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

I'd never participated in this before because I just rarely play new releases. 2014 looked set to be no different with most of my (rather unreasonable) gaming time spent on oldies such as L4D2, Super Meat Boy or Borderlands 2, but I happened to pick up a few noteworthy games near the end of the year that appear to be eligible.

All of these are PC.


The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - 40 points


[Best RNG] [Worst RNG]

Yes. Fuck yeah. They've absolutely nailed this remake. A lot more content was added to the already ridiculous amount that Wrath of the Lamb had to offer: new enemies, bosses, characters and a stupendous number of items. The cheap flash engine was ditched. This nerve-racking game rapidly gets hardcore - the challenge is designed to increase after a few successful playthrough, while an ever-growing amount of unlocked items give you a wide range of play styles. The randomly generated levels make each descent unique, you'll have to adapt to whatever the game throws at you.

As for the music, they've chosen to replace Danny Baranowsky's dark and melodic original soundtrack with a much more "ambient" approach. The result, albeit fitting, is much less memorable, and I can see why people are disappointed with it. But it doesn't detract from the fantastic gaming experience that Rebirth has to offer.




Battleblock Theater - 30 points
[Best Coop] [Most Heads]



Pleasant surprise. A friend made me pick that one up during a sale and I didn't think much of it at first. But this game is just irresistible. The design and music are lovely. The announcer's lines are splendidly written and spoken in one of the most memorable voices I've heard in a video game. The gameplay is excellent, especially in coop with a wide range of options to solve certain puzzles... and the obligatory trolling. I've barely scratched the surface so far but the content looks plentiful to say the least. Getting through the game isn't that difficult but the Encore levels and the Insane mode will surely test your patience if you're looking for a more hardcore challenge. All in all, a very refreshing experience.




Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut - 20 points
[Riskiest Boots]



As Qwarky some people in chat were pretty insistent on Shantae being a Thing to Have, I eventually decided to give a chance to the only available PC port from the series. What I discovered was a lovely platformer with a Metroidvania-style of gameplay, a pleasant oriental-themed soundtrack and some purty sprites. The story isn't anything special but the characters are quite charismatic and some of their lines will surely make you chuckle. The game isn't that challenging but some achievements will require smooth execution, like a sub-2 hours speed run or beating the final boss without healing. Recommended if you like platformers and nice things.




10 Second Ninja - 5 points
[Most Swastikas]



As a tiny blue ninja, you're mankind's last hope against the mischievous Robot Hitler and his robot army. In this fast-paced platformer, your aim is to clear every single level in less than ten seconds - that is, kill every robot on the screen, using your weaponry and triggering environmental hazards. Aim for the lowest possible time to earn a three-star rating!

The concept is really nice, and the par times are very tightly balanced. Finding the optimal route for each level will require meticulous planning, and the execution leaves no room for error. It is incredibly satisfying when you nail your inputs perfectly and maximize a route's potential, and deeply unnerving when even then, you're still half a second too slow; reconsider what seems obvious, think outside the box and, most of all, keep optimizing your inputs. The original core concept, the precise controls and meticulously balanced level design are the game's main strenghts.

Now for the cons. The visuals and cutscenes are entirely forgettable, which can be excused in a low-budget indie game such as this. The soundtrack, albeit repetitive, serves its purpose but isn't particularly memorable either. My main criticism would be that the game is really short, and perhaps not quite as "hardcore" as it may appear at first. I was a little disappointed to hit the ending credits after only a few hours (plus maybe an extra half hour on the bonus world), with all the three-star ratings earned and without hitting any major roadblocks.




Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - 5 points
[Lowest Gravity] [Best Pewpews]



As a huge fan of Borderlands 2, I was really looking forward to this one. To be honest, most of it felt like a space DLC for Borderlands 2. The gameplay introduces new elements such as low gravity and Oz kits which enable the player to perform air boosts and to "butt-slam" enemies, and laser weapons which cause a burning effect but - SCIENCE - only in an atmosphere.

The design of the Elpis moon is... acceptable for the most part, but I thought the Helios space station was much better overall. The story was mediocre and the jokes were hit-and-miss - more so than in Borderlands 2, I felt. Not to say there wasn't a single interesting twist or funny moment... but. Among the four new classes, Claptrap may be the most original, but his random routines are more of a handicap than help in solo play - he's great for some laughs in coop. The other three are solid options, and perhaps slightly more charismatic than their Borderlands 2 counterparts - having them take part in the dialogue is a very nice touch. I didn't like the NPCs so much.

