Best Games Of The 2020s

Even though the 2020s have just begun, the decade has already produced several fantastic games. As the years fly by and studios become more familiar with the limits of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the industry will test what Sony and Microsoft's systems can do. In the meantime, the Nintendo Switch will enter the last stretch of its existence, and the console could go out with a bang.

There is still plenty of gaming to be done this decade, and it could very well be that the best games of the 2020sare still many years away. That being said, things have gotten off to an exciting start. What are the greatest titles to come out in the decade so far?

Updated on November 10, 2024 by Mark Sammut:October 2024 saw the release of quite a few massive games, including titles like Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero! and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. While those two have not been added to the rundown of the best 2020s games, three other titles have qualified.

Batman: Arkham Shadow

Worthy Of Carrying The Arkham Name

After the disappointing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the last thing Arkham fans expected or wanted to hear was that the next entry would be a Meta Quest 3 exclusive. While its reveal garnered widespread criticism, Batman: Arkham Shadow ended up proving most of its doubters wrong, delivering not only one of The Dark Knight's better gaming adventures but also just one of the best VR projects on the market. Even with all the necessary changes implemented to adapt to virtual reality, Camouflaj succeeded in crafting a game that 100% fits into Rocksteady's legendary franchise.

Arkham Shadow is a prequel set after Origins that finds Batman investigating a new criminal organization built around the Rat King. Avoiding spoilers, let's just say that the story goes in a fresh and exciting direction that emphasizes VR's immersive abilities. The combat system retains Arkham's traditional loop of combos, blocks, crowd control, and gadgets. Arkham Shadow might not be quite as expansive as, say, Arkham City and Arkham Knight, but it drops players into a fully realized universe that still feels larger than life.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Another Atlus Masterpiece

At this point, Atlus producing a JRPG that is one of the best games of the year is hardly surprising. An argument could be made that the publisher has two 2024 games that qualify, with Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance being amazing in its own right. Still, Metaphor: ReFantazio is extra special and stands out among the publisher's illustrious releases, especially due to its fantasy rather than an urban setting.

The premise, lore, and story are too complicated to adequately summarize, but they involve political upheaval, a race for the throne, and ideological battles. While most of its themes are presented through on-the-nose dialogue, the writing is generally fantastic and mature. Beyond that, Metaphor: ReFantazio's turn-based combat shows Atlus (and Studio Zero)'s expertise with the gameplay style, and the same can be said for the well-implemented archetype system and social elements. This October 2024 release is Atlus at its peak.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Respectfully Reviving A Horror Classic

To say the reveal of Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake garnered a poor reception would be an understatement. The project was mocked years before its debut, and many seemed ready to write it off as a cash grab that would have very little in the way of redeeming factors. However, as its release approached and more footage came out, Silent Hill 2 started to look kind of good. Then, the game debuted and the unthinkable happened: Silent Hill 2 was great. More than that, it was one of the best horror games of the last few years.

As Konami's 2001 masterpiece cannot be surpassed in terms of influence, the remake respectfully modernizes the same core ideas and themes, allowing it to sit comfortably alongside the original. SH2 is genuinely intense and horrifying, so much so that a single playthrough will likely be enough for most people. Silent Hill, the town, has never looked better and, arguably, scarier.

The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom

Zelda's Grand Adventure Is A Throwback To The Past With An Appreciation For The Present

Of course, a new mainline Zelda game is brilliant. After Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo wisely opted to return to the franchise's classic isometric formula to provide a more streamlined but still ambitious adventure. Excitingly, Princess Zelda takes center stage in Echoes of Wisdom, going on her first solo adventure in decades; more importantly, this is by far her best playable role, and she is not a carbon copy of Link.

