22. Final Fantasy 14?
21. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story?

Nope to both

#27

Total Annihilation (PC)

Change YOY: -7

Though it has the dubious distinction of being the game with the biggest drop from last year's list alongside Okami, Total Annihilation is still the highest ranking RTS on it. Certain aspects like the graphics and especially the enemy AI have certainly aged by today's standards, but none of that has diminished my enjoyment of the game whatsoever.

One of the many fun memories I have of Total Annihilation is playing the game with friends over LAN. One of the interesting little touches found in the game is that the screen shakes a little when a big explosion happens, and if another happens immediately after it shakes a little more. We ended up building so many nuclear missiles and other massive weapons and putting them all into use at the same time, that eventually the screen began shaking so much it was jumping from one end of the map to another several times every second, making the game essentially unplayable. 

#26

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

Change YOY: NEW

The only game from 2020 on my list, effectively making this my GotY. Initially I was cautiously optimistic about the remake when it was first announced, especially when we were told the game would be split into several parts, but now that I've actually played it I have no issues whatsoever with that, it's a brilliant game. It's difficult to compare the remake to the original quite yet, just because it basically covers just the first 10 or so hours of the PS1 classic, but what I've seen so far makes me very optimistic about the future of the series.

I loved how the remake expanded on the Midgar section from the original, as well as how the characters were given so much more detail and backstory. This was especially great for a lot of the side characters who became so much more interesting in the remake now that they were more than just a name. The battle system is also excellent, the first time the mix of real-time and turn-based combat has worked perfectly in S-E's games. Visually the game is gorgeous, and the soundtrack is the best of the whole year as far as I'm concerned. The best game of the year is a remake of a small part of a PS1 classic from 23 years ago, and I have absolutely no issue with that. Funny how that works sometimes.

Yes I ranked Zelda II the adventure of link above the first Zelda. It was what led to my current grinding addiction in RPG's that i've suffered from for 32 years. For some reason the longer and more tedious the grind the more I enjoy it. MMO's attract me for this reason, but I try to stay away from them, it never ends.

Next set of hints:

#15

-The intro sees your teacher defect to the enemy's side

#14

-Gardens to train soldiers

#13

-Fragments of the primordial man causing chaos in kingdoms throughout history

#12

-Searching for the greatest pirate treasure of all time

#11

-The sequel to this game proved to be very controversial in certain circles, deserved or not

14: Final Fantasy 8?

12: Skies of Arcadia

Grinding gets an undeservedly bad name IMO.  Grinding can be fun as long as the combat mechanics are fun.  Zelda 2 is a great example of a game with fun combat.

Yes to 14, no to 12.

I agree with Liquid. Grinding can be fun and pretty much every activity can be seen as grindy. It is more a mindset towards the task in a game, if that action is fun or seen as a chore. Game design can obviously influence this, this results in some games are seen as more grindy than others, but it also has a lot to do with different gamers, so many enjoy games which others think are grind. So power to you