Best games of 2014...

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2014 was a decent year for gaming if you exclude the numerous buggy releases and tired rehash sequels. A few games were disappointing to say the least. The usual suspects like Ubisoft shoveled out AAA shit as usual, so there was a lot of that, which I tend to avoid at a $60 price tag. I often catch up on the previous years games at a discounted price, along with an avid interest in retro gaming, so a lot of the year I play older games. I'm not a big fan of buying huge numbers of games I don't play on Steam like some do with bundles though.


I enjoyed these games released this year:

South Park: The Stick of Truth - A must play for fans of the show. A pretty solid RPG lite. Not very deep though.

Nes Remix 2 - Remixed levels and challenges from classic games like Kid Icarus, Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Dr. Mario, and many more. Very fun with lots of replay value.

Mario Kart 8 - Hands down one of the best games of the year. Worth buying a Wii U for alone.

Super Smash Brothers - Read above.

Xenonauts - The true successor to the X-com throne. Not quite as good though.

Shovel Knight - One of the best side-scrolling games I've played in awhile.

Divinity: Original Sin - I actually enjoyed this one more than Wasteland 2 unfortunately.

Wasteland 2 - One of the few standout RPG's of the year although a bit rough around the edges.

Bayonetta 2 - Best action game of the year.


Some other games I haven't had a chance to spend time with like Thomas Was Alone, Early Access stuff that I won't mention since they technically aren't finished. Double Dragon Neon was a very fun 2 player remake/sequel. I got it for super cheap on sale. Overall it was a year of catching up on old games I missed along with a few solid titles like the ones above. I missed out on quite a few good games (or so I hear) that were released like:


Alien Isolation - I've heard good things, especially if it is as hard as some people say it is. Survival Horror is one of my favorite genres.

Wolfenstein - I've heard good things and I love me some old school FPS...

Transistor - Came out near the beginning of the year with a few rave reviews. Worth a look I think.

Child of Light - I dig the art style, so Ubisoft gets a freebie on this one.

Bravely Default - A solid JRPG with a botched ending.

Hyrule Warriors - A neat twist on the Dynasty Warriors formula.

Oddworld: New and Tasty - A remake of one of my favorite games of all time.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - I haven't got into Dragon Age very much as a series.

Dark Souls 2 - I played Demon Souls, but haven't picked up this series yet.

Nuclear Throne?

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft - People keep talking about it, so I may try it. My internet sucks so that is a bitch.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - One of the few Wii U games I need to pick up.


I haven't had the chance of playing through Evil Within but I do own it. Feel free to chime in with your opinions. What are some of your favorite games released in 2014? Did 2014 disappoint?
 
I have nothing really new to add to this list really, perhaps I should check out a few titles that I have ignored previously.

Not really the best game as it had plenty of flaws of its own but the title I enjoyed a lot was Alien Isolation which I got for my birthday.

I also really liked Strider 2014, a sort of 'remake' or re-imagining of the Strider 1 and 2 Arcade games and the NES title.
A very fast paced action platformer with elements of Metroid on it.

Wasteland 2 was a bit of a disappointment for me but I realize that is because my expectations were so different.
I expected something Fallout 1 and 2 like and I really should have played Wasteland 1 to get a better idea of the gameplay.
 
TorontRayne said:
I played Demon Souls, but haven't picked up this series yet.
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Okay, why is THIS the first I've heard of this news? I demand to know! I don't recall you sharing your glee about it in my submission thread in the RPGs list subforum (or did you find it BECAUSE of my recommendation?) some years back... =(

As for my Best of 2014... I can't really make a list, cause all I played this year were older titles. =/

I PICKED UP Dark Souls 2, but haven't played it yet.
 
The Dutch Ghost said:
Wasteland 2 was a bit of a disappointment for me but I realize that is because my expectations were so different.
I expected something Fallout 1 and 2 like and I really should have played Wasteland 1 to get a better idea of the gameplay.
Click to expand...

I must say I was slightly disappointed by Wasteland 2. It felt like it was lacking a few elements to elevate it to greatness alongside Fallout 1 and 2. I have no doubt that some of the issues are due to the assets used in making the game, budget concerns, and having a huge legacy to live up to. I look forward to returning to it after a long hiatus. I stopped halfway through my second playthrough. Divinity: Original Sin has changed so much since I played it due to patches and expanded content. I hope Wasteland 2 is the same.