Armed with the Tri Rod and a helpful sidekick, Zelda has to clear her name and save Hyrule from more than just Ganon. The story is decent enough for Zelda, but Echoes of Wisdom is primarily about its gameplay and exploration. While not as open-ended as BOTW or TOTK, the 2024 release still has a sandbox feel that encourages players to get creative and go beyond the beaten path. The main gameplay hook revolves around Zelda's ability to create copies of enemies and items, the former of which are used for battles while the latter are crucial for world traversal.

Satisfactory

Early Access Pays Off

This almost feels like a cheat since Satisfactory launched in early access in 2019, but the full version did not debut until September 2024. More importantly, Coffee Stain constantly evolved its original vision to actualize this final form, crafting what might just be the best factory-building game of all time. Also, this is one of 2024's best open-world games. Satisfactory is really extraordinary, especially since on paper it does not sound particularly fun or accessible.

Players need to mine a planet's resources so they can complete building tasks demanded by their employer. Initially, this means scouring for resources and putting together fairly simple factory lines to produce basic tools. Gradually but surely, the company's demands grow more ridiculous, requiring the construction of factories that are enterprising in scope and execution. Each request is (essentially) a series of puzzles, and Satisfactory manages to provide enough guidance so players do not feel lost while still mostly leaving them to their own devices.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Once A Masterpiece, Always A Masterpiece

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is one of the greatest GameCube games of all time, and it has aged pretty well despite some frustrating elements like an emphasis on backtracking. Now, the TTYD remake is also one of the greatest Switch games of all time, and it even improves some of the original version's more divisive elements. Boasting upgraded visuals that compare favorably to pretty much any game on Nintendo's console, the game is not only gorgeous but also overflowing with personality, which extends to the impeccable (and often hilarious) writing.

While long-time fans can look forward to revisiting the best Mario RPG with some additional content, newcomers can pick up the 2024 release if they have yet to engage in the franchise's role-playing spin-offs. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is overall a far better game than Super Mario RPG, which is saying something as the latter is fantastic in its own right.

Mullet Madjack

Frantic Roguelike FPS

The 2020s is shaping up to be a brilliant decade for indie first-person shooters, and Mullet Madjack sits comfortably alongside the likes of Ultrakill as a kinetic shooter masterpiece. Drenched in cheesy (but awesome) '80s imagery and featuring a plot device that should be well-known to the Nintendo faithful, Mullet Madjack is built on a simple premise: players have 10 seconds to live. The main way to extend that time is to kill robots, and slowing down is not an option. Therefore, Jack must shoot, kick, finish, and slide through levels as fast as possible, leaving behind a wake of blood-soaked cybernetic monstrosities that were foolish enough to stand in his way.

Mullet Madjack is a roguelite, with each chapter consisting of randomly generated floors that reward completion with a temporary upgrade (which can be weapons, speed boosts, or even HP reductions to the chapter's boss). Dying on a floor resets that chapter, forcing players to start from scratch; however, once a chapter is completed, players can move on and even unlock a permanent upgrade. While the reset might sound unappealing to people who are not fans of roguelikes, the floors are extremely short, usually lasting less than a minute. As a chapter can easily be completed within about 510 minutes, it rarely feels like too much progress is lost following a defeat. More importantly, the gameplay is so fun that it does not matter.

Animal Well

Atmospheric Metroidvania With No Combat

Indie Metroidvanias are a dime-a-dozen, with most months seemingly producing at least a couple of worthwhile projects that fit the genre. Therefore, Animal Well had to be particularly fantastic to leave a notable mark on the industry. Due to debuting directly on PS Plus Extra, Shared Memory's puzzle game was immediately exposed to a wider audience than might be the norm for these types of smaller releases, and it took full advantage of this opportunity. Right from the first screen, Animal Well instantly showcases its beautiful but also creepy visual style, which is further enhanced by a haunting but not overbearing soundtrack.

The title nails its presentation, but that would mean nothing if the gameplay was not also top-notch. With combat largely a non-factor, Animal Well revolves entirely around platforming, exploration, and puzzles, all of which are handled fantastically. That said, the latter component is the highlight, with most rooms containing clever brain-teasers that challenge players to rethink ways they can utilize their assortment of tools and items.

