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

Are you ready for a megaton? The Gamingforce Game of the Year is back once again! That's right, the Game of the Year thread is ready to tickle your eyeballs, wow your ears and stroke your mindplace in an effort to build up the hype to uncontrollable levels before unleashing almost certain disappointment, at least if 2014's year in gaming is anything to go by.

The year that is 2014 is drawing to a close and 2015 is waiting on our doorsteps ready to barge in with a new year full of promises. For those merry few of us still at GFF that means that now is the time to look back at the year that was and all the games we played. As ever the question we ask and look to answer is: what does Gamingforce consider the best of gaming experiences of 2014? No gimmicks again this year, as ever I'd simply ask for you to take part and encourage others to do so.

As with the previous years' voting here's how this is going to work: each person has 100 points to vote for games released in 2014 (doesn't matter where, but games have to have been commercially released in 2014) and you can allocate them to as many games as you like as long as it totals 100 in the end. The only rule is that you can't award any single game more than 40 points. So you could vote two 40s and a 20, or a 40 and six 10s, or any other combination of points as long as it adds up to 100.

To vote all you have to do is post a reply with your top games of 2014, how many points you're giving each, and a brief explanation of why you feel the game deserves your points.

Example:

GAME A - 40 points
Man I loved game A because...

GAME B - 20 points
I ended up playing so much of game B that...

GAME C - 15 points
Game C gets some points because...

GAME D - 15 points
I couldn't decide between this and C, so gave both points, but D rocks because...

GAME E - 5 points
Good, but not necessarily great, but I figure E deserves some points because...

GAME F - 5 points
Like E, F gets a few points because...

--------

Voting will close on Saturday 24th January at 18:00 GMT (that's Englandland time), at which point I'll add all the points together and work out GFF's top 20 games of 2014, posting the results in a new thread for discussion/people to complain about. I'm allowing a little extra time again this year so you've got a chance to go try and squeeze in any contenders you wanted to try before voting.

So, go on, get voting.

Oh, and get other people to come vote too.

Disclaimer/Rules:
1. If you allocate any game more than 40 points your vote won't be counted.
2. If your points allocation totals more than 100 points your vote won't be counted (totals less than 100 are fine).
3. Votes for games not released in 2014 will be ignored.
4. Only official commercial releases in 2014 count.
4a. No 'Early Access', 'Alpha', 'Beta' or other pre-release titles will be counted.
5. No negative points. I'll point and laugh and then ignore your vote.
6. Whole integers only. Fractions and decimal places will also lead me to ignore your vote.
7. Any other such idiocy will also probably lead your vote not being counted.

And as ever, I take no responsibility for Skills fucking with stuff, which if you ignore these points he almost certainly will do somehow.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Mario Golf: World Tour - 5 points

I freakin love Mario Golf ever since it first came to the Nintendo 64. The sequel after it, Toadstool Tour for the Gamecube, was pretty solid as well. I don't understand why it took so long for another one in the series to come out, especially with the Wii's motion control which would've been perfect for it.

World Tour on the 3DS keeps the gameplay you're familiar with from the Gamecube title, but integrates Mario Tennis 3DS's leveling up equipment. For example, you take control of your own character (Mii) and compete in tournaments which earn you prizes you can use towards leveling up your character's stats or buying items like Mario's Golf Clubs or hat to increase your stats as well.

But by far the best feature of this game is the online play mechanic. You can participate in tournaments to see how you stack up against other opponents in the world (and since they only do the top 3, most everyone will suck) or you can host your own tournaments such as what was done here on Gamingforce for a couple of months.

Honestly though, i'd still like to see a new home console release.




Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call - 5 points

If you've played the predecessor then you're gonna love this one. More songs and characters to unlock and purchase as well as a new feature where you can venture a quest via a map and choose your own path.

There's also a multiplayer which I never tried out, mainly because I know most of the people on here play this on the highest difficulty.

I'm a little disappointed they didn't bring the Minudes battle music from FF4: TAY, but they are bringing over Chrono Trigger which if they do more of I will grab it. *crosses fingers* Come onnnnnnnn Last Battle!

Also, One Winged Angel Advent.




Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - 5 points

Pretty fun game. You play as Donkey Kong and while Diddy makes a return you can also partner up with Dixie who helps you helicopter up temporarily or Cranky who uses his cane to pogo like Scrooge McDuck.

One thing this game brings that the Wii predecessor lacked were the underwater levels and the return of tracks such as Lockjaw's Saga and a much better version of Aquatic Ambience make them a joy to play.

There were some other tracks that made a return but some of them weren't as noticeable to me as the ones above. Still, thank you David Wise.




Bayonetta 2 - 5 points

You here for business or pleasure? Either way, I'll hook you up. One thing about the Bayonetta series is that some of the story is difficult to follow but the gameplay felt so much better compared to the first entry. It seemed easier to pull off the combos you wanted without getting interrupted which made the fights more enjoyable.

Speaking of that first entry, it's included in the WiiU version. Now wasn't that nice of them? You can go through the motorcycle sequence again while dressed as Princess Peach.

That was a pretty cool easter egg as well, being able to dress up as various Nintendo characters. Pink Panties Peach looks really niiiiiiiiiice.




Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - 5 points

This is a short game which I'd say serves as a prologue to The Phantom Pain, but it was much better compared to Peace Walker. Despite it's shortness, there are several things to collect and there are other side missions which will keep your interest for a while.

Hearing Kiefer Sutherland as the new voice of Snake is a little weird, but you adapt to it after a while.

The game has a really cool tracking system where you can target an enemy and they'll glow whenever you're near them. So if you walk away to another area and come back you can immediately spot them and their movements even through walls.

This game is just making me want to play Phantom Pain even more.




South Park: The Stick of Truth - 10 points

This game is the ultimate service for any South Park fan. First off the game looks so good you almost can't tell the difference between it and the show. You get to create your own character and immerse them in the South Park world.

There are several cameo appearances by different characters, some of which will make your mouth drop.

One thing about this game is it's not about level grinding, but more about mastering status effects such as moves that cause burning, poison, and bleeding. Until you figure this out, you're going to have trouble progressing.

The game is hilarious and is probably one of my favorite all-time RPG's. It feels like they don't hold anything back because there will be some moments where you wonder how they were able to get away with what they did.

PRINCESS KENNY!!!




Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - 10 points

Combining the gameplay of two different series doesn't always match, but this one works insanely well. Using the puzzle-solving skills of Layton and Luke while using the courtroom skills of Wright and Maya is a huge treat.

The story is pretty good, you'll have the usual twists and turns you've come to expect from both series.

If there's one thing about this game I wished they would've done different, it would be where they teased you with epic remixes of the original Ace Attorney music in the first court case and then switched it to completely new stuff for the rest of the game.

Still, this is a match that I'd love to see a sequel of but somehow I doubt we'll ever get...and maybe that's for the best.

Hearing Wright and Layton say OBJECTION in unison is awesome.




Mario Kart 8 - 25 points

This is hands down the best Mario Kart in the series. This entry has changed how the game is played by allowing you to travel up the sides of waterfalls and mountains or completely upside down on the ceilings of the tracks.

The music is awesome, that's all that needs to be said.

There are a few shortcomings though such as battle mode is over a whole track as opposed to just a short area like what we remember from the SNES and N64 days.

Also, N64 Rainbow Road just seems too short...but it's still the best track in the game in my opinion (everyone else will tell you Music Park).

Nintendo also treated us to some amazing DLC this past November with SNES Rainbow Road, Excitebike, Mute City, and a Hyrule Course as well as some other remixes and originals which are pretty sweet as well.

What really makes this game fun is the online multiplayer. If you join the GFF weekly game, you know how hilariously fun this can be especially with the right people (Skills, Tails, Mennobot, etc.)

This is a must have for Wii U owners and is definitely a Game of the Year contender.




Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 30 points

When Super Smash Bros. 3DS first came out, it was indeed fun but it was very lacking and the controls just felt difficult on the 3DS.

Then the Wii U version came out and...HOLY SHIT THERE'S A LOT TO DO IN THIS GAME!!

Not only that, but Nintendo released a Gamecube controller adapter for this game which makes the game feel even better.

