Best Simulation Game of 2020 - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 11 January 2021 / 2,400 Views
In a normal year, simulation games take a backseat to "AAA" action/adventure games, high-octane shooters, and epic role-playing games. 2020 was no normal year. Those who had the luxury of playing video games wanted escapism, and that's precisely what they found in this slate of simulation nominees.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town allowed players to experience life on a farm from the comfort of their homes. Spiritfarer, a deft mix of platforming, exploration, and crafting, helped put the beauty and fragility of life in perspective. Microsoft Flight Simulator, a technical masterpiece with astounding realism, became, in the words of aviation journalist Paul Sillers, "the safest way to fly this year". Then there was Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which transported beleaguered players to an idyllic island, perpetually safe and welcoming.
The Shortlist:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Spiritfarer
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
The Winner:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Runner-up: Microsoft Flight Simulator
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the perfect balm for 2020, a year most of us would like to forget. For several minutes a day — or several hours, depending on your ambitions — you could disappear into a happier mirror universe and live out your best life: plant a garden, wrap a present for a neighbor, craft your own furniture, send a postcard to a real-life friend playing halfway around the world, catch a trophy fish, invest in the "stalk" market, wish upon a star, or just sit by the beach and watch the sun set in the sky. With plenty of short and long-term goals and rewards — not to mention lots of seasonal events and holidays — there was never (and most likely will never be) a shortage of things to do, see, or discover.