Unicorn Overlord

Tactical RPG With Depth In Every Area

A Vanillaware release is always a cause for celebration, and Unicorn Overlord continues the developer's hot streak of fantastic RPGs that throw in the occasional genre blend. While not as experimental and hard to define as 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, the 2024 title is nevertheless innovative, even if it is framed as a slightly more traditional tactical RPG.

Telling a fairly typical rebellion story that, eventually, goes to unique places, Unicorn Overlord's combat is the main element that is likely to keep players hooked, at least during the campaign's opening hours. The system delivers large-scale tactical warfare by focusing on squad-based armies, with players guiding their units along fairly expansive maps. When a group of soldiers encounters an enemy, a quick automatic battle will take place, its result determined by the decisions and orders given before the encounter. The combat has a lot of depth and can take a while to get used to.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

An Ambitious & Large-Scale JRPG

The second chapter in Square Enix's remake trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands beautifully on its predecessor, delivering a campaign that feels bigger in more ways than one. The major selling point is that, finally, the story heads away from Midgar, allowing players to experience more of this reimagined universe.

While not far removed from its predecessor, the combat is also fine-tuned and polished, arguably representing Square Enix's peak in the real-time action sphere. Gorgeous and engaging, Rebirth takes an all-time classic and revamps it for a modern age, crafting an experience that can entertain both long-time fans who grew up with FF7 and newcomers who are just familiar with the remake era.

Helldivers 2

Endless Fun

Helldivers 2's brilliance did not come as a massive surprise since Arrowhead has historically created quality projects, but its commercial success was unexpected, catching even the developers off-guard. Despite debuting in between two major releases (Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Skull & Bones), Helldivers 2 wound up being the bigger game, garnering widespread praise for its addictive combat, engaging loadout system, and community-driven campaign. Except for a period of technical difficulties due to the server being overloaded, Helldivers 2 has been nothing short of a massive triumph.

Casts as Super Earth's soldiers, players are tasked with liberating planets, a process that involves shooting down thousands of Terminids and Automatons. Depending on the community's actions, Arrowhead has been gradually developing a story, a process that has made it very easy to become invested in this universe. More than anything, Helldivers 2 is just fun, and most missions do not overstay their welcome either.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

A Fantastic Chapter In A Franchise That Rarely Misses The Mark

Sega's Like a Dragon is nothing if not consistent, with even the spin-offs being generally top-notch. Infinite Wealth amplifies everything wonderful about the series: storytelling, optional content, and world-building. Building on its predecessor's turn-based foundations, the 2024 release has a more confident combat system that is overflowing with personality, all the while still paying plenty of homage to masterpieces of yesteryear.

As always, Infinite Wealth lives and dies on the strength of its main story, and it ranks among the franchise's best efforts. In a fresh twist, the majority of the campaign is set in Hawaii's Honolulu City, a metropolis dense with content and entertainment. The mini-games and side stories are a blast, as tends to be the case with this IP's releases.

Alan Wake 2

Rich Story, Lore, & Characters

It took a while to materialize, but Alan Wake 2 was well worth the wait. Remedy returned to its survival horror license with an ambitious sequel that easily surpassed its 2010 predecessor, a game that is pretty good in its own right. The campaign is told from two perspectives that are connected but still feel different from each other. One half focuses on an FBI agent named Saga Anderson as she investigates a murder in Bright Falls, and these chapters expand beautifully on the ideas of the original Alan Wake. The other half switches over to the eponymous writer, and Alan has been stuck in the Dark Place for more than a decade.

