2020 was not a good year for many of us, what with a worldwide pandemic among other things. Despite this, video games have been a much needed source of joy for many all over the world. Games helped us get through the rough times, and thankfully, many amazing games were released this year. It was tough competition, but GotGame wanted to recognize these brilliant works from all over the industry. After a tough voting process from our writers, our winners are finally selected. Without further ado, here are GotGame’s Epic Win Award winners for 2020.

Best Action Game:

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima offers a tour de force of skill-based action, stealth, and exploration in a perfect package. It’s an incredibly polished experience that gives not only an amazing presentation for combat, but also rewarding victories. Thanks to these qualities, it easily earns the Epic Win Award for Best Action Game of 2020.

Runner-Up: The Last of Us Part II

Best RPG:

Persona 5 Royal

Even though Persona 5 originally released a few years ago, Persona 5 Royal does just enough to make it worth playing again. Not only does it add more story content, but it polishes up the gameplay, provides new presentation elements, and even improves the visual quality. As the definitive version of a stellar JRPG, Persona 5 Royal took the hearts of our writers to steal the Epic Win Award for Best RPG.

Runner-Up: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Best Shooter:

DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal continues off of the fantastic 2016 game with tons of challenge and plenty to offer. With the demons taking over the planet, the Doom Slayer has to rip and tear his way through all of them to make them aware of their big mistake. With new ways to slaughter enemies, DOOM Eternal is the perfect shooter to win the Epic Win Award.

Runner-Up: Destiny 2: Beyond Light

Best Platformer:

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Platformers are a genre that needs a lot of creativity to really stand out these days. Luckily, Ori and the Will of the Wisps did plenty to do exactly that. Not only does it significantly improve upon the previous game, but it does so with a truly beautiful platforming experience. Because of that and more, Ori’s latest adventure takes the Epic Win Award for Best Platformer.

Runner-Up: Ghostrunner

Best Fighting/Beat ‘Em Up:

Streets of Rage 4

Nobody expected Streets of Rage to return in such a way, but the return couldn’t be more glorious. Not only does Streets of Rage 4 pay homage to the original three games, but it does so with a fantastic visual style, familiar gameplay, and plenty of new and returning characters. There were a lot of great Beat ‘Em Ups this year, but if you have to pick only one, you can’t go wrong with Streets of Rage 4.

Runner-Up: Street Fighter V: Champion Edition

Best Sports Game:

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

In a near unanimous vote, the remake of Tony Hawk’s first and second games bring these classic titles to the modern era with new life. It not only gives us plenty of nostalgia with several returning features, but it also gives it a 2020 flavor. In an age where sports games tend to be annual updates, it’s crazy to think a remake of a skateboarding game would be the one we needed most right now. Tony Hawk easily takes the Epic Win Award for Best Sports Game.

Runner-Up: Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions

Best Family Game:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

This one shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. With a huge worldwide pandemic, people turned to Animal Crossing to celebrate all their various events. Birthdays, anniversaries, even weddings were celebrated in this wonderful little game. For bringing people all over the world together during a time of quarantine, Animal Crossing: New Horizons definitely deserves the Epic Win Award for Best Family Game.

Runner-Up: Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Best Remake/Port:

Demon’s Souls

For years people have been begging for a remaster of FromSoftware’s breakout souls title. Sony did one better; they remade it. With the visuals, audio, and effects all made from the ground up, Demon’s Souls is one remake to remember. That’s why it takes the Epic Win Award for the Best Remake.

Runner-Up: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Best Art Design:

Ghost of Tsushima

It’s rare for a realistic open-world game to take the top spot for Art Design. That’s just how good Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima is. It immerses you in a wonderfully colorful world where every moment feels like a whimsical Japanese samurai film. Because of this, the game rightfully earns the Epic Win Award for this category.

Runner-Up: Hades

Best Music:

Final Fantasy VII Remake by Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, Nobuo Uematsu, Shotaro Shima, Tadayoshi Makino, Yasunori Nishiki, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Keiji Kawamori, Yoshinori Nakamura, Keiki Kobayashi, Sakiko Sakuragi, etc.

Final Fantasy VII’s original music is considered to be timeless by gamers everywhere. When it comes to Final Fantasy VII Remake, it’s a culmination of the efforts of incredibly talented composers and audio designers to not only enhance those original songs, but also in many cases, improve them as well. With all the talent on board, it’s no wonder it won the Epic Win Award for Best Music.

Runner-Up: The Last of Us Part II by Gustavo Santaolalla

Best Original Song:

“I Believe” by Shoji Meguro and Lotus Juice, featuring Lyn Inaizumi – Persona 5 Royal

There were a lot of great songs this year, and it was hard to narrow it down to just six. Even our writers had trouble picking between their favorite Persona 5 Royal song, but it ultimately came down to “I Believe”. With a funky track utilizing elements from other Persona 5 songs, the stakes are high when this song plays during the finale of the game. When you hear this song, you just know that your hard work has paid off.

