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morecowbell24

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Best of 2014

I think this list is final...

2014 was kind of a weak year as far as the top tier goes, at least in respect to the streak of years prior making it difficult to limit oneself to 10 games for a best of list. Not to say it was the weakest year in gaming, but there had been quite the run over the past few years. Despite its shortcomings, 2014 still delivered a lot of great games, and you'll find some of them on this list.

The "I Shouldn't Restrict Myself to 10 Games Awards"

  • Destiny
  • Luftrausers
  • The Wolf Among Us
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition
  • Far Cry 4
  • The Evil Within

List items

  • Dark Souls II is a logical follow up to the original. Sure you could dismiss it for its world being not as cohesive, but the level design is still stronger than its predecessor and its bosses blow the first Dark Souls out of the water. Minor tweaks to the gameplay and overall design suggest it's more of the same, but it's better more of the same. Being better more of the same as a game like Dark Souls means it's one of the best games of the year.

  • Mega Man and Castlevania are often mentioned when talking about Shovel Knight, for good reason too, but oddly enough it seems to bear the most resemblance to a game called Zelda II. That's more an observation on how often Zelda II is fondly remembered, which is not often at all. Shovel Knight gets grouped together with Castlevania and Mega Man, because those games are so fondly remembered. Shovel Knight feels like it came straight from that era. It isn't crazy innovative or something we've never seen before, but like the classics its compared to, it just hits all the right notes nigh flawlessy.

  • Transistor is both a logical and illogical followup to the beloved Bastion. Shifting gears from real-time to turn-based combat is not something a lot of developers would consider, but Supergiant executes it in spades. The rest of the game is bears Bastion's mark, which is to say it rocks, but that shift in gameplay really allows Transistor to be its own game.

  • It's shamelessly derivative of the Assassin's Creed series, but the Nemesis system is so cool, it carries that gameplay loop, that is getting to be a bit tired, to new heights, making it more engaging than ever before.

  • I couldn't imagine a better game based on South Park. It's got the wit and the references and it doesn't rely on exposition to deliver it. The Stick of Truth leverages its gameplay to humorous effect. It might simultaneously be the best game Obsidian has put out and the best piece of South Park media in years.

  • The puzzle gameplay isn't much to write home about in respect to a lot of the puzzlers that have come since the indie revolution, but every other piece of this game comes together to create an atmospheric sci-fi thriller worth experiencing.

  • Starbreeze has made a lot of my favorite shooters, so I'd been optimistic about Machinegames' first game for sometime, as the team is made up of a lot of ex-Starbreeze folks. I wouldn't say I liked it as much as those Starbreeze shooters, but it's definitely approaching that caliber. To take on the genre-starting franchise is no doubt a daunting task, and I must say I'm pleased with the result. Wolfenstein is back at the forefront of first person shooting, and this time it's a little more thoughtful.

  • You can tell these people made Call of Duty. It feels very familiar yet distinct enough to make that well trodden experience enjoyable again. It hasn't quite left the same impression as Call of Duty when it burst onto the scene, but it's nice to know I still have the capacity to enjoy a multiplayer shooter.

  • Insomniac hits a sort of sweet spot with its fourth-wall-breaking comedy. The sense of style and self-aware humor elevate what's more or less a pretty standard open world game. That's not to say its without merit in the gameplay department as the rooftop railroad creates some exhilarating over the top pop punk action.

  • The Talos Principle is one of the more thought provoking games of recent memory. Putting forward a mess of philosophical questions without shoving answers down your throat is no easy task. It's rare for a game providing such food for thought to give you time chew on it. What I've spit up is... Life finds a way.

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