With a captivating storyline that takes quite a few unexpected turns, Alan Wake 2 is worth playing just for its stellar writing and characters. Fortunately, the game also has solid gameplay, immersive sound design, and impeccable visuals.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Gorgeous Open-World Game With Brilliant Movement & Combat

Building on two fantastic games, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 comes very close to perfecting the superhero formula. Insomniac has a well-earned reputation for crafting gorgeous games with fast-paced and satisfying gameplay along with fun narratives, and the 2023 release highlights the studio at its peak powers.

Featuring two protagonists, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2's central storyline is among its strongest features, and it does a superb job of highlighting both leads, even if Peter is prioritized slightly more than Miles. The combat system is not that different from its predecessors, but it does have a couple of tweaks and additions that take things up to the next level. While the optional content is still not brilliant, the open-world is generally a joy to explore thanks to the smooth controls.

Baldur's Gate 3

The Ultimate RPG

As it launched into early access in 2020, Larian Studios Baldurs Gate 3 was a known quantity long before its full debut, so the games brilliance hardly came as a surprise. Similar to the developers Divinity: Original Sin 2, the 2023 RPG uses a turn-based battle system that demands strategic planning and holistic thinking. Complex and challenging with a degree of unpredictability due to its Dungeons and Dragons origins, Baldurs Gate 3s combat can take some getting used to if someone is not familiar with tactical RPGs, but it is well worth the effort of mastering.

Larians game has a lot more to offer than just fantastic combat; in fact, that is really just the tip of the iceberg. Baldurs Gate 3 comes with a deep customization system that not only allows players to create unique characters but also rewards their choices with different in-game experiences. Along with a lengthy main story, the RPG is also overflowing with optional content.

Dave The Diver

Clever Blend Of Genres

2023 proved to be a wonderful year for fishing-themed indie games, and Dredge and Dave the Diver are also wildly different experiences. The formers Lovecraftian take on fishing sims is inspired, while the latter opts for a more vibrant aesthetic and lighthearted tone. The eponymous Dave is running a sushi restaurant with a few friends, and if that was not already hard enough, he is also placed in charge of farming the fish they plan to sell.

During the night, players run a restaurant; during the day, they dive into the blue unknown in search of fish. It is a simple loop that works brilliantly, especially since the underwater area regularly changes to ensure exploration never grows stale.

Street Fighter 6

The Start Of A New Era For Capcom's Iconic Fighting Franchise

While Capcom has been on a remarkable run in recent years, the stink of Street Fighter 5s launch continued to linger. The franchise needed to nail its next entry if it wanted to regain its place as one of the fighting genres definitive casual options, and it is safe to say that Capcom managed to do just that. In some ways, Street Fighter 6 seems like an apology for its predecessor, particularly its inclusion of the single-player-focused World Tour. Lasting for over a dozen hours, this story mode is overflowing with content and fanservice, and it even includes open areas that players can freely explore. The narrative itself is nothing special, but World Tours character creator and progression system are rewarding.

A robust single-player mode is all well and good, but a modern fighting games longevity is determined by its online options. Street Fighter 6 has this covered with the Battle Hub, which not only serves as a place for players to engage in PvP encounters but also as a celebration of the franchise as a whole.

The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Breath Of The Wild, But Grander

Breath of the Wild was one of the best games of the 2010s, and the sequel managed to repeat this feat for the follow-up decade. Tears of the Kingdom builds heavily on its predecessor's impeccable foundation, crafting an adventure that successfully retains BOTW's many positives while introducing a few welcome twists. An underground investigation leaves Zelda missing and Hyrule in chaos, prompting Link to go on another long and epic journey filled with discovery, action, and creative crafting.

Even if the minute-by-minute routine is very similar to BOTW, TOTK's new additions and mechanics result in a rather different overall experience. This time around, Link earns the ability to fuse items together, and this concept plays a part in nearly every facade of the campaign. Despite landing on a dated and limited console, TOTK still succeeds in being modern, expansive, and creative.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Revitalizing An All-Time Masterpiece

2023 produced two high-profile horror remakes: Dead Space and Resident Evil 4. While perhaps not surpassing their predecessors, both projects live up to their legacies, which is no easy feat. Out of these releases, Resident Evil 4 just about edges out Dead Space, although big sci-fi fans will likely prefer the latter.

