Eh, I think it's too bad there aren't more voting threads. I think it would be useful to have compiled lists of top voted games for each platform. Better than having yet another "I just bought a Vita which games should I buy" thread.
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GAF Games of the Year 2014 - Voting Thread [voting closed]
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
- Status
Eh, I think it's too bad there aren't more voting threads. I think it would be useful to have compiled lists of top voted games for each platform. Better than having yet another "I just bought a Vita which games should I buy" thread.
1. Dragon Age: Inquisition ; Incredibly fun game with very ambitious storyline, beautifully crafted world and satisfying gameplay. Haven't had so much fun with any RPG since Skyrim.
2. Middle Earth: Shadows of Mordor ; Was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the game. Combat is really enjoyable and I had lots of fun with the Nemesis System.
3. The Last of Us Remastered ; Flawless port of the best game last gen had to offer. They could have improved and fixed friendly and enemy AI, though, as the AI behavior is the weakest part of the game IMO. I think TLoU is easily the best game from this list but I don't think remaster-version of any game deserves to be the first.
4. The Last of Us: Left Behind ; One of the best DLC's I've ever bought, I actually enjoyed Left Behind a bit more than the base game. It could've been a bit longer if you ask me, though.
5. Shovel Knight ; Best platformer I've played in a long ass time.
6. Resident Evil 4: Ultimate HD Edition ; This game is legendary. It has aged but I can still appreciate the perfect pacing and the awesome core gameplay.
7. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls ; Expansion which fixed many serious flaws the base game had and added tons of new stuff and features which made the game great and addicting. My most played game from this list.
8. Far Cry 4 ; Fun game to just mess around. Ubisoft open world formula is starting to become tiresome, though.
shinobi602
Member
1. Dragon Age: Inquisition ; I've been hooked on this thing since the day of release. I've logged almost 86 hours into my first playthrough and just started my second. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous (PS4 version here), the world being massive is an understatement. Each region feels unique in its environment and sights to see. The combat is very satisfying, especially as a warrior. This is the best cast of characters in the Dragon Age series by far, and I feel like each party member has something interesting to say. So many of them feel much more humanized as well. Cassandra is such a great character overall. Her romance arc was so well done emotionally. The writing is fantastic, the conversations are a joy to partake in, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It could have done with less bugs, but they've mostly been fixed now. Good stuff. Thanks Bioware
demolitiongc1
Banned
1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (My favorite entry in the Smash franchise. It is polished to perfection)
2. Mario Kart 8 (My favorite entry in the Kart franchise. Beautiful, balanced and controls perfectly)
3. NBA 2K15 (It seems 2K gets better every single year. This year is another big step up in the gameplay department and everything feels like NBA basketball)
4. The Last of Us: Remastered (Possibly my fav game of last gen. If I hadn't experienced it before it would be at the top of my list)
5. Grand Theft Auto V (Same thing with GTA. If I hadn't played it last year it would be at the very top. My favorite game in the GTA franchise)
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Amazing 2D platformer, second only to the original DKC Returns)
7. Resogun (The most addicting game I've played all year. Just one more time...)
8. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Incredibly adorable and creative puzzle adventure. Nintendo magic)
9. Hyrule Warriors (Super fun, button mashing adventure. Fan service galore!)
10. Shovel Knight (The best indie game I've played and would rival most NES era games)
2. Mario Kart 8 (My favorite entry in the Kart franchise. Beautiful, balanced and controls perfectly)
3. NBA 2K15 (It seems 2K gets better every single year. This year is another big step up in the gameplay department and everything feels like NBA basketball)
4. The Last of Us: Remastered (Possibly my fav game of last gen. If I hadn't experienced it before it would be at the top of my list)
5. Grand Theft Auto V (Same thing with GTA. If I hadn't played it last year it would be at the very top. My favorite game in the GTA franchise)
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Amazing 2D platformer, second only to the original DKC Returns)
7. Resogun (The most addicting game I've played all year. Just one more time...)
8. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Incredibly adorable and creative puzzle adventure. Nintendo magic)
9. Hyrule Warriors (Super fun, button mashing adventure. Fan service galore!)
10. Shovel Knight (The best indie game I've played and would rival most NES era games)
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
This has been by far the hardest year for me to do GotY. I've revisited by post about ten times changing things up as I finish the year playing games. Shovel Knight and DKC Tropical Freeze haven't moved from my #1 and #2. It's where to place Curtain Call FFT, Layton vs Ace Attorney, Bravely Default, and Super Smash Bros 4 . Honestly those games could be placed in any order, I seem to change my night EVERY night.
So I'll do my best to explain my reasoning for one over the other, but overall games #3-#7 were all really good and I could put them in any order and be happy.
1. Shovel Knight; The best compliment that I can give to this game is the fact that I replayed it seven times. This game is all of my favorite classic NES series rolled into one awesome, modern package. I enjoyed the OST, the 3D graphics, and the level design and I speed run through this game multiple times. This is a game that I am going to look forward to replaying every year.
2. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze; I still feel that DKC:TF is a better raw platformer than than Shovel Knight. The challenge is tuned just right and like its predecessors the game excells in giving you that sense of accomplishment for your skills. The game is beautiful, the OST is beautiful, and the character animations are gorgeous.
3. Curtain Call Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ;
I knew the second this game was announced it would be in my top GotY list. The game improves on everything from the original, and gave more content than I expected on the cart, and provided even MORE in DLC. This game, I anticipate, will be the game that I continue playing the most from this list in 2015.
4. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; he music is absolutely my OST of the year. The story was such a fun, different take on what you see and expect
from Ace Attorney. The puzzles were just right, never slowed down the pace of the game, and the courtroom trials were some of the very best of the series.
5. Bravely Default; I struggled so hard where to place this game on my list. Honestly, what I remember is for the 80 hours or so that I played this game, I played NOTHING else. That's very unusual for me, and the last time I remember doing that with a game was Xenoblade Chronicles ('12 GotY). The OST was #2 of the year for me, I'm glad that it's represented in my other favorite game: Curtain Call TFF. But the battle system was addicting and I loved jamming out to the battle music. This game is only placing at #5 because it's been almost half a year since when I originally played it. Had it been more fresh in my mind, it probably would've been closer to #1 or #2. Either way. doesn't matter, it's an amazing game. I guess the reason why I place it lower than my other two favorite 3DS games is because I know the sequel is going to improve and be better than this original.
6. Super Smash Bros for WiiU; I don't even like the Super Smash Bros series... that's how much I love Smash 4. I think including Mega Man in the game solidified for me, that I was going to try this game. I haven't been disappointed by the amount the game has to offer. I haven't even tried getting into playing the game competitively, but playing it with my daughters has been such an enjoyable experience. And Amiibos... I didn't think I was ever going to purchase one. My daughters proved me otherwise.
7. NES Remix 2; I really LOVE this game. It's FUN. As a kid who grew up playing most of these games, this was just an awesome way to replay these classics. The best compliment I can give this game is that it added the instant-death-retry mechanic of Super Meat Boy and VVVVV and put it into a Nintendo game. Beautiful!
8. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker;
I haven't had a lot of time spent playing this game, but I loved what I have played so far. Such cuteness, level design, and music. I'm glad Nintendo made this game, even though it's just a "spin-off" and "budget" title for Nintendo... it has already provided a lot of smiles!
9. Mario Kart 8;
I have never been a big Mario Kart fan, and this game felt like a beautiful sequel but didn't really bring anything new to the series. It's fun, it's fast, but it needs a more robust single player like Smash Bros. I enjoyed this game a lot, I'm excited for the DLC, but I don't know if I'll ever be purchasing another Mario Kart game.
10. Rusty's Real Deal Baseball
This was my favorite short, bite sized, fun for the year. This game was awesome fun, I loved the Streetpass leaderboards, and the goofy "story". This game is better than anything released on mobile this year and was a blast to play.
Gaming Achievements of 2014
3DS Activity Log 2014
2013 Voting
Top 3: Ace Attorney Dual Destines, Animal Crossing New Leaf, and Fire Emblem Awakening
2012 Voting
Top 3: Xenoblade Chronicles, Kid Icarus Uprising, and Virtue's Last Reward
2011 Voting
Top 3: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Dissidia Final Fantasy Duoceidem, and Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky
2010 Voting
Top 3: Super Mario Galaxy 2, God of War 3, and Super Street Fighter 4
So I'll do my best to explain my reasoning for one over the other, but overall games #3-#7 were all really good and I could put them in any order and be happy.
1. Shovel Knight; The best compliment that I can give to this game is the fact that I replayed it seven times. This game is all of my favorite classic NES series rolled into one awesome, modern package. I enjoyed the OST, the 3D graphics, and the level design and I speed run through this game multiple times. This is a game that I am going to look forward to replaying every year.
2. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze; I still feel that DKC:TF is a better raw platformer than than Shovel Knight. The challenge is tuned just right and like its predecessors the game excells in giving you that sense of accomplishment for your skills. The game is beautiful, the OST is beautiful, and the character animations are gorgeous.
3. Curtain Call Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ;
I knew the second this game was announced it would be in my top GotY list. The game improves on everything from the original, and gave more content than I expected on the cart, and provided even MORE in DLC. This game, I anticipate, will be the game that I continue playing the most from this list in 2015.
4. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; he music is absolutely my OST of the year. The story was such a fun, different take on what you see and expect
from Ace Attorney. The puzzles were just right, never slowed down the pace of the game, and the courtroom trials were some of the very best of the series.
5. Bravely Default; I struggled so hard where to place this game on my list. Honestly, what I remember is for the 80 hours or so that I played this game, I played NOTHING else. That's very unusual for me, and the last time I remember doing that with a game was Xenoblade Chronicles ('12 GotY). The OST was #2 of the year for me, I'm glad that it's represented in my other favorite game: Curtain Call TFF. But the battle system was addicting and I loved jamming out to the battle music. This game is only placing at #5 because it's been almost half a year since when I originally played it. Had it been more fresh in my mind, it probably would've been closer to #1 or #2. Either way. doesn't matter, it's an amazing game. I guess the reason why I place it lower than my other two favorite 3DS games is because I know the sequel is going to improve and be better than this original.
6. Super Smash Bros for WiiU; I don't even like the Super Smash Bros series... that's how much I love Smash 4. I think including Mega Man in the game solidified for me, that I was going to try this game. I haven't been disappointed by the amount the game has to offer. I haven't even tried getting into playing the game competitively, but playing it with my daughters has been such an enjoyable experience. And Amiibos... I didn't think I was ever going to purchase one. My daughters proved me otherwise.
