I’ve been trying so hard all year not to do it. Trying not to mention all the other stuff that 2020 has wrought, and trying to maintain games as a haven away from everything else. Looking back at the five games that defined my year, I’ve only just realised it’s now impossible to, so please accept my apologies, and I promise I’ll keep it brief. It turns out the games I’ve spent the most meaningful time with in 2020 were all about giving me back some small semblance of normality.
Martin’s games of 2020Animal Crossing: New HorizonsHalf-Life AlyxInertial DriftiRacingMicrosoft Flight Simulator
Animal Crossing: New Horizons offered the most obvious substitute for what once was, and consumed the most hours. Coming just as the world turned, it was a warm and welcome retreat, a cushion-soft world for us all to flop into and an absolute hug of a thing. What a time for Nintendo’s biggest-hearted series to deliver its most feature-rich, open-armed entry, and what a gift to be able to hold on to the simple pleasure of popping around a friend’s house for a cup of tea and to admire their furnishings.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gameplay – An Island After 80 Hours Watch on YouTube
My own adventures in New Horizons began back when there was frost on the ground, and the short trip over to Frankfurt to see it for a preview session just before release turned out to be the last time I stepped on a plane – something that had previously been a regular part of the working routine. I was surprised how much I missed it all, and delighted at the chance to get reacquainted with it all in Microsoft Flight Simulator.