Top five Games of the Year 2014
Nov 24, 2014 3:51:15 GMT -5
Post by wyrdwad on Nov 24, 2014 3:51:15 GMT -5
Not sure if this topic exists yet (I didn't see it when I searched) -- if it does, feel free to delete this one.
I'm just curious what everyone's top five games of 2014 might be, as I've personally found this to be a REALLY good year for gaming (well, maybe not for the gaming COMMUNITY, but for fun video game releases at least!), and figured it was as good a topic of discussion as any, so... here we are!
My personal picks for the year would be:
#5
#4
#3
#2
And my #1 Game of the Year 2014 (which should surprise no one who's heard me rave about it in a million other topics) is...
...So there you have it. My top five games of the year.
What have you guys played that's wowed you in 2014?
-Tom
I'm just curious what everyone's top five games of 2014 might be, as I've personally found this to be a REALLY good year for gaming (well, maybe not for the gaming COMMUNITY, but for fun video game releases at least!), and figured it was as good a topic of discussion as any, so... here we are!
My personal picks for the year would be:
#5
The hardest one to choose. If we're including games released in English during 2014 (even if they were released elsewhere in the world before that), this is the one spot upon which an XSEED game might just sit, as I do consider Akiba's Trip to be very much worthy. Brandish: The Dark Revenant would be worthy too, but I don't want to jinx it -- there's still a chance it could slip to 2015. There are also a bunch of 2014 games I haven't yet played through, but which I could easily see being worthwhile choices: games like Valiant Hearts: The Great War, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Freedom Wars, Azure Striker Gunvolt and the just-released indie game Never Alone.
Of the games I HAVE played that saw a worldwide debut this year, I'd probably have to give the nod to Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd, though Crypt of the NecroDancer could've edged it out if it were finished -- I just can't quite bring myself to give a GotY label to an Early Access title.
Of the games I HAVE played that saw a worldwide debut this year, I'd probably have to give the nod to Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd, though Crypt of the NecroDancer could've edged it out if it were finished -- I just can't quite bring myself to give a GotY label to an Early Access title.
#4
Song Composer 575
Sometimes, I feel like the only person in the world who loves this game. It's so sad that this title bombed so hard for Sega -- they put SO MUCH effort into it, creating two unique Vocaloids, coming up with a whole new IP and a TON of original songs, creating an anime OAV series, and just plain marketing the crap out of it. There's no way they didn't lose money on the venture, but I'm at least glad that it exists, because it's so rare to find a music game that's this unique and original while still being as fun and addictive as any good music game should be. This is a polished, charming, wonderful Japan-only Vita title that I wish more than anything we could localize, but due to its heavy focus on filling in blanks in Japanese lyrical poetry, I'm not even sure it COULD be localized. I only lament that the failure of this title means there will probably never be a sequel, because I would support the hell out of this if it were a franchise!
...Honestly, it's worth putting on the list just for giving us this awesome video. You can tell the guys at Sega were having a blast making it:
Sometimes, I feel like the only person in the world who loves this game. It's so sad that this title bombed so hard for Sega -- they put SO MUCH effort into it, creating two unique Vocaloids, coming up with a whole new IP and a TON of original songs, creating an anime OAV series, and just plain marketing the crap out of it. There's no way they didn't lose money on the venture, but I'm at least glad that it exists, because it's so rare to find a music game that's this unique and original while still being as fun and addictive as any good music game should be. This is a polished, charming, wonderful Japan-only Vita title that I wish more than anything we could localize, but due to its heavy focus on filling in blanks in Japanese lyrical poetry, I'm not even sure it COULD be localized. I only lament that the failure of this title means there will probably never be a sequel, because I would support the hell out of this if it were a franchise!
...Honestly, it's worth putting on the list just for giving us this awesome video. You can tell the guys at Sega were having a blast making it:
#3
Shovel Knight
This game needs little introduction, I think! Between the spot-on play control and level design, arguably the best soundtrack of Jake Kaufman's career (which is saying a lot!), fantastic writing, a superb visual aesthetic and a surprisingly touching story with an amazingly beautiful ending, this game is damned near perfect. If you want to capture all the good points of retro gaming without any of the bad, this is how you do it -- one reviewer put it best by saying that Shovel Knight isn't exactly how games were back in the day, but how those of us who grew up in that era REMEMBER them. It's the nostalgia goggles version of retro gaming, and that's something few other developers have ever managed to capture (I can think of only two: Nigoro with La-Mulana, and the #1 spot on this list). I can't wait for the Kickstarter stretch goal content to get patched in, and I look forward to replaying the game again when it does.
This game needs little introduction, I think! Between the spot-on play control and level design, arguably the best soundtrack of Jake Kaufman's career (which is saying a lot!), fantastic writing, a superb visual aesthetic and a surprisingly touching story with an amazingly beautiful ending, this game is damned near perfect. If you want to capture all the good points of retro gaming without any of the bad, this is how you do it -- one reviewer put it best by saying that Shovel Knight isn't exactly how games were back in the day, but how those of us who grew up in that era REMEMBER them. It's the nostalgia goggles version of retro gaming, and that's something few other developers have ever managed to capture (I can think of only two: Nigoro with La-Mulana, and the #1 spot on this list). I can't wait for the Kickstarter stretch goal content to get patched in, and I look forward to replaying the game again when it does.
