The Last of Us Part II 2020
Why it still holds upThe fights are still worth playing for how many ways they leave open: you can sneak through, set human groups and the infected against each other, or shoot your way out.
2020s adventure games that still hold up
Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way
Games
The Last of Us Part II 2020
Why it still holds upThe fights are still worth playing for how many ways they leave open: you can sneak through, set human groups and the infected against each other, or shoot your way out.
It Takes Two 2021
Why it still holds upWith a partner it is still worth playing now: the ideas change level after level, and every one of them needs both players.
Ghost of Tsushima 2020
Why it still holds upIts sword fights still make it worth playing: each one asks you to read the enemy, pick the stance for it and break its guard.
Black Mesa 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed now, it keeps Half-Life's mix of shooting and puzzles on a newer engine, with physics that the original never had.
Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020
Why it still holds upThe battles are the reason to play it now: real time action that stops when you spend the ATB bar, to choose a spell or switch to whoever suits the fight.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps 2020
Why it still holds upThe way the map opens up is still the reason to play: each ability Ori finds sends you back through Niwen by a route that was shut.
Omori 2020
Why it still holds upThe story is the draw today, moving between a cheerful dream and the real world, and from comedy into psychological horror.
On sale
Psychonauts 2 2021
Why it still holds upThe minds are why it is still worth playing: each level is a new place drawn from someone's head, and most end with Raz helping that person.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 2021
Why it still holds upThe arsenal and the rifts, which move you between worlds in seconds in the middle of a fight or a set piece, make it a shooter worth picking up today.
On sale
Cyberpunk 2077 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed now, in its updated form, Night City is the draw, a dense city full of side jobs to take on in whichever way you built V.
Demon's Souls 2020
Why it still holds upEach area is still worth learning: the enemies, the traps and the boss stay put, and the bloodstain gives you one chance to win back what you lost.
On sale
Resident Evil Village 2021
Why it still holds upPlayed now, the variety carries it: every section brings its own enemies, puzzles and boss.
Astro's Playroom 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed now, every level is still built around a new way to use the controller.
Metroid Dread 2021
Why it still holds upIt still plays well because of how the map opens up, and because the E.M.M.I. areas turn the exploring into a chase every so often.
On sale
Hitman 3 2021
Why it still holds upIts maps are built to be replayed, and every routine and every disguise is another way to the same target, which is why it is worth going back to now.
On sale
Risk of Rain 2 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed today, the random items keep you coming back: they stack without limit, while the clock keeps pushing you on.
On sale
Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2020
Why it still holds upIts party is the reason to play it now, with jobs and friendships that decide how the fights go, and a Yokohama full of things to do between them.
On sale
Little Nightmares II 2021
Why it still holds upThe tension is the reason to play it now: slow stretches of sneaking give way to desperate escapes, with Six at your side.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed today, the platforming is the draw, with the masks and the other characters changing what each jump asks of you.
On sale
Death's Door 2021
Why it still holds upFights where a few hits end you, and levels whose shortcuts keep leading back to the door you came in by, are why it plays so well today.
On sale
Deathloop 2021
Why it still holds upEvery loop teaches you something, and that is still the pull today, until you can plan the one day that gets all eight.
Deep Rock Galactic 2020
Why it still holds upWith a full team it holds up today, since each class brings a tool the others lack.
On sale
Monster Hunter Rise 2021
Why it still holds upThe loop is why it is worth playing now: every monster is a fight of its own, and its parts make the gear for the next one.
On sale
Streets of Rage 4 2020
Why it still holds upThe fights hold up today because the specials and the combos both pay you for hitting without being hit.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated 2020
Why it still holds upThe collecting holds up today, because reaching every part of a level takes the moves of each character it gives you.
On sale
Inbento 2020
Why it still holds upAs a puzzle game it keeps adding ideas, and each new kind of piece changes how you fill the box, which is why it is worth playing now.
Big productions with a lot of polish share this page with smaller games built around one good idea. Both kinds tend to be generous with their time: plenty to find off the main road, and reasons to go back.