Runner-Up: “Where We Come From” by Lecrae – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Best Story:

The Last of Us Part II

Depending on who you ask, the story of The Last of Us Part II is either a masterpiece or the biggest issue with the game. The fact the game won the Epic Win Award for Best Story at GotGame means that the majority of us fall on the former. With two lead characters and incredibly emotional storytelling, no matter what you thought of this game, you’re definitely going to feel something.

Runner-Up: Ghost of Tsushima

Best Multiplayer:

Among Us

We’re going to be honest. There was a big debate about whether Innersloth’s Among Us would qualify for this year. Releasing originally in 2018, this game fell under the radar until it got attention this year. Thanks to a large outcry from our writers, we’ve made the exception to not only include, but also grant the game with our Epic Win Award for Best Multiplayer.

Runner-Up: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Best Photo Mode:

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

There were some excellent examples of photo modes in games this year. It was honestly a tough competition, but we had to give it to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, further perfecting the system they had in the previous game on PS4. With the addition of lights and more effects, players were able to make their best look for the web slinging adventure.

Runner-Up: Ghost of Tsushima

Best Female Main Actor:

Ashley Johnson as Ellie – The Last of Us Part II

Without a doubt, The Last of Us has delivered some of the most powerful performances in gaming. The sequel is no different, and while we had two very amazing performances from two fantastic ladies, only one was able to take the top spot. Ashley Johnson’s performance as Ellie is powerfully moving and full of emotion that you rarely see in games. You see her love, you see her grieve, and you even see her swear vengeance. We’re proud to present the Epic Win Award to her performance.

Runner-Up: Laura Bailey as Abby – The Last of Us Part II

Best Male Main Actor:

Nadji Jeter as Miles Morales – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Nadji Jeter is no stranger to the role of Miles Morales, having played him in multiple games and even animation. Despite this, something about his story in his own game makes his performance that much more powerful. Seeing Miles rise to power and form his own identity in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales was simply a joy to watch, and we look forward to seeing more from him.

Runner-Up: Darren Korb as Zagreus – Hades

Best Female Support Actor:

Briana White as Aerith Gainsborough – Final Fantasy VII Remake

While Final Fantasy VII Remake gave new voices to their iconic cast of characters, it was with these new voices that we discovered new talents. One of those talents was Briana White as Aerith Gainsborough, easily stealing every scene she was in and moving us to love her character more than we already did. Being one of her first voice performances just makes it that much more impressive, and we’re happy to present her with the Epic Win Award for Female Supporting Actor.

Runner-Up: Sumalee Montano as Yuna – Ghost of Tsushima

Best Male Support Actor:

Logan Cunningham as Hades – Hades

There’s something about that booming voice from Logan Cunningham’s Hades that makes him so intriguing. While our escape from the Underworld has been a challenge overall, part of that challenge is overcoming the objections of your father. Logan’s performance makes Hades both diabolical and regal, making him work so well as the main antagonist of the game. This is a well deserved Epic Win Award for Best Male Supporting Actor.

Runner-Up: Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Best Animal Crossing Villager:

Mira

The best masked rabbit in Animal Crossing (as opposed to THAT rabbit) took the prize for best villager. Mira is a sweet and fun loving villager that always has your back, and she’s always willing to be a team player. If you have Mira on your island, be sure to treat her extra special for her victory.

Runner-Up: Marina

Most Anticipated:

Elden Ring

Not much is known about this upcoming action RPG from George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware, but fans can’t wait to hear more. Hopefully we hear something about Elden Ring in the coming months, especially now that new hardware has entered the fray.

Runner-Up: Horizon Forbidden West

Game of the Year:

Ghost of Tsushima

Game of the Year was incredibly tough, and Ghost of Tsushima won by a single vote. No matter what your game of the year is, Ghost of Tsushima is definitely deserving of this win for its impressive visuals, great technical achievements, and fantastic art direction. Even now, with the free multiplayer expansion, there’s plenty of reason to jump in. GotGame is proud to present Ghost of Tsushima with the Epic Win Award for Game of the Year!

Runner-Up: The Last of Us Part II

Reader’s Choice:

The Last of Us Part II

On the flip side, our readers actually voted The Last of Us Part II for their choice of Game of the Year. Both titles are deserving and either way, Sony is victorious for having two fantastic games.

And that’s all of our Epic Win Award winners! We would like to once again congratulate all of our nominees and especially congratulate our wonderful winners. Your games inspire us to visit new worlds and experience fantastic stories. We look forward to what 2021 has in store for us, and we hope to see you here again for our 2021 Epic Win Awards!