My Top Five Games of 2014

One year has ended and another one has begun and I for one am very happy for that. 2014 was for the most part a really crappy year for video games. Lots of disappointments from big budget publishers, lots of immaturity from independent developers, and what can only be described as the collapse of traditional gaming culture surrounding the twitter hashtag that shall not be named. Regardless of all that 2014 did have quite a few good games came out this year it’s just that most of them flew under the radar with everything bad happening in the industry. This list is made up of games I have personally played this year so if you see a game that you like that isn’t on the list, either I haven’t played it yet, finished it, or liked it as much as you. I will try and cover those games in my honorable mentions, but I can’t promise that everything will be addressed. So without further delay here of my top five games of the year.

5. Octodad: Dadliest Catch

This was a really funny little game with a hilarious premise. You are a loving husband and father trying to hide that fact that you are actually an octopus. With deliberately awkward controls meant to simulate being an octopus trying to act like a person turning simple tasks like shopping for groceries into a very difficult task, Octodad manages to be fun lighthearted game that people of all ages and walks of life can enjoy.

4. Dragon Age: Inquisition

BioWare, once one of the most beloved of Role Playing Game developers in the industry, has a lot to make up for after several years of disappointing their audience with underwhelming games like Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3. However, I’m happy to say that the new Dragon Age game shows that they are getting back on track. With a large world to explore, rich characters to get to know, and a great combat system that manages to strike a balance between the tactics of Dragon Age: Origins and the action of Dragon Age 2. It just a damn fine game that RPG fans will defiantly enjoy.

3. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea

Irrational Games took all the criticism towards the original BioShock Infinite and used it to make a much richer experience both from a gameplay and narrative perspective in the two part Burial at Sea expansion. Giving the player more options on how to explore the environments and take care of enemies and obstacles, a chance to play as the now iconic character Elizabeth, and bringing the narratives of BioShock and BioShock Infinite full circle. This game is the swan song of Irrational Games which was forced close down after the production of this expansion, and all I have to say is thank you guys for creating such a wonderful world with rich characters to get to know.

2. Alien Isolation

Big budget publishers would like you to believe that survival horror is dead and no one wants to play games where you get scared, but the last few years have shown just how wrong that assumption was with the success of games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Outlast on the independent scene. Now we have a truly great big budget horror game in the form Alien Isolation which gives us a dangerous and richly detailed environment to explore, an unkillable, omnipotent threat to hide from, and just a great example of a great horror game.

                                                                              1. Transistor

This game is a masterpiece and shows that Supergiant Games’s first game Bastion was not simply beginners luck. These people know how to create a great game with an equally rich story to compliant it. I tried to write a simple review of this game many times last year, but I simply could not find the words to describe how much I love this game. I love the unique strategic combat, the wonderful setting, the rich characters, the sense of mystery, and most of all the soundtrack. Transistor has the best soundtrack I have ever heard in a game and how the music links with the game world is just the icing on the cake. This game is amazing and would recommend it to anyone.

Honorable Mentions

Games made by Ubisoft this year have pretty much universally sucked, but they did sneak a few good games like Valiant Hearts, Child of Light, and Far Cry 4. Bungie’s new game Destiny, while lacking much of what was promised is still a great game to play with friends online. South Park: The Stick of Truth was good, though it lacks replayability and is somewhat short. Wolfenstein: The New Order was a great shooter that I would recommend if you are tired of boring military shooters. Shovel Knight has been getting a lot of attention so I recommend checking that out if you can. Sunset Overdrive for Xbox One is also worth looking into. Nintendo has had a really good year with games for both the Wii U and the 3DS like Mario Cart 8, Super Smash Bros., Bayonetta 2, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Some other games I have played on PlayStation Network were pretty good like Velocity 2X, Steamworld Dig, and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Finally, on PC we have The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Wasteland 2, and Divinity: Original Sin. You know, given all the games I have recommended maybe 2014 wasn’t that bad after all; it just got drowned in all the bad stuff that happened this year. Here’s to hoping the 2015 is nowhere near as negative as this year.