This year was a bit of a disappointment for me and video games. Not because the games were bad, necessarily, but simply because I didn't play many of them. I spent a lot of time mucking around with older games and watching playthroughs of newer ones online (filthy habit, I know). Still, as we ring in the new year I feel compelled to give shout-outs to at least a handful of games I played in 2K14.
Here they are!
I'd probably feel better about putting this at the top of my list if I had played the Wii U version at some point, but I didn't and this is still going up here. I like the Smash Bros. series a lot, and this past year was the first time I actually tried to apply some some amount skill to it. What I've learned is that Smash is a game that you get as much out of as you put into it. You can spend hours mashing it out against friends or the computer and not know what the fuck you're doing, but still have a good time. Likewise, if you're looking to dig deeper there is plenty of depth to behold. Is a fighting game? Absolutely. Just a different kind of fighter.
To be honest, I barely touched the single player of Smash 3DS. What really makes this game for me is the online multiplayer, and the ability to immediately jump into a game of Smash with real players any time I want. I've spent hours playing against friends and strangers, and almost always had a good time. This is a must-have for 3DS owners, and a legitimate reason to invest in one if you haven't already.
I can't speak very well on DBFC's overall balance or technical depth, but I can say that it is a hell of a lot of fun to play. This bizarre crossover brings together characters from a lot of bad anime (and even a few good ones) to duke it out on SEGA-inspired stages for one reason or another. It's crazy to look at but easy to play. The game keeps it simple with three attack buttons and one assist button. There are auto-combos for beginners, and a "Trump Card" system that I actually thought was really cool.
One thing that DBFC absolutely does right is fan service. Every character's move set is built around references to their anime or light novel. While these moves might look silly to filthy casuals, seasoned weeaboos will spot them immediately. For example, Shizuo throws trash cans and vending machines at his opponent because of course he does. Tomoka's moves are all based around basketball because that's what her show's about, I guess.
Trying not to ramble on too long, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a hell of a game that clearly had a lot of passion and effort put into it. It's the most fun I had playing a traditional fighting game this year. Between this and Under Night In-Birth, developer French Bread is showing Arc System Works that they're not the only ones capable of making high-quality 2D anime fighters in this day and age.
I have a real soft-spot for Freebird Games' previous release, To The Moon. So naturally I was excited to see what Kan Gao and the gang would cook-up next, then a little bit less excited to discover that it was a small-scale side story instead of a full on sequel. A Bird Story is short, and it is barely interactive, but that doesn't matter because it still succeeds in what it sets out to accomplish. The story of a boy and his bird is a very sweet one, and even managed to elicit some genuine emotion from myself. This feat is even more impressive considering the absence of any written dialogue throughout the entire game. Throw in some great music and a low price point, and you have a must-play for 2014.
I actually spent some time with a few different JRPGs on the 3DS this year, but none of them left as much of an impression on me as Bravely Default. The "Brave" and "Default" systems are really nice additions to the traditional turn-based combat, as are the plethora of Jobs available for each party member (although I wish the game was a bit faster at dishing those out). The story isn't remarkable, but it's not supposed to be. Despite the stock plot (which was about crystals or something?) the characters actually came across as pretty likable, and played off of each other quite well.
Bravely Default is a JRPG-ass JRPG, but brings just enough style and fresh ideas to keep you hooked for a nice long time. Well, in theory it does. I never beat it, but I very rarely make it to end of these types of games. Despite that, I would still call it one of the top three RPGs on the 3DS, and easily the best one I played this year.
Holy shit, a new Guilty Gear! This was one of my most anticipated titles of the year, and what I've played of it so far has not left me disappointed. It totally plays like Guilty Gear (which is what you want, I guess) and looks i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e. The game also features a surprising amount of content, catering to fans of both single-player and multiplayer action. I'm happy with the roster. A few noticeable cuts had to be made with the transition to a new engine, but I'm sure we'll see the character select screen fill-out as ArcSys continues to iterate on this revived franchise.