SnapSlav said:
TorontRayne said:
I played Demon Souls, but haven't picked up this series yet.
Click to expand...
Okay, why is THIS the first I've heard of this news? I demand to know! I don't recall you sharing your glee about it in my submission thread in the RPGs list subforum (or did you find it BECAUSE of my recommendation?) some years back... =(


As for my Best of 2014... I can't really make a list, cause all I played this year were older titles. =/


I PICKED UP Dark Souls 2, but haven't played it yet.
Click to expand...

I suppose the reason I haven't gotten into the series yet is due to my poor internet connection. I feel I would miss out on some of the experience. I've followed it since it came out - several of my friends are big fans - but I have put it off along with several other RPG's due to a huge backlog. RPG's take a lot of commitment in order to beat them. I feel I have to play the original before the sequel, so I end up putting it off, much like Dragon Age and Mass Effect; Two series which I have the same problem with.

Granted I have little to no interest in Mass Effect, but Dragon Age: Inquisition intrigues me. I played some of Origins, but it wasn't my copy so I didn't devote a lot of time to it. If I had to pick one game out of all the games of 2014 it would either be Divinity: Original Sin or Wasteland 2. As far as multiplayer goes, I would choose Smash or Mario Kart.
 
Yeah I will also wait until Wasteland 2 has had some expansion material before I continue on my first play-through. (and some of the broken quests have been better fixed)
 
There are only three games from 2014 I've played, is hard to tell which one hooked me the most though:

Legend of Grimrock 2
Eschalon: Book III
Lords of Xulima
 
I only played Wasteland 2 amongst all the games that came out in 2014. Was a bit of a letdown. I realise now that I had extreme expectations, basically Fallout 1 but with awesome combat, and a good bit longer. I reached the part when that Lt. Whoever sends me out to Griffith Park, and I don't think that I can continue (Continue?) The part when Dugan's robots basically break in the base and barely anyone acknowledges that anything happened was the last straw, especially after a million combat encounters where I did the same shit over and over again.
That said the Canyon of the Titan, and the political situation there was awesome. Take notes, Bethesda, that is how Megaton and the Church of the Atom should have been done.
 
Most of what I played in 2014 were old games from my GOG.com library, but of the few that did come out this year (or recent to it):

Shovel Knight: Probably the best platformer I've ever played. Incredible that a game like this came out now. Amazing that it's not simply an attempt to cash-in on nostalgia, but to be a great game on its own. HEAVENLY soundtrack and diverse gameplay. Perfectly challenging.

Dominions 4: Dominions is an old turn-based strategy series that I had never even known of until now. IT'S INSANELY DEEP. Has a huge amount of different factions (over 30 and they are quite different) too many units and abilities to count. Also you don't have to literally conquer the world. You area God that has "dominion" and the more powerful you are overall the more your dominion spreads across the world. If yours is high enough enemy gods can't survive or are so weak you can practically roll over them. Also there are "thrones" on the map which are set to grant victory if you control 2/3 of them so you can still win even at equal odds if you control them. Also they grant dominion bonuses even if you can't get 2/3 making them worth it.

Risk of Rain: One of the best co-op games I've ever played. An action platformer with perma-death and lots of random enemies/loot. It feels so unique, but it's really just the combining of multiple mechanics you see in widely different games.

Hammerwatch: An hack'n'slash dungeon explorer. Has decent content, but the levels aren't randomly generated and the mechanics are plain and simple. Does what it does well, but it's nothing unique. Play with a group of friends all the way through once then be done.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
 
TorontRayne said:
The Dutch Ghost said:
Wasteland 2 was a bit of a disappointment for me but I realize that is because my expectations were so different.
I expected something Fallout 1 and 2 like and I really should have played Wasteland 1 to get a better idea of the gameplay.
Click to expand...

I must say I was slightly disappointed by Wasteland 2. It felt like it was lacking a few elements to elevate it to greatness alongside Fallout 1 and 2. I have no doubt that some of the issues are due to the assets used in making the game, budget concerns, and having a huge legacy to live up to. I look forward to returning to it after a long hiatus. I stopped halfway through my second playthrough. Divinity: Original Sin has changed so much since I played it due to patches and expanded content. I hope Wasteland 2 is the same.


SnapSlav said:
TorontRayne said:
I played Demon Souls, but haven't picked up this series yet.
Click to expand...
Okay, why is THIS the first I've heard of this news? I demand to know! I don't recall you sharing your glee about it in my submission thread in the RPGs list subforum (or did you find it BECAUSE of my recommendation?) some years back... =(


As for my Best of 2014... I can't really make a list, cause all I played this year were older titles. =/


I PICKED UP Dark Souls 2, but haven't played it yet.
Click to expand...

