The Best & Worst Games of 2014
The Best and Worst of: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
2014 was a mixed bag. Our first full year of Wii U/Xbox
One/PlayStation 4 saw better-than-expected hardware sales in the West, but
quite the opposite in Japan. Twitter eggs and bored children moaned about
"ethics in video games" and a hashtag became synonymous with abusive
behaviour. Gamer was transformed into a dirty(er) word, but most of us ignored
the drama and concentrated on playing video games. We played good, bad and broken
ones, and all had a laugh at Tyrion in space. This was a year of ups and downs,
one to celebrate and one to forget.
Personally, I had a great one, as I became a Dad in July.
My 3DS and Vita proved indispensable during the difficult, early weeks of
parenthood, something I could play in short bursts, often with a new-born
asleep on my shoulder. As my daughter got a bit older, and a little easier to
handle, I was able to return to console gaming, hunting moon wizards and wallet
rhinos with her on my lap.
Considering how busy I've been over the last six months
and the unnatural hours I've been keeping, I'm rather pleased with the number
of games I managed to play in 2014. Despite all the negativity surrounding the
industry, and the problematic transitional period from one generation to the
next, I enjoyed the vast majority of the games I bought this year, and was
never short of something to play.
PLAYED:
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, Batman: Arkham Origins, Bayonetta 2, Bioshock
Infinite, Bravely Default, Call of Duty Ghosts, Dark Souls, Dark Souls II,
Destiny, Earth Defence Force 2017 Portable, Escape Plan, Far Cry 3: Blood
Dragon, Far Cry 4, Fez, Fire Emblem Awakening, Hotline Miami, Infamous: Second
Son, Joe Danger 2, Just Dance 2015, Killzone Shadow Fall, Luftrausers, Metal
Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Muramasa Rebirth,
Need for Speed Most Wanted, Need for Speed Rivals, OlliOlli, Outlast, Pix The
Cat, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate, Resogun Vita, SteamWorld Dig, Surge Deluxe,
Surgeon Simulator Anniversary Edition, The Legend of Zelda, The Walking Dead
Season 2, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, Touch My Katamari, Trials
Fusion, TxK, Velocity 2X, Yakuza Ishin (Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin)
CURRENTLY PLAYING:
Dragon Age Inquisition (20 hours in), Puyo Puyo Tetris
BOUGHT BUT HAVE
YET TO PLAY: Alien Isolation, Assassin's Creed Unity, Freedom Wars, Shin
Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked, The Evil Within, Xenoblade
Chronicles, Yakuza 1+2 HD
What follow are the best and worst games of 2014,
according to me. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Enjoy your games and have a Happy New Year
1. Game of the Year: Dark Souls 2
2014 lacked a single, defining game. What we got instead
was a handful of excellent and deserving titles, the best of which was Dark
Souls 2.
Having only just finished Dark Souls a few weeks previous,
I felt confident jumping straight into the sequel and pushing ahead with my
preferred build. I knew exactly how I was going to approach things - find a big
sword and swing it – and was better able to enjoy and appreciate the game from
the get-go, something I initially struggled to do with the first Dark Souls.
This new found accessibility wasn’t only due to my familiarity with the series,
but also gameplay tweaks that made it slightly easier to grasp.
Fortunately, more accessible did not mean easier; you need
only look at the punitive system that decreases you max HP each time you die as
proof that From Software is as mean as ever. DS2 succeeds in making
itself a little more inviting to the uninitiated without diluting the Souls
experience. There’s plenty to keep the veterans happy too, with PvP and Covenants
providing numerous opportunities to grief newcomers and let the world know that
you are not to be fucked with.
A more generous scattering of bonfires, and fast-travel
available from the outset, means that Drangleic lacks the sense of place that
made Lordran so interesting, but it does allow for a far more varied selection
of locations. Drangleic is bigger, prettier but no less dark than Lordran, and
I explored it from top to bottom.
I had intended to revisit Dark Souls 2 and play the DLC
before the end of the year, but I put my plans on hold once I heard about the
forthcoming, current gen upgrade. With Bloodborne and a prettier Dark Souls 2 on the slate for 2015, I’m preparing myself for another year of despair and
elation.
