Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane and Rinse Poll)

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James
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Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane and Rinse Poll)

Post by James »

Okay, okay, I'm dodging the Game Of The Year title to avoid concerns over it being in any way an absolute or official representation of this year in games... And I'm explaining that here to let everyone know that we're going to run a poll to find out what our collective favourite games of 2014 were.

The poll will be nice and simple; just post an ordered list of your top ten games of 2014 as a reply to this topic. I'll assign points from 10 to 1 (10 points for #1, 1 point for #10) accordingly and tally our totals to come up with a collaborative list.

For anyone that can't come up with 10, post what you can and I'll assign points for how ever many games are in your list. If you genuinely can't order the list, just post your 10 games and each will receive 5 points (fewer points overall than an ordered list, but a nice compromise for the indecisive).

I'll let this topic run for a week (until the end of the day on the 6th of January), and post the results next Wednesday. That should allow for any year's end surprise releases, and for us to dip into any holiday games we might be playing. Don't worry if your selection changes over the course of the week, just edit your original post accordingly and that'll avoid potentially confusing multiple posts.

Of course, there's no pressure to get involved, but the more of us that do the better the results will represent our forum. I'm going to tag this topic as a Sticky (hopefully, my fellow moderators won't mind). Oh, also, I'm a flagrant hypocrite, because I generally dislike lists - that said, personal lists and lists as fuel for a reasoned discussion can be fascinating, so please do let us all know why you chose the games you did. I'll get us started with the next post.

P.S. Oh, oh! I forgot to say that this is your list, so pick the games you want. There'll be no stipulation against any type of game, re-releases or even older games - just bear in mind that Carcassonne or Planescape Torment may not receive many other votes, however good it may be. ;)
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by James »

My list of 10 for 2014 is:

10 - The Room Two (Android)
Eerie and creepy, The Room series is the best tactile touch experience I've played.

9 - Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One)
Polar opposite to The Room Two, this is fast and simultaneously relaxed in a way that reminded me of Burnout and Outrun in the best way.

8 - Transistor (PS4)
Beautiful and haunting, with the permutations of functions offering great depth in combat.

7 - South Park: The Stick Of Truth (PS3)
The outrageous scenarios and over-the-line hilarity had me bawling and was exactly what I wanted from a South Park game. That gnome scene on the bed is one that'll linger.

6 - Shovel Knight (PC)
Ack! I haven't finished this yet, but it's bloody good so far. Boing! Boing! DAMN IT!

5 - Dark Souls II (PS3/PC)
I found Dark Souls II to be inferior, maybe even vastly inferior, to both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, but I can't deny the fact that I dove into Drangleic to the tune of 200 hours or so this year, and will gladly venture into the updated version next year.

4 - Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
Mario Kart 8 is an outstanding video game in every way. I feel comfortable saying that this version of Mario Kart is my favourite, just edging out even the original and DS variants. MK8 blew me away with how fun, balanced and complete it felt.

3 - Velocity 2X (Vita)
I know it's not free, but I'd have a PS+ subscription anyway, so I'm saying it - Velocity 2X is incredible, and it was FREE! FuturLab have accentuated the depth in mastering teleportation and learning the levels to complete them faster than you could imagine was possible.

2 - Resident Evil 4 (Ultimate HD Edition on PC)
Until this year I had never played more than the first hour or so of RE4. I am an idiot. Everything about RE4 is a delight, a crushing, creeping, claustrophobic, challenging delight. What an experience!

1 - The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth (Vita)
I always loved Isaac, but, once announced, I saved myself for the eventual release of Rebirth. Wow, am I glad that I did! The relentlessly bleak tone and dark vein of humour remain, and exploration is still a big factor in my enjoyment. An instant favourite, Isaac's basement is somewhere I, paradoxically, feel comfortable and safe. :mrgreen:
Last edited by James on January 6th, 2015, 11:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: To make it a bit shorter. No changes to the list... yet. And now there is!
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by AndyKurosaki »

Top 10 eh? Will have to edit this no doubt, but here goes:
South Park Stick Of Truth
Dark Souls 2
Bayonetta 2
Shadow Of Mordor
Rogue Legacy
Mario Kart 8
Far Cry 4
Call Of Duty Advanced Warfare
Velocity 2X
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by hazeredmist »

Great thread! Always love seeing people's top tens and will be interested to see an overall C&R list. Here's mine:

