Critical Hit Game Awards 2020 – Best Action Game

It could be argued that every video game is a game about actions, but we’re not talking about causality here. When we say action games, we mean the stuff of a bloated Hollywood budget. The slash of a sword, the fresh chambering of a few rounds in a revolver, or reloading your arms to deliver an almighty blow. Visceral, in your face gratuitous violence, delivered in stunning detail by the most cathartic medium on the planet, video games!

This year has had plenty of contenders rocking up with big dick energy, a cocky swagger, and the skills to pay the bills. Only one game could claim the top spot in the action hierarchy though, but it had a heck of a fight on its hands to do so when 2020 kicked off. Here’s a look at the honorable mentions this year, before we get to the champ:

Ghost of Tsushima

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War

Streets of Rage 4

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

And the winner is…DOOM Eternal

Rip and tear until it is done. That was the simple mantra of DOOM Eternal when it landed early in 2020, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Bigger, bolder, and more brutal than ever before, DOOM Eternal is a savage sequel in every sense of the word. Taking the unrelenting speed and ferocity of the 2016 reboot, Id Software’s tale of Hell on earth is nothing short of a masterpiece in violence.

It’s hauntingly beautiful to look at, but its true triumph lies in just how well it plays. This is the very definition of a white-knuckle ride, as the cadence of carnage present in DOOM Eternal is unmatched. It is roshambo with a flamethrower, grenades, and an almighty shotgun, gleefully bouncing between demons and tearing them asunder with zero regrets.

That level of polished ultra-gore isn’t just DOOM Eternal’s calling card, it’s a benchmark for gameplay that few titles were able to equal this year, let alone match. Combined with a rousing score from Mick Gordon, a visual presentation that melted your eyeballs out of its sockets, and DLC that pushed veterans to their breaking point, DOOM Eternal is the definitive last action hero of 2020.

Last Updated: December 3, 2020