I think we can all agree on one thing, and that’s that 2020 should go fuck itself.

On this, the last day of the shittiest year anyone can remember, we’ll all be hoping that 2021 will turn out to be, to borrow some Batman movie parlance, a genius Chris Nolanesque reboot, not a craptacular Joel Schumacher sequel-a-thon.

In video game world, 2020 wasn’t all that bad though. Sure, we had the sting in the tail, the mutant-strain of 2020 gaming disappointment that was Cyberpunk 2077, but that aside there were some excellent gaming experiences to be had. In fact, in a year where we spent so much time at home, great games weren’t just a desire, but a must, to maintain some semblance of sanity.

So, in the spirit of the season, here are my generous recollections of gaming-good-cheer that pierced through the dark covid-clouds of sadness felt by us all.

1) Animal Crossing: New Horizons

When I think back to the start of the pandemic in March, the game that stands out like no other is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I’ll admit, I had never played one of these sugary-cute RPGs before and upon seeing the promo material for it, was filled with a juvenile desire to call it a load of babyish crap that only metrosexual Nintendo fanboys would ever consider playing. Once lockdown had marooned me in front of my telly and a deep sense of dread at the real world had permeated every sinew, however, the thought of some sweet-natured escapism gained an enormous amount of appeal.

Many months later and I’m happy to say that this game is probably my favourite of 2020, and continues to provide the same uplifting effect every time I pick it up.

A gooey mix of Care Bears and The Good Life, Animal Crossing: New Horizons manages to make doing nothing I would ever do in real life, such as fishing, gardening and home design, enormously appealing. The game drip-feeds a constant stream of minor achievements and in such a zen-like fashion, that it may as well be classed as some sort of active meditation.

And even though I’ve now done everything of significance, such as leveling up my island, finding every fossil, and acquiring a ridiculous amount of daft fashion garments, there are still seasonal events, visitors and challenges to keep my mind interested in this little slice of wholesome virtual living.

If you haven’t tried it yet I couldn’t recommend it highly enough, and that’s coming from a cynical bastard like me. High praise, I can assure you.

2) F1 2020

This is a bit of an out-of-left-field choice as it’s not exactly a game of the year candidate, at least not to me. But F1 2020, despite its flaws, has been one of my go-to-games and like previous entries in the series, one of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences a racing fan can have.

I’ve been an F1 nut since I was 10 years old and consequently, always loved racing games. In fact, one of my earliest gaming memories is throwing the Super Mario Kart cartridge against the wall in frustration, so many times in fact the plastic casing broke off altogether, exposing the games circuit board to the elements. Some judicious rubs on the sleeve and blows on the connector would always fire it back up, in case you were wondering.

Modern F1 games from Codemasters don’t feature the same sort of bullshit rubber-banding that so enraged me when playing Mario Kart, thankfully, as by and large, the British studio has got the basics right to satisfy this wannabe F1 champion.

Decent racing games, in my opinion, should make it easy to jump in and start racing but should always reward real enthusiasts who want a simulation experience. F1 2020 isn’t the most serious when it comes to hardcore realism, but is just enough to make going that extra mile to master an F1 car with driver aids off a consistently rewarding experience.

Throughout the summer, a fellow F1 fan and friend who also happens to love his racing games joined me in what was to become an epic virtual championship all of our own making. Various frustrations with dodgy AI, a broken safety car feature, and an annoying propensity for one’s car to spin 180 degrees at the slightest tap from an opponent aside, the game successfully scratched that itch of intense, high-end racing sim combat we both crave as we strove to satisfy the frustrated wannabe-champion-child in both of us.

3) Demon’s Souls

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s annoyingly difficult and repetitive games. That’s what I would have told anyone prior to taking the plunge on Demon’s Souls.

After all, I’d been here before, resolutely detesting Bloodbourne for the 2 or 3 hours I gave it a few years previously. Despite pleas from friends to stick at it I pompously objected, determined as I was to label the learning curve as bad game design. If I could turn back the clock though, with the knowledge I’ve gained from my time with Demon’s Souls, things would have been very different.

Why did I buy Demon’s Souls if I had already dismissed the genre, you may ask? Well, I was one of a few lucky fuckers to actually secure a PS5 for launch day, and being the shallow individual that I am, I wanted the prettiest game possible to show off my bulging new console. I hadn’t expected to play the game for long, as it would inevitably end up being annoyingly hard and repetitive like Bloodbourne, but with a bit of persistence, aided in no small part by some of the PlayStation 5s excellent social features such as PiP with a friends game screen, I was able to get over the initial difficulty and begin to truly enjoy the satisfaction the comes with beating a level in a hard and complex game.

In any of the Souls games, not least Bluepoint Software’s stunning remake of the this the original in the series, patience and a careful approach to strategy for each type of enemy pay dividends once you’ve mastered the basics. There’s an inevitable pain to work your way through – a process I didn’t overcome in Bloodbourne – but once you have, the feeling of achievement is amplified to a far greater degree than you may imagine at the outset.

For those who like a challenge or are already familiar with the series, purchasing Demon’s Souls is probably a no-brainer. But for those out there who, like me, are put off by the complexity and difficulty of such titles do yourself a favour, just give it a try. And when I say try, I mean a real college try. Especially if you have some mates who already play, as you will likely need to lean on them a lot, at least at first. For once you get over the initial shock, Demon’s Souls is a superbly satisfying gaming experience and one that shows off spectacular next-gen graphics.

4) Everything Else

Of course, there’s much more I could say. I play a lot of games when we’re not living through pandemics, let alone when we are. Total War: Warhammer II consumed huge amounts of my waking hours this year, grinding my way through tons of High Elf gameplay, only to start over as yet again, I would get too cocky stretching my armies across the map leaving nice gaps in my defenses for Skaven to pop out of the ground and into, leveling my carefully upgraded settlements in their wake. Bastards.

Astro’s Playroom was a PlayStation fans delight, one that made fantastic use of the brilliant new DualSense controller. And even the less appreciated Sackboy: A Big Adventure has provided a lot of relaxed co-op fun with the wife over the Christmas period, a joy to pick up in play in the truly casual sense. A nice break for the brain after a long session of Demon’s Souls for sure!

I would even say I’ve “enjoyed” playing pro clubs in FIFA 21, despite the fact that the team made up of myself and two friends is utter crap and we lose nearly every game. Perhaps it’s a form of Stockholm syndrome, but despite how annoying it can be to play Fifa, with all of its auto-controlled shady bullshit (see video above), the fact that we keep coming back for more punishment says something about the endurance we have all built up this year in the face of COVID-19.

What are your favourite gaming moments of 2020? Shucks, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. And until next time, Happy New Year to you. Stay safe, play games. Word.