Playable Mega Man and Pac-Man as well as a more solid playing Sonic, the third party characters are well represented here. Sorry Snake.

The music, MY GOD THE AMOUNT OF MUSIC IN THIS GAME IS GODLIKE!! One thing I will say is I'm REALLY surprised Fountain of Dreams did not make it to the tracklist on here.

Now I could go on about how awesome this game is, but there's already a video for that:

YouTube Video

Also, future Best Song Contest winner right here:

YouTube Video

One minor thing this series has been lacking since Melee are the individual Break the Targets challenges for each fighter, but overall this is still my favorite game of 2014...and there's still more to come like Tournament mode which I'm sure there will be some organization on Gamingforce for that one.

This is the best Smash game and that's the only thing I feel that could beat the best Mario Kart game.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Another year where I hard played anything actually released this year.

Still:

Luftrausers - PSVita - 34 points



It's a concept as old as time and far from being the first arcade-style dogfighting game but Luftrausers turns it up to 11 and is super addictive. With the rapid ramping up of difficulty as you play, it's easy to think you're not getting any better at it but then you look at your scores and realise you are getting pretty handy but the game is brutal. Bullets everywhere, hardly ever a let up and when you reckon you've got the hang of that there's the comedy hard mode which fucks you in the arse in about 30 seconds. Great game and on Vita it's perfect for ten minute blasts.

Civilization: Beyond Earth - PC - 33 points



Civ 5's little brother. Set in space, this streamlines a lot of the more rambling stuff in Civ 5 and introduces a few new ideas. It feels like less of an empire building game and more of a strategy game where you aim for a certain victory point, maybe that's just me, but it's interesting enough to be worth a purchase if you already own Civ 5 and like all Civ games, there's no such thing as "A quick go" and you'll end up playing it until 4 in the morning.

The Binding of Isaac:Rebirth - PSVita - 33 points



It's a twin-stick shooter, yay! It's a uniquely designed and super-qwirky one though and with hundreds of different items to potentially collect each time you run through the procedurally generated dungeons, every game plays out differently. The RNG Gods might bless you with a ton of weapon power-ups but leave you as a glass hammer or they might make you all but unkillable but struggle to dish out damage or they might just completely dick you over and make your bullets fly round in circles. The art style is great, the game is pretty funny and again, on Vita this is perfect for killing a few minutes here and there.

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

Kentucky Route Zero - 40 pts



A game almost none of you will have played the first 3 installments of, and a game all of you bloody well should.

The script was heavily influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Flannery O'Connor and absolutely oozes atmosphere and surrealism from every pore. It plays with your perspective, giving you dialogue tree options for not only the protagonist, but often for random NPCs or even inanimate objects. You don't so much play this game as drift through it, getting your senses spoiled by amazing music, beautiful art, abstract storytelling and intelligent, well-considered design choices at every corner.

Only the first 3 of 5 episodes are out, but I've replayed these 3 time and time again, and never once found it repetitive. One of the best games I've ever played. Period.

Transistor - 30 points



If not for KR0, this would have been an INSTANT 40 for me. I loved Bastion. Loved it. This is better in every conceivable way. A narrative that is impacting without feeling the need to hold your hand and explain to you how to feel or exactly what your perspective should be coupled with a wonderful combat system and I think one of the two best soundtracks of the year lead to a wonderful experience. The story completely got me and I was hooked deep from moment one, and the incredible art direction choices will leave you absolutely stunned at just how beautiful minimalism can be.

They use colour in a way that is subtle but executed so well that it is almost its own character. Play it, beat it, play it again and again and again. And then go back to it and play it one more time.

Endless Legend - 10 points



AHMAHGAH. AH. MAH. GAH.

THIS GAME GUYS. It will swallow your fucking life. It's like Civilization on crack. Your great people are now heroes. With names. They can run your army or run your cities for bonuses. The battles are mini SRPG fare. The world is this cool, fantasy/sci-fi meld that is just awesome. The races are just awesome. They have story-driven quests within the 4x approach.

Guys.

Guys.

It's Awesome, guys.

