Gaming, an activity that was enclosed within a burgeoning
community of both hardcore and casual gamers the world over, got a fresh boost
during the pandemic and related restrictions in 2020, which forced people to
remain indoors.

Sales expectedly shot up for video game production giants
like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony as people went in the search for newer
avenues of recreation. According to a report by Washington Post, Microsoft
disclosed in April that the subscribers to its Game Pass Service crossed the
mark of 10 million. The organization further stated an increase of 130% in the
multiplayer segment across March and April.

It’s important to acknowledge, however, that the boom in
gaming came both through PC/Console and mobile devices, with the latter being
an often forgotten, yet important part of the genre’s popularity in recent
years.

Below listed are five games that carved out their place and
settled into the gaming landscape in 2020:

1.     
The Last of Us Part 2 – One of the most
memorable games of the past decade has undoubtedly been The Last of Us (2013).
As a sequel to the hugely popular and well-acclaimed Sony production, TLoU 2
brings back the pandemic-stricken wasteland of the US (surprisingly fitted to
reality in 2020), where the protagonist, Ellie, is seen to have grown up and
staying in a kind of base for survivors in Jackson, Wyoming.

The game brings the element of travel back,
as a link to the previous game is included in the storyline by developers,
leading to majorly affecting the plotline. The biome in the game is largely
divided into two sections – Wyoming, where the game begins and Seattle – where
Ellie travels to in search of vengeance, justice or both. Developped by Naughty
Dog, the game is one of the contenders for the throne of the year’s best game.

2.     
Ghost of Tsushima – “In the late 13th
century, the Mongol Empire has laid waste to entire nations along their
campaign to conquer the East. Tsushima island is all that stands between
mainland Japan and a massive Mongol invasion fleet led by the ruthless and cunning
general, Khotun Khan” – so states Sony on their official website about one of
the most hyped and worthwhile releases of 2020, Ghost of Tsushima, developed by
Sucker Punch Productions.

In the open world action-adventure game,
Jin Sakai, the last surviving Samurai protagonist, has to defend the island of
Tsushima against a marauding army of Mongols by adapting to unconventional
modes of warfare that defy his learnings as a Samurai. Among several glowing
reviews, the game entered the Platinum Hall of Fame in the New Game Cross
Review of established Japanese gaming magazine Weekly Famitsu in its July 30,
2020 issue.

3.     
Spider Man: Miles Morales – The hero to
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales, is back. Marvel’s Spider Man:
Miles Morales features teenager Miles Morales as the new Spider Man in New
York. Mentored by Peter Parker and upgraded with newer weaponry including
bio-electric venom blasts and camouflage techniques, Morales is set to overlook
The Big Apple as it prepares to buckle up for a battle between a devious energy
corporation and a well-equipped criminal group.

The interesting character-switch up and
newer attempts to diversify the plot by Sony, with Morales calling East Harlem,
a traditionally African-American area in the city, home and the introduction of
Ganke Lee, Morales’ best friend who is Asian in origin, are well in line with a
2020 customer base. Developed by Insomniac Games, the name has been a sort of
flagship name for both Sony and Marvel in the gaming world this year.

4.     
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout – In terms of
online streaming on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, Fall Guys has been one
of the most successful games this year. Developed by Mediatonic, the online
arcade-style competition takes the player through several rounds, each having a
different set of obstacles, in a batch. A subsequent elimination process ensues
in each round where players who do not manage to reach the finish line within a
set time, are eliminated. In the last level, whereas, the first to reach a crown-shaped
icon is deemed the winner. The game got substantially popular in the pandemic
months, presumably due to its basic, easy-to-understand playing style and
keyboard/controller operations. The game released for both PlayStation 4 and
Microsoft Windows on August 4, 2020.

5.     
Among Us: Rising from the independent
development circuit by US developer InnerSloth, the multi-platform giant in a
small size shook the biggies. The game garnered a huge player base well into
2020, as the subsequent increase in Steam players marked the highest in
September, 2020 as the game clocked, according to estimates by steamcharts.com,
a peak of 438,524 players on Steam – the seventh highest for any game on the
platform.

Among Us can be played by 4-10 players
simultaneously. Situated in a space themed setting, there are essentially two
sides to the game. The Crewmates have to figure out the Imposters among them,
either by identifying by intuition and observation, or by completing all the
tasks at hand. Imposters, on the other hand, will be aiming at killing the
Crewmates one by one, and ultimately winning the game if there is a 1:1
scenario at the end between a Crewmate and an Imposter. Imposters, furthermore,
being less in number, have the advantage of venting – using the air vents to
quickly travel from one room to another and appearing clean. They also possess
the ability to damage any system in the aircraft, leading to a diversion.