01 - Destiny (PS4) - Put simply this is the best shooter I've played in years, despite it's flaws it's single-handedly got me back into online / community gaming and it has to come top thanks to the sheer amount of time I've enjoyed spending with it compared to other games. Worth the price of a PS4 for me alone, I absolutely love Destiny and I will be playing it for a long time to come.
02 - Persona 4 Golden (Vita) - The best RPG I've ever played, and one I intend to revisit very soon.
03 - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havok (Vita) - A delightful mix of genres right up my street.
04 - Pokemon Y (3DS) - Ridiculously addictive game I couldn't put down until completion.
05 - Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) - The best driving/kart game I've played in years with well-executed online features and ludicrously good value DLC.
06 - Tearaway (Vita) [edited in from Super Mario 3D Land] - Completely forgot about this, finished it in one sitting if I remember rightly, what a delight this game was, it's not often another dev can pull off Nintendo levels of charm but Media Molecule did it. Not a moment too long either. Fully deserves it's place in the list.
07 - The Walking Dead - Season 2 (PS3) - Not as good as the first season but still a thrilling, affecting journey.
08 - Everybody's Golf (Vita) - The best handheld golf game there is.
09 - Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies (3DS) - A new iteration of Phoenix Wright will always win me over. Initially wasn't sure but it's a great entry in the series.
10 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) - I've only finished half of this before I foolishly put it down to play other games but it's time will come again soon. That 12 hours or so was an absolute blast and I know the rest will be just as good, if not better.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Indiana747 »

Right lets see, this could be a problem for me as if anyones seen my games completed list for 2014, i havent finished many of this years releases, even though i more than likely own loads. So with that in mind im going to have to break my self imposed rule of not voting for a game if i havent finished it(or at least played a sizeable chunk of).
10:Dust:An Elysian Tale.
Yep, start off with a game that's not from this year Don, idiot. Ive had this from release on my Xbox 360 but never played it(again, idiot). Then it comes free on PS+ for PS4 and I give it a shot. Gobsmacked that just one guy made this game, its absolutely gorgeous, a work of art. Pixel perfect combat with almost cutesy graphics juxtaposed with a deeply dark storyline. Simple and effective upgrade system fused into a game that oozes quality and love of games from its creator Dean Dodrill. Please play it, it beat Forza Horizon 2 to get my number 10 slot.

9:Infamous: First Light
I've got Second Son sitting on my shelf waiting to be played, but opted to try this first. Glad i did, its a superb little taster for that world, enjoyed it so much i went for the platinum.

8:Velocity 2X
I loved vertical & horizontal shooters when I was younger, so its no surprise to me that i enjoyed Velocity 2X so much. Big difficulty jump towards the end but thoroughly rewarding shooter nonetheless.

7:The Wolf Among Us
Some said Telltale were spreading themselves thin by doing Wolf Among Us while also making their Walking Dead series. Not the case at all, if this is anything to go by. Wonderful characters with adult content(no, not porn). Theres obviously a lot of creativity at Telltale if this is their side project.

6:Metro 2033 Redux
Also, not technically a 2014 game, far from it in fact. But its age is not an issue when the story is so good and the new gen hardware giving the graphics that extra gloss.

5:The Walking Dead: Season 2.
Carried on where Season 1 left off, both with storyline and intensity. Introduced some nasty characters, coupled with some disturbing scenes depending on your choices. Didn't tug at my heartstrings like the end of season 1 but then I never expected it too. Solid storyline, role on season 3.

4:The Evil Within
A game im only halfway through, my opionion may change by the end(it strikes me as a game that may do that), but from what ive played so far, colour me interested. It deserves to be this high on my list from what ive played so far.

3:Wolfenstein: The New Order.
Fun, fun, fun. Interesting split storyline, terrific score & atmospheric throwback to what shooters were years ago.

2:Alien Isolation
Tense, random, exhilarating, but another game im only halfway through. I will make it off the Sevastopol, but it may be in 2015 before i do so. "Shusssh, be quiet, it'll hear you".

