2014, man. What a weird year for video games. The first full year with new consoles out, issues within the industry being discussed in a widespread manner for the first time, the lunacy that was #Gamergate? It's been a hell of a ride. But in the end, video games came out, I played some of them, and would like to give you a list of my games of 2014. Only a winner will be chosen, and a runner up. The rest are basically in order of launch this year, with the victors placed at the end. With that sorted, let's begin.
Threes!-iOS
This might be my favourite iOS game of all time. It combines a simple concept with compelling puzzle gameplay that really encourages that 'go on, just one more' attitude. I never thought a game in which you combine numbers to get bigger tiles would be so good, but there it is. I continue to play it to this day, and have played more hours of it than I care to mention (which is even more single games, as a game takes usually around five minutes). I will continue to play it into 2015, and not much else on my phone, because nothing else comes close to the perfect feel of it. And it looks and sounds great! And plays so well! And... you get the drift.
Titanfall-PC
Titanfall is my second favourite multiplayer game this year, and my favourite multiplayer shooter. The movement in it is sublime, being far faster than anything else on the market (I think even beating Call of Duty) and making you feel so cool and agile as you wall-run and double-jump across the map. The titan half of the game is ace too, with a good balance between speed and scale in the titans themselves, and the map design facilitating good combat between both titans and pilots. The guns feel good, it looks great and was easy even for a newbie like me to get into. Definitely a firm favourite.
Transistor-PC
I've spoken about Transistor on here before but, to remind folk, I love it. The combat feels so good, allowing for crazy strategies due to the flexibility of every ability in the game. I even enjoyed the story too, with it feeling very like a sci-fi short story in style. The world building and music were both also excellent, which I did expect with Transistor being a Supergiant game. I went in after Bastion expecting story, but got a deep action strategy game which I ended up enjoying immensely.
Watch_Dogs-PC
I liked Watch Dogs. There, I said it, ok? A title that was regarded as being very disappointing by many due to the gulf between promise and delivery shouldn't be on this list, but it is. The story was ridiculously over the top and the PC version had lots of issues, but I ended really liking the moment-to-moment action. The shooting felt good, the hacking (while ultimately a gimmick) was cool and I ended up charmed by it in a way I know lots of others weren't.
Shovel Knight-PC
I didn't grow up in the era of Mega Man II et al, so my reverence for that style of game is limited. But Shovel Knight showed my why so many people continue to love games of that style to this day. It felt so tight while I was playing it, looked cool as hell, had fabulous music, was very challenging but rewarding, and got me into 2D platforming in a way I hadn't been before. I look forward to Yacht Games' next creation, because their first was so good.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare-PC
I have always enjoyed Call of Duty, but my thing has always been the campaign, not the multiplayer, placing me in a small minority of people, I know. With Advanced Warfare I believe Sledgehammer Games had created the best campaign since the original Modern Warfare. The story is the sort of stupid I appreciate (Kevin Spacey declares war on the world at one point), while the missions have enough super cool set pieces combined with more open combat arenas to take advantage of the new exo-suit and the movement boosts it provides. The ending is a bit blah, but everything leading up to it is pretty awesome, and I really liked having something fun, dumb and not too long to play over Christmas.
Far Cry 4-PC
Far Cry 3 is a game I've played only a little of, but really enjoyed, so it is perhaps no surprise that Far Cry 4, a polished version of that game, is on this list. 4 fixes some of the obnoxious story choices of 3, whilst creating a more dense world to play in, with a fantastic element of verticality. The shooting is tight, the branching story is interesting, the characters are believable and well performed, and were it not for my runner up I'd say it was the best open world of the year. Just a really solid video game.
Honourable Mention: Dota 2-PC
While Dota 2 came out last year, and I've not played it in three months, I think it's worth just saying I loved it as I played an inordinate amount over the summer. The controls are great, and with friends it may be the best tactical multiplayer game out there. The fact there are so many heroes increases the complexity of the match-ups, and while it was intimidating initially as a new player, I ended up having a great time.
Runner Up: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor-PC
This is probably the best open world game I've ever played. It combines a better version of Assassin's Creed's traversal systems with a well done version of the Batman: Arkham games' combat, all wrapped up in a world I, as a Lord of the Rings fan, really enjoyed. The story may be a bit forgettable but the world it creates is excellent, mostly for one reason: the nemesis system. By systemising the orc AI so they govern themselves the world felt more organic, as well realised orc captains roam around the world pushing their own agendas in a ever shifting hierarchy. But it is your interactions with this system that makes the game feel really special. You can hunt your foes, fight them, then re-encounter then later on with them being more powerful and remembering the past conflicts you have had, leading to proper epic tales coming from emergent gameplay. That's why it's so much fun: you build your own story in a truly organic way, unlike anything else in the genre. A perfectly good open world game enhanced by the coolest system I've seen in years. Take note, other open world games (I'm looking at you, Ubisoft).
Winner: Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft-PC/iOS
I'd never thought a multiplayer digital card game could be such a thing, but this has to be my game of the year. I have spent so many hours playing games, building decks and watching streams and videos all in the name of getting better. It is the only game I think I've ever played to pull me in so deep and not let go. It's beautifully simple (my eight year old cousin getting it within two games) but can also be extraordinarily deep in the variety of strategies you can employ. It's this depth that has, unlike any other multiplayer game, made me want to keep up with the meta game, what decks people are using right now, what's powerful and what's not. It's tactical, fascinating, not too long on a game to game basis, and wonderfully tactile to play. I've never played anything like it, and with its launch and two expansions this year alone, I cannot wait to see what is in store for the future.
So that's it. 2014. I really look forward to what 2015 will bring but writing this, looking back, I have to give 2014 some credit for having some stellar games launched in it.
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