01: Call Of Duty Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play battle royale video game released on March 10, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. The game is a part of the 2019 title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare but does not require purchase of it and was introduced during Season 2 of Modern Warfare content. Warzone was developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software and published by Activision. Warzone allows online multiplayer combat among 150 players, although some limited-time game modes support 200 players. The game features both cross-platform play and cross-platform progression between three games.
The game features two main modes: Plunder and Battle Royale. Warzone introduces a new in-game currency system called "Cash" which is used at "Buy Stations" in and around Verdansk. "Loadout" drops are an example of where Cash can be traded for limited access to players' custom classes (which were shared with Modern Warfare's standard modes prior to Season 6, v1.29, but now are unique to Warzone). Players may also use Cash to purchase items such as "killstreaks" and gas masks. At launch, Warzone only offered Trios, a squad capacity of three players. However, in free post launch content updates, Duos and Quads have all been added to the game.
The game received generally positive reviews from critics, with the maps receiving specific praise. In May 2020, Activision announced that Warzone had surpassed over 60 million downloads in the first two months. As of December 2020, the game had more than 85 million players worldwide.
02: Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox video game originally created by Markus "Notch" Persson. It is maintained by Mojang Studios, a part of Xbox Game Studios, which in turn is part of Microsoft.
From its creation, Minecraft was developed almost exclusively by Notch until Jens "Jeb" Bergensten started working with him, and has since become head of its development. It features music by Daniel "C418" Rosenfeld and paintings by Kristoffer Zetterstrand. Initially released as what is now known as Minecraft Classic on May 17, 2009, the game was fully released on November 18, 2011. Since its release, Minecraft has expanded to mobile devices and consoles. On November 6, 2014, Minecraft and all of Mojang Studios' assets were acquired by Microsoft for US$2.5 billion. Notch has since left Mojang, and is no longer working on Minecraft.
Minecraft focuses on allowing the player to explore, interact with, and modify a dynamically-generated map made of one-cubic-meter-sized blocks. In addition to blocks, the environment features plants, mobs, and items. Some activities in the game include mining for ore, fighting hostile mobs, and crafting new blocks and tools by gathering various resources found in the game. The game's open-ended model allows players to create structures, creations, and artwork on various multiplayer servers or their single-player maps. Other features include redstone circuits for logic computations and remote actions, minecarts and tracks, and a mysterious underworld called the Nether. A designated but completely optional goal of the game is to travel to a dimension called the End, and defeat the ender dragon.
03: Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series since 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three protagonists—retired bank robber Michael De Santa, street gangster Franklin Clinton, and drug dealer and arms smuggler Trevor Philips—and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. The open world design lets players freely roam San Andreas' open countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.
The game is played from either a third-person or first-person perspective, and its world is navigated on foot and by vehicle. Players control the three lead protagonists throughout single-player and switch among them, both during and outside missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. A "wanted" system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes. Grand Theft Auto Online, the game's online multiplayer mode, lets up to 30 players engage in a variety of different cooperative and competitive game modes.
The game's development began soon after Grand Theft Auto IV's release and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The development team drew influence from many of their previous projects such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 and designed the game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors. Much of the development work constituted the open world's creation, and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team. The game's soundtrack features an original score composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years. It was released in September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in November 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and April 2015 for Microsoft Windows. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions are scheduled to release in late 2021.
Extensively marketed and widely anticipated, the game broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning $800 million in its first day and $1 billion in its first three days. It received widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed at its multiple protagonist design, open world, presentation and gameplay. However, it caused controversies related to its depiction of violence and women. Considered one of seventh and eighth generation console gaming's most significant titles and among the best video games ever made, it won year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. It is the second best-selling video game of all time with over 140 million copies shipped and one of the most financially successful entertainment products of all time, with about $6 billion in worldwide revenue.
04: Among Us
Among Us is an online multiplayer social deduction game developed and published by American game studio Innersloth. It was released on iOS and Android devices in June 2018 and on Windows in November 2018, featuring cross-platform play between these platforms. The game was also released on the Nintendo Switch in December 2020, and has planned releases for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S in 2021.
The game takes place in a space-themed setting, in which players each take on one of two roles, most being Crewmates, and a predetermined number being Impostors. The goal of the Crewmates is to identify the Impostors, eliminate them, and complete tasks around the map; the Impostors' goal is to covertly sabotage and kill the Crewmates before they completed all of their tasks. Players suspected to be Impostors may be eliminated via a plurality vote, which any player may initiate by calling an emergency meeting (except during a crisis) or reporting a dead body. Crewmates win if all Impostors are eliminated or all tasks are completed whereas Impostors win if there is an equal number of Impostors and Crewmates, or if a critical sabotage goes unresolved.
While the game was initially released in 2018 to little mainstream attention, it received a massive influx of popularity in 2020 due to many well-known Twitch streamers and YouTubers playing it. In response to the game's popularity, Among Us 2 was announced in August 2020. However, the planned sequel was canceled a month later and the team shifted their focus to improving the original game. Among Us has also inspired internet memes and achieved a large following online.
05: League Of Legends
League of Legends is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by Defense of the Ancients, a custom map for Warcraft III, Riot's founders sought to develop a stand-alone game in the same genre. Since its release in October 2009, the game has been free-to-play, and is monetized through purchasable character customization. The game is available for Microsoft Windows and macOS.