1:Battlefield 4.
Now i know what some might say, but Don, that was released in 2013. Yes, & no. What was released over a year ago was an absolute abortion of a game, problems that would need a seperate thread to list, so im not going into that. The game that we have now is a million miles away from that mess, so im judging it as it is now(as DICE envisaged it from the start, what we would have gotten if EA wasnt trying so hard to compete with CoD that they sacrificed their bread winner to do so). This game is an amazing feat of gaming in my opinion, sustaining a 64 man battle with destructable environments & breathtaking graphics(when you have time to just stop & look at them) is no easy task. All this & trying to battle an online stigma of "fix your game Dice/EA" from idiots who havent played it from release. I've put in nearly 800hrs in total, met friends, made enemies, you know, standard multiplayer fare & loved it all.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Alex79 »

Relying mainly on PS+ I'm not sure I've even played ten new games this year. However, my top whatever list looks as follows :

1. Dark Souls II - the sequel to The. Best. Game. Ever. It had a lot to live up to and didn't quite reach the incredible heights of its predecessor, but for me it's still game of the year.

2. Binding Of Isaac Rebirth - having never played the original I had been looking forward to this, hanging on for the Vita version for age, and it did not disappoint. Epic in every sense of the word. I've played it every day almost since release and barely scratched the surface.

3. Resogun - possibly cheating but I've only got the Vita version which came out the other week. This is the best shooter I've played in over 30 years of gaming. Its utter perfection, not a wasted second or millimetre of screen space. Truly sublime.

4. The Evil Within - genuinely terrifying at times, and a real step back to the time when the Resi series was riding high. It has its faults but makes up for them in spades with its atmosphere and imagination.

I'll add to this over the next couple of days as I play my pile of new Christmas games and also remember what I've actually played this year.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Katieee120 »

5: South Park The Stick of Truth - probably the most funniest game I've ever played. Certain parts had me tearing up with laughter! I hadn't watched South Park in quite some time but this game persuaded me to go back.

4: Mincraft: I know I'm a bit late here but, only a few months ago, I really got into Mincraft. I don't know what finally turned me but something did. I spent days on end just going down in the mines and trying to find as much stuff as I could find.

3: GTA Remastered: I'm loving this game as much as the first time I played it. Even more so now because of the newly added first person view which just pulls you deeper into that world. It looks even more gorgeous than the original which I thought would be impossible. One if my favourite things about this upgrade is the newly added tracks to the radio stations. A few songs have joined my guilty pleasure list ;)

2: The Walking Dead Season 2: once again Telltale delivered and they succeed in making me cry. Multiple times. I will admit it's not as good as the first season but It definitely builds upon the base that was S1. Playing as Clemintine was an interesting change from Lee in S1. But Telltale succeeded in making me care about each individual character which is what they do best.

1: Dragon Age Inquisition: I think quite a few of you had already guessed what my GOTY was and yep, you guessed it. This game is just fantastic. Loving every minute. Up until realise day I was quite nervous because after the disappointment that was Dragon Age 2 and the controversial ending to Mass Effect 3 people were thinking was Bioware done? Had they had they done all that they could do? I'm happy to say that no, Bioware are not going anywhere and I think there is a bright future ahead for them. Dragon Age Inquistion is fantastic. Bioware have seemed to learn from their mistakes and actually listened to the fans suggestions. I love everything about this game. The characters, the places you can explore, the lore, the politics and relationships etc. Bioware have knocked it out of the park and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Beck »

I thought I'd really struggle to put together a list this year as I had a good few months of not playing a lot. I'm surprised at how much I've actually got through this year :)

10 - South Park stick of truth
9 - Wolfenstien new ordet
8 - Hearthstone
7 - Diablo 3
6 - Middle Earth : Shadow of mordor
5 - The last of us
4 - infamous Second Son
3 - Hotline Miami
2 - Persona 4 Golden
1 - Tearaway
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by hazeredmist »

Beck wrote: 1 - Tearaway
Holy shit, Tearaway was this year? I totally forgot about that. Editing my list! :D
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Beck »

Maybe I've misunderstood, I thought the list was my top ten games that I played in 2014? ;)
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Flabyo »

I've actually struggled to come up with 10. Not because there were so many games I loved, but because it seems there were so few...

In reverse order we get:

10 : Child of Light - Whimsical JRPG-lite from Ubiarts. Not everyone will like the rhyming dialogue, but I think most would agree it has one of the strongest musical scores of the year.

9 : Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - More a remake than a sequel proper, but still an absolute must for fans of the music of Square games (and not just Final Fantasy, recent DLC has included tracks from Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Bravely Default!)

8 : Mario Kart 8 - Near perfect. Some niggles with the online mode for me, but a great example of Nintendo at their best.

7 : Hyrule Warriors - I'm a huge fan of Omega Force's Warriors games. This is probably the best one they've ever done in terms of new ideas. Also: J-Rock remixes of Zelda music.

