The rather chaotic 2020 is coming to a close, which means the GameSpot staff is sporadically taking breaks from the regular day-to-day coverage to look back on the year that was and discuss the games we liked the most. In the following article, we detail our five favorite Xbox games for 2020--so any game that released for Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S this year.
All said and done, 2020 was a pretty good year for Xbox. No standout first-party exclusives like PlayStation, but plenty of third-party games look great on Xbox One X, and they look even better (and load a lot faster) on Xbox Series X|S. So yeah, you can find all of the games on this list on other platforms, but that doesn't detract that they all look and play very well on Xbox platforms. Three of the five are on Xbox Game Pass, too. So if you're curious about trying Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Spiritfarer, or Doom Eternal, you should consider investing in the best deal in gaming. Doing so will also net you the somewhat niche but impressive line-up of Xbox console exclusives that were released this year, like Call of the Sea and Tetris Effect: Connected.
If you'd like to check out some of our other favorites across other platforms, be sure to read all our end-of-the-year coverage in the Best of 2020 hub. You can also look over our top games of 2020. We'll be highlighting each with insights as to why we picked them as the best of the year. Then on Thursday, December 17, we'll reveal which one is named GameSpot's Best Game of 2020.
In GameSpot's Ori and the Will of the Wisps updated review for Xbox Series X|S, Mike Epstein gives the game a 9/10, writing "[Ori and the Will of the Wisps] was always an impressive visual showpiece, despite the technical flaws that initially held it back. It's more straightforward, combat-heavy flow may still put off die-hard fans of the original Ori, but that's a small nitpick for a game that retains its identity while finding a new flow. Most importantly for the Series X and S upgrades, next-gen hardware turns one of Will of the Wisps' original weaknesses into a point of pride, and that's worth celebrating."
See Ori and the Will of the Wisps at Amazon
In GameSpot's Yakuza: Like A Dragon review, Michael Higham gave the game a 9/10, writing "For RGG Studio's first crack at an RPG, [Yakuza: Like a Dragon] is a damn fine result. It delivers what I love most about Yakuza and introduces new ideas that largely pay off. Ichiban isn't doing it alone, either. He has friends and mentors, ones who've helped him fight and overcome personal tragedies. It was an absolute thrill to watch him grow, and that's what's most important for a game so focused on its characters. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a passing of the torch, and a fantastic entry in a beloved franchise that proves that it's in good hands with Kasuga Ichiban."
See Yakuza: Like a Dragon at Amazon
In GameSpot's Spiritfarer review, Hope Corrigan gave the game a 9/10, writing, "Spiritfarer is somehow a game with no risk but all reward. There's no death, no pain, no rush on any task, and yet I don't think I've ever felt this complete. You're allowed to totally take your time, play on your own terms, and even though your tasks are easy, they are incredibly fulfilling. If the game had kept giving me quests, I feel as if I would have kept doing them for eternity, just because I wanted to. All of Spiritfarer's novel mechanical variations kept potentially repetitive actions from ever growing old. Its gleeful little islands got more exciting to explore as new platforming abilities were unlocked. The characters, even small ones with funny little quips of dialogue that you encounter, were friends that I cherished. I absolutely adored existing in Spiritfarer's beautifully animated, compassionate world so much that it genuinely came to feel like home."
See Spiritfarer at Microsoft Store
In GameSpot's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 review, Mat Paget gave the game a 9/10, writing, "Because it nails so much about that original Tony Hawk experience, it's really hard to be mad at Pro Skater 1 + 2 for any of its downsides. The load times aren't enough to keep you away from the plethora of satisfying combos, and the lack of level goals for every skater isn't enough to keep you from jumping back in with a new character. Playing through the newly remade levels is immensely enjoyable, and that on its own is enough to call Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 a success. However, smart additions and an engaging challenge system make it an experience that's more than just a brief skate through Tony Hawk's past."
See Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 at Amazon
In GameSpot's Doom Eternal review, Phil Hornshaw gave the game an 8/10, writing, "Though it can take a bit to get the hang of it, the intricacies of Doom Eternal's combat, combined with its enhanced mobility and option-heavy level design, create a ton of white-knuckle moments that elevate everything that made Doom 2016 work so well. Its combat is just as quick and chaotic, but requires you to constantly analyze everything that's happening in order to come out victorious. Once you get the hang of the rhythm of Doom Eternal, it'll make you feel like a demon-slaying savant."
See Doom Eternal at Amazon