s an addictive series to get into and the game progresses naturally with new vehicles and upgrades at a steady pace.