I was also frustrated at the low amount of content, but part of this might be because I got into the series with Borderlands 2 GotY and its four DLC campaigns included. Still, Pre-Sequel felt kind of cheap in that respect, with a Raid boss quest that just makes you fight the final boss again... and then the first DLC wasn't even a campaign but an arena.

All in all, much less immersive than BL2 but still a solid gameplay experience.




Honourable Mention: Crypt of the Necrodancer



Early access, hence not eligible - but man does that game look awesome. Take a roguelike and combine it with a rhythm game: you've (almost) got Necrodancer. The extra ingredient here is Danny Baranowsky's music, which never fails to deliver. Solid concept and they keep adding more and more content. Jam, motherfuckers. There's a good chance you'll see this one in my 2015 list.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

All right, after sufficient nagging here is my list of games I played this year that are good and are actually from this year, which is generally a minority in the set of games that I play. Some of these didn't originally debut this year, but those that didn't were all ported to something else so they technically still count. Look it up.

Q's "awards" made me laugh a lot, so I will shamelessly attempt to emulate them. Perhaps not as shamelessly as Skills, because it's Skills and how could any man possibly be any less shameless than he? So, then, without further delay:

Best WiFi Evaluation Software
Most Princesses
Best Skills Aneurysm Simulator
Most Musical Park

Mario Kart 8 - 5 points
This isn't topping my list like it is for most of you because I'm normally out when Kart Krew rolls out, and Mario Kart single player has always been a shitty, boring experience. However! The couple of times I have been able to participate (after sorting out my Wii U connection) have been mega fun and I hope to, some day, have a Saturday where I don't have shit to do so I can join in again.

Best Recent Mega Man
Most Creative Enemy Nomenclature
Fuck Save Points; Get Money Diamond Jubilee Medal
Most Usurping

Shovel Knight - 10 points
Holy damn another game that legitimately came out this year! This game has fantastic tunes (music is a big part of the appeal in my games, apparently) great retro graphics, and is mad fun. You can never go wrong with a tight platformer.

Most Creative Interpretation of Momentum
Best Disguise
The 'Mash X to Punch a Dude One Thousand Times' QTE Supremacy Award
Best Robodog
The 'Wow This Sword Is Large' Excelsus Memorial Award

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - 15 points
I didn't play this when it originally came out, but I scooped up the Steam port this year and oh god, laughing forever. Everything about this game is hilarious, as most of you are well aware, and it takes action games to their absurd extreme. Every time I finished some ludicrous boss fight with enormous set pieces, questionable interpretation of the laws of physics, and side-splittingly corny dialogue I swore that they would never be able to top it. And then, one chapter later, they would. OVER AND OVER. I laughed harder playing this game than I have any game in a long time. It's also challenging enough to feel rewarding as well, provided you aren't a fuckin mega-chump who plays on easy and uses auto-parry. You embarrassment.

Best Music
Best Snakes Getting Whipped Right In the Face
Best Sighs of Resignation
Best :whump:
Best Castlevania Jumping Retrospective
The Acer 'Top Salt Production' Bandit Award in recognition of the angriest breathing of the year

La-Mulana - 30 points
I didn't play this this year, technically, but it was ported to something this year so it's in there. I also don't even remember if I participated in this last year when I did play it (probably not) so fuck you! One of the most satisfying games I've ever played, even when I wanted to stab CHz in the neck for introducing it to me. Wonderful visuals, phenomenal music, gameplay that's difficult enough to feel rewarding, and the most challenging puzzles, as a whole, that I have ever encountered in a game. This game ignores bullshit like "lol this door's lock is blue, better find that blue key", which is only puzzling if you're colour-blind, and instead makes you pay attention to every god damn detail you come across and remember (or, more likely, write down) every word you read. Beating this with minimal help (thanks CHz) is one of the things I've felt best about out of my entire video game playing career.

The 'Fuck Skills' Memorial Best Punching Award
Best Juggling Simulator
Burger Normalization Award
Best Single Player Multiplayer Experience

Ultra Street Fighter 4 - 40 points
Surprising no one that I have repeatedly nagged to buy Street Fighter, this is the game I played the most this year, and probably enjoyed the most. Punching people you know in the face is always a rewarding experience, and this game's deep mechanics and meta game make it really fun to improve at, one Pangrage-inducing, axe-kicking, 1-frame link-having, needlessly flashy Evil Ryu combo at a time.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Voting is now closed. Thanks everyone, will work up the results and hope to have them up soon (tomorrow at the latest).

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?