Dagon Dogs Yearly Wrap-Up 2020
Obviously, in terms of measuring a year in general, I’m not sure there is a number low enough to rank 2020. But I’m not here to rank the year based on real events. I’m not even here to rank the year based on what actually was released to the public for consumption. I’m not a journalist or a professional critic, just some guy who finds time to write on a website to talk about movies, games, and occasionally music or books of note. So, my 2020 list is probably unlike any other, because I’m not trying to keep up with the latest trends or crazes. I’m just a grumpy old dude who gets to things eventually. Without any further fanfare and fluff, here are my favorites and least favorites of the year.
Best Game I Played for the First Time
Devil May Cry 5
I’ve been a fan of the DMC series since the first one on the PS2, bad voice-acting and all. I never played the worst one of the bunch (aka Devil May Cry 2), but every other game I have enjoyed to some degree. I don’t think Devil May Cry 5 is the best in the franchise, but I still think it’s pretty good overall. I just wish that Hard mode was unlocked from the start to make the combat encounters last a little longer.
Best Game Honorable Mentions
Bloodborne
This would actually be my pick of the year, but I had already played it last year, so it didn’t really count. However, the main reason I wanted to mention it was that it wasn’t until late this year that I was finally able to get over the gripes I had with it and truly appreciate it. Just these last three months, there’s not been a game I’ve spent more time playing.
Oxenfree
While far from perfect, Oxenfree provides an interesting storyline through an interactive mystery. The dreamy art style, the haunting ethereal music, and the mysterious circumstances all blend together to create an intriguing experience, even if it doesn’t all make the most amount of sense by the end. Increasing the speed of movement throughout the terrain would have been a massive improvement, but it was already a short game that would have been even shorter if the characters could run fast. Short, but fun and interesting.
Monster Hunter: World
The other action game I spent a fair amount of time with this year, Monster Hunter: World is definitely one of my favorites. I had already played it when it came out on my PS4 for a while, but I switched over to PC this year and have been having a blast. The extremely fast load time helps a lot too.
Being a DIK: Season 1
One of the more unique games in my library for the year, Being a DIK didn’t seem like anything I’d want to play for very long after the first hour I spent with it. Before too long, however, I got hooked by the story and some particular characters. If and when any other chapters come out, the story and plot twists may not deliver what I’m looking for, but I’ll always have those classic Derek moments of Season 1 to make me laugh.
Total War: Warhammer
I haven’t played many Total War games. I played the original Total War: Shogun many times way back when 32 MB in a graphics card was considered insanely powerful. However, I haven’t really played the others over the years for longer than a few hours. Inject some Warhammer into the mix, however, and you get me interested enough to stick around a little longer. I still haven’t finished a campaign, because it’s incredibly long. That hasn’t stopped me from enjoying my time with it, though. I know that with all the other heroes and races to try, I’ve got an endless supply of entertainment awaiting me with this one.
Worst Game I Played for the First Time
GTA: V (Online)
GTA V is obviously not a terribly made game or anything like that. My issues with it mostly involve the online experience. That’s not to say I didn’t have significant issues with the single-player as well. Online, there are a lot of fun mechanics and ideas the game has, but they’re surrounded by a disturbing design meant to lead you along with a carrot on a stick to lure you into giving all your money away just so you can start to have fun again. I can’t help but think that if this sort of experience was possible back before micro-transactions were a thing, it would have been so much more fun and better designed. If you want to know more about why I disliked this so much, you can read this article instead.
Worst Game Honorable Mentions
Bloodborne
In keeping with something of a tradition, one of the best games is also one of the worst. At this point in the year, my opinions have turned for the better on Bloodborne. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how frustrating I found it back in January 2020.
Best Movie I Watched for the First Time
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
It’s a refreshing feeling to hear good things through word of mouth about a movie that no one expected to be good. It’s even better when you finally see it for yourself and agree. Who would have thought a sequel to an ‘Okay’ 1990s movie about a magical board game would work as well as this one does? Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a fun and hilarious movie I had a blast watching. While its direct sequel is mostly on par and still entertaining, it doesn’t quite capture the same magic of its predecessor. It’s funny, fun, goofy, and exciting. It’s also surprising to have such a family-friendly movie be my favorite of the year and not be a gruesome horror movie or something made by Pixar.
Best Movie Honorable Mentions
The Exorcist III (1990)
The Exorcist III was a film I decided to watch on a whim, having never seen it before. Perhaps my expectations were tepid. Perhaps I was biased towards George C. Scott and Brad Dourif. Perhaps I’m just happy it was better than Exorcist II. Regardless of why, I think this movie is alright for a number of reasons. It’s a long slow burn, but if you give it the time, you might enjoy it.