6 : Forza Horizon 2 - Few racing games interest me these days, I'm not into hardcore track stuff. The Horzon games are more a celebration of the joy of simply driving about in a cool car. Some great online play too.

5 : Middle Earth : Shadow of Mordor - Biggest surprise of the year. I knew it would be decent, but had no idea it would be as good as it was. Monolith continue to break new ground in game AI as they did with F.E.A.R.

4 : 80 Days - A truly brilliant piece of interactive fiction for iOS (and soon Android), taking the classic Jules Verne novel and adding a steampunk twist. Lots of replay value as you try to find all the different ways to get around the world in 80 days.

3 : Dragon Age: Inquisition - One of the largest games I've played in years. Yes, some of the content is a little bit 'filler', but this has the best writing, acting and character diversity of any game released this year for me.

2 : Titanfall - I'm not much of an FPS player, so the fact that this is the second most played game for me this year should tell you a little about it's quality. Some genuinely innovative ideas in here that mean the verticality of the maps is just as important as the horizontal. And extremely well supported with updates, new game modes and bug fixes all year long.

1 : Hearthstone - 'Easy to learn, hard to master' is thrown about a lot, but it absolutely applies here. Very solid mechanics with Blizzards usual high level of production values and polish. I've played this more than anything else this year, and so it can't be anywhere other than top of my list.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Indiana747 »

Beck wrote:Maybe I've misunderstood, I thought the list was my top ten games that I played in 2014? ;)
Nope, you havent misunderstood at all mate. Its your favourite game of 2014, James mentioned that the list could comprise of older games if you want.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by mikeleddy83 »

1.) Mario Kart 8
2.) The Last of Us: Left Behind
3.) Titanfall
4.) Bayonetta 2
5.) Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
6.) Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
7.) Ultra Street Fighter IV
8.) Forza Horizon 2
9.) The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
10.) The Wolf Among Us


Sadly I haven't had enough time with the following but reckon they'd feature highly: Persona Q, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, Bravely Default, Super Smash Bros for Wii U, Danganronpa 2, The Last of Us: Remastered, COD:AW.

Then the few that almost made the list: Strider, Destiny, Luftrausers.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by DomsBeard »

I'm doing a top 5 as I've not played as many games this year as I've liked.

5. South Park The Stick Of Truth. Nailed what it's like to be in the show.

4. Ultra Street Fighter IV. The best version of the best fighting game ever IMO. Looking forward to it on PS4.

3. Destiny. Bungie at its best.

2. Titanfall. I really really miss having Titanfall on my 360 it's probably the most fun I've had with any online shooter ever. Hopefully the sequel will be on PS4 otherwise a Xbox One will have to be bought.

1. Alien Isolation. After a slow opening 4 chapters and at one point wanting to snap the disk in half after Alan killed me for the 50th time on Chapter Ten, easily the game of the year for me. A nerve shredding, stressful experience that I didn't want to end and I would not have missed for the world. Can't wait to play it through again on Nightmare difficulty in 2015.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Sean »

10. TxK - maybe the only score attack game to really grab me this year. I'm also a huge fan of visuals that mess with you, and, this being a Jeff Minter game, TxK was chock full of them.

9. South Park: The Stick of Truth - wasn't expecting much out of this one, but, it ended up being a nice surprise. Still can't believe they got away with some of the stuff they did in that game.

8. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - a nice return to form after Ghosts. I don't see how future CoDs are going to be as fun without the exo suit abilities, but, I had a great time with them in this game.

7. Titanfall - really loved this game for the first few months. Like most people though, the lack of content made me give up after prestige-ing a couple times. Still, for a minute there, I was taken back to my old CoD4 days of *needing* to play it the second I got home from work.

6. Forza Horizon 2 - it's essentially just a prettier version of FH1, but, that's alright with me.

5. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - it's literally all I've played on Vita since it came out. Every day.

4. Destiny - lack of content aside, I absolutely love Destiny. The combat, visuals, atmosphere, music, and, Journey-esque multiplayer just totally clicked with me. I know why some people hate it, but, I'm still playing it for a few hours each week.

3. Driveclub - Probably the best looking game I've ever seen, and, that's ignoring the weather patch. Helps that it's a fantastic leaderboard game as well.