Mario Kart 8 - 5



None of you need me to explain this. The music is love. The game is slick and entertaining and the tracks are great. A gaming PC and a Wii U are the gaming set-up of right now, to be sure.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War - 5 points



Ubisoft seems absolutely convinced that being awful is the way to go forward, but that engine is something else, man. This is one of 2 things I just loved on this build this year. This one is deep, and meaningful and gets into your blood and makes you hurt. Play it when you have time to dedicate to the experience.

Which brings us to...

Child of Light - 5 points



Beautiful, light without being silly, whimsical and absolutely mesmerizing. This game lives up to the external hype made by the imagery which is rare. It would be rated higher but it can be slightly repetitive and isn't quite as deep as I'd like. But absolutely one of the tops of the year.

Divinity: Original Sin - 5 points



The greatest compliment I can give this is the following: I liked it more than Bravely Default. And I -loved- Bravely Default. This is the RPG of the year, without hesitation. Child of Light ties it in score, but for the RPG-heads out there, this is the one to go with.

Honourable mentions:


Bravely Default
Blackwell Epiphany
Broken Age
Lethal League
Theatrhythm curtain call
wasteland 2
The vanishing of ethan carter
A story about my uncle
Dreamfall Chapters: The longest journey
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Dragon Age Inquisition
The Talos Principle
Bayonetta 2
With Those We Love Alive
Mountain
Abyss Odyssey

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

40 points - Transistor
Transistor is the closest thing to a perfect game I've ever played. From the art direction, to the music, to the gameplay, everything in this game feeds into each other and works just... amazingly. I love this game to death and back and will hear no arguments about its quality.
30 points - Theatrythm Curtain Call
This is how you do a fucking sequel. Let's take the original game, cram in another game's worth of stuff, and fix the single-player "campaign" to be actually coherent. The fact that they're doing DLC from other series (CHRONO TRIGGER) is also really awesome.
20 points - Dragon Age: Inquisition
I'm nowhere near finishing this game, but I love it just the same. After the completely mediocre disappointment that was DA2, it's clear that the team behind this one took every complaint about DA2 seriously and worked to make a game that was an improvement on all fronts. Is it a return to classic BioWare of old? No. Is it a perfect example of what modern BioWare can do, given the time and the creative juices? Absolutely.
10 points - Geometry Wars: Dimensions
This. This is how you do an arcade game in TYOOL 2014. Tight, well-crafted controls, a bunch of different high score leaderboards to play with, and a campaign that plays with and tweaks the standard twin-stick formula in creative ways without falling into a repetitive rut. Combine that with legitimately challenging 3-star progression (I've actually had to go back and re-do levels twice, which usually never happens) and you get an incredibly well-done arcade game. More like this, please.

I was speaking idiomatically.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth [PC] - 30pts

Taking a great game and making it greater. And not in flash. I was really late to the party in playing the first game (didn't touch it until well after Wrath of the Lamb came out), but it really sucked me in. So much content, and the replayability is unbelievable. I may miss the Danny Baranowsky soundtrack of the original a little bit, but the whole package of Rebirth is far and above the gold standard for a remake or pseudo-sequel for a title.

Dungeon of the Endless [PC] - 20pts

I sort of stumbled into this game on Twitch. It also really nails the tower-defense-plus-X genre mix that I really like, despite absolutely hating vanilla tower defense. Brutally difficult ("Easy" is as high as the difficulty goes off the bat and it's still ball-kickingly hard), simple on the surface yet with a shocking degree of strategy and planning necessary to succeed. Since picking it up in November I've sunk almost 40 hours into the game and have won exactly once. Now that I've tasted victory, I only want more.

FTL: Advanced Edition [PC] - 20pts

In on a technicality! While FTL may have been a 2012 indie game darling, the (free!) Advanced Edition update added so much more to the game. Out in the first quarter of the year I still boot it up again every so often just to get either another flagship kill or another beatdown from the RNG/my own mismanagement skills. Also in the update were the best tracks the game has now, which was impressive considering how great the originals were.

Mount Your Friends [PC] - 10pts

What can best be described as a QWOP-like, this "simulated sportslike experience" may be one of the best late night drinking competitive games of all time. Swing your manly body through the air, go for daring launches, and reach the top of the man-pile. For glory. And for the flopping dongs.

