My Top Ten for 2014!
I missed some big games this year, but I think I managed a good variety. Hope this is a good indicator.
List items
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If graphics stuck at NES quality from its inception, we would have eventually come across games like Shovel Knight. It is what the onslaught of modern Pixel games has been trying to achieve for years. Outstanding music, a great blend of typical sidescrolling mechanics, and the best version of what games of old should be today. There wasn't much better to me.
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I haven't enjoyed an RPG like it in years, it feels. The system was basic but perfect in keeping me intrigued. Let us not forget that the game has masterfully kept the feel of a South Park episode. It had no business being what it was, as South Park games have never been impressive. It was nice to see that you could actually make a licensed game that could be confused with the real deal.
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Second Son was completely passable, but Delsyn's moveset seemed lacking, especially when you consider what his Neon repertoire could have been. Were it as complete as what Fetch has in First Light, it would have actually been on my list. I was never a huge Infamous fan, and First Light pulls more of that while giving a better powerset to work with and being just lengthy enough to avoid overstaying its welcome. Fetch is a tremendous character, with equal parts of tragedy and vengeance in her arc.
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Despite a quaint, almost too cute artstyle within a story set in the middle of the worst parts of WWI, it tells a great tale between the four main characters. It also shows you just how awful the first World War really was.
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(Referring to the Left Behind DLC)
We knew everything that was coming in this extra chapter, but they told a great background tale about Ellie while filling out what happened between the end of Fall and the beginning of Winter in the main game. It is what additional story DLC should be.
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I had taken Mists of Pandaria off, for the most part, so returning to what may be the second best expansion of the series (Wrath of the Lich King is still my personal favorite) sincerely helped the comeback tour. A lot appears to be the same, but the new features make a more casual experience work out better than they have before. The Garrison features are the greatest new bit to date, while providing zone-wide storytelling better than Blizzard has ever done.
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(Referring to the Burial At Sea DLC)
The two-part expansion of one of my favorite games last year was unbalanced. Part One was totally okay, but Part Two really took it to a new level. The covert-ish way you must take Elizabeth through it works miles better than the standard shoot-and-vigor method you were given with Booker. Additionally, the conclusion turned the Booker and Elizabeth saga into something far more tragic than I had considered after the main game. It improved my overall feelings of the main game, as a result.
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I have a soft spot for games that ask for pattern recognition as well as convincing me that I could speedrun various stages, and Velocity checked both of those boxes for me. I probably would have placed it higher if not for the gating that comes closer to the end stages. Requiring arbitrary scores in order to reach the last levels isn't exactly a problem, but I had lost my desire at the time to top old scores in order to move my point totals past late-end requirements. Beyond that, I appreciated the time I played it. I will need to try to finish it eventually, however.
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A game that apes several other games' elements should have no business being on my personal list. I couldn't get into the Assassin's and Arkham games, but this one blends those mechanics that actually worked for me. It took the Nemesis system, a piece that EVERY new game should attempt to steal this generation, to fully get me to buy in. I could have been just as into Shadow of Mordor if the Tolkien shit wasn't part of it.
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A pleasant isometric action with a healthy strategy set up, I felt like it would be the best game I would play this year. However, while I did enjoy it, there were things in its package that didn't quite come together. It's still an incredible title and it makes me feel better about missing out on Bastion.
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