People have been down on 2014 for reasons I can't really say. I've tended to disagree with many of the standard claims critics and fellow users have made regarding certain titles. Sure, it's no 1998, but I think I ended up with more 5-Star games this year than in 2013; which is definitely worthy of praise.
It seems unfair to every other game released in 2014: I knew this was going to be my GOTY from the start. The franchise contains, by far, my favorite collection mutiplayer experiences. Perhaps it's partially my nostalgia talking, but this series remains just as fun as it was in 1999.
I will defend to my grave the notion that Gods Will Be Watching is a near masterpiece. In some strange ways, it reminds me a lot of Splinter Cell: Blacklist; some very minor, very fixable flaws that hold it back from achieving perfection. I bought Gods Will Be Watching on a whim after watching the Quick Look, and is easily my best purchase of the year. The game combines tense TBS mechanics with a non-linear sci-fi storyline; a storyline only topped this year in entertainment by Interstellar. I almost don't want to say anymore for the sake of ruining anything...buy Gods Will Be Watching. It's great.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has been hailed all year as the "best Assassin's Creed game ever", mocking the other franchise. Personally, I thought Shadow of Mordor was overrated, frustrating, and boring; while Unity was continuously getting slammed for being one of the worst games of the year. This will never cease to perplex me. Sure, it's hard to forgive the bugs that came with launch, but as far as I can see (on PC at least) there are little to none left. I ran into nearly no bugs at all, and it provided me with my favorite Assassin's Creed experience to date. Moral of the story? Don't trust the internet...are you even still reading this?
I feel like I learned more about WWI in Valiant Hearts than I did in any high school History class I had. Games, movies, novels and text-books always seem to gently mention WWI, and then jump right into the overwhelming works of WWII. Valiant Hearts: The Great War not only made me realize how we should pay equal attention to WWI, but the tragic and haunting truths behind it. Every person, gamer or non-gamer, should experience Valiant Hearts: The Great War, as it's relevant to everyone. Sure, there's some fun and simple puzzle mechanics too, but this is a tale of literary merit.
Watch_Dogs was the exact game I wanted it to be; a fun GTA-esque open-world game, with some slight twists. I bought it at launch back in late May, and never regretted the 51 hours I preceded to put into it. The insane "disappointed" reaction never made sense to me; I was perfectly happy with Watch_Dogs...I guess that's all that matters?
I liked the first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead...but that's about it. The overall ending was incredible, but everything leading up to it never grabbed me the way I wanted it to; the way season two did. These character interactions hooked me, and taking command of a mature Clementine herself had a significant impact on the overall experience for me. This may just be the pinnacle of Telltale for me.
The Stick of Truth is literally the best a South Park game can get. Produced by Matt and Trey themselves, the purposely bad art style is identical to what's present in the show, and the script and voices are all reprised. On top of all that, you get a fully replicated South Park to roam around in, and a completely competent turn-based RPG system (extremely similar to that of Paper Mario). Chances are, if you're a fan of the show and a gamer, you've already picked this one up. If haven't, prepare for a flat-out great time. It's as enjoyable as classic episodes such as: "Asspen", "Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society", and "Trapped in the Closet".
I am a programming student myself, granted still a relatively new one, but a programmer nonetheless. I thought Hack 'n' Slash was great, but it's anything but accessible to the common market. Play Hack 'n' Slash if you know what this word means: Modulus. If not? Then I can guarantee you that this will go way over your head. Even I could barely finish it.
Dumb, Derivative, and Deductible - and you know what? That's just fine. Wolfenstein 3D was a game with a simple concept: have fun shooting Nazis in the face. In a sense, Wolfenstein: The New Order keeps that spirit alive better than any other release in the series has. Wolfenstein: The New Order is not attempting to make its way into the history books; it's purposely throwing the history books aside and saying "Screw It!". Everything the game presents and does has been done in other games, usually better. However, in a sea of a genre possibly growing stale, Wolfenstein: The New Order shines more than game called Wolfenstein probably deserves. No one will remember this game with high regard in as little as five years time; they'll remember what an awesome week-end that was.
The Wolf Among Us had a tremendous start...that then kind of dragged on for three episodes. But it would finish with what is easily Telltale's best episode to date. However, The Wolf Among Us is worth experiencing if only for one thing: its world. And that trumps any small shortcomings along the way.
