Games of the Year

RPGFan Games of the Year 2020: Best Story

by and on February 11, 2021
RPGFan Best Story 2020 Banner featuring Cloud surveying the corridor and stairwell.

Winner: Final Fantasy VII Remake

It almost feels like cheating, adapting a small sliver of Final Fantasy VII‘s classic story, entrenched in our hearts for 23 years. But for FFVII:R, the writers avoided simply cloning the original tale, offering a nuanced adaptation that took our heroes in new directions while keeping in the same spirit. Cloud, Barrett, Tifa, and Aerith’s quest to stop an evil corporation sucking up the world’s resources felt even more relevant in 2020 than in 1997. You’re often placed at ground level, next to the average citizen of a Midgar that feels alive, making you feel the weight of your squad’s actions. Nearly all of the new material, like a spooky, but heartfelt ghost story in the Train Graveyard, hits too. Some of FFVII’s more problematic elements, namely the infamous cross-dressing scenes, get a positive spin. This remake is the rare, refreshing bit of nostalgia that acknowledges the past not to wallow in it, but to move forward. And we can be excited for games to come in the series, as we know where the story goes next…  or do we?

By Abraham Kobylanski

Runner-Up: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

When giant robots are the least exciting element in the game, you know 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is doing something exceptional with its story. Each of the 13 protagonists has their own story to tell, and each could easily be its own anime series. Each story pieces together the overarching plot with a number of twists that would feel like a mess in any other game. However, everything just works. But if things do prove too much to handle, the in-game database helps fill in all of the gaps. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a painstaking homage to classic sci-fi, ’80s shoujo manga, and so much more in one complete package. 

by Tyler Trosper

Readers’ Choice: Best Story

Winner: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Runner-Up: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

Game Awards for Best…

Element Awards for Best…

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Abraham Kobylanski

Abraham Kobylanski

Abe's love for RPGs began when picked up Earthbound for the SNES in 1995, and it hasn't gone out since. He grew up with the classic 16-bit RPGs, like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasies, though he's gravitated more toward Western and Strategy RPGs lately. His passion for the genre was especially reinvigorated in the past few years with amazing games like FFVII:R, Persona 5 and Yakuza: LAD. He's always on the hunt for cool, smaller obscure games as well.

Abraham Kobylanski's Full Bio