The 10 Most Surprising Games of 2020

Truth be told, 2020 has been a surprising year for everybody, not just for players or those inside the industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge effect on the entire world and drastically changed the way that we live and work. Of course, the virus has had an impact on gaming, shifting the way teams work and influencing the popularity of releases. But there have also been a number of key surprises in 2020 that were largely independent of the virus.

This includes both shocking hits that no one saw coming to the confusing states that certain games were released in. Whatever the case, 2020 had plenty of surprises in store when it comes to video games.

Star Wars: Squadrons

The Star Wars franchise has been somewhat mismanaged since EA acquired the rights to the sci-fi series. The Battlefront games, in particular, have drawn criticism — as has the decision to cancel several promising projects. However, it now seems as if the publisher is finally getting to grips with Star Wars.

Following on from the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA announced a surprise release in 2020. Star Wars: Squadrons takes inspiration from both Rogue Squadron and the classic X-Wing series. The very existence of the title had been a well-kept secret. But the quality of the final product was also a welcome surprise. The exhilarating yet accurate gameplay gave fans a taste of what it would be like to be a pilot.

Streets of Rage 4

Streets of Rage 4 was first announced way back in 2018. That means that its eventual release this year was not a surprise on its own. What was refreshing, though, was how the game managed to capture the spirit of its predecessors. There had been some considerable concern that the updated version would not live up to the series’ reputation. Yet, the developer managed to craft an experience that felt true to the origins of the beat ‘em up franchise.