By sjj_admin 
Originally published as part of a larger article on GameOnAus.com in Dec 2020
Winner: Star Wars: Squadrons
This game took two hobbies of mine, flying and Star Wars, and put them together. I loved the X-Wing series games as a kid and Star Wars: Squadrons is a wonderful update of them. Designed as both a standard and VR game (I played in VR), nothing beats zooming through battlefields in your starship vaping the enemy. A small game by EA’s standards, but incredibly fun and the VR really brought it to life. Being able to track an enemy just by turning your head instead of having to rely on the limitations of a monitor and your instruments was amazing.
Honorable Mentions:
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Such a pretty and involved game. Love exploring this massive open world game. It has so many accessibility options straight out of the box too, along with simple things like being able to play as a male or female character. This was a very close 2nd for me.
Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity
This may be my love of Breath Of The Wild talking, but I really love how this game dives back into that world. It even incorporates Breath Of The Wild mechanics like flurry rushes and various Sheikah Slate abilities.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
The Paper Mario series has changed a lot over the years but it’s still a charmingly fun adventure that knows how to tell a story. If you can make me feel something for a nameless Bob-omb then you’re doing something right!
Doom Eternal
Coming out just as COVID lockdowns were hitting, Doom Eternal took us out of our world and into the hellish landscape that only Doom can provide. Awesomely gruesome and with flowing combat, it was just the game we needed to rip and tear our way through lockdown.