7. NES Remix 2; I really LOVE this game. It's FUN. As a kid who grew up playing most of these games, this was just an awesome way to replay these classics. The best compliment I can give this game is that it added the instant-death-retry mechanic of Super Meat Boy and VVVVV and put it into a Nintendo game. Beautiful!
8. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker;
I haven't had a lot of time spent playing this game, but I loved what I have played so far. Such cuteness, level design, and music. I'm glad Nintendo made this game, even though it's just a "spin-off" and "budget" title for Nintendo... it has already provided a lot of smiles!
9. Mario Kart 8;
I have never been a big Mario Kart fan, and this game felt like a beautiful sequel but didn't really bring anything new to the series. It's fun, it's fast, but it needs a more robust single player like Smash Bros. I enjoyed this game a lot, I'm excited for the DLC, but I don't know if I'll ever be purchasing another Mario Kart game.
10. Rusty's Real Deal Baseball
This was my favorite short, bite sized, fun for the year. This game was awesome fun, I loved the Streetpass leaderboards, and the goofy "story". This game is better than anything released on mobile this year and was a blast to play.
Gaming Achievements of 2014
3DS Activity Log 2014
2013 Voting
Top 3: Ace Attorney Dual Destines, Animal Crossing New Leaf, and Fire Emblem Awakening
2012 Voting
Top 3: Xenoblade Chronicles, Kid Icarus Uprising, and Virtue's Last Reward
2011 Voting
Top 3: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Dissidia Final Fantasy Duoceidem, and Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky
2010 Voting
Top 3: Super Mario Galaxy 2, God of War 3, and Super Street Fighter 4
brickwalker0
Member
1. Super Smash Bro. for Wii U; The series that continues to ensure my friends and I all get together to play games locally, when possible. As the franchise’s history has proven, each Smash Bros gets more hyped than the last. While there are a few nitpicks that the majority of people have with the game, it’s easy to forget those shortcomings when you step back and take in all that Super Smash Bros for Wii U has to offer. Glorious visuals, a huge cast of fighters, fine-tuned mechanics and 8-player matches make Smash Bros a testament to why it’s time to get a Wii U if you haven’t.
2. Mario Kart 8; Leading up to this game’s release, I kept telling myself that this would be the game to tide me over until the new Smash Bros would release. Not only was I right, but I had no idea that it would rival my favorite game series in terms of sheer fun. The blazing fast, smooth visuals along with tracks that feel truly unique from each other and the Mario Kart series as a whole make Mario Kart 8 an ageless treasure. Now if we could just do something about the driving roster…(I’m looking at you, babies & koopalings).
3. Titanfall; “It’s Call of Duty with mechs.” That line is not only dismissive; it also highlights one of the most disappointing parts about Titanfall. The things that make Titanfall the best shooter this year are the mechanics and gameplay loops surrounding the gunplay that Respawn have created; not the shooting itself. Yes, the gunplay is near indistinguishable from Call of Duty’s but when you start to understand the gameplay flow of parkouring on the sides of buildings, jumping in your own Titan and causing mayhem you’ll soon forget you’re playing “Call of Duty with mechs”.
4. The Last of Us: Remastered; I got the shit beat out of me in the official NeoGAF Last of Us multiplayer tournament and I still play it weekly.
5. Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition; The first game I ever triple-dipped on. Blizzard’s ability to move the game to consoles was smart and a natural fit given the current climate of the new systems. Consoles are in desperate need of more cooperative, loot-based action RPGs and I’m hoping any developers out there trying to make one take several notes from Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition.
6. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor; As soon as I heard “its Assassin’s Creed for people who hate Assassin’s Creed” I figured it was an over exaggeration and that there must be more to it; and there is. I have yet to enjoy an Assassin’s Creed game but that is a damn good one-line pitch for the game because I found myself head over heels for Shadow of Mordor. The combat is mesmerizing and truly makes you feel like the cock of the walk. Being overwhelmed early in the game turns into every enemy fearing you by the end of it.
7. Driveclub; I don’t think I’ve ever had as much of a love-hate relationship with a game as much as I have with Driveclub. It took Evolution Studios fifty-eight days after launch to get all online features up and running. During and after these trying times, they patched in weather effects, gave free DLC tracks/cars and a photo-mode that might be considered their saving grace. All that said, it’s just plain fun to drive. It’s not worth trying to explain how and why it handles so well (it wouldn’t do it justice anyway) but here’s to hoping they can get the PS+ version launched so people can get a taste first-hand.
8. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare; A game I truly enjoyed on PC but had numerous issues, specific to my playstyle. There was no mute-all option (mics always on) and I was playing with a controller against players using mouse and keyboard. To my surprise, the PS4 version was offered for free on PS4 for a short period and I had to give it a second shot. All the clunkiness that was on the PC version was not present on PS4. The unlock system is deceptively enticing to keep you playing with the wealth of different modes to play.
9. Peggle 2; I really hated explaining my excitement for this game after it came to PS4. I have a hard time articulating what it is exactly that you do and why those things make this an excellent game for anyone. So I gave that up and either showed friends in person or let them try it using Share Play. It’s more Peggle; and no one is going to complain about that.
10. Dark Souls II; A GOTY list isn’t complete without Dark Souls showing up somewhere, right? I really did enjoy my time with this game but if my other descriptions are any indication, I’m a sucker for easy-to-learn games and everyone knows the Souls series is the last game you want to recommend for that type of player. Ashamedly, my first playthrough was almost 100% coop with a veteran Souls friend of mine. He refused to hold my hand in several instances, which I’m thankful for, since that allowed me to get a feel for why people love this series so much. The things you can discover and the way you discover them in Dark Souls 2 are some of the highest highs you’ll get in a video game. Alas, I feel like I took a "shortcut" which seems like a disservice to the game itself but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a hell of a time playing it the way I did.
1. Bayonetta 2 ; Action games perfected
2. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ; The first one was sublime, the second one was more diverse and varied. Fu## yeah Donkey Kong.
3. Super Smash Bros. Wii U ; After being luke warm to Brawl, I wasn´t expecting to love this game as much as I do.
4. Mario Kart 8 ; DLC done right, and just about everything else done right as well. (I still need proper battle mode though)
5. Capitain Toad Treasure Tracker ; Just a joy to play and oh so polished and oh so pretty. Sleeper hit.
6. Shovel Knight ; This is a retro style game done right. Feels polished and fresh. It even feels modernly retro.
7. Dragon Age Inquisition ; Return to form. Very good.
8. Pokemon ORAS ; Nostalgia fuel done right.
9. Bravely Default ; Engaging and beautiful
10. Alien Isolation ; Surprisingly great and a good complement to the source material.
Honourable mention: Child of Light: Very refreshing and made with love.
2. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ; The first one was sublime, the second one was more diverse and varied. Fu## yeah Donkey Kong.
3. Super Smash Bros. Wii U ; After being luke warm to Brawl, I wasn´t expecting to love this game as much as I do.
4. Mario Kart 8 ; DLC done right, and just about everything else done right as well. (I still need proper battle mode though)
5. Capitain Toad Treasure Tracker ; Just a joy to play and oh so polished and oh so pretty. Sleeper hit.
6. Shovel Knight ; This is a retro style game done right. Feels polished and fresh. It even feels modernly retro.
7. Dragon Age Inquisition ; Return to form. Very good.
8. Pokemon ORAS ; Nostalgia fuel done right.
9. Bravely Default ; Engaging and beautiful
10. Alien Isolation ; Surprisingly great and a good complement to the source material.
Honourable mention: Child of Light: Very refreshing and made with love.
1. Divinity: Original Sin; Incredible commitment to letting the player play with the rules of the world and game the system if he feels like it to overcome obstacles, be them quests or combat. As a result success feels incredibly rewarding because the player agency is so great it feels like said success is entirely due to that player's intelligence and creativity.
2. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor; A Monolith game through and through: awesome responsive, interesting, opend ended combat and a story that unfortunately doesn't manage to capitalize on its intriguing premise. Managing to turn a social hierarchy into a gameplay system is nothing short of brilliant, and allows for some really creative and unique fights that stick with you once they're over.
3. Persona Q; Manages to pretty much combine everything I thought was interesting about EO and the charisma and likeability of the Persona casts in a really sleek, challenging, light hearted RPG.
4. Wasteland 2; Perfect way to lose you weekends over-analyzing every sill point attribution, combat scenario and dialogue. Awesome writing and a dedication to the core pillars of the genre that's so old-school it feels refreshing.
5. South Park: The Stick of Truth; Everything you could ask from a SP game, consistently funny, perfect length and a combat system that's easy but still interesting.
6. Wolfenstein: The New Order; Great campaign that doesn't rely on set pieces or crazy story moment but good pacing and engaging encounters. Really unique and oddly melancholic atmosphere too.
7. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc; Like Ace Attorney but with a really compelling through line, stylish atmosphere and gameplay during trials and cool twists that make it hard to put down once the killings begin.
8. Jazzpunk; Funniest game I've played in years, with jokes that don't rely on writing but are actually built inti the mechanics of the game.
9. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; Really fun campaign and the fastes paced MP I've played in a while.
10. The Evil Within; Flawed but so much variety in the encounter and level design it kept me coming back as a RE4 fan to see what was coming up.
x. Dragon Age: Inquisition; A very pleasant, if somewhat hollow RPG that's clearly a step in the right direction in terms of where the franchise needs to go. Neither the combat nor the writing however are to the level of the ambition displayed in the vasteness of the world or the number of characters.
x. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes; A well made appetizer for what looks to be a more than solid main course in TPP. Probably too light on content for the price but what's there is good.
x. Shovel Knight; Extremely well put together, I'm not a huge MM fan but this was still really enjoyable.
x. Luftrausers; Perfectly executed concept, manages to be addictive despite how limited of a scope it has.
x. Shin Megami Tensei IV; Way too late.
2. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor; A Monolith game through and through: awesome responsive, interesting, opend ended combat and a story that unfortunately doesn't manage to capitalize on its intriguing premise. Managing to turn a social hierarchy into a gameplay system is nothing short of brilliant, and allows for some really creative and unique fights that stick with you once they're over.
3. Persona Q; Manages to pretty much combine everything I thought was interesting about EO and the charisma and likeability of the Persona casts in a really sleek, challenging, light hearted RPG.
4. Wasteland 2; Perfect way to lose you weekends over-analyzing every sill point attribution, combat scenario and dialogue. Awesome writing and a dedication to the core pillars of the genre that's so old-school it feels refreshing.
5. South Park: The Stick of Truth; Everything you could ask from a SP game, consistently funny, perfect length and a combat system that's easy but still interesting.
