Top 10 Games of the
Year 2014
1. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
2014 has been a year that broke one gaming tradition that
has left a bad taste in the mouths of potential buyers since the days of the Atari.
That it has featured several games based off of a particular license that chose
to put in a more substantial effort and make games worthy of regard. Shadow of
Mordor is the best example of this in that it fits the mystical and medieval
world crafted by Tolkien’s Middle Earth with gameplay that fits just as
perfectly. Featuring a huge sprawling open world to explore as the revenge
hungry Talion who is banished from death and uses his connection to a wraith in
order to gain information and bring down the Orc leader who killed his family.
A battle system that is one part Assassin’s Creed and one part Batman Arkham
Asylum make each encounter enjoyable as well as challenging. The real highlight
of the game is the newly minted “Nemesis” system which does a fantastic job of
randomizing each orc you might run into and giving them an artificial memory
for interesting subsequent encounters. This system also gives each prominent
enemy their own unique traits and weaknesses that you can exploit making no one
play through feel exactly the same. Shadow of Mordor stands as a pleasant surprise
and deserves the top spot of this list for the refreshing way in which a game
based off of a pre-conceived property can stand in line and even above the
triple A offerings.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition
An outstanding return to form for Bioware as the last entry
in the Dragon Age franchise left fans disgusted and casual passersby confused
as to what made this game series so special. Inquisition offers the tried and
true Bioware experience in that every little side quest, from collecting flowers
to hunting dragons, carries with them tiny story elements which is more than
enough to compel the player to excitedly rush towards the next task no matter
how small. Also learning from its multiple incarnations has created a fun
challenging battle system tied uniquely to the species and class you chose at
the start of the game, coupled with over 9 companions to fight with, interact
and even take control of. and Top it off with a compelling worldly story that
sees you lead an inquisition to not only stop an evil force from destroying the
world but also changing it for the better and you have an expert entry from the
creators at Bioware that fans have come to expect.
3. South Park the Stick of Truth
There’s something to admire about a game that can sport some
of the most shameless toilet humor, not only present it in a completely straightforward
and clever manner, but also make it actually a part of the plot. Of course if
anyone can commit to such a feat it’s the brilliant minds behind the long
running South Park Franchise. While most licensed games sport some of the
laziest game designs applicable in order to catch a quick buck from the
popularity of a new film or T.V. series Stick of Truth shows how to recreate
the feel of the original product while making a game that can still stand on
its own merits whether or not you’re a fan. Brilliantly executed RPG combat
developed by Obsidian meshed with the crass but expertly handled portrayal of
South Park make Stick of Truth set the bar in terms of effort for anyone willing
to take the time and make a game that’s not only good but worthy of game of the
year awards.
4. Infamous Second Son
As paint by numbers as Second Son feels it still represents
a game company that isn’t just filling out a check list but crafting something
they can be proud of. Sucker Punch Studios crafts a true representation of the
fabled “next gen” graphics Second Son dazzles with particle and lighting
effects that are impossible to not notice. From reflections on rainy streets to
the vibrant but not distracting neon powers, a huge city scape playground in
the Emerald city and a wide array of powers to have fun with. With seemingly
never ending enemy variety and a protagonist who can actually smile at the
prospect of using these new powers make Second son a great start in making a
new age of super hero games.
5. Far cry 4
It’s a double edged sword that you shouldn’t fix what isn’t
broken and Ubisoft knows this parable more than anyone in the industry. The
fourth in the Far Cry family seems to ironically break tradition in that it’s a
game that is literally Far Cry 3 in the Himalayas. This is both bad and good as
it technically shares the fun of Far Cry 3 but it suffers from “sequelitis”.
What made Far Cry 3 brilliant weren’t just its amazingly unique gameplay and
setting but its presentation and story that mixed with the gameplay perfectly.
That being said it’s still the quality game we’ve come to expect and with its
own twists and turns to keep the player guessing and enough things to do to
warrant a full price not to mention that you can ride an elephant into battle
and that never gets old.
6. Watch_Dogs
While an endless stream of P.R. problems and informational
mishandling plagued this new I.P. from Ubisoft,
a very unique and incredibly fun game still lies at the heart. Ubisoft
stays true to their basic Assassins Creed formula of a huge city to explore and
towers to find and climb to unlock new areas and multi layered story to
inspect. Despite this Watch_Dogs keeps its own flavor of hacking everything
within range to affect the environment to your advantage and the extremely
robust identification system which scans every NPC you cross and gives you
basic info into their lives giving the city a life that has yet to be matched
by other games. While this game came out with Ubisoft going through growing
pains it shows that the high production expected from Ubisoft is still present
and ready to give us surprising yet familiar experiences.
7. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
The second Donkey Kong offering from Retro Studios packs
quite the chilling punch. This installment pits the titular Kong Family against
a legion of marauding Vikings called the Snomads who turn the tropical DK
Island into a frozen wasteland fit for fun platforming. Tight gameplay,
colorful design and beautifully composed music make this latest entry into the
DK franchise stay true to its revolutionary pedigree and definitely earn a spot
on this list.
8. Hearthstone
The card game genre, at least in video game form, has
remained unchallenged and dominated by Wizard’s Magic the Gathering, whose
offerings were passable until Blizzard’s Hearthstone came along. Leave it to
the creators of World of Warcraft, a game you never stop playing or paying for,
to create the most formulative example of how to create a free to play
experience without feeling paltry. Using WoW’s decade of lore and characters to
make a compelling card game that is so uniquely designed that every turn you
feel a great sense of excitement. Laying down a big creature with a satisfying
oomph or seeing a fireball physically shoot at an opponent never gets old and
makes the somewhat mundane act of playing a card game that much more satisfying.
Hearthstone sets the example for not only creating a compelling strategy game
but one that is equal parts accessible, affordable and fun.
9. Shovel Knight
Retro platformers are a dime a dozen in today’s independent
market but Shovel Knight was a success story no one could expect. The people at
Yacht Club games, after a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, takes tips
from classic platforming staples, such as Mega Man and Duck Tales the game, and
uses them to create its own unique flavor. Shovel Knight does more than pay
homage and creates one of the most beautiful experiences to come into the
genre. Memorable and challenging boss fights, hilarious character moments and
music to rival the old masters make this game one not to be snubbed and deserve
a look from even the most jaded gamers.
10. Five Nights at Freddie’s
At first glance FNF might seem like the most obvious YouTube
bait but there’s more to this game then a few jump scares. The game features a
compelling gameplay mechanic in that the experience isn’t getting a jump scare
but trying to avoid them with the limited tools at your disposal. Each of the
four monsters trying to give you a nasty surprise have their own pattern you
must learn and combat as you try to survive the night at a haunted Chuck E.
Cheese homage and each of the five nights you feel compelled to survive unfurls
more of the interesting story that bases itself of real world events.
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