Capcom's remake finds Leon, once again, traversing a creepy European village and castle in search of Ashley Graham, the US president's daughter. Familiar but still fresh, this trip offers way more than just a nostalgic blast with modern visuals. RE4 tweaks the campaign in both obvious and subtle ways, crafting a remake that can comfortably exist alongside the original version.

Hi-Fi Rush

Awesome Gameplay, Music, & Visuals

Roughly a month into 2023, Tango Gameworks and Microsoft surprised Xbox Game Pass subscribers with not only a new game but also one that proved to be among the year's best when everything was said and done. Hi-Fi Rush is an action-platformer with a taste for music; basically, players can enhance their movesets by syncing their button inputs to the soundtrack. In combat scenarios, this translates to higher damage output and the option to execute finishers. When not fighting robots, players can also improve their platforming performance by adhering to the beat.

Hi-Fi Rush matches an awesome central gimmick with (potentially) timeless cel-shaded visuals and an endearing roster of characters. The story is fairly by the numbers, but it is executed well by Tango. Furthermore, Hi-Fi Rush has some genuinely funny and witty writing.

Chained Echoes

A RPG Throwback Done To Perfection

Chained Echoes' inspirations are not too difficult to figure out as the game feels ripped right out of the '90s JRPG scene, in a good way. Along with beautiful 16-bit graphics, the RPG utilizes a turn-based combat system that will seem immediately familiar to anyone who grew up with titles from that decade; however, Chained Echoes is not happy to merely rethread worn-out ground. During battles, players need to keep an eye on a risk & reward meter, adding an element of strategy.

Another thing that sets Chained Echoes apart is its skill-based progression system. Rather than leveling up, characters grow more proficient as they reuse skills, which allows players to mold their party to fit specific roles. Narratively, the RPG hits the mark as well.

God Of War Ragnarok

Kratos' Nordic Era Comes To An End In Spectacular Fashion

2018's God of War reinvigorated Santa Monica's franchise following 2013's disappointing Ascension, launching a new era in Kratos' story. Ragnarok builds beautifully on the work of its predecessor. On the surface, the sequel offers more of the same, but God of War: Ragnarok expands or fine-tunes enough elements to distinguish itself from what came before.

As implied by its title, Ragnarok revolves around an event in Norse mythology that signals the end of a number of key figures. The story is epic and unpredictable, expertly blending grandiose set pieces with character nuance and growth. The combat system is satisfying and intense, being a notable improvement over the 2018 entry.

Immortality

Great & Intelligent Storytelling

Immortality is not for everyone, and some might even suggest this project does not qualify as a game. Marissa Marcel, an actress, has gone missing, and the only way to solve the case is to piece together clues by watching clips from three of her movies. Each scene can be paused and interacted with, allowing players to explore the people or items that appear in the flick.

Essentially, Immortality is a puzzle-detective game with a unique presentation, very good acting, and a strong sense of mystery. An interactive film lives and dies by its story, and this release knocks it out of the park in that department.

Cult Of The Lamb

Wicked Sense Of Humor, Brilliant Gameplay

Time to start a cult. Cult of the Lamb has a quirky sense of humor, a gorgeous art style, and addictive fast-paced combat. Massive Monster's rogue-like puts players in the body of a lamb that decides to form a cult in honor of its god, a process that requires traveling to five regions to recruit animals. Once at the village, these followers can be assigned unique roles.

