[Question] The Gamingforce Game of the Year 2014: All aboard the hype train - voting edition

Mario Kart 8 - 40 points
I am one of those Mario Kart 64 purist assholes. I didn't particularly enjoy Double-Dash's dual rider mechanic and was disappointed by Mario Kart Wii. I've played the handheld installments, most notably Mario Kart DS which is a gem. Well, I can definitely say that Mario Kart 8 is now my favorite in the series. The graphics are amazing, the music is fantastic, and the courses are memorable (Thwomp Ruins, Toad Harbor, Sunshine Airport, Mount Wario, Cloudtop Cruise being some of my favorites). And then Nintendo added the DLC packs. My only issues is that they got rid of fake item boxes. I loved that item.


The Banner Saga - 20
The Banner Saga is a beautiful game that is inspired by Renaissance tapestries, the visual style from Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and the animation of Don Bluth. The presentation is top notch which comes as no surprise as the studio is comprised of former Bioware employees. The game does not hold your hand and thrusts you into its merciless difficulty. I don't play too many tactical RPGs and I'm glad I picked this up on a Steam Sale. My only gripe is that the game was too short.


Transistor - 20 points
OP gifted this to me on News Years and I'm glad I got to play it so I could nominate it. I was a fan of Supergiant's Bastion. There are certainly a lot of similarities between the two games: the isometric perspective, charismatic narrator, difficulty management system, and quality of music production. Transistor has a deep and rich game play system that encourages players to explore rather than holding your hand. The plot is similarly unearthed and tied into its gameplay mechanics. Just a lot of thoughtful design choices. Definitely a game I want to replay.


The Walking Dead: Season 2 (episodes 1-5) - 10 points
The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Season 1. You now get to play as Clementine. I'll be honest, I enjoyed Season 1 more. Season 2 had less puzzles, a shorter storyline, and you never really got to know the survivors the same way as Season 1. Despite this, Telltale Games are masters at what they do. I stopped reading the comics and watching the show so the game is my only current tie to the Walking Dead universe. The writing is great and the every character has depth and personality. And you really care about Clementine.


A Story About My Uncle - 5 points
From the developers that brought you Goat Simulator is a first person puzzle physics game. It's a herculean task to be in the same genre as Portal but this game does an admirable job. It has a charming story and the game is actually pretty hard. No enemies, just absurd jumps, grapples, and boosts.


Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft - 5 points
I play Dota. No one should be surprised by this... It's a fun card game that's free that is easy to pick up.

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