I don't know about anyone else, but my 2014 kinda sucked. Heartbreak, betrayal, mistakes I'll never be able to forgive myself for... ya know, THAT kind of year. But video games were there for me! Surely, at the very least, 2014 for video games was stellar, right?! Well...not exactly. For myself and many others, a lot of the year's biggest releases turned out to be let-downs. When games are continuously pushed out the the door unfinished, in hopes that a patch will fix whatever mess is left; or games are sold under the allusions of them being one thing when they are, in fact, another thing entirely, something is wrong. In a way, though, it could be a blessing in disguise, as developers of AAA titles will hopefully learn many lessons for the years ahead, for what to do and what not to do to ensure that your huge multimillion dollar venture is a success rather than a slimy, Taco Bell-induced turd flopping its way into the gas station bathroom that is the games industry.
But fear not, fellow duders! 2014 wasn't entirely a bust. This turned out to be a year where smaller games were allowed to flourish and thrive on the underwhelming performances of their higher-budgeted brethren. This was the first full year of life for our shiny new generation of consoles, and while nothing really pushed the envelope of modern game design, many people simply wanted new games to play on their new hardware, giving certain titles more attention than they otherwise would've gotten, and in a lot of cases, deservedly so. To my own surprise, not only did I play 10 games this year that I felt were honestly worthy of putting on this list, I actually had to leave a few out. So without further adieu, I present my TOP 10 GAMES OF 2014....and some other shit.
10. Shadow Warrior
So, like several of the others on this list, Shadow Warrior is an older game that happened to make its way to modern consoles this year, so technically that counts, right? Last year's revival of the "classic" 3D Realms shooter by Flying Wild Hog came out on the new-gen systems just a couple of months ago. With absolutely no hype or marketing, mind you. I've had an interest in playing this since I first saw it, so I picked it up as soon as I knew it was out. Surprisingly, this game provided me with one of the most satisfying shooter experiences in awhile. Where it falters in archaic level design that doesn't exactly feel that inspired by the era of shooters its based on, it more than makes up for with some of the most bloody, brutal, non-stop action you're likely to see in a shooter. It's a hell of a lot of fun, and translates shockingly well to a controller. Movement and combat are super fast and responsive. The weapons are a blast to use, and once upgraded, become ridiculous tools of mass demon murder. That quad-barrel shotgun with incendiary shells...oh yeah. It goes on for awhile, too. Maybe a little longer that it should. And the boss fights are kinda shitty. But I still couldn't put it down once I started, and for that, Lo Wang thrusts himself into my top 10.
9. PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate
The PixelJunk Shooter games are even older than last year's Shadow Warrior, but this year, they were released together as one continuous experience on PSN, free for PS Plus users. Never played them, barely remembered what they were all about, but they were free, so I thought I'd give them a shot. Sure glad I did! This really took hold of me in a new way. The fluid dynamics are an endlessly entertaining mechanic, and each level becomes more inventive than the last. I enjoyed this game enough to 100% it over a couple of weeks, and had a lot of fun doing it. And after all was said and done, I still longed for more. Aside from some infuriatingly bad boss fights, I found PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate to be an absolutely delightful experience, beginning to end.
8. Dark Souls II
Oh, Dark Souls, what am I to do with you? Right up front, I'll say that I did not finish Dark Souls 2. I didn't finish Dark Souls 1, either, but I put a lot of time into both of them. I promised myself I wouldn't fall off of 2, but I did anyway. Not sure why. I guess I just got to a point where I didn't feel like playing anymore. And that's sad, because I actually love both of these games. While I found Dark Souls 1 to be the better game overall, DS2 makes a lot of smart changes and improvements while still managing to keep its elements of wonder and ambiguity intact.
My favorite thing about Dark Souls 2 was the much-improved multiplayer component. Joining other people's games and having others join yours was immensely easier this time around, and I actually spent a lot of time playing co-op. Some say it cheapens the thrills of getting through Dark Souls, but you know what? Fuck that. Co-op in this game is really damn good. Some of the boss fights are almost designed for multiple players. At least that's what I told myself after dying to the Lost Sinner about 40 times alone. I ended up doing a good mix of the game by myself and with others, anyway.
