So this is it the end of 2014, what a year.
Come and see what games were our favorites (Spoiler: it’s not Plants VS Zombies, which is bull if you ask me).
Lander:
Like always, 2014 had tons of games and I just haven’t got the time to play them all. The quality of most of the games this year was insane, picking three games as a personal favourite isn’t that easy but here I go.
Bayonetta 2
Everything about this game just feels right. Nintendo did good by supporting Platinum Games on this one. Bayonetta 2 is the sequel everyone was hoping for and even better! The fast paced action we loved is back and is worked out to perfection. Bayonetta 2 is the only game in the genre that can pull off such over the top action. And don’t forget to use those awesome Nintendo costumes on the fabulous witch!
Grand Theft Auto V
Although I haven’t played the next-generation version that much, it sure deserves a spot in my list. Rockstar really went all out and even included the anticipated first person mode. Playing GTA V in first person on your new console really is something special. For the first time ever in the franchise, you’re really able to see the brutal life trough the eyes of your character. Also note that the graphics look incredibly good this time, so this sure is one of the games I enjoyed most in 2014.
Mario Kart 8
A new Mario Kart on a Nintendo console is always something to look forward to. Mario Kart Wii was a little bit of a disappointment but Mario Kart 8 hits the right spot once more! The tracks and characters look gorgeous in high-definition and there’s not a big difference between retro and new tracks. Aside of the looks, the anti-gravity is more than a simple gimmick but can really affect the way you play. Using the anti-gravity means you need to use new rules and tactics. The added DLC character Link is just awesome and plays like a charm. Also remember that there’s more DLC coming later next year. Oh and you can finally destroy that annoying Blue Shield of Death!
Honorable mention
As said before, I couldn’t name all of the game but an honorable mention goes to Sunset Overdrive.
This new IP did great on Xbox One. It’s the first in many I hope and it was definitely one of the bigger surprises of 2014. The game lacked variation but it was a fun and fresh ride nevertheless!
Jean:
Well 3rd place marks the beginning with Mario Kart 8 on WiiU.
I found myself playing this game way too much and the online really got beneath my skin. It’s a great looking game and I mean, how wrong can you go with Mario Kart?
2nd place is a game I discovered online a couple of months ago. It’s called Town of Salem.
It’s a free browser game that doesn’t need you to install anything. The game’s core mechanic relies on you talking yourself out of being killed by other real players. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played so far and you can play it from any computer within the browser. Addictive and a whole lot of fun!
Well maybe not a surprise but the remastered version of GTA V on PS4 seems to keep me captivated everyday.
The game has a new fresh 1st person mode which adds so much to the game and I sure hope this will be a standard viewing point in any upcoming titles including Red Dead Redemption 2 (much speculated) and future GTA titles. GOTY for me!
Kristof:
Michiel:
For me the best game of 2014 was Middle-earth: Shadows Of Mordor.
Especially for 2 main reasons: it follows up the mechanics of the “Assassin’s Creed” franchise and it’s set in the universe of Lord Of The Rings. The Lord Of The Rings franchise had some ups and downs when it comes to “good games set in the LOTR- universe.” When I looked at the movies, I always wanted to be that bad-ass orc killer like Legolas and Aragorn but only the hack and slash genre came close to my expectations. This game had it all, you’re a swordsman expert with some elvish archery skills and to top it all off, you had some ghostly skills that could mess up your enemies mind. The game had a good story and they stayed true to the story of the movies. The combat was very fluid and the way you could block and counter attack an enemy just felt right. I agree it had a lot of the Assassin’s Creed franchise but what game doesn’t copy mechanics of another game and makes it their own?
This is a must own game if you love the Assassin’s Creed, a hack and slash fan and even a Lord Of The Rings fan will feast upon this game.
Yordi:
2014 was more of a backlog year for me so I haven’t played that much this year.
That being said there is only once every console cycle that we get to enjoy and get excited about a super Smash bros. title so of course this was one of my most anticipated games ever.
The game doesn’t feel as slow as Brawl and removed tripping so that makes it automatically better from a gameplay standpoint, but what I find to be disappointing is just the lack of modes and the features removed from Brawl. Overall the core of the game is better than ever but there is a lack of the great modes that the predecessors had that made it way more enjoyable(like break the targets, boss mode and Subspace Emissary).
When I first played this game I knew what I was going to get: Call Of Duty with mechs and I don’t know about you but love me some mechs so Titanfall was an obvious pick whet I got my Xbox One.
Now some people say they were disappointed when the game came out and wasn’t the revolutionary FPS they hoped it would be. Well it’s their own damn fault from the beginning it was clear that Titanfall was just what I said earlier Call Of Duty with mechs and for what it was it was really fun and enjoyable.
This game is my pick for best game this year it’s a really fun and solid third person shooter experience and a really charming one to. It’s Plants VS. Zombies Garden Warfare.
The game is just fun to the core: the multiple classes have sub-classes to unlock,everyone looks and plays different, the maps are big and have a lot of variation and the list goes on. I personally like the plants way more than the zombies but both are excellent. You can play in all out war with up to 24 player and it can get crazy but not so much as to ruin the experience. So if you have the chance to check this game out just do it you won’t regret it if you are an avid online shooter player.
Honorable mentions go out to The Last Of Us Remastered I didn’t have the chance to play this game when it came out, but as soon as the gem came to PS4 I got it played it and like most people think it is one of the best games ever. But since it originally came out on PS3 in 2013, I will not count this one.
And a small shout out to Dungeon Keeper(PCn not IOS) which I played for the first time this year and I’m not a big RTS fan but this one is one of my new favorite games. I also decided not to add Mario Kart cause someone else would talk about it and no one would mention PvZ
Sander:
And there you have it clearly Shadows Of Mordor was the most popular around the group followed closely by Grand Theft Auto,Mario Kart and Dragon Age.
So what are your favorite games that came out this year. Let us know in the comments and a happy new year from the guys here at Gaming Boulevard.
