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TheSilentGod

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My Top Ten Games of 2014

2014 was the full first year of the new consoles being out and I have to say it was.... tepid in terms of amazing games. Don't get me wrong, there were some great releases that I played, but there was no one game that challenged for a spot on my favourites of all time, and when looking at other recent years I feel 2014 was lacking on the highest quality of games. Having said that I still played a lot of great releases when I could. Work continued to eat more and more of my leisure time, but that is the stage of life I am at. The great feature of the games that I played this year was variety - there really is a game for everyone in 2014.

The PS4 established itself as my new main platform of choice, with the Xbox One only being played for its exclusives. The Wii U had an incredible year, justifying its existence, while I continued to lack a proper PC.

List items

  • Yes it is not as good as Far Cry 3, but Far Cry 4 is an incredibly fun game while also being ambitious. The setting is absolutely gorgeous, being a Himalayan nation with lush valleys surrounded by snow-capped peaks, evoking Nepal and Bhutan. The land of Kyrat felt alive with its history of Kings and war, and the way the Golden Path is fleshed out in the side lore is very well delivered. Pagan Min is an outstanding villain with a heartbreaking story (pity he isn't in the game more) and the entire portrayal of the darker side of a supposedly righteous rebel movement was brilliantly written considering it wears the trappings of a simple shooter. I love free roaming with a friend and killing bandits. I always find it difficult to kill animals in a game, but the portrayal of the wildlife here is fantastic, not to mention the horrors of a yeti! Far Cry 4 is a great game that matches Far Cry 3 in most areas, and is the best time I had with a game in 2014.

  • I have loved Monoliths work on Condemned and FEAR for years, and always felt they were a developer that had never got the attention they deserved. Shadow of Mordor changed that. With tight third person combat in the style of Arkham Asylum, a large world with the Tolkien fantasy setting and some great production values, Shadow of Mordor had a lot in its favour. The real gem was the hugely ambitious nemesis system, allowing your own organic rivalry with a particular orc to build over time and enrich your player experience. This is probably the first game that felt 'next-gen' to me on the PS4 and Xbox One.

  • Nintendo was back with a console game for the first time in over a decade in my personal lists, and it is all thanks to Mario Kart 8. I always admired certain Wii games, but the visuals and motion controls killed them for me. The Wii U on the other hand was able to make Mario Kart 8 one of the most colourful, lively and fun games to look at all year, and it is a culmination of the best parts from other Mario Kart games over the years. The multiplayer is hilarious and it made my purchase of a Wii U valid. Just wish the character roster was better.

  • Dragon Age 2 was a very poor reflection on the brilliance that Origins had achieved, but I was relieved to see that Inquisition was far more faithful to the original. With a huge scope of events, much higher stakes, a true antagonist and a strong party of generally interesting characters, Inquisition actually matters to the setting and contributes to the series in a meaningful way. It certainly has its issues, from stale MMO style side quests, the relatively uninvolving combat to the rushed conclusion, but there is something special about a game that has these issues and still leaves me feeling delighted when the credits roll.

  • This is the only way I can represent P.T. on this list. And yes, I realise it may not be a game in the true sense, but it was an interactive experience I played through on my PS4 so I am happy to have it on this list. It also happens to be one of the most terrifying, unsettling and powerful horror experiences of my life. The visuals are stunning, the attention that was lavished on that infamous corridor make it as familiar as any of the iconic game environments, and the damn ghost is truly horrifying. P.T. was an ingenious way to announce a game and held a terrific amount of promise for the final product. Shame of Konami for deleting this one from history.

  • The first season of Walking Dead gave me a taste for Telltale games. They were light on actual gameplay but the writing, the character direction and the music were all so strong, and The Wolf Among Us continued this. Bigby is wonderfully voiced and portrayed, and the entire atmosphere of the game from the music to the clothing and detective story made it very distinct. It is a shame that the episode quality varied so hugely, but overall I really enjoyed my time with it.

  • Speaking of licences finally getting a series right, Alien Isolation may be the most faithful representation of the infamous xenomorph experience in gaming. From its chilling horror elements of being pursued by an invincible killer and the damn androids, to the lonliness of the crumbling space station, to the fully recreated environments of the ships, Alien Isolation is a wonderful and chilling experience. The main weakness of the game is that is is way too long, but I cannot deny that I had some thrilling moments with this one.

  • They don't make them like this anymore. Full of old school shooting mechanics, this is an uncompromising game that puts player agency ahead of set pieces. Unafraid to contain gruesome scenes and violence, it has a tight campaign that works very well and some surprisingly touching moments. What a lovely surprise.

  • The Walking Dead Season 1 was a big surprise for me. How could a game with very little real gameplay and some bad load time issues be one of my favourite games of that year? By having a heartfelt and incredible character driven story. Season 2 continued that, picking up right were things left off and going forward. It is dark, unforgiving and faithful to the previous Walking Dead game. It does lack the impact of the first one by virtue of repeating the same mechanic tricks, but I strongly feel the story is genuinely powerful and the ending was one of the few in games that managed to get me. Well done Telltale.

  • The formula may be long in the tooth, but Advanced Warfare provided an entertaining campaign with a movie like story and sharp refined controls that keep the series relevant. I enjoyed dabbling in the multiplayer and it is a far superior game experience to the campaignless Titanfall. Also a great recovery from the dull Ghosts entry of the previous year.
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