Head here for the rest of our 2020 games of the year. Numbers 30, 29, and 28 are here. 

#27. Nioh 2 (PS4)

I was never really one to play Soulsborne games if it came to preference. Sekiro Shadows Die Twice didn’t do it for me, but Nioh 2 was the one that finally hooked me to this genre.

Nioh 2 is ultimately more accessible than other Soulsborne games. That doesn’t mean to say that the latest game by Team Ninja is easy in any way. It’s still hard as hell, but the sheer amount of gameplay options make it so compelling to keep playing over and over.

There are eleven types of weapons to wield in Nioh 2, ranging from traditional katana and spears to complex weapons like chain-hook kusarigama or the transforming switchglaive, which is my personal favourite.

In the spirit of Team Ninja’s fighting roots (they also develop the Dead Or Alive franchise), the latest DLC expansion also introduced a fist weapon that allows players to pull off combos like they’re in a fighting game. Best of all, it doesn’t even feel out of place in an action RPG like this.

That’s not even mentioning the different stances for each weapon, the ranged weapons, and the Spirit Guardians that you can collect like Pokémon.

The story may be forgettable, but the thrilling gameplay more than makes up for it. Nioh 2 might be the most polished and refined Soulsborne game yet, and that’s no exaggeration.

Plus, this is as close to a new Onimusha game we’re ever getting in the near future. That is, unless Capcom finally announces a new one, and that doesn’t seem like it’s happening anytime soon.