Honourable Mentions:
Far Cry 4, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Yakuza Ishin, Dragon Age Inquisition
2. Best Pre-2014 Game I Played This Year: Dark Souls
Dark Souls and Fire Emblem Awakening are far and away the
best games I played this year. Fire Emblem reminded me how much I enjoy a
well-made SRPG, but Dark Souls has to be my better-late-than-never winner for
2014. There have been several abandoned playthroughs since 2011, but this time
we got along splendidly, as I paid more attention to character build and
play-style, and came to better understand and eventually embrace its punishing
ways. Praise the Sun and god speed Bloodborne.
Honourable Mention: Fire Emblem Awakening
3. Digital Game of
the Year (digital as lead format): The Walking Dead Season 2
At it's very best, TWD Season 1 was the better game, but
Season 2 is far more consistent, episode to episode. Clementine remains one of
my favourite modern, video game characters and her transition to playable lead
was flawless. Season 2 renewed my interest in The Walking Dead universe, a
world that is perfectly suited to the Telltale experience.
Honourable
Mention: OlliOlli
4. Biggest
Surprise: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
I did not need another LOTR cash-in. Shadow of Mordor
looked like a mauve Assassin's Creed, an unwanted addition to the oversaturated
stealth-fight-clamber genre that I have just made up. I was, however, very
wrong, as it outdid many of the games to which I had been so quick to compare
it. Stealth is fun, thanks to your unusual prey, and Monolith succeeded in
striking a balance between granting new powers while ensuring that your foes
remain a very real threat, regardless of how many walls you can see through.
Honourable
Mention: Hotline Miami
5. Biggest
Disappointment: Assassin’s Creed Unity
Revolutionary Paris was my most hoped-for AC setting, but
Ubisoft fucked it up. Their approach to the series is disgraceful and, despite
this most recent embarrassment, they are already talking up next autumn’s
entry, set in Victorian London. I for one cannot wait to tail a glitchy Jack
the Ripper, as he slashes prostitutes through walls. "Shine your shoes,
guv'na?" You’ll have to find them first, as they just fell through the
floor along with one of my legs. Also, I have no skin.
Dishonourable
Mentions: Big Boss Sutherland, MGSV Ground Zeroes; Destiny
6. Best New IP:
Bravely Default
An ill-conceived and shockingly repetitive second half
dulled what had been, for the first twenty plus hours, an outstanding return to
form for Square Enix. In spite of a lack of new ideas in the latter half, I still
enjoyed Bravely Default, thanks to its charming visuals and its use of FFV's
ageless job system. I'm cautiously optimistic that next year's sequel will
learn from the mistakes of the first game and avoid another second half
collapse.
7. Standout
Moment: Far Cry 4, when nature attacks
I was minding my own business, checking through my
armoury before attacking the next outpost. I had a silenced sniper rifle for
the alarms, my trusty bow for stealth murder and a grenade launcher just in
case it all went to shit. As I left my car to approach the outpost, I noticed
an eagle swooping overhead. Readying myself for yet another avian attack, I was
surprised when it passed me by and instead tried to pick up a nearby mountain
goat. Being hoofed and unable to use a firearm, the goat didn’t stand a chance
and was soon being whisked away by the hungry eagle. Unfortunately, the bird
had underestimated the weight of its prey and dropped the poor goat, which
landed with a thud on my bonnet, scaring the shit out of me and ruining my
ride.
This is just one instance of the unpredictable nature of
Far Cry 4’s wildlife, and an example of how every excursion in Kyrat can
reveal something new, surprising and dangerous.
Honourable
Mention: The intro to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
8. Most
Forgettable: Infamous: Second Son
With a couple of notable exceptions - Resogun and Yakuza
Ishin come to mind - the first year of PS4 exclusives was rather forgettable.
Three of Sony's highest profile exclusives fell flat: Killzone Shadow Fall was
a god-awful bore, Driveclub didn't work properly and Knack was roundly panned. Infamous:
Second Son might be the best of that bunch, but it still managed to disappoint.
