The Last of Us Part II
With a smattering of votes across every game on the list, the vote came down to a close match-up between Ghost of Tsushima and
The Last of Us Part II, and Naughty Dog’s game just edged out the former. Known for sheer and incredible amounts of quality within their games, Naughty Dog once again crafted a masterpiece with a game that ironed out the gameplay wrinkles of the first game, had tons of accessibility features for all kinds of players, and was what we referred to as a “story worth telling” that felt like it neatly tied back to the first. It’s an emotional journey through vengeance, anger, and pain, but it also offers a look into this world from a new perspective, making us reconsider the black and white nature of heroes and villains. It’s production values were incredible, and it’s a feather in Sony’s cap as a PlayStation exclusive title.
Friday, January 01, 2021
As a closer to 2020, this week has been a long week of PSLS year-end awards, and we’ve honored plenty of great releases. Even if games didn’t win, just being nominated gives attention to games that deserve the spotlight, and there were also plenty of other honorable mentions that didn’t even make the nomination list. 2020was an awesome year for games all around, and it’s all been building to this moment. Before we reveal which game won our top spot, here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Game of the Year in 2020.
The Last of Us Part II. We’ve already said a lot about
Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation Studios
It’s probably not too surprising that the vote unanimously went to SIE for this year’s Best Publisher award. Besides releasing the new PS5 console, the Sony published lineup of games was phenomenal. It was a great year to be a PlayStation gamer.
The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and plenty more outlined a fantastic year for the publisher. Sony made a new PlayStation Studios banner under which to house all of its studios and new releases. Sony was also the first major publisher to take serious precautions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, pulling out of PAX East back in February out of an at the time abundance of caution. The move now seems like a pretty smart and prescient one on Sony’s end with how COVID and the pandemic panned out.
Kahlief Adams (Spawn On Me Podcast)
In 2020, there was a continued rallying cry for more diverse and inclusive voices within the video game industry. Following the tragic events of the police murder of George Floyd that shone (yet another) spotlight on the inequality of being Black in America, Kahlief Adams gathered a panel of Black creators within the video game industry to educate and and inform in a special Spawn On Me podcast episode entitled “A Lesson in Blackness.”
Adams isn’t afraid to get real, to advocate for what he believes in, and to speak his own mind while lifting up the voices around him that deserve to be heard. He’s one of the hardest working and most passionate people within games, and a necessary voice for the industry to continue to evolve and grow. This year we wanted to honor more than just the popular big names and studio heads that always garner attention, and felt that no voice spoke more clearly, more concisely, or more fervidly than that of Kahlie
Ghost of Tsushima
After winning in a number of other categories this year, is it any surprise that our staff loved the soundtrack from
Ghost of Tsushima too? It’s stunning art style, open world, and amazing performances were all tied together with the incredible soundscapes created to feel serene, haunting, and intense, guiding players along with Jin Sakai through his emotional and physical journey across Tsushima island. Each song underscored the specific moments, blending perfectly with the world and story to complete Sucker Punch’s epic.
Reader’s Choice Winner
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Beating out Ghost of Tsushima by a single vote, our Reader’s Choice award for Best Game Soundtrack goes to