Oculus (2013)
A horror movie I had heard plenty about in the past but only watched for the first time this year, Oculus manages to be a pretty solid entry. There were some things about the premise that seemed to prevent the film from being amazing. Yet, as an entire movie about a killer mirror, I think it does a pretty decent job.
The Lighthouse (2019)
It’s not as good as The Witch. However, it is still pretty damn intriguing. The acting is phenomenal. The direction, editing, and sound are all fantastic. Everything is mysterious and morbid. It’s also a very weird movie. Captivating, but weird.
Onward (2020)
Onward is A movie I didn’t review this year, but still thought was a pretty good watch. As a Pixar film, they tend to have a high standard. It doesn’t quite reach the level of my personal favorites like Wall-E or Up, but it’s still a fun movie that’s funny, heartwarming, and sentimental in the right ways without being dull and heartless.
Worst Movie I Watched for the First Time
Pet Sematary (2019)
I always thought the original film was a bad movie, even by the standards set by other movies based on Stephen King novels. Color me surprised when they decided to remake this one after the success of IT. Well, this was one of those remakes where the differences between the two are pretty minimal, and where they differ, it’s actually worse. This movie sucks.
Worst Movie Honorable Mentions
In the Tall Grass (2019)
Oh look, something else associated with Stephen King! This movie had an interesting idea at its heart, but it managed to be anything but interesting by the time it ended. It’s filled with moronic characters who take a long time to catch up with the plot. It has some stupidly horrific moments that serve only to remind you it’s a horror movie. It also feels longer than Exorcist III actually is. The best thing about it is Patrick Wilson’s hammy performance and his love of a rock.
It Comes at Night (2017)
It’s not a bad movie, but it sure irritated me when I finished watching it. I dislike it enough for its misleading title and deus ex method of causing conflict that I snarl whenever I see it on streaming services. So it gets to be on this list.
Bloodrayne: Deliverance (2007)
I feel somewhat obligated to put a Bloodrayne film on this list. Both of the films I saw are really bad (I tapped out before I watched the third one). However, I found some entertainment in the first movie for its stupidity and the odd occurrences of well-known actors giving some of the worst performances of their lives. Deliverance, however, was boring, stupid, and slow. It lacked any flair to its style and the only entertainment it provided me was through Zack Ward doing some weird country-singer Transylvanian accent.
Poltergeist 2: The Other Side (1986)
I’ve almost already forgotten what happens in this movie, and I watched it only a few weeks ago. I just know that it’s a pretty weak sequel to one of the greatest horror films ever made.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019)
I don’t think this is a bad movie, and it probably doesn’t deserve to be on this list. I just wanted to include it here because of the fact that I was disappointed to see the John Wick franchise become exactly what I was worried it would be by the time we got to a third installment. The action is good, as usual, but the plot and character motivations are severely lacking.
Deadcon (2019)
This was a dumb, cheap, independent movie that wasn’t going to get much attention anyway. It’s bad, but nothing more atrocious than anything else out there. I almost didn’t include it because of the fact that it was clearly just a small pet project. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to include it here.
Music Picks
I’ll be honest. I haven’t listened to much music beyond my usual library. This has been a year of mostly podcasts and streamers to fill the silence. So, I don’t really have any new artists or albums to recommend this year. Instead, I’ll just list out a few artists who are my go-to for certain moods. I’m not including albums because each of them either has an extensive enough library that you don’t need a recommendation, or their library is consistent enough that the experience won’t differ much.
Something to relax
Hammock
Tycho
Something to focus
Akira Yamaoka
Ludovico Einaudi
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Metal Favorites
Meshuggah
Mastodon
The Ocean
Great music in the background
Devin Townsend
Tool
The Joy Formidable
Book Recommendations
Like music, I haven’t been reading much new lately. I’ve mostly been going back to old favorites, or, at the very least, new stories written by authors I’ve read in the past. So here’s a short list of recommendations just looking over my bookshelf and the stories I’ve downloaded to my e-reader.
H.P. Lovecraft - The Shadow Over Innsmouth
H.P. Lovecraft - Dagon
Edgar Allan Poe - The Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allan Poe - The Fall of the House of Usher
Edgar Allan Poe - The Pit and the Pendulum
Edgar Allan Poe - The Cask of Amontillado
Ray Bradbury - Golden Apples of the Sun and Other Stories (Short story collection)
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
Arthur Conan Doyle - The Hound of the Baskervilles
George Orwell - 1984
Toni Morrison - Sula
Bram Stoker - Dracula
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
See You Next Year
Thanks for joining me for another year on the internet. Stay as healthy and safe as you can in a world such as ours. I’ll be taking a break from the site to find time to gather more material worth discussing. Until then, please feel free to go back through the countless articles/reviews I’ve written over the years, responsibly enjoy a good drinking game with friends, or just leave a comment on one that particularly interested you. See you in a few weeks and thanks again!
