This year's Game of the Year nominees at the Game Awards are from a broad range of genres and platforms, each one with clear strengths and weaknesses. Each one would deserve the prize, but the game that is most worthy of being named 2020's Game of the Year is the PlayStation 4 exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima.
Before it released, Ghost of Tsushima looked to be another generic, open-world game. The footage showcased looked good, but it wasn't impressive. It also wasn't clear how combat would actually function. After the game released, these concerns became irrelevant.
Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world game set in Japan during the first Mongol invasion. Players take control of Jin Sakai as he sets out to defeat the Mongols and save his home the island of Tsushima. Along the way, he meets many memorable characters such as Yuma and her brother Taka, Lady Adachi, and Sensei Ishikawa.
The game's story does a great job showcasing Jin's inner turmoil as he struggles with his own morality. He has always followed the way of the samurai, but when the mongols invade, he realizes he will have to leave this behind and embrace becoming the "ghost." This causes tension between Jin and his uncle, a samurai lord who believes the way of the samurai is the only way to live.
Anyone who plays Ghost of Tsushima will be drawn in by the story and want to stay because of the satisfying gameplay. Jin's quest to stop the Mongols follows him throughout Tsushima, battling both Mongols and bandits. Players can defeat them with ease once they get used to the surprisingly in-depth combat system. There are four stances to choose from while in combat: Stone, Water, Wind and Moon. Each is effective against certain enemy types, which means players will constantly be switching between them.
Ghost of Tsushima's combat is similar to the Batman: Arkham games, with multiple enemies being fought at once and using the triangle to counter attacks. To get an advantage over enemies, players can engage them in a duel. This allows the player to kill an enemy in one hit if they hit the attack button at the correct moment. It can also be upgraded to kill more than one enemy. However, if players like to avoid direct confrontation, then there's always the stealth gameplay option.
Stealth gameplay actually ties into the story, as sneaking up to mongols and assassinating them is not the samurai way. This further drives a wedge between Jin and his Uncle and therefore becomes an integral part of the story. Anyone who plays this game may start to consider that decapitating a mongol captain and throwing smoke bombs at his soldiers might not be the honorable way to play the game. Mixing the gameplay and story this way also immerses the player and puts them in Jin's shoes, giving them a better idea of him as a character.
After finishing the campaign of Ghost of Tsushima, there is an entire multiplayer mode to play, which was added -- for free -- after launch. The mode gives players the chance to team up with their friends or randoms and take on A.I. enemies in story missions and horde mode. A raid is also coming in the future. It's not often that a single player game releases with great story and gameplay, with zero microtransactions or game breaking bugs.
Ghost of Tsushima is truly the PS4's swan song. The high quality story and gameplay put it in a league of its own. That is why it should win Game of the Year at the 2020 Game Awards.