6. Wolfenstein: The New Order; Great campaign that doesn't rely on set pieces or crazy story moment but good pacing and engaging encounters. Really unique and oddly melancholic atmosphere too.
7. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc; Like Ace Attorney but with a really compelling through line, stylish atmosphere and gameplay during trials and cool twists that make it hard to put down once the killings begin.
8. Jazzpunk; Funniest game I've played in years, with jokes that don't rely on writing but are actually built inti the mechanics of the game.
9. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; Really fun campaign and the fastes paced MP I've played in a while.
10. The Evil Within; Flawed but so much variety in the encounter and level design it kept me coming back as a RE4 fan to see what was coming up.
x. Dragon Age: Inquisition; A very pleasant, if somewhat hollow RPG that's clearly a step in the right direction in terms of where the franchise needs to go. Neither the combat nor the writing however are to the level of the ambition displayed in the vasteness of the world or the number of characters.
x. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes; A well made appetizer for what looks to be a more than solid main course in TPP. Probably too light on content for the price but what's there is good.
x. Shovel Knight; Extremely well put together, I'm not a huge MM fan but this was still really enjoyable.
x. Luftrausers; Perfectly executed concept, manages to be addictive despite how limited of a scope it has.
x. Shin Megami Tensei IV; Way too late.
But pretty good.
1. Divinity: Original Sin ; The most wonderful co-op game I've ever played, and got my girlfriend and I through a difficult and dramatic time in our lives. Cyseal in particular is a perfect RPG map.
2. Dark Souls II: The Lost Crowns ; Like the original, the Dark Souls II DLC establishes itself as the finest the game has to offer. The Sunken King was great, and yet the subsequent Iron King and Ivory King DLCs surpassed it.
3. 80 Days ; I played through this game on a tumultuous trip frought with flight delays, uncertainty, and a job interview. Apt.
4. Titanfall ; The first new multiplayer shooter I've been able to get into since TF2. The traversal elevates it.
5. Transistor ; I cried at the end.
6. Dark Souls II ;
7. Bayonetta 2 ;
8. Cloudbuilt ; Under-rated and under-appreciated traversal game. I raced it blind with a friend and just fell in love with the mechanics. I think it's superior to Mirror's Edge.
9. Super Mario 3D World ;
10. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ;
2. Dark Souls II: The Lost Crowns ; Like the original, the Dark Souls II DLC establishes itself as the finest the game has to offer. The Sunken King was great, and yet the subsequent Iron King and Ivory King DLCs surpassed it.
3. 80 Days ; I played through this game on a tumultuous trip frought with flight delays, uncertainty, and a job interview. Apt.
4. Titanfall ; The first new multiplayer shooter I've been able to get into since TF2. The traversal elevates it.
5. Transistor ; I cried at the end.
6. Dark Souls II ;
7. Bayonetta 2 ;
8. Cloudbuilt ; Under-rated and under-appreciated traversal game. I raced it blind with a friend and just fell in love with the mechanics. I think it's superior to Mirror's Edge.
9. Super Mario 3D World ;
10. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ;
1. Hexcells Infinite ; While I'm not the biggest puzzle game player, I love a good nut cracker once in a while. Hexcells brought this in spades, starting out easy enough in the first game, and by the time of Infinite reaching almost ludicrous levels. Some of the late game puzzles had me scratching my head and swearing madly for ten minutes, before finally connecting the three concurrent threads needed to find the answer and feel that perfect, satisfied grin set in my face. Infinite is not quite as crazy as Plus, but still one of the best games I've played in years. So simple, so elegant.
2. Wolfenstein: The New Order ; I was heading in with high expectations since it had been praised by many players I trust, plus it was made by ex-Starbreeze. It mostly surpassed them! Some of the levels are a bit boring, as are some of the weapons, but there's enough creativity by far to make up for it. Whether I was overcharging my health to 200 before jumping into the action, picking a stationary machine gun off its mount, or sitting by a window listening to Nazi rock playing in the background I was having fun level-to-level. It could have used some better enemy variety, especially in the later levels where there's a lot of enemies that take a lot of shots before going down. Still the most fun I've had with an FPS since Episode 2.
3. Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky ; Pretty good, 40 hour RPG. I enjoyed how every chapter gave you a new companion which varied up the combat mechanics in a nice way. The story started great, didn't end at a super interesting note, and both of the main characters were a bit too heavy on the tropes for me to connect with them, but I definitely enjoyed that the writing set the story up really well, and took its time doing so. I also really enjoyed how probably every piece of dialogue in towns changed after minor story events, although I probably slowed the game down a bit too much running around talking to NPC's because of it. I have some hopes that I'll care more about the main characters in the sequel, so here's to hoping.
4. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter ; A very nice first attempt at an atmospheric ghost story. It has possibly the best looking environments I've seen in a game, and not by creating some crazy off the charts town where everything glows, but by emulating a perfectly natural autumn forest landscape. The puzzles could have used some tuning, they lacked more than a bit in variety, but I very much enjoyed my walk through this.
x. Valkyria Chronicles ; This has started out really well, although I'm not the biggest fan of the game balance. I sadly got stuck on mission 8, which seems easy enough, but I keep doing some stupid crap which kills me and got bored with trying it. I'll try to pick it up again sometime.
x. Invisible, Inc. ; Early access, otherwise it would have made my list proper at place two. I've had an immensely good time with this turn based spy game. It really does parts of stealth better than any other game I've played, in some ways even beating the original Thief games. It's nerve wrecking to sneak your way around once guards join up even one or two at a time, since your fighting tools are so limited and they one-hit kill you. Setting up a set of tactical moves and managing to sneak your way past a tricky area feels amazing. It does lack somewhat in the between-missions part, I could either use a bit more story (although I like that its more focused on the road rather than the end) or at least some more mission variety. Hopefully it'll be great once it arrives in a full version.
plaidtopia
Member
I've not played nearly enough new games this year. But amongst what I DID manage to play:
1. Divinity: Original Sin ; I've only recently been introduced to CRPGs, but I hadn't been able to fully get into one as I was LTTP to the genre as a whole and most of the titles were older and lacked for more recent conventions or improvements. In comes Divinity, which remains true to the old-school systems and mechanics, but gives the whole thing an amazing update, and tacks on a great combat system, to boot. Co-op was just the silver lining, and plowing through the 40+ hours of content here has been the best gaming experience I've had all year. Here's hoping more come in this mold!
2. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ;
3. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor ;
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth ;
5. Nidhogg ;
6. Hexcells: Infinite ;
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order ;
8. Towerfall ;
9. Shovel Knight ;
10. 80 Days ;
Still need to play (and many will likely to end up on the list):
- Alien Isolation
- Halfway
- Banner Saga
- Super Time Force
- Diablo 3
- Valiant Hearts
- Dungeon of the Endless
- Walking Dead: Season 2
- Legend of Grimrock 2
1. Divinity: Original Sin ; I've only recently been introduced to CRPGs, but I hadn't been able to fully get into one as I was LTTP to the genre as a whole and most of the titles were older and lacked for more recent conventions or improvements. In comes Divinity, which remains true to the old-school systems and mechanics, but gives the whole thing an amazing update, and tacks on a great combat system, to boot. Co-op was just the silver lining, and plowing through the 40+ hours of content here has been the best gaming experience I've had all year. Here's hoping more come in this mold!
2. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ;
3. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor ;
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth ;
5. Nidhogg ;
6. Hexcells: Infinite ;
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order ;
8. Towerfall ;
9. Shovel Knight ;
10. 80 Days ;
Still need to play (and many will likely to end up on the list):
- Alien Isolation
- Halfway
- Banner Saga
- Super Time Force
- Diablo 3
- Valiant Hearts
- Dungeon of the Endless
- Walking Dead: Season 2
- Legend of Grimrock 2
shinobi602
Member
When they're that good, of course.
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
To be honest, I think I missed out on a bunch of games I know I would like this year because I didn't pick up a lot of indies, kickstarter games or a Wii U, so it was a bit hard for me to make this list. If I did play those games, my list would be way different.
1. Wolfenstein: The New Order ; I enjoyed this game far more then I expected going into it. Really rekindled my love for FPS. A great game, I hope it gets a sequel or that Doom 4 follows it's lead in the areas it needs to.
2. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS ; On here in place of the Wii U version, which I hardly played. It's still a really fun game, but I do hope the next Smash is one concentrated effort.
3. South Park: The Stick of Truth ; I'm not as big of a South Park fan as I used to be, but this game made me remember why I liked the series. You probably won't get a lot out of it if you never liked South Park to begin with, but for me it was very enjoyable.
4. Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft ; My most played game this year, I hate it but I love it too. Probably one of the few F2P games I have actually enjoyed.
5. Dark Souls II ; I didn't hate this game as much as some people, but I can definitely agree it was a disappointment. I feel it still does the things I like in the Souls series, although not to the extent it should. Still, I enjoyed it, but only enough to play through it once.
6. TxK ; Awesome soundtrack, visuals and gameplay. The game that convinced me the Vita was an awesome indie machine.
7. Velocity 2X ; Fast paced and fun gameplay. Usually not too huge on games like these, but I actually really liked this one.
8. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes ; It plays really well, and is fun just to goof off in, but really should've been included as a Tanker type demo in ZoE HD or something. Still if you can get it for $20 or lower and are a big MGS fan you should have a good time.
9. Nidhogg ; Shows you can make really simplistic gameplay and graphics, but still make an immensely fun game. Great for settling arguments.
10. World of WarCraft: Warlords of Draenor ; Best expansion since Wrath, made me actually want to play the game again. Shame I don't have enough time and would rather be playing single player games on my backlog.
1. Wolfenstein: The New Order ; I enjoyed this game far more then I expected going into it. Really rekindled my love for FPS. A great game, I hope it gets a sequel or that Doom 4 follows it's lead in the areas it needs to.
2. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS ; On here in place of the Wii U version, which I hardly played. It's still a really fun game, but I do hope the next Smash is one concentrated effort.
3. South Park: The Stick of Truth ; I'm not as big of a South Park fan as I used to be, but this game made me remember why I liked the series. You probably won't get a lot out of it if you never liked South Park to begin with, but for me it was very enjoyable.
4. Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft ; My most played game this year, I hate it but I love it too. Probably one of the few F2P games I have actually enjoyed.
5. Dark Souls II ; I didn't hate this game as much as some people, but I can definitely agree it was a disappointment. I feel it still does the things I like in the Souls series, although not to the extent it should. Still, I enjoyed it, but only enough to play through it once.
6. TxK ; Awesome soundtrack, visuals and gameplay. The game that convinced me the Vita was an awesome indie machine.
7. Velocity 2X ; Fast paced and fun gameplay. Usually not too huge on games like these, but I actually really liked this one.
8. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes ; It plays really well, and is fun just to goof off in, but really should've been included as a Tanker type demo in ZoE HD or something. Still if you can get it for $20 or lower and are a big MGS fan you should have a good time.
9. Nidhogg ; Shows you can make really simplistic gameplay and graphics, but still make an immensely fun game. Great for settling arguments.
10. World of WarCraft: Warlords of Draenor ; Best expansion since Wrath, made me actually want to play the game again. Shame I don't have enough time and would rather be playing single player games on my backlog.
Vire
Member
Can you elaborate why Inquisition was laughable to you? Pretty strong comment.
Just teasin'.
Justice_Bolt
Member
1. Dragon Age : Inquisition ; Easily the best game I played this year. From gameplay system to soundtrack everything is perfect.I only pick this one for now because it really deserve it! Can't wait for Bioware next game 'Mass Effect 4' it will be epic!
Spinosaurus
Member
Man, I'm kinda bummed about the lack of an LTTP category. Metal Gear Rising (consoles) and Tearaway are two games that I would have loved to right about.
I guess MGR is saved for SOTY LTTP haha.
Unfortunately, I'm only doing a top 3 because I haven't been able to play many new games this year; what with me only having a Wii U, 3DS and Vita and all. I have played more than that, but I didn't like them enough to feel they even deserve to be on the top 10. (I'll write about them in the Honourable Mentions)
Anyway, without further ado, my rather underwhelming and Nintendo heavy GOTY list...
1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ; The platformer genre is my absolute favourite, and the DKC series is one platforming series that I'm a huge fan of. Thinking back, I called that it was going to be my GOTY the moment of reveal. DKCTF met my expectations and reminded me of my love for the series. DKC games are truly unique platformers with emphasis on dynamics and fast paced, linear platforming, and TF was an excellent entry that is arguably the best of them all.
Is it the best platformer ever? In my opinion, no. Honestly, it's not even the best on the Wii U depending on the time of day, as NSMBU was a game that I also love. I can't even tell if I prefer it over DKC2 or DKCR. I will say, though, that it is incredibly consistent and well paced. The game captures your attention from the very first level, and gradually gets more and more interesting as you progress through the game, from its impeccable level design to its superb art direction. I was hooked right from the beginning, and even replayed it again right after because I enjoyed it that much. I can't say the same for any other game, actually.
What sets it apart from other games in the genre is the sheer enormity and diversity of its world. Each level is like its own story, with so many details in the art direction that are so easily missed but yet strangely gives the game some replayability. When I was on my second playthrough, paying more attention to the backgrounds and such, I found so many things that are new, and it felt like I was re-exploring the world. It really made me appreciate the game a lot more. It doesn't seem to me like there's even any reused asset at all, compared to say NSMBU. The background is an indicator of your progress of a level. The beginning of the level is nothing like the end of it. The sense of progression of this game is simply amazing for a 2D platformer. Granted, DKCR did this too, but it's not as evident as in DKCTF. Every level is thematically connected to the last one in some way, all while still not feeling repetitive. You traverse through mangroves and , and eventually end up in a factory of large fruits. It's a surreal and memorable if not emotional journey, and it's one about a damn ape wearing a tie. I don't even need to touch on the music.
The game is exactly what you'd want out of a DKC title. Filled with brisk and dynamic level design that is challenging yet fair. An exciting game that leaves you on your toes constantly, one that demands you to play by its own rules and kongquer it. For some, it's unappealing, and that's fine. But for me? It's wonderful. A perfect complementary to NSMBU's open toy box level design that allows freedom for the player to approach a level, DKCTF is a game that isn't afraid to do things how it wants to do it. In return, this makes levels much more varied and different from each other. Normally other platformers stick with one gimmick throughout the level, but TF combines three, and switches it up, so that levels never drag or overstay their welcome, despite their rather long length. (Compared to NSMBU).
But the level design truly shines when you realize just how engrossing and addicting it is to control DK. This game is momentum platforming at its finest, and you can feel the weight of the big ape right in your hands, yet it isn't slow - on the contrary, speedrunning this game makes it seem a bit too fast. Levels are DESIGNED with the controls in mind, from the platfrom layouts to enemy placement, everything is perfectly put into place so you can bulldoze your way through the level at a speed where you can't help call him Sonic the tie-wearing Gorilla.
All in all Tropical Freeze is an enjoyable platformer. I'd call it a complete package, even. Everything just flows perfectly in the game. I can't like it enough, it was GOTY the moment I finished it. No, the moment I played it. I knew exactly what I was in for and I'm very glad I got to play this game.
2. Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire ; Truth be told, I've been very harsh on Pokemon lately. It's one of my favourite childhood series but yet the last installment that I truly enjoyed was Platinum. Gen 5 nearly made me quit the series all together, and while I enjoyed X/Y, it was completely forgettable. (HG/SS made me realize how frustrating gen 2 was, more than anything.) I even got bored of competitive battling entirely by gen . The moment this remake was announced, I didn't care. I was done. I didn't see any reason to buy it.
But the original games are far and away my favourite in the series. While my first Pokemon game was Gold, it wasn't until Ruby that I finally got into the games after years of watching the anime as a kid. I have never, ever been so engrossed to a game in my life like I have with Ruby. It's a game that is very special to me, and to my friends and family as well. It wasn't even near the first game I ever bought, but it's the one that I'm very nostalgic towards if that makes any sense. In a way, I felt like I might as well visit Hoenn again.
And I have no regrets. I'm voting for this game on a very personal level, not only for nostalgia, but also because it provided me for something that I really needed the past weeks: a distraction. Without getting into detail about it, I suffer from chronic eczema, and I've been having some awful flare ups lately. However, playing Pokemon Omega Ruby has significantly eased the situation for me and made me forget about the pain instead of getting deeply depressed about it like usual, and for that, I'm really grateful towards the game.
But let's go the game itself. It makes some steps forward, but also steps backward. The biggest problem with this remake is that it hardly fixes the originals' flaws. The only things I could think of are the decreased encounter rate in water and the better narrative overall. The latter is honestly insignificant, but I did appreciate it regardless.
What the game did however was remind me of exactly why Hoenn was my favourite. Sure, it could be just nostalgia, but I don't really think I let nostalgia get in the way. After Kalos, it made me appreciate just how brisk the pacing of Hoenn was. There really aren't any moments that slow down the game. The region is just vast and fun, with tons of places to see and explore. The Pokemon selection is a bit underwhelming at first, but it opens up incredibly. Hoenn's Pokemon designs are also my favourite, or at least tied with Johto's. They're fantastically creative, ranging from a fire muay thai fighter, to a tree that has a Japanese tengu for its face, to a young Cicada that evolves into an adult one and also the shed husk of itself, to an interesting Pokemon styled mongoose/snake rivalry, and it gave us camels, walruses, sharks, and even sumo wrestlers. Personally, it's a region that I never tire of.
Unfortunately it has its flaws. Mainly that, and honestly my big one, trainer rosters are just underwhelming. They're mostly samey and repetitive. Emerald improved it a bit, but ORAS strictly follows R/S's...well, everything. It completely ignored a lot of Emerald's improvements, and honestly the Battle Frontier is the biggest omission of all.
But it does add a certain neat feature that really sells the whole game: DexNav. I love this so much because it brought back the rewarding sense of wonder in capturing wild Pokemon. It made me feel like I was exploring Hoenn all over again, since I always stopped to get the best Pokemon that I could find in each route. It made me take my time with the game instead of rushing through it like what I usually do with Pokemon games now, and it really made me feel like a kid again in a rather strange way.
Overall, I enjoyed ORAS. Revisiting my favourite region was a joy, and I'm glad I got to remember exactly what I loved about the series. I'm really glad that I didn't end up skipping over this game after all, and I also had a fun time at the OT with the rest of PokeGAF. Also bonus, my team!
3. Super Smash Bros for Wii U ; This is Smash 4.
It is not focused on zero to death combos. It is not Smash 64. It is not an incredibly fast, aggressive and technical game. It is not Melee. It is not a slow paced game where safe, defensive tactics are highly dominant. It is not Brawl.
This is Smash 4. A game where footsies and spacing are more important than ever. A game where the neutral position is where most of the fights will be on. A game where every character can compete so far. A game where yomi is more rewarding and satisfying.
But perhaps it's too early to say, as the metagame hasn't developed yet. I'm focusing mainly on the competitive aspects of it, as it's too easy to say that this game is very content filled, that I feel like I don't need to just say anything about that. But at the same time it's such a young game to start talking about the metagame, so I'm kinda in a blank on what to say here.
I suppose I could say that in a lot of ways this game actually reminds me of Street Fighter 4. It's Smash Bros with heavy emphasis on footsies, and that's actually pretty awesome. Playing the Wii U version online lately, and watching videos of tournaments, it's really clear to me that whoever spaces better gets the win. Not constant shield pressure, not by being patient, but by outsmarting the other in neutral. The game is actualy incredibly fun and satisfying as a result. Getting a kill is such an amazing feeling in this game compared to others. Fundamentals really shine in this game.
And I guess that's really all I could say. I'm just really liking the current state of the game so far, and I'm really excited to see how much the metagame evolves. I feel like it has potential to be an incredibly engaging competitive game.
Shoutouts to SmashGAF for being a bunch of awesome people to talk and play against!
Honorable Mentions
x. Mario Golf: World Tour ;
x. Mario Kart 8 ;
x. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney ;
x. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc ;
I'll come back and edit my comments for my top 3 since I feel like there's more that I could say here, and as well as add to my honourable mentions. I might even add more games since I've got some that I've yet to finish or even play. I'm just really tired right now and had a long day lol.
I tried expressing my views the best as I could. Hopefully this is good enough.
I guess MGR is saved for SOTY LTTP haha.
Unfortunately, I'm only doing a top 3 because I haven't been able to play many new games this year; what with me only having a Wii U, 3DS and Vita and all. I have played more than that, but I didn't like them enough to feel they even deserve to be on the top 10. (I'll write about them in the Honourable Mentions)
Anyway, without further ado, my rather underwhelming and Nintendo heavy GOTY list...
1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ; The platformer genre is my absolute favourite, and the DKC series is one platforming series that I'm a huge fan of. Thinking back, I called that it was going to be my GOTY the moment of reveal. DKCTF met my expectations and reminded me of my love for the series. DKC games are truly unique platformers with emphasis on dynamics and fast paced, linear platforming, and TF was an excellent entry that is arguably the best of them all.