----- WEEBLORD SECTION BEGINS HERE -----

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Full Boost [PS3] - 10pts

A fighting game I sort of dove head first into when it came out in January. Having gotten to play a little bit of it in Japan on vacation, it really tugged at my Virtual On heartstrings. While I'm not the biggest Gundam fan on earth (There are still some I haven't seen), there's enough here in both substance and fanservice to keep me playing it regularly almost an entire year since its release. I'm now totally onboard for the series, and wait with bated breath for the console release of Maxi Boost.

The iDOLM@STER: One For All! [PS3] - 10pts

OBLIGATORY. I've sunk well over 150 hours into this game at this point and am still nowhere near done. It took the base game systems of the previous game (iM@S 2) and instead of being a more visual novel-style game expanded it into a 765 Productions Management Simulator meets Score Attack meets Final Fantasy 10. There's singing, dancing, absurdly expensive DLC, silly minigames, and a sphere grid. Real good.

Honorable mentions:
Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl [3DS]
Bravely Default [3DS]
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse [3DS]
Lethal League [PC]
Shovel Knight [PC]
Wings of Vi [PC]
Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late [PS3]
Atelier Escha and Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky [PS3]
Guilty Gear Xrd [PS3/PS4]
Threes [Android/iOS]
Monster Strike [Android/iOS]

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

So apparently pre-releases aren't allowed so consider my points allocation as 33 points each for the other three.

For the record, the best games I actually played this year, release date notwithstanding were Titan Quest on PC, Skyrim on PC, Metal Gear Revengance on PS3, Far Cry 3 on PS3, Luftrausers on Vita, Isaac on Vita and Tomb Raider on PS3.

FELIPE NO

Copypasting from my gurnal

6.



Shovel Knight [PC] - 10 points
[Best Shovel] [Best Knight] [Best Shield] [Best Music] [Best Bonfires] [Most Diamons]

A completely charming love letter to NES era action platformers, with an absolutely wonderful look, superb soundtrack, great characters and bosses and an enjoyable simple story. Essential gaming.

8/10

YouTube Video

5.



Freedom Planet [PC] - 10 points
[Best Colours] [Best Furries] [Best Music] [Best Kickstarter]

A lovely, lovely action platformer that takes its inspiration from old (good) Sonic games and Treasure. Fun, charming characters, really lovely colourful spriteart and backgrounds, fantastic soundtrack, enjoyable plot, great boss fights. My favourite Kickstarter backed project I played last year.

8/10

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

4.



Valiant Hearts: The Great War [PS4] - 10 points
[Best Dog] [Best Serious Subject Matter] [Best Music] [Most War] [Best Musical Interludes]

A bold, powerful, moving glimpse into WW1 and the men and women who did impossible deeds every day. I had my doubts about how sincere it would come across, but apart from a few odd design choices, it's a beautiful, respectful work that everyone should play through. A little light on pure gameplay terms perhaps, but the pacing, visuals, music and journey more than make up for it. An important piece that a lot of developers and publishers should learn from.

9/10

YouTube Video

3.



The Blackwell Epiphany [PC] - 15 points
[Best Writing] [Best Incidental Stories] [Best Atmosphere] [Best Ghost Story] [Best Music] [Most Ghosts] [Best Rosa] [Best oh god i feel so numb Ending]

The beautiful, mesmerizing, heartbreaking finale to a terrific adventure series I've been on and off following for the last five years or so.

Taken on its own, it's a decent adventure game with gorgeous visuals and spritework by the great Ben Chandler, great writing, memorable characters and setpieces, superb atmosphere and a wonderful jazzy soundtrack by Thomas Regin.

Taken as a part of a whole, however, it's extraordinary. It's an emotional gut punch and I had to see the ending twice after collecting my thoughts, but it closes the story and bids farewell to beloved characters and a beloved series in a fitting manner, leaving some questions, but providing enough answers and closure to make it ache just a little less.

8/10

Annoyingly, there's no music available on youtube, but

https://soundcloud.com/mozalbete/bla...ost-menu-theme

Here's a track from Deception though! Same composer! Same series!