2. Sunset Overdrive - biggest surprise of the year for me. Once I mastered the freedom of movement, it became the most fun I've had all year. Really stupid game, but, I had a smile on my face almost the entire way through.

1. PT - it was the new Fez. Its puzzles had everyone baffled. It was impossible to beat for most people. And it also had the scariest hallway I've ever seen in a game. I hope the full Silent Hills is *exactly* like PT. Even down to how frustrating it's puzzle design is. Drive everyone crazy, Kojima. I know you can do it.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Scrustle »

1. Bayonetta 2
2. Bayonetta 2
3. Bayonetta 2
...

Oh, I can't pick the same game more than once? Okay...

1. Bayonetta 2 - Platinum at their best. Unbelievably brilliant. Likely the best action game ever created, and definitely a classic for years to come.
2. Forza Horizon 2 - A really great evolution of an already really brilliant game. Great car handling, great multiplayer, great visuals, and a great atmosphere.
3. Hyrule Warriors - A massive departure from the archetype of the series that turned out to be really fun. Also a neat way of mixing different properties together.
4. Wind Waker HD - Gloriously reimagined version of what is my favourite game in the series. Tweaked the game in good ways too.
5. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Fun combat which was really improved from the predecessor, with a gorgeous visual style and soundtrack.
6. Mario Kart 8 - Surprisingly enjoyable. I thought I would never play another Mario Kart game ever again, but this got me hooked back in, and is just oozing quality.

And this is why I don't like top ten lists. There are a bunch more games I liked, but I feel like they should be honourable mentions instead of actually ranking on a "Best of Year" list, or even "favourites". Stuff like Halo MCC and Korra. Frankly I'm not even 100% sure MK8 deserves a scoring spot from me, based on how much I actually enjoyed it. But because of the surprise against how much I was expecting to like it, and how well put together it is, I thought I would give it a place after all. Opening it up to games not from this year I would throw out a mention to stuff like Dark Souls and the Burnout games. But with these it was generally stuff I haven't really played enough/gotten in to, or are games I've already gone through at least once. Neither of those cases feels like those experiences "belong" to 2014.
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Sinclair Gregstrum »

Right, here goes....

10. Velocity 2X (PS4)
I've only recently got stuck into this, so am by no means anywhere near completion, however what little I have played still makes this one of my favourite games of the year. It's almost like two games in one, a top- down ship shooter and a side-scrolling action platformer, and both of them are awesome! A striking visual style, great music, and smooth as silk gameplay with a nice blend of interesting mechanics make this easily the best thing to be given away on PS+ this year.

9. Forza Motorsport 5 (Xbox One)
I bought Horizon 2 day one and am yet to find the time to give it a go, but throughout the year it's older sister title has been a go-to game for those moments when I've only had time for a few races here and there. Yes it lacks content compared to it's predecessors, but what is there is top drawer, and the driving mechanics across the wealth of beautifully modelled motors and circuits are just perfect. A must for sim racing fans.

8. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita)
Again, not a 2014 game I know, but this is the year I got round to playing Nathan Drake's Vita adventure. Suffice to say I loved it, both as an Uncharted game and as a showcase for the Vita, with gorgeous visuals and some really nice uses of many of the system's criminally ignored features.

7. Last Of Us - Remastered (PS4)
Now this has made it onto my list based really on only about 4 hours play. I completely fell in love with the game instantly and am confident it would be higher on this list if I'd played more. Sadly circumstances dictated I couldn't get back to it for over 6 weeks after my initial couple of sessions, and it's reached the point now where I'd rather start over than pick up where I left off, meaning this will probably feature again in my 2015 list next year!

6. Titanfall (Xbox One)
I've never been one for online PvP multiplayer. I don't have the time vs the hordes that commit endless hours to learning all the maps and working out the best loadouts, generally resulting in my humiliating defeat. In Titanfall though something clicked, and I got quite good (for me) quite fast, having an absolute blast with the fluid and super-mobile gunplay. I'd hope for a more meaty single player experience in the sequel, but regardless, i'm there on day one for the inevitable Titanfall 2.

5. Gravity Rush (Vita)
I'll refer you to my contribution to the Gravity Rush podcast for my full thoughts on this gem, but in summary, it's an audio-visual treat with some of the most original gameplay of recent years. Not for everyone and it has it's flaws, but this really clicked with me and I implore all Vita owners to give it a go and encourage Sony to give us a sequel!