Dark Souls 2 is a BIG game. Maybe a little too big, which would be my biggest complaint. Normally I wouldn't have an issue with something like this, but the game seems to start spreading itself thin after awhile, focusing on quantity over quality. It never becomes poor, though, and you can always play through the lesser areas with others to make it more enjoyable. DS2 is still a hell of a game at the end of the day, and while I'll most likely never find time to go back to it, I still have a great appreciation for it. And I DOUBLE promise I will finish Bloodborne. I swear.
7. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls: Ultimate Evil Edition
Now for the third older game re-released on new consoles. I can't resist a good loot game, and Diablo III is certainly one of the better options out there. It's the perfect kind of addictive, mindless chaos you need to unwind after a long day, or as something to do while listening to a podcast. I don't really know what else to say about it. I mean, it's Diablo. For a game with not a whole lot to it, mechanically, it has an undeniable draw with its multiple character classes to level up and its endless loot stream. The Adventure Mode is a nice addition to keep the ball rolling in a new way. Co-op is really great, too. I never get tired of seeing tons of high-level spell effects fill up the screen and eviscerating hordes of demons. Being that the game is so easy to pick up and play, this will be one I come back to time and time again, because it's unlikely I'll ever run out of stuff to do in it.
6. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
I actually wasn't expecting much from this, especially as a huge fan of the other two. The early footage I saw implied that this game went against everything that made Geometry Wars great in the first place. Thankfully I was wrong. Well, sort of. It takes the GW concepts and translates them to 3D arenas, as the name implies. It has more than a little in common with Super Stardust at this point, but you know what? It's still an insane amount of fun and just as addictive as ever.
The biggest addition is an extremely robust adventure campaign, featuring 50 levels, including boss fights. The adventure cycles through different game modes, both previously existent in the series and brand new ones, and each stage features its own gimmick. For the most part, I found the campaign to be excellent. Some levels are poor in their very concept, but a lot of them get very creative and are worth playing over multiple times. Also, 5 of the 6 modes from GW2 are included here. This game is $15, so between the campaign and classic modes, plus the multiplayer which I haven't really touched, this game is a hell of a value. My personal qualifications for this being a legitimate Geometry Wars game are that each play session ends with me screaming at the TV over cheap bullshit deaths, and Dimensions definitely did that. So yeah, this game is the real deal.
5. Strider
Did anyone expect Double Helix's reboot of this classic franchise would be as awesome as it was? Probably not. At most, I hoped it would be a moderately fun diversion. As it turns it, it was better than I ever could've hoped for. Excellent precision controls, blazing fast combat, tons of secrets, epic boss fights, sound design that is like crack for your ears...they really pulled out all the stops. I cannot express enough how great the game just feels to play. I never wanted it to end, but alas, it did, and I loved every second of it. It could've done with a bit more enemy variety, but that's the only issue I can muster for this fantastic game. At $15, it's a steal, too. If you have not played Strider yet, I could simply not recommend it enough.
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park games, and really licensed games in general don't exactly have a clean track record. In fact, their track record is downright filthy dirty. However, South Park: The Stick of Truth is a prime example of a licensed game done exactly right, and I do mean exactly. Closely collaborating with Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Obsidian created an honest to goodness fun little RPG wrapped in, hands down, the funniest writing I've seen in a game. Not constrained by the FCC's limitations of what can be shown on TV, I imagine there's very little that was held back for this game. In fact, there are a few parts that I was genuinely surprised they got away with. And it's mostly those parts that had me laughing so hard I actually had to pause the game and put my controller down.
The game part is pretty good, too. It's a relatively simple and basic turn-based RPG with some novel combat mechanics. There's side quests, bosses, loot, and all the other trappings one would expect, and it all works. The fact that the game is actually engaging and fun to play is almost like a bonus to it already being the perfect love letter to South Park fans. The game also replicates the shows look down to a T, which you wouldn't think would be that hard, but it hasn't been done before, and here, it's actually kind of impressive.
Sadly, there's not much replay value. The game's progression is pretty linear, and once you hear and see all the gags, odds are they won't be nearly as funny the second time around. But as a one-and-done deal, you would be hard-pressed to find something much better this year.