Cult of the Lamb is fun, and that is often enough the only thing a game needs to be. However, this title has more to offer than just a solid battle system. The story's dark tone and the action's tendency to inspire gore juxtaposition amusingly with the cute character models and charming visuals.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Pushing The Switch To Its Limit

Monolith's Xenoblade series has been knocking it out of the park for more than a decade, and the third numbered entry might be the franchise's peak. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an action JRPG set in a sci-fi world. Despite being on a relatively underpowered console, the game's open-world is massive and packed to the brim with secondary content. This RPG can keep somebody busy for longer than 100 hours.

Xenoblade Chronicles is known for throwing dozens of mechanics upon each other to the point of exhaustion. While by no means dumbed-down, XC3 does a much better job than its predecessor of introducing its concepts to players in a timely manner, allowing the deep battle system to flourish more quickly.

Neon White

Card-Based Gameplay Is Executed Perfectly

Neon White is all about speed. Split into short missions, players are tasked with killing everyone en route to an endpoint. While this might sound simple, the twist is that cards are needed to execute actions, and each one can either be used as a weapon or a move. With finite options, players must carefully decide when, where, and how to use a card in order to shave a few seconds from their completion time.

Neon White is one of those titles that can be hard to put down as the core gameplay loop is nearly flawless. Although the story is polarizing, the visuals are pretty stunning.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Accessible Beat 'Em Up That Is A Blast Solo Or With Friends

A blast from the past, Shredder's Revengeis a love letter to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, particularly the franchise's arcade gaming run during the '90s. This modern beat 'em up pays homage to a classic like Turtles in Timewhile adding more than enough elements to set itself apart from everything that came before it. This is a great game on its own and not because it reminds people of fond memories from their childhood.

This 2022 release features gorgeous pixel art graphics, seven playable characters (including April O'Neil), and a wide plethora of legendary TMNTvillains overflowing with personality. All of these elements serve as the icing on the cake that is Shredder's Revenge's incredibly fun and challenging gameplay.

Rogue Legacy 2

A Roguelike Masterpiece

After more than 18 months in early access, Rogue Legacy 2 wasofficially released on April 28, 2022, and the game was well worth the wait. Considering 2013's Rogue Legacywas such a resounding success, the sequel needed to knock it out of the park to not feel like a disappointment. While Rogue Legacy 2changes a number of things from its predecessor, including the class and weapon systems, it is still fundamentally the same core experience and that is not a criticism.

In this roguelike platformer, players take charge of multiple generations of warriors as they venture into dungeons. As experience is gained, new classes, weapons, and traits are unlocked, significantly impacting the gameplay.

Kirby And The Forgotten Land

Kirby Goes 3D & Produces Gold

It took a while but the pink puff finally received a proper 3D adventure in 2022, and it was well worth the wait. Kirby and the Forgotten Landtranslates the franchise's standard template into a wider landscape, providing all the copy abilities and charm synonymous with this pretty consistent license.

Although not without its flaws, Kirby and the Forgotten Landis beautiful and fun, the latter of which is arguably the most important thing a game can be. Hopefully, the series continues down this route as this is a stellar first attempt at a full-scale 3D campaign.

Tunic

Blend Of Zelda & Soulslikes

One of 2022's most pleasant surprises, Tunicis a delightful (and challenging) throwback to classic The Legend of Zeldagames. Even though it takes a fair few ideas from Nintendo's iconic franchise, this indie game still succeeds in carving out its own identity, mainly through its robust combat system.

A confident adventure that expertly blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and battles, Tunicis a rewarding experience from start to end. The game resists the urge to hand-hold players, largely leaving them to their own devices; consequently, the early hours can be slightly frustrating, but things come together quite nicely after that point.

Elden Ring

FromSoftware's Biggest Souls-Style Game To Date

FromSoftware's latest masterpiece pushes the Soulsformula to the next level. Elden Ringdrops players in The Lands Between, a massive open-world divided into six regions filled with lore, items, enemies, bosses, and secrets. Unlike Sekiro, Elden Ringis very much an RPG that permits players to approach encounters in a style that matches their preferences, be it melee combat, magic, or even stealth. Character-building is an integral part of the Elden Ringexperience, and the game's commitment to player freedom enhances its replayability and flexibility.