4. Destiny (Xbox One)
I must admit to being a little disappointed with Destiny overall. The lack of content and bland universe, combined with a post-level 20 grind that for me is really misjudged in terms of rate and method of progression, has left me feeling done with the game after about 25 hours. So why is it at no.4? Because I have absolutely loved those 25 hours! Crucially, the gunplay in Destiny is bang on (as you'd expect from Bungie), and what areas and missions there are, are largely very well judged and a huge amount of fun to play with friends. When the expansions come down to a more reasonable price I'll be jumping back in for sure.

3. Walking Dead - Season 1 (Vita)
I know I'm a bit behind the times praising this game, but so what, I finally got round to playing it this year and of course I bloody loved it. An emotionally affecting experience that is all too rare in gaming, and I'm sure Season 2 will feature in my top 10 of 2015!

2. Tomb Raider - Definitive Edition (PS4)
I'd drifted away from the Tomb Raider franchise after being there from the very start with the original Saturn release, and while I was interested in what they were doing with the last gen reboot, I just never got round to picking it up. After months of praise from many respected sources (including C&R!), this 'Definitive' edition was announced and it seemed a perfect game to get for a PS4 on which I was struggling to find games I wanted to play at the time. A beautifully cinematic blockbuster that, while not without flaws, lays the groundwork for an exciting, rejuvenated franchise. I'll be there day one for the Xbox One sequel!

1. Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One)
A brave new gen debut from Insomniac that can best be described as a punk rock fusion of Jet Set Radio and Ratchet & Clank. There's a lot going on (too many collectibles and upgrade systems for me), and some might not appreciate the cocky, sarcastic tone, but it really made me smile, even laugh, and when the fluid gameplay really clicks and you're grinding along a railway line blowing up mutants with exploding teddy bears, it's an absolute joy to play!
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Tleprie »

9. Choice of Robots
I'm probably more than a little biased with this one, as I just played it today but it was a great Choose Your Own Adventure. It follows your choices as you create a robot and eventually mass produce them. Choices really matter. My brother and I played at the same time, he created an emotional robot that he fell in love with, and I started a robot apocalypse.

8. Shadow of Mordor
I loved every second while I was playing Shadow of Mordor, however, that love quickly faded and as soon as it did I stopped playing completely. I enjoy the LotR universe, but this story didn't really engage me. The game did a superb job of making me feel like the biggest badass ever, slaying dozens of orcs at a time. My only problem with this is that I became over powered too fast. The runes that I had made it near impossible to kill me, and just like with the one ring, once I had this power I was not giving it up. I didn't finish the story, I had a few missions left but really didn't care.

7. Farcry 4
The good about this game: it is Farcry 3 in the mountains.
The bad: it is Farcry 3 in the mountains.
I loved farcry 3, and was excited at first to see that 4 was so similar, however that quickly faded. If a game starts to lose my interest, I will abandon it immediately. While I was done with the game after 14ish hours, I still needed to see the end of the story, so I pressed on, fast traveling to story missions and passing every tower and outpost by. I felt that the story overall was too bland and didn't give much reason for why you do the things you do. This is somewhat addressed in the final scenes, but it still fell flat for me. I did enjoy the villain, he wasn't as good as Vaas, but he was alright, there just needed to be more of him. I understand that a lot of people love the vast amount of things to do, and how large the map is, but for me, especially with mountains getting in the way, it just didn't feel as good.

6. Smash Bros. 4
I wish this could be higher, but sadly, after playing Melee competitively, it's hard to go back. I have stopped playing Melee so I can fully enjoy this game. The new characters are great, as are the stages. Theres not much more to say, I just wish they would go back to a more technical game, especially since melee worked as a great party game too.

5. Transistor
Bastion is one of my all time favorite games, and Transistor is pretty high on the list too. I think that it has great gameplay and combat, but it didn't grab me the same way that Bastion did. The final fight is one of my favorite in video games (up there with Borderlands). Overall it was a great game but for me it was a game that I played through once and was done.

4. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Rebirth will probably be one of my favorite games of all time, but for this year it doesn't make top 3. The original Isaac is probably my second favorite game, possibly first. I think I was too hyped for Rebirth, and when it came out, it was exactly the same, but with a lot more items. I guess this is probably what I expected, but for some reason it just didn't have the magic that I got from the first.

3. Mario Kart 8
I just got this for Christmas, and have already gotten Gold on all of the cups, including mirror. Now I am working to get 3 stars on every cup. Its such a great game, both to play with friends and alone. Most games can't keep me interested for more than a few weeks, but this will probably keep me occupied long into the new year. The online mode has worked great. One feature that I do wish for is a mission mode, similar to the DS game.