YouTube Video

2.



Mario Kart 8 [Wii U] - 15 points
[Best Karts] [Best Online] [Best Music] [Best Peach] [Best Daisy] [Best Bikes]

THIS GAME IS JUST.

Such a wonderful, rich, fun, colourful game. HD Nintendo is the best thing to happen to videogames in the last decade and Mario Kart 8 is achingly gorgeous. There's a joyful wisdom and imagination and playfulness to the track design, all the characters and vehicles are fun, the soundtrack is exceptional, the handling is superb, the drifting mechanic incredibly satisfying and the online is just fantastic. I CAN'T WAIT FOR DLC PACK 2.

9/10

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

1.



Bayonetta 2 [Wii U] - 40 points
[Game of the Year] [Best Action] [Best Bosses] [Best Unlockables] [Best Outfits] [Best Short Hair] [Best Jeanne] [Best Santa] [BEAUTIFUL]

The most deliriously fun, glorious, beautiful, funny, imaginative and just plain enjoyable videogame since.. well, the first one.

With an absolutely gorgeous new look, Bayo is back to kick more angel and demon ass alike and you will grin and gasp in awe at the flood of sights, sounds and challenge. Wonderful new weapons, fantastic boss fights, amazing soundtrack, vast, vast, vast amounts of things to do, things to discover, things to learn, things to unlock, things to enjoy and love. It's such a rich, generous, rewarding, fulfilling experience, crafted with the kind of understanding, the kind of skill, the kind of care you rarely see in videogames anymore, and a not a microtransaction or preorder bonus DLC voucher code in sight. Easily the finest game released last year and everyone should experience it.

9/10

YouTube Video

Honourable mentions:



Dark Souls II [PS3]
[Most Souls] [Best World Building] [Best Reveal] [Best Emerald Herald] [Best Rosabeth]

8/10





Transistor [PS4]
[Best Humming] [Best Music] [The Logan Cunningham Award]

7/10





Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok [PC]
[Best Not Quest for Glory Sequel] [Best Hervor] [Most Snow]

7/10





The Last Door - Season 1 [PC]
[Most Spooky] [Largest Pixels] [Best Crows]

7/10

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Yeah I should make one of these shouldn't I.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 20 Points - Chriiiiiist this shit is so fucking addicting thank you Nintendo oh my god Smash is fun to play again.

Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd - 15 Points - Aw shit we got translations AND DLC holy fuck yesssss

Bayonetta 2 - 15 Points - Platinum Games continues to impress on every level.

Captain Toad - 15 Points - Nintendo is so fucking good at making games Jesus Christ. It's a huge love letter to Mario stuff in general, the soundtrack is delightful, the visuals are absolutely amazing, and most importantly the game is nonstop fun. Well done.

Mario Kart 8 - 10 Points - DAISY

Transistor - 10 Points - Great soundtrack, beautiful world, fun mechanics. SG please make more games.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - 10 Points - Now with 200% more OWA.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - 5 Points - Dear WayForward: Please learn to release things in a timely manner thanks.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Just like every year in gaming guys, I haven't had a chance to play a lot of titles that were released in 2014. All my picks for games are either digital games or games for the 3DS.






1.) Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call - 40 points

Time Put Into The Game: 125 hours
Total Rhythmia Collected: 325000

Those two numbers in itself really show how much I love this game and how this series has been one of the most enjoyable video games series I've played in a really long time. This is what the original game should of been. They have literally fleshed out this game as much as possible and its amazing the amount of extra content that this game has. This game can keep you playing for hours and you may not even realize it. I love the fact that they are still releasing songs for this game and square enix is actually digging into other classics games and releasing excellent songs from a variety of well loved square enix games. I find a reason to always go back to this game, and it never feels boring or tiresome. I always want to find ways to improve my score on a lot of ultimate tracks because I do intend on trying to get every trophy in this game.



