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MY TOP 5 PICKS
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch):
The communal video game experience of the year, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was uniquely primed to be a hit. It had been seven years since the last game in the franchise — 2013’s New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS. It was the first entry on the wildly popular Nintendo Switch. And it arrived just before the nation entered lockdown in response to a viral pandemic. As a low-stakes game about building, and then living in, your own community of friendly anthropomorphic animals, the game was quickly positioned as a balm for trying times. But it was also the first Animal Crossing where sharing your experience via social media was possible, making it more than just a game, but another place where culture can happen on a large scale.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Nintendo Switch):
The most relatable game on this list, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is about trying to be a pop star by day and a demon slayer by night. A re-release of an obscure title from the little-loved Wii U’s catalog, 2020 brings Tokyo Mirage Sessions to a stage big enough to appreciate it properly. It’s an earnest story about Tsubasa Oribe, a girl who enters an American Idol-esque competition, only to find that it was co-opted by demons called Mirages, and that her innate talent lets her transform, Power Rangers-style, into a warrior that can defeat them. Completely ridiculous and equally committed, Tokyo Mirage Sessions merges bubblegum pop and satisfying strategy for one of the most tonally unique games you’ll play this year.
Murder By Numbers (Nintendo Switch):
If you’ve ever played a Picross game, then you know about the pleasure of nonograms: a puzzle where a blank grid is notated with clues that tell you how many cells should be colored or blank in a given row. Complete one, and it forms a picture. Nonograms are among the most soothing logic puzzles you can play, and Murder By Numbers pairs them with a self-aware story about actors on corny detective show having to solve a real murder mystery. Cheesy in all the right ways, Murder By Numbers is a perfect entry point into the vast selection of nonogram games. Finish it, and you might not even need the excuse of a story to start your next one.
These are my top video games of the year so far. For my fellow gamers, these games are definitely worth trying out. You can thank me later.
Contributed by
Lota Anadu
PAGE 23 INSIDE ACCESS | JULY 2020 5TH EDITION