Genshin Impact
While there have been plenty of excellent releases this year, it’s still Persona 5: Royal that I’m most thankful for. The changes and additions it made to an already-awesome game all felt natural, as if they were meant to be there all along. Getting to know Kasumi and Maruki was just as interesting as developing friendships with the other characters. The combat was wonderfully spiced-up and the extra endings let me play out a couple of "what-if" scenarios that’d been bouncing around in my head ever since I finished the original in 2017. It also helped that this came during a big move for me, so it was nice to have a good mix of old and new to help take my mind off it and ease the transition. There may be better games out there, but Persona 5: Royal is hands-down my highlight of 2020 thus far.
Like regular banners, the pity built up on Chronicled Wish cannot be applied to other banners, but interestingly, will carry over to the next Chronicled Wish , despite them only running about once a y
The next generation is here and unfortunately with it comes few games that utilize the power they offer. If you were lucky enough to obtain a PlayStation 5, you would be met with only one major game that was truly exclusive to Sony’s next generation platform: Demon’s Souls. While there’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, each incredibly well-designed games, both were also released on the PS4. It’s a sad state of affairs when the PlayStation 5’s only next-generation exclusive is a remake of a PlayStation 3 game, but at least Bluepoint was able to properly honor the original’s vision with adding and slightly refining it. While there are elements that do feel dated to later iterations in the Souls franchise, there’s nothing like revisiting the classic and experience where the award-winning franchise began. Beautiful visuals, a 60fps mode and excruciatingly-challenging scenarios, while FromSoftware was not at the helm, the remake shines as one of the best games this year. If there’s one game to get on the new platform in 2020, it’s this fifty-plus hour RPG with so much replayability. Without Demon’s Souls, the PlayStation 5’s launch would be just plain embarrassing, making me so very thankful of its existence.
This composition invokes the Superconduct Reaction to enable a Physical damage dealer on your team. Diona can do this via the help of an Electro teammate, with Raiden Shogun and Fischl perhaps being the best candidates. Combining Diona’s Elemental Skill with one of their passive Skills will proc the Superconduct Reaction, lowering the Physical RES of affected enem
Diona being a Cryo healer and shielder naturally points to her supporting a Cryo team. Cryo Resonance is extremely strong, providing your team with a 15 percent bonus Crit Rate when attacking an enemy that is Frozen or affected by Cryo. Moreover, every other Cryo character in the game is built as a damage dealer who often needs someone to buff and protect them, which is where Diona comes
Thankfully, there is a pity system in place that makes getting 4-star and 5-star items in Genshin Impact slightly easier, though some players may be confused about certain aspects of this mechanic. For those fans that are looking to have these confusions alleviated, this guide has full details on Genshin Impact 's pity syst
My normal taste in games leans towards arcade and action, but this year has been one where the extra focus to hone in on pinpoint-perfect reflexes just hasn't been as available as I'd like. Instead I've been taking it easy, using gaming as a way to relax and escape into a more manageable world. The slg Game Building guide that I'm thankful for this year is SnowRunner, which doesn't have an enemy anywhere in the whole world but instead requires the player to use its tools to complete a huge series of jobs across hostile terrain. While sorting out the controls takes some effort, once learned there are a huge amount of tools available to tackle even the roughest wilderness. Mountain tracks carved by streams, muddy bogs, rivers frozen solid and snowdrifts that even the highest-traction tires can't get a grip on all stand in the way of delivering Cargo to Place. You can tackle the challenges with brute force, careful plotting of the optimal route or relying on the winch to basically drag the truck to the goal, but there's always a way if you're patient enough. Few events are timed and just about everything is optional if you decide that a particular job feels like a bit much. There's pressure in navigating the tougher areas, of course, but otherwise SnowRunner is a game of choosing a task and tackling it however you like, driving across the beauty of a wilderness that's just barely been touched by humans. It's challenging, sure, but also relaxing and satisfying, and I'm thankful there are games that let me unwind into a simpler, more-focused world.
Sucker Punch Productions’ transition from superheroes to samurai was a resounding success. We all knew the game would be gorgeous, as evidenced from its E3 2018 reveal, but what we didn’t know was just how much of a gem its story and gameplay would be. The tale of Jin Sakai was an engrossing one, pulling players in as he attempted to rid his home of the Mongol threat. Sucker Punch beautifully realized the world, stacking it with characters that would challenge the player’s perception of the old ways and push them towards a new path, the path of the Ghost. Similarly, on paper the gameplay is simple, but elegantly crafted and possessing hidden depth. Swapping of different stances, the different gadgets and the ability to instill fear when in Ghost mode all add to masterful gameplay loop. What really makes me so thankful for Ghost of Tsushima, however, is that it’s just fun. In a year defined by tragedy, hardship and anxiety, Ghost of Tsushima makes it easy to get lost in its beautiful world. When you need a break from the hard-hitting story, there’s plenty of Mongolian slaying to be found. Sucker Punch Productions gives players a samurai sword, let’s them loose in a beautiful world and let’s them have at it. 2020 has been a rough year for so many, but Ghost of Tsushima provides a fantastic 20-30 hour respite from the world.