In the game, two teams of five players battle in player versus player combat, each team occupying and defending their own half of the map. Each of the ten players controls a character, known as a "champion", with unique abilities and differing styles of play. During a match, champions become more powerful by collecting experience points and purchasing items to defeat the opposing team. In the game's main mode, Summoner's Rift, a team wins by pushing through to the enemy base and destroying their "nexus", a large structure located within it.
League of Legends received generally positive reviews, critics highlighting its accessibility, character designs, and production value. The game's long lifespan has resulted in a critical reappraisal, with reviews trending positively. The player base's negative and abusive in-game behavior, criticized since early in the game's lifetime, persists despite attempts by Riot to fix the problem. In 2019, the game regularly peaked at eight million concurrent players, and its popularity has led to tie-ins such as music videos, comic books, short stories, and an upcoming animated series. Its success has also spawned several spin-off video games, including a mobile version and a digital collectible card game. A massively multiplayer online role-playing game is in development.
The game is often cited as the world's largest esport, with an international competitive scene composed of 13 leagues. The 2019 League of Legends World Championship had over 100 million unique viewers, peaking at a concurrent viewership of 44 million, with a minimum prize pool of US$2.5 million. The North American league is broadcast on cable television sports channel ESPN.
06: The Last Of Us Part 2
The Last of Us Part II is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Set five years after The Last of Us (2013), the game focuses on two playable characters in a post-apocalyptic United States whose lives intertwine: Ellie, who sets out for revenge after suffering a tragedy, and Abby, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The game is played from the third-person perspective and allows the player to fight human enemies and cannibalistic zombie-like creatures with firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth.
Development of The Last of Us Part II began in 2014, soon after the release of The Last of Us Remastered. Neil Druckmann returned as creative director, co-writing the story with Halley Gross. The game's themes of revenge and retribution were inspired by Druckmann's experiences growing up in Israel. Ashley Johnson reprises her role as Ellie, while Laura Bailey was cast as Abby. Their performances included the simultaneous recording of motion and voice. The developers pushed the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 4 during development. Gustavo Santaolalla returned to compose and perform the score. Development reportedly included a crunch schedule of 12-hour workdays.
Following some delays, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Last of Us Part II was released on June 19, 2020. It was praised for its performances, characters, visual fidelity, and gameplay, though the narrative and the representation of a transgender character polarized critics and players. It was the subject of review bombing on Metacritic. Part II is one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 games and the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive, with over four million units sold in its release weekend. It holds the record for most Game of the Year awards, and received multiple other accolades from awards shows and gaming publications.
07: Ghost Of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Featuring an open world, the player controls Jin Sakai, a samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. The game was released on July 17, 2020 for PlayStation 4. It received praise for its visuals and combat, but was criticized for its open world activities. Ghost of Tsushima also earned several award nominations and wins, and sold over 5 million copies as of November 2020.
08: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a 2020 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the first in a planned series of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game Final Fantasy VII. Set in the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar, players control mercenary Cloud Strife. He joins AVALANCHE, an eco-terrorist group trying to stop the powerful megacorporation Shinra from using the planet's life essence as an energy source. The gameplay combines real-time action with strategic and role-playing elements.
Remake was announced in 2015 following years of speculation. Several key staff members returned, including character designer Tetsuya Nomura as director, director Yoshinori Kitase as producer, scenario writer Kazushige Nojima as story and scenario writer, event planner Motomu Toriyama as a co-director, and composer Nobuo Uematsu who returned to compose the main theme of the game. The staff redesigned the characters to balance realism and stylization. While the veteran Japanese Final Fantasy VII voice cast returned for the new installment, the English voices were recast.
The game was released for the PlayStation 4 on April 10, 2020. It received positive reviews, with praise for its graphics, gameplay, narrative, and music. Critics applauded how faithful the story and lore was to the original game from 1997 while expanding on it. The updated battle system was praised for its strategic elements and visual flourishes. However, reception was more mixed toward the game's linearity and the repetitive nature of its sidequests. Final Fantasy VII Remake was a financial success and has become one of the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 games, selling over 3.5 million copies within the first three days.
09: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. The story takes place in Night City, an open world set in the Cyberpunk universe. Players assume the first-person perspective of a customisable mercenary known as V, who can acquire skills in hacking and machinery with options for melee and ranged combat.
The game was developed using the REDengine 4 by a team of around 500 people, exceeding the number that worked on the studio's previous game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015). CD Projekt launched a new division in Wrocław, Poland, and partnered with Digital Scapes, Nvidia, QLOC, and Jali Research to aid the production. Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith was a consultant, and actor Keanu Reeves has a starring role. The original score was led by Marcin Przybyłowicz, featuring the contributions of several licensed artists.
After several years of heavy anticipation, CD Projekt released Cyberpunk 2077 for PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One on 10 December 2020, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions planned to follow in 2021. It received praise for its narrative, setting, and graphics, although some of its gameplay elements received mixed responses, while its themes and representation of transgender characters received scrutiny. Cyberpunk 2077 was also widely criticized for bugs, particularly in the console versions which suffered from performance issues; Sony removed it from the PlayStation Store on 17 December 2020. CD Projekt became subject to investigations and class-action lawsuits for their perceived attempts in downplaying the severity of the game's technical issues before release.
10: Streets of Rage 4
Streets of Rage 4 is a beat 'em up game developed by Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games. It is a continuation of Sega's Streets of Rage series, and was released in 2020 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, and Linux. It received generally positive reviews from critics and has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide..
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