Friday 23 January 2015

Top Ten Games of 2014


2014 has been a rather peculiar year for games. Youtuber 'Superbunnyhop' noted that while last year was all about narrative innovations in the gaming medium with games like Brothers and The Last of Us, 2014 was the year where gaming got silly again. While there were still some games this year that really pushed the envelop in terms of what the form of games can accomplish, a majority of releases instead focused on delivering more bombastic and rehashed experiences of what we have come to expect. Being silly isn't necessarily a bad thing however as many games on this list encapsulate experiences that offer pure joy and entertaining game-play without any pretentiousness getting in the way. The games on this list honour the best of a just plain fun year.

Also please bear in mind that I do not own an Xbox One or Playstation 4, I play a majority of my games on the PC and the Wii U. I also have not had a chance to check out many of the 'newer' games of this year like Far Cry 4 or The Evil Within as they are a little too pricey right now for my student wallet. With that said, lets dive right into the list:


  1. Octodad: Dadliest Catch



If you took Surgery Simulator and combined it with The Simpsons then you'd get an experience pretty close to Octodad. The premise of the game is simple: You are an octopus who is happily married with kids and no-one is any the wiser to the fact you are an aquatic lifeform. The main appeal of the game is the intentionally terrible controls, you are in command of two arms and two legs which are horrendously difficult to manipulate (and actually deliciously worse in multiplayer). You are then asked to do everyday tasks like make coffee and take your children to the supermarket but more often you end up slipping over and breaking everything. And it's absolutely hilarious while somehow managing to be heart-warming, because at the end of the day, Octodad just wants to be a good father. Even when he's flopping around the garden trying to mow the lawn.

  1. Broken Age



You play as Shay a boy confined to a space station ruled over by your over-bearing mother, routinely forced to save galaxies from ice-cream avalanches and extremely slow train crashes. You also play as Vella, a bakery girl from a village being terrorised by a monstrous deity. It's also her turn to be offered as a sacrifice to the beast to save the village, but she has other plans. Born from the brilliant mind of Tim Schafer, who spawned other cult classics like Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, this point-and-click adventure games remains one of the most inventive and witty experiences of the year. While it may be popular to scrutinise how the game was funded and produced the end result is very impressive.

  1. Bayonetta 2



Leave it up to Platinum Games to once again deliver a game with this much energy and show-stopping power. Bayonetta 2 begins with you kicking and shooting a legion of angels on top of a fighter-jet speeding through a metropolis. So it's basically business as usual for this ass-kicking witch. Armed with pistols, knives, chainsaw heels, a shotgun scythe and a hammer bigger than Bono's ego, it is pretty hard not to have a satisfying time killing enemies. And there are a lot of enemies to kill. The action can seem pretty hectic at times, just watching gameplay videos will make you wonder just how anyone can actually play this game but it ends up being simultaneously simple and oh-so rewarding to control Bayonetta on her journey to Hell.

  1. Walking Dead Season 2



While technically the first part of this game saw an late 2013 release I am putting it here because 80% of this game was released this year and it's not one you want to miss. Season 1 of The Walking Dead was my number one game of 2012 and Season 2 keeps that ball rolling. While it doesn't offer much new over the original it does continue the story and (for the most part) seal of quality the series is know for. TellTale just have a knack for putting players in positions they despise being in. Decisions you make in this game as big as who to kill off in your party to the small lies you may tell your fellow survivors build a remarkably involving experience that will keep you doubting your decisions through to the very end.

  1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze



The platformer is one of gamings oldest genres, but leave it to Retro Studios to produce a game that takes a concept that we hold so dear and just run with it. Donkey Kong handles a little differently to Mario, and that does take some time getting used to, but it gives DK a heavier style which adds character. Other members of the Kong family also lend a hand, providing temporary power-ups which you feel practically naked without sometimes. But by far the most impressive thing about this game is its great sense of place. As you move between worlds you witness your environments evolve and throw some really gorgeous looking worlds at you that are brimming with life. The challenge is the other thing that will hook you, despite all their bright colours, these levels will really test your mettle, dishing out crumbling platforms and cruelly placed enemies at every turn. The difficulty curves to well that although each new world can be tough at first, you will rarely lose the will to press Donkey Kong through to the end.


  1. Shovel Knight


It's strange to think that a game modeled on software from the 1980's would appear on a top ten list in 2014 but Shovel Knight is just irresistibly excellent. Everything about this game just evokes nostalgia thanks to several nods to games from our childhoods. From everything that it borrows it gives back so much more through it's stellar music, stages, boss fights and tone. Playing as the titular knight is responsive and intuitive and you are on his side the entire way as he battles towards his long lost love. His journey also lends itself to one of the best and most unique after-level mini-games of all time as you are forced to hopelessly forced to fend off waves of enemies to catch your falling beloved, all while blending narrative and gameplay seamlessly. Just experiencing this sequence alone is worth the price of admission.

  1. Binding of Issac: Rebirth


The original Binding of Issac was a game I picked up on a whim for £1, I expected to enjoy it's gimmick briefly and then forget about it. Instead I ended up racking over 70 hours of gameplay on it. Now that this new and updated version (which almost feels like a directors cut) has come out I have little reason to go back to the old game since Rebirth improves on every single aspect of the game. The controls are tight, the art-style is equal parts hideous and mesmerising
but it is the difficulty and random elements that makes this game more addictive than any mobile app and more satisfying than many other triple A releases this year.

  1. Mario Kart 8


I still can't believe just how pretty this game looks and how well it plays. It is apparent from the moment you start your engines that a lot of love went into the craft of this latest entry in the Mario Kart franchise. While it doesn't re-invent the wheel and the anti-gravity mechanic is a wee bit underutilised, it is still a blast to knock out your opponents while traveling up a waterfall or hanging upside-down. And with the second DLC pack due to release in May there is more than enough reason to keep coming back to the most complete Mario Kart experience to date.

  1. Towerfall Acsention


If Mario Kart makes you horribly competitive then steer clear of Towerfall Acsention. The game pits 2-4 archers head-to-head in a battle to the death. And death if frequent as a single arrow is enough to put you down but since matches typically last less than 30 seconds you'll be quickly thrown back into round 2 for a chance at revenge. A series of inventive and fun to abuse power-ups like exploding and ricocheting arrows are thrown into the mix to keep players on their toes and the core mechanics are simple to pick-up but have a lot of depth to them. It's laughably cheap as well compared to other games on this list. Once you invite a couple of friends over to play 'this cheap little indie game I picked up' it becomes clear that your money was well spent on this cracking game that will make you and your friends scream 'One more game!'

  1. Smash Bros


The number one spot was very heated this year in my mind, like a phoenix from the ashes, the local multiplayer genre made a comeback this year and in that category no game boasts the sheer content and fun factor of Super Smash Bros for Wii U. The roster is expansive and balanced featuring characters spanning all of Nintendo's most popular IP's and even including some great outsiders as well. It's exhilarating seeing all these characters fight one another in a way that so beautifully uncharacteristic it's hard not to smile when you see Mario unleashing destruction on Princess Peach. The fighting feels tighter than ever, and while you can't take advantage of the wave-dashing mechanics seen in Melee, everything feels responsive. Including the online which is near flawless if you have a good internet connection but this is a game that is begging to be played on a sofa with friends in yelling distance. Landing that one killer blow on a friend you never thought you could beat provides a rush you will tell you grand-kids about. Plus there is an absolute shed-load of collectable trophies, music tracks and special moves ensuring that OCD types will always be coming back for more.

In a year full of slightly silly, maybe less respectable games, Smash Brothers at least gives us the chance to share the best of that sillyness with friends.






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