I did my top five movies of 2014 so what about the games? Well I’m going to do just that.

I was originally going to do just the games I managed to play during the year of 2014, not necessarily the games that came out in the year. However I found that there technically was five games that came out this year that I thoroughly enjoyed. I strongly believe that games are becoming more and more interesting nowadays than what they were in the 1990’s and older, better graphics and great stories aren’t just the only aspects to why I believe this. Perhaps it’s the capabilities of what we can do now than we could have with pixellated art in the past? I dunno. Whatever the case is, games are getting stronger by the year.

Now I must warn that this list might seem a little biased to some since most of my games are played on one specific console due to what consoles I do have, but consider that the games are possibly multi platform and not just exclusive to one, at least most are. And I’m including games I actually played and physically experienced and not just games I just saw an ad for or something.

Either way, here is my list of favorite 2014 games:

#5

Release: March 11th, 2014
Platform: Playstation 3
The Dark Souls serious is definitely a love and hate relationship to its fans. Loved for its great gameplay, beautiful environments and character designs but hated for its typically hard as rock difficulty.
As a sequel to the original Dark Souls game, it does everything a sequel to a game like this should do. The graphics are better polished, same gameplay with a few tweaks and minor changes, and new looking creatures, knights, monsters, etc.
My history with the “souls” series goes way back to when I purchased Demon’s Souls. This was the game that truly demonstrated how much of a pain in the arse a game can be, never have I been more frustrated… until Dark Souls.

The four of us each obtained our own copy of the collector’s edition of Dark Souls (the one with the tin case and art book). Geoff and Shrew purchased the 360 version while I and Taylor got the PS3 versions. To be Honest, I couldn’t get too far. Geoff and Taylor never got too far either and Shrew was the only one able to beat it. I did unfortunately sell it due to a deal for another game; however I re-obtained the first game once the second one became a hit for everyone. I also borrowed the 360 copy from Geoff and went really far on that version, and obtained this new second installment during the winter holidays.
The big reason why this game is at number five is due to my lack of playing it. I have played a bit of it and have watched a bunch of play from Geoff, I plan on getting to it more very soon in the New Year. But whatever the case, this game didn’t disappoint in 2014.

#4

Release: March 21st, 2014
Platform: Playstation 4
I’ll admit I was never really too into the Infamous games. I have played all releases in the series (with the exception of Last Light at the time of writing this) but other than the impact of Festival of Blood and the second game’s near ending stuff, there wasn’t too much in my opinion. Second Son seems to have gone a different route though, a good one.
Instead of the comic-style art of the animations, they have now become very realistic and have certainly taken a lot of the next gen’s capabilities into account. They implemented controls of the new Dualshock 4 are used quite well for this game, this game might have actually been the first to use almost all the Dualshock 4 controls.
The new character is also pretty enjoyable in my opinion, characters that are rebels or troublemakers seem to make the best heroes in the long run. Other side characters are even enjoyable. I know a few people were sad not to see familiar faces appear in the main game storyline, but other than a few side characters I never truly cared for them all that much, so I as long as these characters were good I could care less.
Taylor and I went to get this game as soon as it released. We plowed through it really quickly and completed the good ending. It was certainly one of our bigger successful playthroughs so that’s partly why this game is on the list. The reason it’s at number 4? Well even though we completed and enjoyed the game, it was still earlier in the year and hasn’t been played since. Also the fact that there were three more games I liked more.
Overall, Infamous is certainly a treat and a great exclusive to the PS4. Now I need to play through First Light.

#3

Released: August 26th, 2014
Platform: Playstation 4
There were a lot of remastered editions of games that came out for the next generation of consoles, quite early to be honest. We aren’t complaining though, their choices for remasterd editions have been good choices. My favorite decision for a remaster? The Metro games.
I originally played Metro 2033 on the 360 after a long while of searching. I played through the game really quickly and enjoyed every minute of it. A lot of things were similar to other games yet it felt very new. This is probably due to its premise and switch between monster shooting and shooting/stealth sneaking around the human enemies.
I never did purchase the sequel, Metro Last Light, when it originally came out which I planned on getting later on but have forgotten overtime. The announcement of Metro Redux was the thing that re-reminded me of my love for the original game and I decided to purchase Redux ASAP.
Redux is technically the two games with all DLC, and a new choice or gameplay modes survival and Spartan. The games are relatively the same graphics just sharpened, but the new controller’s contributions make the game play a little differently but in a good way.
Sure it’s technically a re-release but it’s a good one. Definitely going to be on my list!

#2

Release: October 7th, 2014
Platform: Playstation 4
I will never forgive those few reviewers for their Piss-Poor reviews on this game, because this game is one of the better horror games I’ve played for a long time.
Alien Isolation takes after the original Alien film and before James Cameron’s Aliens sequel. Follows the untold tale of Ripley’s daughter who hopes to find her mother, but of course gets screwed over by alien creatures known as Xenomorphs to fans. The story itself of course is not the true main focus as it is the scares. And scaring is what this game does best.
This game succeeds in creature a super intelligent creature this is always unpredictable and makes the play experience different for every soul who plays this. You can also be attacked by Androids and other surviving humans throughout the game, which gives you many playthrough opportunities. Perhaps the best moments in the game are the moments of feeling completely hopeless and alone as something is trying to find and kill you. The alien in particular is not just impossible to kill, it’s simply just unkillable. The idea of just having one alien creature pursue you throughout the game was possible the best decision ever.
Yeah, some complaints involve some dialogue choices and the animations on the human characters. But honestly who gives a crap what the humans are doing??? The game is all about the experience and horror you feel when trying to survive.
I purchased this game on the Playstation 4 around the time some minor glitches were taking place, so I had to wait a bit longer to play it in its true glory. The wait was definitely worth it though.

So if you like the Alien franchise and love survival horror games, this is not one to miss!

#1

Release: September 30th, 2014
Platform: Playstation 4

So one day an Assassin’s Creed game and a Batman Arkham game met one night. Nine months later a baby was born, apparently a baby that loved J. R. R. Tolkien.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a game that successfully takes the best of both worlds and manages to make a game just as good or better. The choice of introducing the expansive middle-earth history with its characters and timeline was a smart choice to help bring in current fans as well as curious ones. The enemy system in this game is beyond genius and makes each game for each player different with its randomly generated baddies. And the consequences of getting killed or defeated are painful but believable.
I got this game expecting too many generic and obvious choices, but still expected to enjoy it. Instead I got a unique game with the mix of similar and new but all greatly mashed together, and an even more entertaining than expected experience. I highly recommend this game for next gen, particularly on the Playstation 4. The graphics are impressive even if the characters aren’t super realistic, the combat is very responsive and fluid and all the cool wraith noises coming out of the Dualshock 4 actually make the experience even better. The story may seem simple and short, but even the game itself knows that it’s a game first and foremost.
A game that was truly fun and unique, one that went beyond my expectations and that is why it was my most favorite 2014 released game.

What were your favorite games? Were they games that came out in the year or just games you discovered during the year? Please let us know! Until next time…