2014 has been a pretty great year for video games. The indie-sphere continues to flourish and even the AAA developers had something to offer this year. This is my personal top 5, but there were plenty of other games that aren't here that are worth playing; some of which I'm still playing myself, like Dragon Age: Inquisition or Persona Q. So, enough babble, on with the list!
I may not have the most objective opinion when it comes to Lord of the Rings; truth be told, I'm a bit of a fan boy. However, I have to say it's been a while since I've never played a LotR game that I loved as much as Shadow of Mordor. I think it has a lot to do with the sheer amount of polish the game has, and the fact that it takes the best aspects of the Arkham and Assassin's Creed games, but makes them even more engaging and approachable. This game just moves so smoothly and makes you feel in total control. Add to that the much talked about and rightfully praised hierarchy system, and you have a game that begs to be loved and played for hours on end. It may not be the most original game to come out this year, but I was hard-pressed to find a game that was more fun and engrossing.
Like Tropical Freeze I went into Bayonetta 2 expecting a certain level of challenge, and more importantly, absurdity. Well, I got both in great heaping lumps seeing as Bayonetta 2 may just be the most over-the-top gaming experience I've ever had. However, where a game like this could simply function on pure chaos and be okay, Bayonetta 2 never makes you feel like you're loosing control over the situation, giving you tight, responsive controls that allow you to dispatch those pesky angels and demons with finesse. This game is a fantastic action game, and is an even better experience than the first game.
I'm not a huge platformer guy, but this year I decided to try and change that. While I punished by thumbs on a lot of classics (castlevania primarily) I did manage to pick up a brand new game that fit the bill for genre and extreme challenge. Grated, DK:TP isn't as brutal as most platformers that are labeled as "hard", it does still pack a decent punch that put my personal abilities to the test; and maybe a few nerves as well.
Scary games are very hard to do. On one hand, you have the problem of making the player feel helpless without actually making them helpless; and on the other, actually putting the player in situations that aren't blatant monster closets or ambushes. Alien functions on a handful of scares, but they work. I never felt safe during my playthrough and still can't here the sound of an Android talking without whipping a pistol out. The Alien itself is a menace and you'll dread every second that it lopes about in a room, trying to sniff you out. No other game this year made me feel as gloriously tense as this game did, and I'm glad we can all have an Alien game that lives up to the feeling that the character of Ripley experienced in the movie.
I was a huge fan of Bastion and felt like SuperGiant Games had laid out a fantastic tapestry to build on in terms of mechanics, art, and storytelling method. Transistor takes 2 out of 3 of those things, swapping the hack and slash gameplay of Bastion with a slower, more tactical one more akin to old-school CRPG's. At first, I wasn't sure if the gameplay could hold up and worried that it would simply get in the way of the story; however, I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself mixing and matching powers and trying to line up the best secondary skills so I could dispose of my enemies faster. In short, the game hooked me in. The story is a bit abstract, but has a wonderful finale that I feel is one of this years most beautiful; and the art is simply amazing, giving every inch of this game a warm, grandiose presence. It may come down to taste, but I actually think Transistor is even better than Bastion, and makes me love the team at SuperGiant Games even more.