Is it the best platformer ever? In my opinion, no. Honestly, it's not even the best on the Wii U depending on the time of day, as NSMBU was a game that I also love. I can't even tell if I prefer it over DKC2 or DKCR. I will say, though, that it is incredibly consistent and well paced. The game captures your attention from the very first level, and gradually gets more and more interesting as you progress through the game, from its impeccable level design to its superb art direction. I was hooked right from the beginning, and even replayed it again right after because I enjoyed it that much. I can't say the same for any other game, actually.
What sets it apart from other games in the genre is the sheer enormity and diversity of its world. Each level is like its own story, with so many details in the art direction that are so easily missed but yet strangely gives the game some replayability. When I was on my second playthrough, paying more attention to the backgrounds and such, I found so many things that are new, and it felt like I was re-exploring the world. It really made me appreciate the game a lot more. It doesn't seem to me like there's even any reused asset at all, compared to say NSMBU. The background is an indicator of your progress of a level. The beginning of the level is nothing like the end of it. The sense of progression of this game is simply amazing for a 2D platformer. Granted, DKCR did this too, but it's not as evident as in DKCTF. Every level is thematically connected to the last one in some way, all while still not feeling repetitive. You traverse through mangroves and , and eventually end up in a factory of large fruits. It's a surreal and memorable if not emotional journey, and it's one about a damn ape wearing a tie. I don't even need to touch on the music.
The game is exactly what you'd want out of a DKC title. Filled with brisk and dynamic level design that is challenging yet fair. An exciting game that leaves you on your toes constantly, one that demands you to play by its own rules and kongquer it. For some, it's unappealing, and that's fine. But for me? It's wonderful. A perfect complementary to NSMBU's open toy box level design that allows freedom for the player to approach a level, DKCTF is a game that isn't afraid to do things how it wants to do it. In return, this makes levels much more varied and different from each other. Normally other platformers stick with one gimmick throughout the level, but TF combines three, and switches it up, so that levels never drag or overstay their welcome, despite their rather long length. (Compared to NSMBU).
But the level design truly shines when you realize just how engrossing and addicting it is to control DK. This game is momentum platforming at its finest, and you can feel the weight of the big ape right in your hands, yet it isn't slow - on the contrary, speedrunning this game makes it seem a bit too fast. Levels are DESIGNED with the controls in mind, from the platfrom layouts to enemy placement, everything is perfectly put into place so you can bulldoze your way through the level at a speed where you can't help call him Sonic the tie-wearing Gorilla.
All in all Tropical Freeze is an enjoyable platformer. I'd call it a complete package, even. Everything just flows perfectly in the game. I can't like it enough, it was GOTY the moment I finished it. No, the moment I played it. I knew exactly what I was in for and I'm very glad I got to play this game.
2. Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire ; Truth be told, I've been very harsh on Pokemon lately. It's one of my favourite childhood series but yet the last installment that I truly enjoyed was Platinum. Gen 5 nearly made me quit the series all together, and while I enjoyed X/Y, it was completely forgettable. (HG/SS made me realize how frustrating gen 2 was, more than anything.) I even got bored of competitive battling entirely by gen . The moment this remake was announced, I didn't care. I was done. I didn't see any reason to buy it.
But the original games are far and away my favourite in the series. While my first Pokemon game was Gold, it wasn't until Ruby that I finally got into the games after years of watching the anime as a kid. I have never, ever been so engrossed to a game in my life like I have with Ruby. It's a game that is very special to me, and to my friends and family as well. It wasn't even near the first game I ever bought, but it's the one that I'm very nostalgic towards if that makes any sense. In a way, I felt like I might as well visit Hoenn again.
And I have no regrets. I'm voting for this game on a very personal level, not only for nostalgia, but also because it provided me for something that I really needed the past weeks: a distraction. Without getting into detail about it, I suffer from chronic eczema, and I've been having some awful flare ups lately. However, playing Pokemon Omega Ruby has significantly eased the situation for me and made me forget about the pain instead of getting deeply depressed about it like usual, and for that, I'm really grateful towards the game.
But let's go the game itself. It makes some steps forward, but also steps backward. The biggest problem with this remake is that it hardly fixes the originals' flaws. The only things I could think of are the decreased encounter rate in water and the better narrative overall. The latter is honestly insignificant, but I did appreciate it regardless.
What the game did however was remind me of exactly why Hoenn was my favourite. Sure, it could be just nostalgia, but I don't really think I let nostalgia get in the way. After Kalos, it made me appreciate just how brisk the pacing of Hoenn was. There really aren't any moments that slow down the game. The region is just vast and fun, with tons of places to see and explore. The Pokemon selection is a bit underwhelming at first, but it opens up incredibly. Hoenn's Pokemon designs are also my favourite, or at least tied with Johto's. They're fantastically creative, ranging from a fire muay thai fighter, to a tree that has a Japanese tengu for its face, to a young Cicada that evolves into an adult one and also the shed husk of itself, to an interesting Pokemon styled mongoose/snake rivalry, and it gave us camels, walruses, sharks, and even sumo wrestlers. Personally, it's a region that I never tire of.
Unfortunately it has its flaws. Mainly that, and honestly my big one, trainer rosters are just underwhelming. They're mostly samey and repetitive. Emerald improved it a bit, but ORAS strictly follows R/S's...well, everything. It completely ignored a lot of Emerald's improvements, and honestly the Battle Frontier is the biggest omission of all.
But it does add a certain neat feature that really sells the whole game: DexNav. I love this so much because it brought back the rewarding sense of wonder in capturing wild Pokemon. It made me feel like I was exploring Hoenn all over again, since I always stopped to get the best Pokemon that I could find in each route. It made me take my time with the game instead of rushing through it like what I usually do with Pokemon games now, and it really made me feel like a kid again in a rather strange way.
Overall, I enjoyed ORAS. Revisiting my favourite region was a joy, and I'm glad I got to remember exactly what I loved about the series. I'm really glad that I didn't end up skipping over this game after all, and I also had a fun time at the OT with the rest of PokeGAF. Also bonus, my team!
3. Super Smash Bros for Wii U ; This is Smash 4.
It is not focused on zero to death combos. It is not Smash 64. It is not an incredibly fast, aggressive and technical game. It is not Melee. It is not a slow paced game where safe, defensive tactics are highly dominant. It is not Brawl.
This is Smash 4. A game where footsies and spacing are more important than ever. A game where the neutral position is where most of the fights will be on. A game where every character can compete so far. A game where yomi is more rewarding and satisfying.
But perhaps it's too early to say, as the metagame hasn't developed yet. I'm focusing mainly on the competitive aspects of it, as it's too easy to say that this game is very content filled, that I feel like I don't need to just say anything about that. But at the same time it's such a young game to start talking about the metagame, so I'm kinda in a blank on what to say here.
I suppose I could say that in a lot of ways this game actually reminds me of Street Fighter 4. It's Smash Bros with heavy emphasis on footsies, and that's actually pretty awesome. Playing the Wii U version online lately, and watching videos of tournaments, it's really clear to me that whoever spaces better gets the win. Not constant shield pressure, not by being patient, but by outsmarting the other in neutral. The game is actualy incredibly fun and satisfying as a result. Getting a kill is such an amazing feeling in this game compared to others. Fundamentals really shine in this game.
And I guess that's really all I could say. I'm just really liking the current state of the game so far, and I'm really excited to see how much the metagame evolves. I feel like it has potential to be an incredibly engaging competitive game.
Shoutouts to SmashGAF for being a bunch of awesome people to talk and play against!
Honorable Mentions
x. Mario Golf: World Tour ;
x. Mario Kart 8 ;
x. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney ;
x. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc ;
I'll come back and edit my comments for my top 3 since I feel like there's more that I could say here, and as well as add to my honourable mentions. I might even add more games since I've got some that I've yet to finish or even play. I'm just really tired right now and had a long day lol.
I tried expressing my views the best as I could. Hopefully this is good enough.
Alex
Member
1. World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor ; A surprising return to form with the best expansion to date. Currently the only traditional MMO on the market actually trying and Draenor has to be the best open world design I've seen in ages, very inspired, dense and begging to be explored.
2. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls ; I always liked Diablo III, even in it's troubled phase, but RoS + 2.1, like LoD before it, really elevated things to proper heights.
3. Terra Battle ; Hugely enjoyable mobile game that works well within it's own confines. Wonderful core gameplay, art and my favorite soundtrack this year.
4. This War of Mine
5. Fantasy Life
6. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
7. Divinity: Original Sin
8. Dragon Age: Inquisition
9. Mario Kart 8
10. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Notes: I got bored of writing so I stopped after three, my list is poorly ordered but I am pretty apathetic to that and I probably should have played more Dragon Age but I greatly enjoyed what I played enough to include it.
2. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls ; I always liked Diablo III, even in it's troubled phase, but RoS + 2.1, like LoD before it, really elevated things to proper heights.
3. Terra Battle ; Hugely enjoyable mobile game that works well within it's own confines. Wonderful core gameplay, art and my favorite soundtrack this year.
4. This War of Mine
5. Fantasy Life
6. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
7. Divinity: Original Sin
8. Dragon Age: Inquisition
9. Mario Kart 8
10. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Notes: I got bored of writing so I stopped after three, my list is poorly ordered but I am pretty apathetic to that and I probably should have played more Dragon Age but I greatly enjoyed what I played enough to include it.
1. Bayonetta 2 ; The best action game of all time, everything about the game is amazing. Easily ahead of everything else I have played this year.
2. The Evil Within ; .
3. Ultra Street Fighter IV ; .
4. Guilty Gear Xrd ; .
5. Alien Isolation ; .
6. South Park Stick of Truth ; .
7. Dark Souls 2 ; .
8. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire ; .
9. Far Cry 4 ; .
10. Danganronpa: Trippy Happy Havoc ; .
2. The Evil Within ; .
3. Ultra Street Fighter IV ; .
4. Guilty Gear Xrd ; .
5. Alien Isolation ; .
6. South Park Stick of Truth ; .
7. Dark Souls 2 ; .
8. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire ; .
9. Far Cry 4 ; .
10. Danganronpa: Trippy Happy Havoc ; .
Seraphis Cain
bad gameplay lol
1. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls ; Did not expect a western game to be my GOTY (again, that is, since it DID happen with Just Cause 2 several years ago). Love this game a lot, even though I got the less-good last-gen version. It's basically a modern Gauntlet Legends, and that's something I've wanted for years and years.
2. Earth Defense Force 2025 ; This game's a janky, ugly piece of shit, and I love every minute I've spent playing it. Nobody knows how to capture pure FUN in video game form like Sandlot. Blowing up giant insects, robots, and alien spaceships with increasingly ridiculous weapons? What more could anyone want?
3. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ; I wanted for years to get into BoI, but the PC controls never jived with me, and I was too lazy to use Joy2Key (and when I finally did it didn't work super well anyway).
Rebirth finally gave me decent controls, so I jumped in, and I'm glad I did. This game is everything I want from a roguelike. All the added content over the PC original is just icing on the cake.
4. Crimzon Clover: World Ignition ; The best shmup I played this year, Crimzon Clover is almost the perfect example of the genre. Bullets everywhere, explosions, challenging boss fights, lots of playable ship variety, and an in-depth scoring system. You really can't ask for more out of a shmup.
5. Caladrius Blaze ; The second best shmup I played this year. Very close to being tied with Crimzon Clover, really. Moss could really be the next Cave if they wanted to. I've never seen a shmup with more/better character variety. There's also multiple scoring systems and modes of play, loads to unlock, and amazing character artwork by Suzuhito Yasuda (Durarara!, SMT Devil Survivor).
6. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate ; A substantial update to my 2013 GOTY. Tons of new characters, new story modes, and Gauntlet Mode, which I'm pretty sure you could play literally forever. The amount of content in this game is just overwhelming, and I'm pretty sure no other game on my list is as good a value for the money as this one.
7. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS ; Sure, it's nowhere near as good as its Wii U sibling, but it's still Smash, and it's still a ton of fun. And yes, if I had a Wii U, that version would probably be here instead (and might be a couple places higher, too). But really, you can't beat Smash no matter what the platform. Sakurai always does a great job, and Smash 4 is no exception. Maybe the most fun you can have playing with friends.
8. Dark Souls II ; This should probably be several entries higher on my list, but to be honest I'm not done with it yet. But hey, it's more Souls, and that's always good. It's weaker than Demon's and Dark 1, yes, but it's still an amazing game. From's ability to nail their trademark atmosphere is still in full effect here, and it's still just as maddeningly, enjoyably frustrating as ever.
9. Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd ; It's more Miku. Still pretty much the best modern rhythm game. There's a couple of new additions I don't quite like (linked notes, basically), but it's still a great game.
10. Toukiden: The Age of Demons ; In the absence of a real Monster Hunter title on the Vita (the less said about Frontier G, the better), Omega Force stepped up and made probably the best Monster Hunter clone ever. It's MH with a heavy dose of Japanese history/mythology. What more can you say? Really fun game.
2. Earth Defense Force 2025 ; This game's a janky, ugly piece of shit, and I love every minute I've spent playing it. Nobody knows how to capture pure FUN in video game form like Sandlot. Blowing up giant insects, robots, and alien spaceships with increasingly ridiculous weapons? What more could anyone want?
3. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ; I wanted for years to get into BoI, but the PC controls never jived with me, and I was too lazy to use Joy2Key (and when I finally did it didn't work super well anyway).
Rebirth finally gave me decent controls, so I jumped in, and I'm glad I did. This game is everything I want from a roguelike. All the added content over the PC original is just icing on the cake.
4. Crimzon Clover: World Ignition ; The best shmup I played this year, Crimzon Clover is almost the perfect example of the genre. Bullets everywhere, explosions, challenging boss fights, lots of playable ship variety, and an in-depth scoring system. You really can't ask for more out of a shmup.
5. Caladrius Blaze ; The second best shmup I played this year. Very close to being tied with Crimzon Clover, really. Moss could really be the next Cave if they wanted to. I've never seen a shmup with more/better character variety. There's also multiple scoring systems and modes of play, loads to unlock, and amazing character artwork by Suzuhito Yasuda (Durarara!, SMT Devil Survivor).
6. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate ; A substantial update to my 2013 GOTY. Tons of new characters, new story modes, and Gauntlet Mode, which I'm pretty sure you could play literally forever. The amount of content in this game is just overwhelming, and I'm pretty sure no other game on my list is as good a value for the money as this one.
7. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS ; Sure, it's nowhere near as good as its Wii U sibling, but it's still Smash, and it's still a ton of fun. And yes, if I had a Wii U, that version would probably be here instead (and might be a couple places higher, too). But really, you can't beat Smash no matter what the platform. Sakurai always does a great job, and Smash 4 is no exception. Maybe the most fun you can have playing with friends.
8. Dark Souls II ; This should probably be several entries higher on my list, but to be honest I'm not done with it yet. But hey, it's more Souls, and that's always good. It's weaker than Demon's and Dark 1, yes, but it's still an amazing game. From's ability to nail their trademark atmosphere is still in full effect here, and it's still just as maddeningly, enjoyably frustrating as ever.
9. Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd ; It's more Miku. Still pretty much the best modern rhythm game. There's a couple of new additions I don't quite like (linked notes, basically), but it's still a great game.
10. Toukiden: The Age of Demons ; In the absence of a real Monster Hunter title on the Vita (the less said about Frontier G, the better), Omega Force stepped up and made probably the best Monster Hunter clone ever. It's MH with a heavy dose of Japanese history/mythology. What more can you say? Really fun game.
Cheesemeister
Member
There will be breakdowns per platform in the results.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
1. Super Smash Bro. for Wii U; Smash with the ability of facing 7 more opponents adds to the chaos of a party. Also using the amiibos mean you are no longer constrained by facing level 9 CPUs when amiibos are alot harder the higher their level.
2. Hyrule Warriors; I wasn't sure I would like this but damn it I do. Simple mechinas and the fact it 's full of Zelda lore fills me with glee.
2. Hyrule Warriors; I wasn't sure I would like this but damn it I do. Simple mechinas and the fact it 's full of Zelda lore fills me with glee.
B
bomb
Unconfirmed Member
1. Bayonetta 2 ; Greatest Action Game Of All Time.
2. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze ; Greatest Platforming Game Of All Time.
3. Mario Kart 8 ; Greatest Kart Racer Of All Time.
4. Dark Souls 2 ; 3rd Greatest From Software Game Of All Time.
5. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U ; Greatest Smash Bros Game Of All Time.
6. Wolfenstein New Order ; Greatest Shooter Of 2014 All Time.
7. Shovel Knight ; Greatest 8 Bit Platformer Of 2014 All Time.
8. The Evil Within ; Greatest Mikami That Came After RE4 Of All Time.
2. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze ; Greatest Platforming Game Of All Time.
3. Mario Kart 8 ; Greatest Kart Racer Of All Time.
4. Dark Souls 2 ; 3rd Greatest From Software Game Of All Time.
5. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U ; Greatest Smash Bros Game Of All Time.
6. Wolfenstein New Order ; Greatest Shooter Of 2014 All Time.
7. Shovel Knight ; Greatest 8 Bit Platformer Of 2014 All Time.
8. The Evil Within ; Greatest Mikami That Came After RE4 Of All Time.
FrogFucius
Member
My list as follows:
1. Dragon Age Inquisition
2. Transistor
3. Mario Kart 8
4. Bayonetta 2
5. Child of Light
6. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
7. Super Smash Bros. Wii U
8. Broken Age part I
9. Valiant Hearts
10. Sunset Overdrive
1. Dragon Age Inquisition
2. Transistor
3. Mario Kart 8
4. Bayonetta 2
5. Child of Light
6. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
7. Super Smash Bros. Wii U
8. Broken Age part I
9. Valiant Hearts
10. Sunset Overdrive
1. The Walking Dead: Season Two ; Honestly my favorite game of the year. Playing as an untypical protagonist was an interesting experience for me and the season had a powerful ending (if you picked the correct ending, anyway). I'm aware that I might be the only person on the planet that likes S2 more than S1
2. Broken Age: Act 1 ; I love DoubleFine and I love Broken Age. A promising and very enjoyable first half , looking forward for more
3. Valkyria Chronicles ; Never owned a PS2 so when the game was released on Steam I naturally had to jump on it. Aside from the story that gets kinda weird towards the end this is a really great, turn-based squad tactics game
4. Dragon Age: Inquisition ; Very ambitious and massive game with an equally impressive number shortcomings and weird design decisions. Still, credits to Bioware where it's due, DA: I is a drastic improvement over the predecessor
5. BattleBlock Theater ;
6. The Wolf Among Us ;
7. Child of Light ;
8. The Banner Saga ;
9. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS ;
10. Bravely Default ;
2. Broken Age: Act 1 ; I love DoubleFine and I love Broken Age. A promising and very enjoyable first half , looking forward for more
3. Valkyria Chronicles ; Never owned a PS2 so when the game was released on Steam I naturally had to jump on it. Aside from the story that gets kinda weird towards the end this is a really great, turn-based squad tactics game
4. Dragon Age: Inquisition ; Very ambitious and massive game with an equally impressive number shortcomings and weird design decisions. Still, credits to Bioware where it's due, DA: I is a drastic improvement over the predecessor
5. BattleBlock Theater ;
6. The Wolf Among Us ;
7. Child of Light ;
8. The Banner Saga ;
9. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS ;
10. Bravely Default ;
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
1. Dragon Age Inquisition ; My GOTY. The exploration in this game is fantastic, the characters are very interesting and it's a riot when they interact with each other. Loving the exploration and all the content. Music is phenomenal and so is the acting.
ArclightBorealis
Member
Alright, might as well do this. Didn't think I would have played and enjoyed as many games from this year compared to last. Hopefully I don't regret the ordering of this list immediately afterwards.
1. Bayonetta 2 ; This game is fucking everything you would want a sequel to be: more and better. The combat is faster and tighter, the visuals are much more vibrant, the new weapons are fun to use, the bullshit from the first Bayonetta (insta death QTEs, long dull minigames) has been either toned down or removed completely. The new Tag Climax mode was especially fun and getting multiple playable characters is a trend I hope to see in future character action games. Everything about Bayonetta 2 is just about perfect compared to other games in the genre.
2. Alien Isolation ; I am not a fan of horror, nor survival horror games, yet I love Alien despite all that. Isolation delivers a polished and lengthy Alien experience that surprised me and had me constantly wanting to keep going, despite the overwhelming tension and panic induced by the game's encounter with the titular Alien. The dedication to the aesthetic, tone, and even pacing of the original Alien (which could be a turn off to some people) is admirable and perfect for a fan of the 1979 film.
3. Drakengard 3 (All DLC Included) ; Yes, it's gameplay is mediocre, yes its technical performance is shit, but the strangeness of the game's story and characters compelled me to complete absolutely everything that was possible in this game to absorb more of the series' fucked up lore. It was initially weird with how sort of "slapstick" the interaction between characters felt, but it added to the twisted tone of the game and accomplished what Yoko Taro set out to do on this game distinguishing itself from Drakengard 1 and Nier.
