Here we are at the end of 2014 and the time has come to select my personal choices for the top 10 games of 2014. As I reflect back on this year in gaming, the more I realize that this wasn’t a great year for gaming. When you look back at 2013, there was so much positive news including the release of the next gen consoles, GTA V making waves and breaking sales records and even some iconic gaming equipment riding into the sunset. A lot happened last year, so while we were hopeful that this year would be just as great, in many ways it wasn’t. In fact, it seems like it almost took a step back since there were so many disappointing games and so many incomplete games hitting the shelves. Games like Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed Unity or even the Halo Master Chief Collection all held so much promise, yet they’ve been downgraded to broken within days. Despite some of the most promising games failing to deliver, we do have some bright spots, so let’s talk about the good and move forward to the future.
1. Shadow of Mordor – Who would have thought that a Lord of the Rings game was going to take the world by storm? Better yet, who would have thought this game would come out of nowhere and claim the game of the year? The truth is not many people expected that, yet Shadow of Mordor took the best from the Assassin’s Creed and Batman Arkham franchises and made a game worth playing. The nemesis system ensured that you never played the game the same way twice, the combat system made you love gaming again and with a decent story to match, Shadow of Mordor was the best game this year.
2. Dragon Age Inquisition – The long awaited sequel to Dragon Age came out with a splash and while it did have a few issues of its own, it managed to scratch that RPG itch that many next gen adopters seemed to develop. With expanded choices, new characters, and a giant world to explore, there is very little to hate about this game. If you love RPGs, and especially if you love Bioware or Dragon Age, this game is going to appeal to you. It just proves why this game was on my top 10 list for 2014.
3. South Park: The Stick of Truth – No one expected this, but this game is great. No South Park game has done what this game has done and we are all better for it. It really feels like a giant episode of the show and that’s really what we always wanted. It’s funny, it’s edgy, it’s everything you’d want from a perfect South Park game. While Ubisoft can’t take all of the credit since THQ did most of the work, this is one of the best games of the year and certainly one of the funniest.
4. Dark Souls 2 – While Dark Souls was a great follow-up to the surprise RPG of the decade, Dark Souls 2 took the genre to a new level. It wasn’t so much how the game played that made this great but rather how much more you could do with this sequel. More weapons, more locations, improved mechanics and better graphics just made a good thing, even better. While hardcore RPGs like this game are not necessarily for everyone, if you ever wanted to try it out, this is the game to play. We loved the game and we think you will too.
5. The Wolf Among Us – Telltale has always produced some top quality games that make you think outside the box. Whether you are extinguishing zombies, or in this case, playing as the big bad wolf, you always feel as you are part of the world. The Wolf Among Us connected with us on a personal level and there was always a situation you could see yourself contemplating. Sure, you probably wouldn’t be involved in a murder mystery, but feeling frustrated and knowing people are hiding information from you is a relate-able feeling.
6. Wolfenstein: The New Order – I am pretty sure no one was looking for a new Wolfenstein game when The New Order hit the shelves, but surprisingly enough this was one of the best shooters this year. With a new storyline, interesting character, great shooting mechanics and a beautiful presentation, if you weren’t playing Wolfenstein you were missing out. This was one of the biggest surprises in recent memory and we’ll certainly be checking in with MachineGames to see how they are going to follow up this gem.
7. Child of Light – Child of Light in not necessarily a big game in scope, but it delivers a big game experience. It is a downloadable title that only lasts a few hours but once you start playing, you won’t want to put it down. It is a surprisingly solid RPG with smooth controls and a beautiful color palate. It is a breath of fresh air and it had the privilege of filling the RPG void on the new PS4 and Xbox One systems. Ubisoft did a nice job with this title and we can only hope we see more from this newly crafted franchise.
8. Mario Kart 8 – It’s been a good year for Nintendo and this gem started the trend. Mario Kart didn’t necessarily break the mold, but it added just enough to justify the new game while keeping all the fans happy. The stages are fun, the racing action is still great and Mario Kart remains one of the best kart racing games you can buy. If you want to have a great time in the Mario universe, make sure you put some time into Mario Kart 8, it’s one of the best this year.
9. Far Cry 4 – Most of Ubisoft’s main games had their fair share of problems, Far Cry 4 managed to whether the storm without too many issues. While it can be argued that this game didn’t differ enough from Far Cry 3, few can deny that this is a great game. Beautiful visuals, new characters, a great new antagonist and tight controls make this a dream to play and with that classic open-world shooter sandbox to play in, you’ll sink hundreds of hours before you know it.
10. Titanfall – This game was a long time coming. Every since the infamous Infinity Ward meltdown, everyone wanted to know what Respawn Entertainment was up to. Granted, this game is very one-dimensional with being a multiplayer game only. However, what the game does do, it does extremely well. The multiplayer was addictive, fast-paced and just plain fun and for that it secured the last slot on my top 10 list.
So what do you think of the list? Keep in mind, this is my personal list. If you feel I missed something or have anything to say at all, leave it in the comments below.