#2
Strider
I struggled a bit with whether or not this deserved to top Shovel Knight on my list, as it's certainly nowhere near as polished a title as that one... but you know how sometimes, after you beat a game, it nags at you endlessly even months later, beckoning you to play it again and again? That HAS happened with Shovel Knight... but nowhere near as strongly as it's happened with Strider. Despite having a much more modern aesthetic than either my #3 or #1 choice, Strider 2014 is every bit as nostalgically retro, capturing the essence of what makes games fun. There are no tutorials, there's barely any story, and the game mostly leaves you to figure things out on your own without ever making it difficult to do so -- it's just a pure gameplay experience from beginning to end, never letting you go but also never allowing itself to bore you. It may be a wee bit more linear than your average Metroidvania, but it's still got some of the most brilliant level designs I've seen from the genre in years, and I can't imagine any Metroidvania fan not having a great time playing it. Despite the handful of flaws it has, this really is one of the best games I've played all year, and will undoubtedly claim a spot on my list of favorite Metroidvania titles from here on out.
I struggled a bit with whether or not this deserved to top Shovel Knight on my list, as it's certainly nowhere near as polished a title as that one... but you know how sometimes, after you beat a game, it nags at you endlessly even months later, beckoning you to play it again and again? That HAS happened with Shovel Knight... but nowhere near as strongly as it's happened with Strider. Despite having a much more modern aesthetic than either my #3 or #1 choice, Strider 2014 is every bit as nostalgically retro, capturing the essence of what makes games fun. There are no tutorials, there's barely any story, and the game mostly leaves you to figure things out on your own without ever making it difficult to do so -- it's just a pure gameplay experience from beginning to end, never letting you go but also never allowing itself to bore you. It may be a wee bit more linear than your average Metroidvania, but it's still got some of the most brilliant level designs I've seen from the genre in years, and I can't imagine any Metroidvania fan not having a great time playing it. Despite the handful of flaws it has, this really is one of the best games I've played all year, and will undoubtedly claim a spot on my list of favorite Metroidvania titles from here on out.
And my #1 Game of the Year 2014 (which should surprise no one who's heard me rave about it in a million other topics) is...
Freedom Planet
Not to be confused with Freedom Wars (which also seems pretty cool, but this is way more my speed!). This game is absolutely amazing, and really, REALLY deserves more attention than it's been getting. It has a few issues with story pacing, and a couple nasty difficulty spikes toward the end, but overall this game is far and away the best retro throwback I have EVER seen. It's often compared to Sonic the Hedgehog, but I'm not kidding when I say it SURPASSES Sonic the Hedgehog -- I would play Freedom Planet over any title in the entire Sonic franchise, hands down. The levels are huge, engaging and fun, the soundtrack is mindblowingly fantastic, the story and characters are charming, the sprite and tile work is exceptional in every regard... This is retro perfection, as far as I'm concerned. It achieved what Shovel Knight achieved, but even more so -- and I didn't even think that was possible before playing it. Anyone who has any love for anything Sonic owes it to themselves to play Freedom Planet, as it truly is one of the most perfect 2D platformers I've played in decades, and really cements the notion that we are currently living in the age of the indie greats. As with Shovel Knight, I can't wait for all the stretch goal content to get patched into Freedom Planet, and will absolutely, positively play through it again once it is -- and I already put a respectable 15+ hours into the game, which is pretty damned good for any Sonic-like to begin with!
Not to be confused with Freedom Wars (which also seems pretty cool, but this is way more my speed!). This game is absolutely amazing, and really, REALLY deserves more attention than it's been getting. It has a few issues with story pacing, and a couple nasty difficulty spikes toward the end, but overall this game is far and away the best retro throwback I have EVER seen. It's often compared to Sonic the Hedgehog, but I'm not kidding when I say it SURPASSES Sonic the Hedgehog -- I would play Freedom Planet over any title in the entire Sonic franchise, hands down. The levels are huge, engaging and fun, the soundtrack is mindblowingly fantastic, the story and characters are charming, the sprite and tile work is exceptional in every regard... This is retro perfection, as far as I'm concerned. It achieved what Shovel Knight achieved, but even more so -- and I didn't even think that was possible before playing it. Anyone who has any love for anything Sonic owes it to themselves to play Freedom Planet, as it truly is one of the most perfect 2D platformers I've played in decades, and really cements the notion that we are currently living in the age of the indie greats. As with Shovel Knight, I can't wait for all the stretch goal content to get patched into Freedom Planet, and will absolutely, positively play through it again once it is -- and I already put a respectable 15+ hours into the game, which is pretty damned good for any Sonic-like to begin with!
...So there you have it. My top five games of the year.
What have you guys played that's wowed you in 2014?
-Tom