![As a new year approaches, many gamers have a lot of new experiences to reflect on during the current one. [Image Source: IGN/YouTube]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2020/11/21/660x290/b_502x220x82/as-a-new-year-approaches-many-gamers-have-a-lot-of-new-experiences-to-reflect-on-during-the-current-one-image-source-ignyoutube_2547202.jpg "As a new year approaches, many gamers have a lot of new experiences to reflect on during the current one. [Image Source: IGN/YouTube]")
As a new year approaches, many gamers have a lot of new experiences to reflect on during the current one. Admittedly, the year 2020 was a tough ride for many but gamers managed to pull through just fine playing the newest video games in their safe spaces.
Unfortunately, the quality of their gaming experiences under lockdown comes down to the quality of the games, and not every new title was worth all those months spent indoors. But some, in particular, could have been if only their developers had made some final adjustments.
Below is a shortlist of said titles--some good while others bad--that was just a single tweak away from being excellent. In fact, these video games could have gone on to be candidates for Game Of The Year (GOTY).
Fallout 76: Wastelanders
Many will argue with this first entry given it was released back in 2018. But the recent release of its ‘Wastelanders’ expansion injected a bulk of valuable content and bug fixes that were missing at launch, transforming the once bareboned title into a fully realized Fallout MMO. Unfortunately, the ‘Fallout 76’ expansion also brought more bugs. This was all avoidable but Bethesda insisted on relying upon its outdated proprietary engine. Five words: Fix the f**king engine already.
Marvel’s Avengers
Crystal Dynamics brought its own vision of the Marvel universe to life with 'Marvel's Avengers,’ an RPG-styled brawler that put players in the roles of members of the titular team. And what was shown up until launch seemed overly promising. Unfortunately, the developer had a little tunnel vision whereas it thought that all RPG mechanics were meant to be repetitive, especially the end-game. Therefore, taking the time to make things a little more dynamic would have done this title justice.
Resident Evil 3: Remake
Capitalizing on the success of ‘Resident Evil 2: Remake’ last year, Capcom rushed the remake to its sequel this year. But while ‘Resident Evil 3: Remake’ did perform as expected with sales, it dropped the ball on its antagonist, Nemesis. What RE3R got wrong was the dynamic encounter system he was built around. Like Mr. X in the previous game, Nemesis was meant to pop up randomly to attack. But he was dumbed down and regulated to scripted events, removing the looming fear he invoked.
Shenmue III
After nearly two decades, legendary game director Yu Suzuki finally delivered ‘Shenmue III’ to its fans this year. The long-awaited threequel to one of the Sega Dreamcast’s legacies would arrive on Sony’s PlayStation 4. But it seems the impending entry wasn't worth the wait. As expected, ‘Shenmue III’ refined the popular mechanics of the franchise for a modern audience. However, these were minimal at best, making ‘Shenmue III’ feel like the Rip Van Winkle of follow-ups.
The Last Of Us Part II
Studio Naughty Dog is synonymous with story-driven games, providing several hits from ‘Uncharted’ to ‘The Last of Us.’ Unfortunately, ‘The Last of Us Part II’ has broken this tradition. Critically, the problematic narrative isn’t as disappointing as the vocal minority puts it. However, the controversial twist at its core split the community and sales suffered consequently. That’s why the studio should have made changes in response to the feedback following leaks ahead of launch day.