2. New Super Mario Bros U
I just realized that this game came out two years ago....oh well, I got it for Christmas this year so screw it.
The wii version of this game is one of my favorite co-op games ever. Me and my friends 100%ed it, and we plan to do the same for this. It has not disappointed yet. The levels have such great variety and challenge, it feels like the Mario games from the NES and SNES. I thought 3D World was far too easy most of the time, same with both Mario Galaxy games. While those are fun, that's not what I want from a Mario game. I want to work for every win and every hidden coin.

1. Last of Us Remastered
Usually I don't care about spoilers for games or movies. Last of Us was different. It wasn't that I was careful to avoid them when it was originally released, but I just wasn't hearing or reading much about it, other than that it was amazing. When I got a PS4 early this year, I knew this was a game I had to play. I got it as a gift in October, but being busy with school I waited until the holidays to finally play it. I am very glad I waited. What would have taken me a month to play through during school only took about a week. The opening level was one of the most emotional I have played in a while. The gameplay throughout was very good and I was glad that it didn't last too long (like Farcry 4). The story was paced very well and nothing felt like it was there to extend the game.


Honorable Mentions: games I enjoyed this year but came out previous years
The Stanley Parable:
A game that is filled with great humor and narration, doesn't overstay its welcome, but offers enough diversity of choices to allow for many playthroughs. Is very short, which gets a lot of bonus points for me.

Gone Home:
Another story driven game. I didn't really care about the story itself, it felt like an angsty young adult book, however the way it was told kept me interested the whole time. Again, very short earns this extra points.

NightSky:
A simple puzzle platformer that I probably wouldn't have played except that it was free for a while on iPad. It is very relaxing and once again, is rather short. The controls worked great for a touch game.

Rogue Legacy:
I was excited for this on steam when it was released, but only put a few hours into it. This summer(?) when it came out for Vita I finally gave it a good go. I played through once and am slowly going through again. This was a good game that allowed me to stop playing Spelunky while I was still waiting for Rebirth.

Payday 2:
I loved the first payday, but was waiting for a sale to get the newest game. I got it during the summer sale and played it a lot with my friends. This is probably one of my favorite FPSs, after Rainbow Six Vegas 2. A lot of people seem to complain about the DLC and that the levels aren't very good, but I have had a blast with every one of them so far.
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Combine Hunter
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by Combine Hunter »

I'm actually making a video about my favourite games of 2014 as we speak. But that list is in alphabetical order, and doesn't include any remasters of older games. Soooooo...

10. Hearthstone - The first of two multiplayer games, that I lost all my time too.
9. Monument Valley - A simple, but beautiful puzzle game.
8. Titanfall - The only multiplayer shooter I've managed to reach max level in. Still playing it now.
7. Shovel Knight - 2D platforming perfection.
6. Dark Souls II - Not the masterpiece the original game was, but still an amazing game.
5. Dragon Age: Inquisition - Bioware back on top form.
4. Valkyria Chronicles (PC) - So glad this under experienced game, is getting a second chance.
3. Bayonetta 2 - Equal to the first.
2. The Last of Us: Remastered - This game felt like it was pushing the PS3 to its absolute limit. On PS4, it has plenty of room to breath.
1. Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition - The definitive way to play one of my favourite games of all time.

Honorable mentions:

Alien: Isolation
Luftrausers
Mario Kart 8
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Persona Q
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Transistor
Wolfenstein: The New Order
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James
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Re: Favourite Games Of 2014 (A Cane And Rinse Poll)

Post by James »

Thanks for a great response!

To those asking, it is absolutely your list. Whatever games you want on your list are fair game - though I wouldn't expect Tearaway to make the combined list. ;)

For those still playing, you have another few days to add or update your list. Remember to edit your original post if you're making any changes.

I'll give another heads up nearer the time, but you'll have until the end of Tuesday (right up until midnight if you want) to make any amendments.

One last request. Could you please make obvious if your list is ordered or just a flat selection. A couple of lists aren't numbered, which is fine, but if the games are intended to be listed in a specific order then please let it be known. Thanks! :)

Right, I'm off to play more Bayonetta 2, Child Of Light and Shovel Knight (maybe The Fall and Republique too) to see if any are going to force a change to my list.
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