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth ; I love South Park, or more specifically Trey Parker and Matt Stone's brand of ruthlessly offensive humor. The game styling itself off of the show is the game's first priority, but the RPG game play itself works as a fun, cruder version of Paper Mario. The story of the new kid coming to South Park and playing in the kids' live role playing game gets out of control and escalates in a manner that only South Park knows how and left me busting my gut several times near the end. A great example of what Trey and Matt can do when they think of a plot line for more than just a week before an episode.
5. inFamous Second Son ; The inFamous series has been a huge favorite of mine on Playstation, mainly in part to the excellent feeling of mobility while still having some amount of weight to it, striking a good balance between very twitch or very loose clumsy movement. Second Son doesn't change that, and with the new powers introduced they provide interesting means of traversing not-Seattle in new ways compared to Cole's signature lightning powers. Though it would've been nice to have all powers selectable at once, everything else about the game was solid and didn't overstay its welcome thanks to the relatively short length.
6. Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd ; Rhythm games are my fucking crack, and F 2nd was addicting as hell. While the song list is not as immediately appealing compared to the previous games, the increased challenge on Normal difficulty made playing the game with only two buttons considerably less boring. That and the songs themselves, both new to Project Diva and returning favorites, grew on me over time that I enjoy the selection just as more than the previous game. As a Luka Megurine fan the new songs featuring her, along with returning songs, makes F 2nd my favorite of the Project Diva games and one of my absolute favorite rhythm games in recent years.
7. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ; This game may seem short, but Captain Toad takes the original concept from 3D World and creates even more detailed and intricate levels, each with their own hidden collectibles and challenges to keep you coming back to complete everything. Not the mention the attention to detail in everything from the environments to Toad himself (and Toadette too) creates a game oozing with charm and cuteness. Definitely one of those games where you just wanna let everything sit and enjoy all the details.
8. Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends CE ; For a long time, I had dismissed the musou genre in a way that most everyone else had; thinking it was just a brainless, dull hack and slash. 8 Xtreme Legends absolutely surprised me with the amount of content packed into this game, from multiple campaigns, to ambition mode, to nearly 80 unique weapon movesets, and other systems that gave this game more depth than one just looking at the game would've noticed. It's not complex, but the crazy combos players can perform while completing various side objectives to turn the tide of a large scale battle in an instant makes for a very interesting gameplay experience. Needless to say, this game kicks ass and it made me a fan of this style. I even learned a thing or two about the Three Kingdoms period.
9. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor ; I have no affinity or knowledge of the Middle Earth lore, but the premise of the Nemesis system and sabotaging a hierarchy of orcs had me intrigued from the very beginning. The combat is obviously Batman style with a more violent aesthetic, the traversal isn't very well fleshed out, and the game becomes especially easier near the end when Orcs don't stand a chance against you, but the Nemesis system is what ties the whole experience together. Storming an orc stronghold, setting off alarms, and fending off a nigh infinite wave of minions, all while dispatching warchiefs, discovering weaknesses, pitting orcs against each other, and so on makes for a very chaotic and fun experience.
10. Jazzpunk ; Leslie Nielsen probably would've been proud to see a video game where its humor is inspired by films like the Naked Gun or Airplane. Actually, he probably would've worked on it if he could. This game is very short, there's not much to the gameplay other than clicking on objects and playing the occasional minigame (Wedding Quake is legit though), but the humor and pacing is absolutely spot on and bizarre as all hell. It's a game to be played for the offbeat shit that happens while everyone treats it like a normal thing, and is absolutely worth it for the one to two hours that it goes for.
Honorable Mentions
x. Hyrule Warriors ; Dynasty Warriors 8 XL got me into musou and made me even more excited for this game. It's good, and the variety of combat styles between characters is great. Couldn't have two musous on the top ten though.
x. The Evil Within ; It's a bit janky and unrefined, but Shinji Mikami shows he still knows how to make an experience filled with variety and more challenging than the typical game (whether or not you think that challenge is fair).
x. Blazblue Chronophantasma ; This was my first BlazBlue game, and getting caught up on the batshit lore of the series was an experience in and of itself, having to go through Teach Me, Ms. Litchi and Story Mode all while having a wiki at the ready to look up stuff that still didn't make sense. Oh, and the gameplay was very fun to, and convinced me into liking the style of 2D fighting that Arcsys is known for.
x. Binding of Isaac Rebirth ; It's more Binding of Isaac, it's fun, and hard, I've beaten Mom's Heart twice now, and this game still surprises me with new shit. It's a game to last a long while.
1. Bayonetta 2 ; This game is fucking everything you would want a sequel to be: more and better. The combat is faster and tighter, the visuals are much more vibrant, the new weapons are fun to use, the bullshit from the first Bayonetta (insta death QTEs, long dull minigames) has been either toned down or removed completely. The new Tag Climax mode was especially fun and getting multiple playable characters is a trend I hope to see in future character action games. Everything about Bayonetta 2 is just about perfect compared to other games in the genre.
2. Alien Isolation ; I am not a fan of horror, nor survival horror games, yet I love Alien despite all that. Isolation delivers a polished and lengthy Alien experience that surprised me and had me constantly wanting to keep going, despite the overwhelming tension and panic induced by the game's encounter with the titular Alien. The dedication to the aesthetic, tone, and even pacing of the original Alien (which could be a turn off to some people) is admirable and perfect for a fan of the 1979 film.
3. Drakengard 3 (All DLC Included) ; Yes, it's gameplay is mediocre, yes its technical performance is shit, but the strangeness of the game's story and characters compelled me to complete absolutely everything that was possible in this game to absorb more of the series' fucked up lore. It was initially weird with how sort of "slapstick" the interaction between characters felt, but it added to the twisted tone of the game and accomplished what Yoko Taro set out to do on this game distinguishing itself from Drakengard 1 and Nier.
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth ; I love South Park, or more specifically Trey Parker and Matt Stone's brand of ruthlessly offensive humor. The game styling itself off of the show is the game's first priority, but the RPG game play itself works as a fun, cruder version of Paper Mario. The story of the new kid coming to South Park and playing in the kids' live role playing game gets out of control and escalates in a manner that only South Park knows how and left me busting my gut several times near the end. A great example of what Trey and Matt can do when they think of a plot line for more than just a week before an episode.
5. inFamous Second Son ; The inFamous series has been a huge favorite of mine on Playstation, mainly in part to the excellent feeling of mobility while still having some amount of weight to it, striking a good balance between very twitch or very loose clumsy movement. Second Son doesn't change that, and with the new powers introduced they provide interesting means of traversing not-Seattle in new ways compared to Cole's signature lightning powers. Though it would've been nice to have all powers selectable at once, everything else about the game was solid and didn't overstay its welcome thanks to the relatively short length.
6. Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd ; Rhythm games are my fucking crack, and F 2nd was addicting as hell. While the song list is not as immediately appealing compared to the previous games, the increased challenge on Normal difficulty made playing the game with only two buttons considerably less boring. That and the songs themselves, both new to Project Diva and returning favorites, grew on me over time that I enjoy the selection just as more than the previous game. As a Luka Megurine fan the new songs featuring her, along with returning songs, makes F 2nd my favorite of the Project Diva games and one of my absolute favorite rhythm games in recent years.
7. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ; This game may seem short, but Captain Toad takes the original concept from 3D World and creates even more detailed and intricate levels, each with their own hidden collectibles and challenges to keep you coming back to complete everything. Not the mention the attention to detail in everything from the environments to Toad himself (and Toadette too) creates a game oozing with charm and cuteness. Definitely one of those games where you just wanna let everything sit and enjoy all the details.
8. Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends CE ; For a long time, I had dismissed the musou genre in a way that most everyone else had; thinking it was just a brainless, dull hack and slash. 8 Xtreme Legends absolutely surprised me with the amount of content packed into this game, from multiple campaigns, to ambition mode, to nearly 80 unique weapon movesets, and other systems that gave this game more depth than one just looking at the game would've noticed. It's not complex, but the crazy combos players can perform while completing various side objectives to turn the tide of a large scale battle in an instant makes for a very interesting gameplay experience. Needless to say, this game kicks ass and it made me a fan of this style. I even learned a thing or two about the Three Kingdoms period.
9. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor ; I have no affinity or knowledge of the Middle Earth lore, but the premise of the Nemesis system and sabotaging a hierarchy of orcs had me intrigued from the very beginning. The combat is obviously Batman style with a more violent aesthetic, the traversal isn't very well fleshed out, and the game becomes especially easier near the end when Orcs don't stand a chance against you, but the Nemesis system is what ties the whole experience together. Storming an orc stronghold, setting off alarms, and fending off a nigh infinite wave of minions, all while dispatching warchiefs, discovering weaknesses, pitting orcs against each other, and so on makes for a very chaotic and fun experience.
10. Jazzpunk ; Leslie Nielsen probably would've been proud to see a video game where its humor is inspired by films like the Naked Gun or Airplane. Actually, he probably would've worked on it if he could. This game is very short, there's not much to the gameplay other than clicking on objects and playing the occasional minigame (Wedding Quake is legit though), but the humor and pacing is absolutely spot on and bizarre as all hell. It's a game to be played for the offbeat shit that happens while everyone treats it like a normal thing, and is absolutely worth it for the one to two hours that it goes for.
Honorable Mentions
x. Hyrule Warriors ; Dynasty Warriors 8 XL got me into musou and made me even more excited for this game. It's good, and the variety of combat styles between characters is great. Couldn't have two musous on the top ten though.
x. The Evil Within ; It's a bit janky and unrefined, but Shinji Mikami shows he still knows how to make an experience filled with variety and more challenging than the typical game (whether or not you think that challenge is fair).
x. Blazblue Chronophantasma ; This was my first BlazBlue game, and getting caught up on the batshit lore of the series was an experience in and of itself, having to go through Teach Me, Ms. Litchi and Story Mode all while having a wiki at the ready to look up stuff that still didn't make sense. Oh, and the gameplay was very fun to, and convinced me into liking the style of 2D fighting that Arcsys is known for.
x. Binding of Isaac Rebirth ; It's more Binding of Isaac, it's fun, and hard, I've beaten Mom's Heart twice now, and this game still surprises me with new shit. It's a game to last a long while.
shingonation
Member
Game is too good.