Elden Ringis a no-brainer for any fan of FromSoftware's previous releases. For those who tend to be put off by the studio's penchant for difficult games, the 2022 title is slightly more accessible while still offering a significant challenge. Elden Ringis a leading contender for the best game of the 2020s.

Horizon Forbidden West

Expands On Horizon Zero Dawn Well

Guerrilla Games' highly anticipated sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawnbuilds upon its predecessor's foundations beautifully, offering a bigger and better package that opts to fine-tune rather than re-invent the wheel. Horizon Forbidden West continues Aloy's story while dedicating a significant amount of time to building the rest of the world without relying too heavily on long passages of exposition. The main quest is better-paced than the first game's story.

Filled with unforgettable sites of both natural and human-made origins, Horizon Forbidden West's map is huge, gorgeous, and dense. The combat system is also a blast, giving Aloy access to a wide selection of tools to make battles more dynamic.

Forza Horizon 5

Open-World Racing Game Packed With Top-Tier Content

By this point, it has become a tradition for Playground Games to release the best arcade racer on the market whenever they drop a new Forza Horizon. This time around, Mexico serves as the Horizon crew's sandbox, and the country has proven to be the ideal choice due to its diversity in locations.

Forza Horizon 5's huge map comes packed with all sorts of challenges, ranging from standard races to death-defying jumps and the gloriously over-the-top showcase events. With a huge collection of cars to unlock and an active ecosystem, Forza Horizon 5will probably be the definitive arcade racer until its sequel releases.

Metroid Dread

Samus' Long-Anticipated Return

Following a forgettable 2010s, Metroidwasted little time in getting the ball rolling for the next decade. Metroid Dreadis a welcome return to the influential franchise's 2D roots, and it barely sets a foot wrong. At its core, this is a "classic" Metroidvania, one that expertly blends exploration, combat, and flashes of storytelling to craft a constantly excellent campaign.

With Metroid Prime 4in the pipeline, the 2020s could be Samus Aran's decade, something that has been a long time coming. Metroid Dread might feel a touch smaller scale than Nintendo's other first-party releases, but it serves as a top-tier example of how to execute a 2D Metroidvania that fits neatly into the genre's conventional depiction while still feeling fresh.

Psychonauts 2

Overflowing With Creativity

Fans had to wait a long time for a sequel to 2005's Psychonauts but few will argue that Double Fine failed to meet expectations. Raz is welcomed into the Psychonauts as an intern, a role that gives him free access to explore Motherlobe, the sequel's impressive hub area. With the identity of the mastermind behind Truman's abduction still unknown, Raz sets out to piece together the Psychonauts' history.

Psychonauts 2is a rare example of a platformer with a prominent and effective storyline. The gameplay is not ground-breaking, but Raz's Psi-Powers allow for some freedom on how areas are approached. The levels themselves are expansive, creative, and visually mind-blowing.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Unbeatable Gunplay & Fun Multiverse Story

Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apartwas arguably the first PS5 game to truly come across as a next-generation project, even if Demon's Souls also did a pretty darn good job as a launch day title. Gorgeously animated and making good use of the DualSense controller's features, Rift Apartis a blockbuster of an action-platformer that delivers thrilling gunplay, precise movement, and lovable characters.

Fans of Sony's long-running series will get a kick out of this new entry, while those entering the Ratchet & Clankuniverse through Rift Apartwill almost definitely feel tempted to go back and play the previous games. As it might be a while before the series produces another entry, Rift Apart at least got things off to a great start by being one of the best games of the 2020s.

Returnal

Challenging & Unforgettable Roguelike

A tough-as-nails roguelike with a captivating and character-driven story, Returnal will not hit the mark with everyone. Housemarque crafted an addictive but unforgiving third-person shooter that follows Selene, an astronaut who finds herself on a strange planet while stuck in a time loop. To break from this hell, which seems to morph to reflect the protagonist's trauma, Selene needs to clear six biomes, which is easier said than done when death results in a (mostly) fresh start.