3. Far Cry 4
Yes, Far Cry 4 is essentially more Far Cry 3. But it's also some way better Far Cry 3. Far Cry 4 is the game Far Cry 3 wanted to be, but wasn't quite there yet. Most of the systems from FC3 are intact and improved, and there are some welcome additions as well, such as the badass vehicle takedowns. Oh man...those vehicle takedowns. All of the new tools and weapons the game gives you to play around with make for a lot of chaotic fun, along with the upgraded open-world dynamics. There is really no end to the amount of random, hilarious dumb open-world shit the game will supply you with. More bad guys in the world is definitely a start, but there are also more aggressive animals to intervene, and more ambient activities that pop up, on top of the already activity-heavy game world. There's seriously a lot of stuff to do in this game...way more than I remember FC3 having.
I'm actually still in the process of playing it as I write this, as my gaming time of late has been scaled back, but I've put a solid 30 hours into the main game, as well as spent some time playing the user-made maps in the new single-player mission editor, which I think is the best thing Ubisoft could've done with this customary mode. Needless to say, I love Far Cry 4 and am ready for more. Even if you're tired of the Ubisoft formula of climbing towers to reveal more of the map, or if you thought you'd had enough of Far Cry after 3, there is just enough fresh and new to FC4 that makes it more than worthwhile. It's the best Rambo simulator you'll find anywhere.
2. Alien: Isolation
Never in a million years did I expect a good game based on the Alien IP to come out, let alone one THIS good. I think, like most people that played this game, the first thing I noticed was how close to the Ridley Scott classic this game looks. It's pitch-fucking-perfect, and is one of several aspects of the game that has its roots deeply planted in nostalgia. Not only that, but from a technical perspective, there is also a lot to admire. It's a really, really gorgeous game. The attention to detail is almost scarier than the xenomorph, and the incredible lighting accentuates the mood perfectly. Alien Isolation is actually one of the moodiest and most atmospheric games I've played in years. The visuals and sound design work together in the best way possible to create a truly unforgettable experience.
On topic of the sound design, well, it's simply sublime. Not just because of the mesmerizing and evocative soundtrack, either. This game was made to be played with a good headset or surround sound system. Hearing the xenomorph crawl around in the vents above you is just about one of the most bone-chilling things you'll ever hear, then the loud thud of him landing somewhere around you is when your bowels will proceed to involuntarily empty right where you sit. Okay, maybe that's a little hyperbolic...but just a little. Still, this is one of the most legitimately terrifying and tension-filled games I've played in years and is proof that the horror genre is still very much alive and kicking. And as someone who doesn't scare that easily, that's high praise.
It's true that the game overstays its welcome by a quite a bit, especially considering that it gives away the majority of its mechanics not even half-way through. I only played the game at night though, and only had a night or two out of the week to play it, so it took me a couple of months to get through. Playing the game in smaller, spaced-out chunks like that made it much more palatable, and also made me more eager to come back to it each time. Alien: Isolation is not a game for everyone. It's hard, it's scary, it's pretty unforgiving, and it can be a slog if you try to tackle it in a short period of time. I've always been a huge fan of survival horror games though, and the game, to me, is the best modern interpretation of the genre I've seen to date.
1. Wolfenstein: The New Order
If there is one game this year that managed to activate all of my pleasure sensors simultaneously...and I do mean ALL of them...it has got to be Wolfenstein: The New Order. I've always adored the Wolfenstein franchise, and am really just a fan of WWII-themed sci-fi in general, and when I heard a bunch of ex-Starbreeze developers were making it, my expectations went through the roof. Seems like I was one of the few who had early faith in this title. So YEAH, in your FACE, doubters! This game kicks all kinds of Nazi ass, just as I knew it would from the start.
The New Order is a perfect blend of old-school and modern shooter conventions. The fast paced, gore-filled action in huge levels loaded with secret areas gave me an itch I just couldn't scratch hard enough. The gunplay is just so, so solid that the game is worth coming back to if only to blow fools apart again and again. An early mission that has you infiltrating a prison to rescue some captives contains a part where you sneak through a vent and end up behind a hallway full of Nazis. It is in this part where you first get the semi-auto shotgun, and catching the Nazis off guard as you blast them into oblivion, having them turn around only for them to realize how completely and totally fucked they are...well, that's maybe one of the most satisfying moments I've had in a game all year.