I suppose the reason I haven't gotten into the series yet is due to my poor internet connection. I feel I would miss out on some of the experience. I've followed it since it came out - several of my friends are big fans - but I have put it off along with several other RPG's due to a huge backlog. RPG's take a lot of commitment in order to beat them. I feel I have to play the original before the sequel, so I end up putting it off, much like Dragon Age and Mass Effect; Two series which I have the same problem with.

Granted I have little to no interest in Mass Effect, but Dragon Age: Inquisition intrigues me. I played some of Origins, but it wasn't my copy so I didn't devote a lot of time to it. If I had to pick one game out of all the games of 2014 it would either be Divinity: Original Sin or Wasteland 2. As far as multiplayer goes, I would choose Smash or Mario Kart.
Click to expand...

Definitely finish at least Origins before trying Inquisition, and having a peek at the wiki or codex entries to get up to speed on the lore wouldn't hurt either. Inquisition doesn't do a fantastic job of providing you with context in the first few hours of the game if you don't already know about the situation in Orlais, the aftermath of the Blight, the Mage-Templar war, and who in the blazes Hawke, Varric and Cassandra are. My advice to is to also hit the Dragon Age Keep; it's a cool savegame creator that also has a narration detailing the events of Origins and DA2.


As for RPGs this year, I'm probably going to be lapidated for this, but neither Wasteland 2 nor Divinity: Original Sin inspired me.

Wasteland 2 seemed to be, I don't know, going though the motions? Perhaps it's because I don't have a particular attachement to point build systems and turn-based combat, but the gameplay didn't do anything special to me. Creating a party, complete with backstory and all, was great, but beyond that the game was just a bit dull. So many times you have to stop and roll the dice on a skill to usually get menial rewards. Quest design wasn't really special, dialog was usually good but nothing amazing, and the game doesn,t look really good, I prefer the look of Fallout. I ended up not finishing it, gonna have to do that this year, it's not a bad game but it's not Fallout come again. Which makes sense beause Wasteland, but still.

Divinity had great combat gameplay, and, well, average or poor everything else. The setting is so generic and nondescript it hurts, the story a bit bland with no standout moments, the writing often mediocre and sometimes juvenile (puns are not funny, sorry Larian), the persuasion minigame is a fucking joke, the roleplay elements forgetable, voice acting is cheesy as hell, the characters one-note and boring, the enemies are all kina similar after a while save for a handful of boss monsters, and balance is truly all over the damn place. Late game Madora and my warrior PC became damn near invincible and trivialized anything but CC heavy fights. On the plus side the game looks good, quest design is usually pretty decent if sometimes buggy (I obtained the Staff of Pergamon earlier than intended and couldn't hand it over to anyone) and the character creation, stat system and combat mechanics are all very solid. So it's a very solid third-person isometric game, but as an RPG it's really nothing spectacular I find.

Weirdly enough Inquisition is on the other end of the sceptrum; its combat mechanics are overly simplified (albeit you can create cool builds, especially as a Rogue or Mage) and the quest design/fetch quest abundance is just bad, but everything else is pretty good. The story is fairly predictable but well presented with standout moments, the main quests are universally very good, the choices matter more than in any other Bioware game, the dialog is overall solid, the characters are great as usual, the graphics are pretty gorgeous in most places, the open world is actually pretty damn solid (complete with unique items and Codex entries hidden off the beaten paths) and the crafting is good if a bit broken towards the endgame. The expansions to the lore were also quite good, with Dragon Age being the first video game to actually make me interested in its elves. And finally, the dragon battles give Skyrim's a run for their money, and Witcher 2's ultra-scripted dragon fight doesn't compare either.

So while Inquisition is in no way perfect and is not as good as Origins, it's still my Game of the Year 2014. Admitedly it hasn't been an amazing year, but still. Honorable mentions go to;

-Alien: Isolation for being a great horror and survival game, nailing the Alien feel and look just right, and surprisingly being a great licensed game. It's a bit too long, but well worh it.

-Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, another licensed game that had no business being good but actually was. The core gameplay is fairly standard Batman Arkham fare, but the Nemesis system is amazing and allows you to create power struggles, alliances and rivalries among the Orks, it's very well thought out and innovative. Nothing like finally behading that one asshole of a Warcheif after he kills you three times.