Neither the city nor the characters left any lasting impression, as I
sleepwalked through both good and evil playthroughs. I wouldn’t say Second Son
is bad, rather a non-event that has killed off any lingering enthusiasm I had
for the series.
9. Most
Outstanding Tease: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Ground Zeroes is a peculiar game. It is a demo for the new Fox Engine and a tease for things to come; I found enough to keep me occupied for 10 hours, but the majority of my time was spent repeating missions in an effort to clear all the trophies. Its brevity, for a MGS game, is why it didn’t receive a GOTY mention, but it was very impressive all the same. There is some cause for concern, most notably Kiefer’s underwhelming turn as Snake and Kojima’s mishandling of subjects ill-suited to MGS, but on the whole it was a mouth-watering introduction to the next phase of my favourite series.
Ground Zeroes is a peculiar game. It is a demo for the new Fox Engine and a tease for things to come; I found enough to keep me occupied for 10 hours, but the majority of my time was spent repeating missions in an effort to clear all the trophies. Its brevity, for a MGS game, is why it didn’t receive a GOTY mention, but it was very impressive all the same. There is some cause for concern, most notably Kiefer’s underwhelming turn as Snake and Kojima’s mishandling of subjects ill-suited to MGS, but on the whole it was a mouth-watering introduction to the next phase of my favourite series.
Honourable
Mention: PT (Kojima with the double!)
10. Weirdest
Moment: Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin (Yakuza Ishin)
It starts with a simple drinking game with a courtesan,
one which quickly descends into a few rounds of strip junken. Before you know it,
you are sexually pleasing your now pissed and partially disrobed partner by
shooting Japanese phrases out of the sky, with a head mounted laser, which
apparently is how they did it in nineteenth century Kyoto. Yakuza, I hope you
never change.
11. Best
Multiplayer: Destiny
I didn't play much multiplayer this year. Of what little
I did, Destiny was the best. Despite its many, many faults, it succeeds as a
social shooter, a way to catch up with friends while partaking in some
relatively mindless bang-bang. Once you have tired of chatting, you can always
move onto something more challenging, such as trying to kill an extra-terrestrial
bullet sponge. Destiny was good at being an interactive Skype, but pretty
rubbish at everything else.
12. Best
Character: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor's Orc ensemble
Mordor’s Nemesis system is a stroke of genius, but it
wouldn’t work nearly as well if the orcs that populate it weren’t so damned
entertaining. The Uruks are grotesque and bloodthirsty; most are vile creatures
but some are oddly sympathetic. Some struggle to string a sentence together
whereas others display a wit as sharp as your blade; some lead from the front,
others are cowardly, and they all have a face that only a mother orc could love.
There is an impressive amount of variation on offer and each NPC displays a
level of character and personality that is missing from most, if not all games
of Mordor’s ilk. This is vital when even the most unassuming character may be
promoted to a larger role, if he happens to be in the right place at the right
time.
Honourable Mentions:
Clementine (The Walking Dead S2), Pagan Min (Far Cry 4)
13. Most
Satisfying: Bayonetta 2 - Dodging in Witch Time
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bayonetta, so I was
pleasantly surprised to discover that the sequel is a far more coherent and
enjoyable game, one without the infuriating difficulty spikes that plagued
the original. The most satisfying aspect of Platinum’s ever fluid combat system
is Witch Time, a slow-mo dodge that, when triggered with perfect timing, makes
even the most deadly of foes momentarily vulnerable and made me forget that
I’m bloody useless at these games.
Honourable Mentions:
Brawling in Yakuza Ishin; Taking down an outpost without raising an alarm in Far
Cry 4; Exploding foes in Dragon Age Inquisition
14. Biggest Guilt
Trip: Far Cry 4 - Rhinos for wallets
In 2014, I killed friends, the people of Seattle, space
cockneys, well-intentioned revolutionaries, angels and heart transplant
patients. However, nothing made me feel guiltier than offing endangered species
in Far Cry 4. Kyrat is home to an array of exotic animals, many of which I
gunned down in the name of equipment upgrades. As any fashionista will tell
you, the only way to increase the size of your wallet is to slaughter a family
of rhino, so that’s what I did. And it was worth it, even if it did make me
feel a little queasy.