Remember guys to post your lists with the correct format. Semicolons and at least one comment.
theprodigy
Member
Game is too good.
really now, that's not even close to being the right format
also who took over Crossing Eden's account, there's no Ubisoft game listed
itchyass86
Member
1. Bayonetta 2
2. Mario Kart 8
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
4. Super Smash Brothers (Wii U)
5. Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze
6. Dark Souls II
7. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
8. Valkyria Chronicles (Steam PC)
9. Wolfenstein: The New Order
10. Bravely Default
2. Mario Kart 8
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
4. Super Smash Brothers (Wii U)
5. Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze
6. Dark Souls II
7. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
8. Valkyria Chronicles (Steam PC)
9. Wolfenstein: The New Order
10. Bravely Default
- Destiny ; I'll be the first one to admit that Destiny has its fair share of faults, but I've put nearly 300 hours into it and made some great memories playing this game. There is some undeniable addictiveness to this game that sets it apart for me. The core gameplay is among the best I've ever played in a game. I can't put a finger on it but I've had a blast with Destiny and I'm still playing almost daily. I think that Bungie has a chance to correct any issues eventually and do for the game what Blizzard did for Diablo 3 with RoS.
- Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition ; A fantastic game. Really enjoyed my time with the PS4 version and it controls surprisingly well on DualShock 4.
- The Last Of Us Remastered ; What is there to say that hasn't already been said about TLOU? Played it for the first time this year on PS4 and was blown away as expected. A game for the ages.
- Dragon Age Inquisition ; Never played a DA game but I played Mass Effect so I figured I'd dive into DAI. Huge segmented areas made for a great time exploring.
- Grand Theft Auto V (Next-Gen) ; My GOTY for 2013, and Rockstar made it even better. FP mode is incredible.
- Infamous Second Son ; Never played the previous games but I really enjoyed Second Son. Jaw dropping graphics and the powers were so fun to use. It's my only platinum on PS4.
1. Bayonetta 2 ; Yep Yep. Maybe less impressive than its predecessor, because it recycles a lot of its tricks, but an unexpected gift from the gaming gods nonetheless.
2. Might & Magic X: Legacy ; An open, exhausting game that rewards exploration and presents potential danger at every turn. If that garbage Dragon Age Inquisition wins GAF GOTY while this finishes #200 or something, that says a lot of terrible things about the RPG genre in 2014.
3. Hexcells Infinite ; If you don’t love this, you obviously haven’t played it. A timeless classic puzzler, as good as Picross ever was, now with as many levels as you want.
4. P.T. ; More than the best demo ever, it is one the most distinctive next-gen experience thus far and easily the best software on PS4.
5. Mario Kart 8 ; I might be underrating this, here, as it’s probably the best in one of gaming’s premier series. Blurs the distinctions between last gen and current gen.
6. Divinity: Original Sin ; Another brilliant RPG. Again, if that garbage Dragon Age Inquisition wins GAF GOTY while this finishes #200 or something, that says a lot of terrible things about the RPG genre in 2014.
7. The Evil Within ; The story is a mess, and there are a slew of wacky design decisions, but this is the most tense gameplay experience since Resident Evil 4.
8. Hyrule Warriors ; Musou is awesome. Who knew?
9. Mario Golf: World Tour ; Emphatically not the best in the series, but this is a series that I have adored all along, and I’d be delusional if I didn’t list it among my favorites of the year.
10. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ;Who could possibly hate this? A spin-off from Super Mario 3D World, my favorite game from last year, but possibly more creative on a level to level basis.
IAmRandom31
Banned
I'm quite proud I was able to create a strong Top 10 for 2014 without a single FPS title even coming to mind. Feels good! Well done industry. Here's to another FPS-less top 10 next year.
Not that I completely hate them or anything, just ready for the industry to shake its addiction to em in the AAA realm especially.
Also kind of crazy that 3 of my favorites this year were free. Insane really
Not that I completely hate them or anything, just ready for the industry to shake its addiction to em in the AAA realm especially.
Also kind of crazy that 3 of my favorites this year were free. Insane really
Uno Venova
Banned
i know people get it wrong every year, but this might be the thread where I've seen the most incorrect voting formats
ViewtifulJC
Banned
its hilariously amazing how hard it has been this year to follow the format. Like, maybe half this page is invalid lmao
RSB
Banned
1. The Last of Us Remastered ; I didn't play it on PS3, so this was my first time experiencing this masterpiece. And yes, it is a masterpiece, the hype was totally deserved. The gameplay, the story, the characters, the pacing, the music, the graphics... the game is pretty much perfect in every way. Special mention to the Factions mode, which is my favorite competitive multiplayer since Halo 3.
2. Transistor ; After Bastion I had somewhat high expectations with this game, and it still managed to impress me. The gameplay is super fun, the music is incredible, the graphics are beautiful... Just an awesome game all around.
3. P.T. ; Esily the scariest game I've played in the last decade. Hell, it's one of the scariest things I've ever experienced. Love it so much. Honestly, I was tempted to place it even higher...
4. Grand Theft Auto V ; As with TLOU, I didn't play it on PS3, so the PS4 has been my first experience with the game. And what can I say, the game is excellent, probably my favorite GTA yet, and I haven't even touched the multiplayer. Trevor is amazing BTW, so fucking crazy, I love him.
5. Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes ; It may be just a demo, but it is really, really good.
6. Valiant Hearts ; I played it just last week and and I enjoyed much more than I was expecting. Very touching story.
7. Halo The Master Chief Collection ; Sure the game was rushed, and even after six patches it still has many problems, but it is still Halo at 60fps (finally) I've been mostly replaying the campaigns and I've been having a blast. The seventh place feels appropiate.
8. Infamous Second Son ; I liked it as much as the previous games in the franchise. Fun gameplay, pretty graphics, and overall a very enjoyable game.
Still have quite a few games to play, but from what I played, these are my picks.
2. Transistor ; After Bastion I had somewhat high expectations with this game, and it still managed to impress me. The gameplay is super fun, the music is incredible, the graphics are beautiful... Just an awesome game all around.
3. P.T. ; Esily the scariest game I've played in the last decade. Hell, it's one of the scariest things I've ever experienced. Love it so much. Honestly, I was tempted to place it even higher...
4. Grand Theft Auto V ; As with TLOU, I didn't play it on PS3, so the PS4 has been my first experience with the game. And what can I say, the game is excellent, probably my favorite GTA yet, and I haven't even touched the multiplayer. Trevor is amazing BTW, so fucking crazy, I love him.
5. Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes ; It may be just a demo, but it is really, really good.
6. Valiant Hearts ; I played it just last week and and I enjoyed much more than I was expecting. Very touching story.
7. Halo The Master Chief Collection ; Sure the game was rushed, and even after six patches it still has many problems, but it is still Halo at 60fps (finally) I've been mostly replaying the campaigns and I've been having a blast. The seventh place feels appropiate.
8. Infamous Second Son ; I liked it as much as the previous games in the franchise. Fun gameplay, pretty graphics, and overall a very enjoyable game.
Still have quite a few games to play, but from what I played, these are my picks.
1. Destiny ; I still play this game close to every day and I still love it. I believe the game does a lot of things very well guns/gunplay, enemies-AI and Types (Four Races-5+Types per race), sound/music, and being challenging and rewarding (really love all the different weapons and gear that you acquire). Grouping up with friends for strikes, PVP and the raid. The raids are particularly awesome and I think they are fun and well designed (except for the cheeses!)
2. Dark Souls II ; First Souls game I had played and immediately bought Dark Souls I and Demon's Souls after I finished it. I almost quit the game a couple times but it finally clicked for me and found it very rewarding. The challenges were awesome in the game and it was just elation when I was able to take out some of the harder bosses. (Finally beating Darklurkker was a big achievement!)
3. OlliOlli ; I love skateboarding games and this one really flipped all the others on its head for its very simple landing system. Took a while to get the hang of it but I really loved the feeling of landing a string of tricks throughout each map. Music is great and I really love the social aspects of it (Daily Grind and leaderboards).
4. Valiant Hearts : The Great War ; I may or may not have shed a tear at the end of this one. We need more games like this. Great music, characters were awesome and I am a dog lover so I had an immediate attraction to this game.
5. TxK ; The music alone is almost what put this on my list. Love the visuals and the entire experience. Tons of levels and the game always puts me into a bit of a trance while I play it, lot of fun.
6. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls ; Really enjoyed all of the different classes and it plays amazing on the PS4. Couch Coop IS NOT DEAD! Glad to see that Blizzard was able to right some wrongs that were made on the original release. The new act was great and I liked the enchanting system that they added.
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order ; Solid shooter that definitely surprised me a few times. I really liked the ridiculousness of the story and dual wielding some of the guns was just pure bliss.
8. inFAMOUS Second Son ; Liked the game a lot and I found it better than the first two but just did not fall in love with it. The powers were great and a ton of fun to use around the city but seemed to be missing some life in it.
I have a bunch of games to play still but these are the best of what I did play.
1. The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition ; Still one of my favourite games of all time, happy to buy it on any new platforms it releases on. I'll still be playing this in another ten years time.
2. Ys: Memories of Celceta ; My first Ys game, really enjoyed playing through it and look forward to going back and playing the previous entries in the series.
3. The Crew ; My new game of choice to play while listening to podcasts, so much fun just cruising around the highways splitting traffic at 300km/h.
Yes, it counts.
Now that I think about it I don't have a single FPS in my top 10 either. I do have a couple of TPS though, down the list.
Speaking of 3 favorites, it's also worth noting that the 3 games that are looking to be GAF's favorites this year have nothing to do with shooting; Bayonetta 2, DA: I, DS: 2. I have to say, though, this year was a particularly weak year for shooters in general.
Well, the top game for vita should be pretty obvious this year, pretty much everyone that has played Daganronpa is putting it on their list, and it's generally near or at the top.
timetokill
Banned
I've been sending out PMs to people to fix their ballots. anecdotally it seems like a lot of juniors having trouble with the formatting.
Some OlliOlli also? Daganronpa is on my list of games to buy for my Vita, just havent gotten around to it yet but it will be mine soon.
theprodigy
Member
also what's with all the "reserved" posts past the first page, I can sort of understand wanting to be on the first page, but after that it seems completely pointless
1. Smash Bros for WiiU ; Most fun of game with the most content
2. Hyrule Warriors ; Zelda fan love game
3. Bayonetta 2 ; Fun action packed
4. Watch_Dogs ; Fun open world
5: Walking Dead: Season 2 ep. 2-5 ; Great story game
6. Mario Kart 8 ; great racer
7. NBA 2K15 ; Fun basketball
8. Stealth Inc 2 ; nice puzzles
9. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze ; good platformer
2. Hyrule Warriors ; Zelda fan love game
3. Bayonetta 2 ; Fun action packed
4. Watch_Dogs ; Fun open world
5: Walking Dead: Season 2 ep. 2-5 ; Great story game
6. Mario Kart 8 ; great racer
7. NBA 2K15 ; Fun basketball
8. Stealth Inc 2 ; nice puzzles
9. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze ; good platformer
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