-Wolfenstein: The New Order, a very competent single-player FPS that manages to rightly balance fun shooting and compelling storytelling. The story isn't amazing and the weapon variety is not so large, but the game is well built enough to make you forget it. It also features one of the very few love stories in a game that doesn't make me cringe. If nothing else, you get to shoot Nazis on the moon with lazers, that's gotta be worth something right?

-The Banner Saga, a very well put together indie RPG-Oregon Trail crossover that has you manage a caravan of vikings and giants as they battle armored monsters. The core gameplay is turn-based and while simple, is quite well put together. The story and characters are good even if not presented in the best of ways, and the game has tons of lore on its map screen alone. It's also quite unforgiving and bad decisions will cost you a lot. I liked it a lot.
 
I assumed as much. Same reason I haven't ever tried to get into Assassins Creed. I agree with your comments about Wasteland 2 and Divinity: Original Sin for the most part. The combat was the strong point for D:OS. The story was incredibly generic, predictable, cliche, etc, however, I do think the gameplay more than made up for any weakness in the story/C&C department. I was compelled to actually put 60 hours into the game, complete it, and consider going back for another playthrough sometime soon, since they have fixed a lot of the games issues since I have played. I strongly agree though. Not the best RPG of all time, but I found it very fun to play.

Wasteland 2 couldn't live up to Fallout's legacy imo. That was almost an impossible task in the first place, so it isn't a big surprise. I do think it could have been a lot more fun without the grinding/looting problems. It became a slog, tedious, monotonous to get through. The plot was not the strong point in that game either. The atmosphere was convincing enough to get by, but Unity assets were not very impressive. I would take the old Fallout graphics over Wasteland 2. I did enjoy the hell out of it though. I hope some patches fix the problems I have with it.
 
Hashtag #nemesissystem.
Persona 4 Ultimax and the New Guilty Gear, both better fighting games than Smash (altho Smash is still fun).
 
I think the only 2014 title that I've played was Banished. Interesting little title, relaxing and fits the mood in the long, wintry evenings such as these.
Rewarding too, but it gets somewhat tiring. I suppose it isn't for everybody. Me, I liked it, but haven't exactly played it all that much.

Other than that all I've played are some older titles.
 
TorontRayne said:
I assumed as much. Same reason I haven't ever tried to get into Assassins Creed. I agree with your comments about Wasteland 2 and Divinity: Original Sin for the most part. The combat was the strong point for D:OS. The story was incredibly generic, predictable, cliche, etc, however, I do think the gameplay more than made up for any weakness in the story/C&C department. I was compelled to actually put 60 hours into the game, complete it, and consider going back for another playthrough sometime soon, since they have fixed a lot of the games issues since I have played. I strongly agree though. Not the best RPG of all time, but I found it very fun to play.

Wasteland 2 couldn't live up to Fallout's legacy imo. That was almost an impossible task in the first place, so it isn't a big surprise. I do think it could have been a lot more fun without the grinding/looting problems. It became a slog, tedious, monotonous to get through. The plot was not the strong point in that game either. The atmosphere was convincing enough to get by, but Unity assets were not very impressive. I would take the old Fallout graphics over Wasteland 2. I did enjoy the hell out of it though. I hope some patches fix the problems I have with it.
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I don't think Original Sin is a bad game at all, it's good, but I do think it's been a bit overhyped as an RPG because people saw what it represented (indie third-person RPG, turn-based, lotsa stats, sticking it to the Dragon Age Man) rather than what is actually in the game to a degree. I want games like it to keep being made because the market needs to be reminded that some game mechanics are just good no matter how old they are, but I'm not sure Larian are good enough writers to pull off a really great RPG. So I kinda rest my hopes on Pillars of Eternity (only Kickstarter title I've backed), to provide both good writing and ye olde school gameplay.
 
They acknowledged in one of their news that the writting is amongs the area they should improve themselves.
Sure, it doesn't mean they will improve it in the way we think off, but it is still better than a battle they don't want to pick...
 
Whipp Snappers need to learnto respect turn based systems, just because something is real time doesn't make it more advanced...
 
My problem with Wasteland 2 is that it looks... I don't know, I don't expect the graphics to be great, but... I guess for me it looks like even after the final release and even the updates we are still in beta. I will compare to another kickstarter project "Shadowrun Returns", it's graphics aren't last generation top budget ones, it doesn't even has voice acting, it's all text, but the game just looks gorgeous, and polished. Well, the opposite happened to me with Wasteland 2. It's not about the technology or the money, it just doesn't "look" right. Can't really put my finger on it.
 
True story.


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