The level design overall is really great, with multiple routes to take, secrets to uncover, and optional stealth approaches that actually work quite well. Some missions don't really have any fighting, focusing on character development and exposition. There's a staggering amount of variety for a modern FPS. The story, unexpectedly, is also really well done. They manage to wring some serious drama out of the outlandish plot, and also give the legendary B.J. Blazkowicz a level of depth and humanity no developer of the series has previously attempted. No longer only a generic meat head killing machine, Blazkowicz ends up being someone you really care about the fate of by the game's conclusion. The biggest issue people seemed to take with the game was its contrasting tones, never settling on being fully serious or embracing the more ridiculous aspects. I do agree to an extent, but it does both well enough that it didn't bother me all that much. More than just an insane amount of simple fun, The New Order is a template that more developers should follow when making shooters.
Runner-ups: The Evil Within, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Velocity 2X, Rogue Legacy, Outlast
Most Disappointing Game
Destiny
This isn't even a contest. Destiny was perhaps my most anticipated game of the year. Unfortunately, what was ultimately delivered as the final product is not at all what I felt the game was sold as. I got a peek at the strategy guide the week before the game came out, which confirmed all my fears on how big the game really was. Then I bought it and played it, and it turned out to be worse than I imagined. After shooting, defending, and square-holding my way through the game's "story", and spending some time getting one-shotted over and over in the crucible, any sort of of hope or enthusiasm I'd had dwindled away into massive disappointment.
After learning how the end game worked, I was just bewildered as to how anyone thought this design was a good idea, expecting players to grind for hours in the paltry amount of content the game offered, with little to no rewards along the way. And locking the best content the game has behind this huge barrier is somehow almost insulting. I gave it a shot, I really did, but I can only shoot at aliens named Doug for so long, and I eventually got fed up, traded the game in, and never looked back. My exact problems with the game have been stated time and time again by myself and many others, so I won't go into great detail. Bland mission design, boring and predictable loot system, no real narrative to speak of, and an overall severe dearth of content. There was no huge, sprawling universe full of endless opportunities waiting to be discovered and explored. The game is more lifeless than my dead grandfather. It's a shame, really, because the core of Destiny is very strong. The gameplay is rock-solid and a joy to control, but that was hardly enough to carry the dead weight of nearly everything around it.
Then seeing what Bungie expected people to pay for with the DLC...holy shit! The content in the base game was already indefensible, but charging players an additional $20 (price without the season pass) and then not even give them a real new area to play in. It's honestly pathetic. Destiny represents some of the shittiest business practices and some of the most bewildering and laziest game design in the industry. Not only is it my biggest disappointment of 2014, it's one my biggest disappointments of all time.
Best Game-That-Isn't-Really-a-Full-Game-But-Technically-Still-a-Game...Game.
P.T.
I couldn't in good conscience put P.T. on my main list, replacing a full product that wasn't given away as a promotional teaser. That said, P.T. is fucking great. A genuinely unsettling horror experience not like anything I've played in quite awhile. Everyone by now knows that it was really a teaser just to announce a new Silent Hill game (by none other than Hideo fucking Kojima, Guillermo del-fucking-Toro, and starring Norman fucking Reedus), but as it's probably not representative of what that game will actually be, P.T. stands on its own as a one-of-a-kind experience. What it does share in common with the SH franchise, at least, is a mysterious plot with esoteric storytelling and puzzle design, all dripping with notably unnerving atmosphere. You don't really see design like this anymore, which is something I really miss. Granted, the solutions to certain sequences in P.T. are REALLY out there, and I wasn't ever able to get the ending to trigger, but I love seeing this kind of creativity nonetheless. Between this and Alien: Isolation, horror gaming got an unexpected and much-needed kick in this ass this year. If you own a PS4 and haven't played P.T. yet, go do it. Right now. Unless you're reading this during the day. Then wait until the sun's down.
And that's a wrap on 2014! I ended up playing quite a bit more this year than I expected. Even in lieu of so many big titles not turning out to be that great, I still had a stupendous time with games, probably more so than I had anticipated. 2015 is already shaping up to be pretty crowded, and some early showings of anticipated titles have already created an air of skepticism around them *coughTheOrder:1886*, but the year still shows immense promise and potential. Forward Go!
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