Honourable
Mention: Countless life-or-death decisions in The Walking Dead S2
15. Fastest
Shelving: Surgeon Simulator Anniversary Edition
I thought it would be funny shit, but instead it was just
shit shit. I should’ve bought Octodad.
Dishonourable
Mention: The Binding of Isaac, also shit
16. Wish I’d
Played Twenty Hours More: Dragon Age Inquisition
I’m really enjoying Dragon Age Inquisition. However, at
twenty hours in, I know I’m only scratching the surface of a much larger game.
The more I play, the more I fall for it, though it’s possible that I may begin
to tire of it all once the hours start to accumulate. For now, I think it’s one
of the finest games of 2014, but I can’t award GOTY honours based on such a
small sample. May Andraste forgive me.
17. Worst Use of
Superpowers: Infamous Second Son - Searching portaloos
You are a super-powered badass. You've got blue shit
coming out of your hands and you can vault hundreds of feet into the air with
little effort. Basically, you are a god in a silly hat. So why not put your
awesome powers to good use by searching some portable toilets for a guy who may
or may not be hiding in one of them, for a reason I can't even remember. fUN!
Dishonourable
Mention: Infamous Second Son - Tagging
18. The Only DLC I
bought all Year: Resogun Heroes
A year on, and Resogun is still the PS4’s best exclusive.
June’s Heroes DLC was the icing on the voxel cake, introducing two new modes,
the best of which was Survival. The only downside was that it reset the
leaderboards, removing my Arcade high score forever, which was not appreciated.
DLC aside, my Resogun experience started again this month, as I discovered that
the Vita version has a separate trophy set, so I’m saving the last humans all
over again!
19. Best Nostalgia
Trip: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes’ Deja Vu Mission
Recreating MGS1 scenes in Ground Zeroes is Kojima at his
self-referential best. The Deja Vous mission serves as a welcome reminder that,
despite the inclusion of some questionable subject matter elsewhere, MGS is as
daft as ever. With Alaskan field mice, a FOXDIE scare, howling wolves, codecs
on cases and even a mission ending quiz, which I aced, there’s enough here to
keep any MGS fan happy beyond the four minutes it takes to complete the main
mission.
20. Best
Japanese-Russian Fusion: Puyo Puyo Tetris
Puyo Puyo Tetris is the best of Japan and Russia, in one tidy
package. Some of the mash-up modes miss the mark, but for the most part it’s
great fun, especially in local multiplayer, even if I am beyond useless at both
Tetris and Puyo Puyo. My wife is constantly wiping the floor with me, but I’m
committed to improving and bringing an end to her living room dominance, sometime
in 2015.
21. Wish I'd Made
Time For: Alien Isolation
Since playing the flawed but entertaining Alien Trilogy
on the Sega Saturn, I've wanted a great Alien game. I tried Alien Resurrection,
suffered through Alien vs. Predator and even played through the appalling
Colonial Marines, all in the hope of recapturing some of the magic of the first
two Alien films. From what I can gather, Alien Isolation might just be the game
I’ve been waiting for. I bought it in October, but have not been able to fit it
in, though I hope to remedy that next month, once I’ve finished with Dragon Age
Inquisition.
Honourable
Mention: The Evil Within
22. Most Looking
forward to in 2015: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain & Uncharted 4
The line-up for 2015 is outstanding. Metal Gear Solid V
and Uncharted 4 are my most wanted, but I’m also greatly anticipating Monster
Hunter 4 Ultimate, No Man’s Sky, Bloodborne, Persona 5, Yakuza 0, Resident Evil
HD, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Just Cause 3, Zelda Wii U, Xenoblade Chronicles X
and so much more. 2015 is shaping up to be the year in which the new generation
comes of age, and I can’t wait.
Comments
Post a Comment