If it clicks with someone, Returnal can be very difficult to put down, largely thanks to its fast-paced gunplay, impressive and challenging boss fights, and constant sense of growth during each cycle. While having to restart with a basic gun and from the first biome is frustrating, players should still be making enough progress to not feel like they accomplished nothing.

It Takes Two

Co-Op Perfection

Specifically designed with co-op in mind, It Takes Twois a platformer that constantly shakes things up throughout its 10-hour campaign. Taking control of two parents who are trapped in dolls, players have to guide Cody and May through a wild journey that seeks to test and heal their fractured relationship.

It Takes Two's story is satisfying on an emotional level, while the gameplay is precise and evolves throughout the campaign as new abilities are unlocked in each chapter. At the moment, It Takes Twois the best 2020s co-op game.

Hades

The Definitive Roguelite

Supergiant Games' Hadesis a roguelike that utilizes the subgenre's conventions to enhance its story. The game finds Hades' son, Zagreus, trying to make the trip from the Underworld to Mount Olympus, a journey that entails taking on a number of the Greek Pantheon's powerful warriors.

Hades' combat is frantic, smooth, and flexible; each weapon frees up a world of possibilities and playstyles, magnifying the game's replayability. While roguelikes are not generally known for their narratives, Hades' story and characters develop beautifully as Zagreus repeatedly tries to leave behind the Underworld. All of these things combine to make Hadesone of the best games of the 2020s.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Travel The World From The Comfort Of A Gaming Chair

Microsoft Flight Simulatoris not for everyone. However, if someone is searching for a flight sim that offers the entire planet as its map, then they can't possibly find anything better than Microsoft Flight Simulator.

This title is jaw-dropping in its scale; while the sim does come with ready-made flight plans that players can take on, pilots are also free to plot their own course and travel the globe. Visually stunning and mechanically complex, Microsoft Flight Simulatoris a reason to own an Xbox Series X or a high-end PC.

The Last Of Us 2

Polarizing Greatness

Perhaps the most highly anticipated sequel of recent years, The Last of Us 2is a challenging experience in terms of gameplay and narrative. Lasting well over 20 hours and featuring multiple protagonists, The Last of Us 2moves away from the core relationship that defined its beloved predecessor, opting to focus on a story dealing with revenge, grief, and self-destruction.

The gameplay is visceral and, at times, discomforting, two traits that complement this universe's grounded and unforgiving nature.

Doom Eternal

Evolution Of Doom 2016 That Mostly Works

Id Software's sequel to 2016's Doomdidn't have to do anything but deliver more of the same; however, Doom Eternalwent the extra mile. While the gunplay remains largely unchanged since there is no way to improve on perfection, Doom Eternalexpands Doomguy's movement options, including a dash and the introduction of the Meat Hook.

An aggressive FPS that manages to make the player feel extremely powerful and simultaneously vulnerable, Doom Eternalis a cathartic masterpiece with few peers in its genre. While an argument could be made that not every change from Doom 2016 was for the better, the sequel highlights the franchise's willingness to adapt and grew rather than just repeat past successes.

Half-Life: Alyx

Not Half-Life 3, But Arguably The Best VR Game Of All Time

It might not have been the Half-Liferelease people have been anticipating since 2007, but Alyxis comfortably among the best VR games of all time. Set prior to the events of the second game and featuring Alyx Vance as the protagonist, Half-Life: Alyxis a fully realized entry in the iconic first-person shooter franchise. The game makes expert use of virtual reality to completely immerse players in City 17, and the controls are precise and easy to master.

Half-Life: Alyxis the type of game that justifies the hype surrounding virtual reality. Hopefully, the 2020s will be filled with VR games that match Valve's success.