2.) Shovel Knight - 35 points

If its one thing I learned throughout this year in gaming is bigger budgets doesn't necessarily mean better games. The key to making a game good is to make the game play enjoyable. A good story and beautiful graphics can't really save a game unless it has the gameplay to back it up. This game is a true testament to excellent platformers of the nes/snes era of gaming. Never have I played a game in such a long time in which the controls for the platforming were so sharp and accurate. I hope more companies can look at this game and realize that a lot of gamers want games like this. We don't want games that are always looking to re-invent the wheel just give us the same solid stuff we've grown to love and appreciate. You keep doing that and there will always be an audience for it. It may not be the biggest audience but it'll be a solid audience nonetheless. Its an excellent game with excellent music and its a game that should be appealing to kids and adults of all ages.



3.) Yoshi's New Island - 25 pts

This was first time I played any of the yoshi's island games. I actually found this one really enjoyable. Its a solid platformer that offers a few new mechanics but its still backed by the same addictive game-play that has made the yoshi's island series enjoyable. The special levels in each of the games world are hard as hell and i absolutely love it. I had a hard time putting this game down, the game in itself is pretty bare bones with no extra content but its still an enjoyable platformer nonetheless.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

So I've taken my sweet time, but here finally are my points for this year's GFF GotY thread. The quotes are highlights from my full write up, which can be found here: linky link


Bayonetta 2 - 30 points
From the moment I finished it there was little doubt in my mind what game was likely sit atop my top 10 list for 2014: Bayonetta is back baby!

Bayonetta 2 is everything that made Bayonetta 1 great with a little refinement, a little extra spit and polish and somehow turned up to 11. The prologue chapter sets the stage wonderfully and anyone who doesn't come away from it beaming with joy, well I'd question as to whether you had a soul because how?

For me Bayonetta 2 is the gem upon the crown which resides on Nintendo's head for the efforts in 2014.


Transistor - 20 points
Transistor to me feels like SuperGiant went away and learnt how to do everything better than the already great Bastion. It has a gameplay system with plenty of depth and one that encourages mechanical experimentation with narrative exploration. The art is just ridiculous and in a year of ridiculously good soundtracks this one is up there as possibly my favourite of 2014.

I remain incredibly impressed by SuperGiant's work and will absolutely be there for whatever they do next, particularly if Jen Zee is handling art, and Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett are doing the music.


DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - 20 points
DanganRonpa is one of those games that caught my eye and I immediately knew I wanted to play it after reading about it. The game is about a set of high-school students trapped in their school with no access to the outside world; they can live happily inside the school forever more, but if they want to leave there's only one way to do so: kill and get away with it.

I don't really want to say too much because a lot of the delight is in the discovery, but if you look at the game and the premise intrigues you at all then I can't recommend it enough.


Mario Kart 8 - 15 points
Mario Kart 8 is fantastic. It is the best entry in the Mario Kart series for me, which I realise might be considered hyperbole to some, but I mean it. The game is amazing to look at in motion, it is both accessible and yet challenging, there is amazing detail to the tracks, and man that music.

I think the true testament to how much fun the game is that when I arranged a regular get-together on a Saturday for Mario Kart 8 sessions I thought the idea of 11 others turning up was a dream, and I didn't think it'd last more than a few months, perhaps picking up when the DLC hit. Well, some 7 months later we're still going strong (bar the odd missed week) and getting a strong turn out nearly every week. No matter what nonsense we do, or how many times we play Music Park, the game remains ridiculously fun. Bravo Nintendo.


Titanfall - 10 points
Titanfall is the game I bought an Xbox One for, and I don't regret it at all, having sunk hundreds of hours into the game and enjoyed every moment of it. In fact, the only reason I stopped playing is because I had other games I wanted to play and it was threatening to consume all my game time for months and months (rather than just weeks and weeks).

Yes, Titanfall is another fast-paced shooter, but it's a game that for a first showing gets so much right. The Titans feel fantastic and powerful, without being impossible to take down; and movement in the game feels incredible. Titanfall felt like a game changer for the current situation of shooters, and I think games like the newest CoD and Halo are just the first ripples of its impact.

For me this easily deserves a spot in my top list, and count me as someone incredibly excited for Titanfall 2.


Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 5 points
The graphics, the music, that huge roster of characters (including some delightful new additions such as Bowser Jr., Little Mac, Shulk and Duck Hunt Duo), a solid stage creator, decent online play and just a huge amount of content. It's Smash, in HD, and it's glorious.


Again, my full top 10 and some honourable mentions can be found in my journal: clicky link.

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

Dragon age Inqusition - 40
Best game of the year, clunky combat and the story was boring at parts but I couldnt stop playing at times. Honestly this year was shit but this was a good game.

MGS Ground zeroes - 20
Yes it's a glorified demo, it's really short and Kojima is fox in sheep clothing (see what i did) so this is a cashgrab. But honestly it's fun as shit. Gameplay is fantastic, graphics are fantastic and if you want to max it out it will give you value for money.

Binding of isaac - rebirth -15
Yeah it's a remake and yes it's easier but the sheer amount of content in this is great. Also I got it for free on ps+. I suck at it but I got some 50 hours in it and the gameplay is much smoother since they skipped shitty flash, new bosses are fun and new items are fun. I hate the guy that made this but the game is good, great, fantastic. in 10 years people will still play this.

Dark Souls 2 - 15
It wasnt Dark souls 1. But that was impossible, how are you going to recreate a game that magic sauce all dripping out of it's orifices. Something is only original once. But it was a good game, i never replayed it as i planned but i enjoyed the trip.

Shadow of Mordor - 10
Maybe it was the lack of games for my ps4 but i throughly enjoyed being Aragon jr. This game shows that you dont have to try to recreate the wheel everytime, just do your parts well. Combat is good, story is good enough, graphics are good and the nemesis system was a breath of fresh air even if the story basically was the menu screen in the end.

Extra mention:
Destiny
Man I hate this game. Fuck bungie for ever thinking about abusing their fanbase with this cashgrab. The shooting gameplay is awesome though, i invested shitload of time in it with some friends but in the end it was too repetetive and lacked too much content.


This year sucked major dick.

no homo

Mario Kart 8 - 40
It's been great playing multiplayer with you guys. 12 players online! Who knew Nintendo could make this happen? Not I. It's a great game and the DLC packs just make it even better. Could it have slightly better character selection? Maybe but what it has is pretty darn good and really it's the tracks and gameplay that matters for a racing game that matters and there is a ton of amazing everything there. Would pay for 2 or 3 lap N64 Rainbow Road DLC options and a DLC pack for actual battle arenas. Other than that it is the best Mario Kart game!

Super Smash Bros for Wii U - 20
It's more Super Smash Bros. A shit ton of characters, better gameplay than Brawl, 8 player Smash, and lots of options. They added customization options for characters now and of course that includes Miis and dressing them up. I wish it was a bit easier to get all those parts but collecting things is part of the fun of Smash Bros when you aren't playing with people. There isn't a big Adventure mode like in Brawl so none of that really fun interaction between franchise characters is a bit of a bummer but at least we got it in the new character reveals. The hype leading up to release was handled very well. I think the cast of characters is very good but even though there's like 50+ characters now it just feels like there should have been more. I really hope DLC fixes that and that Mew Two is not the only thing we get. Speaking of DLC the only other downloadable content is a free Miiverse stage that we've heard nothing about since the Smash Nintendo Direct months ago. I'm not actually that big a fan of the stage selection this time around. I think Brawl honestly had more variety there and the split of stages between the 3DS and Wii U versions is questionable. Nearly all the stages on the 3DS are from Brawl or from games originating on consoles. These console stages like Magicient should have been on the Wii U and they should have done a better job to create more handheld originating only stages for the 3DS. I'd definitely pay for a DLC pack that brought Brawl and console originating 3DS stages to the Wii U. There is nothing wrong with more choice and some of the decisions made for these games is baffling at times. What's with cutting the music from Brawl from its full length down to two minutes? What's with all the Jungle Hijinx remixes? You hire a bazillion composers and your new content is that? You have a fucking Blu-ray disc to utilize this time. Fill that asshole up to the brim! I understand that there is a shit ton of stuff packed into the game but the game does kind of feel like what Brawl should have been gameplay wise but with not nearly enough content considering the amount of time between new iterations of Smash. I am really concerned that this is what we're getting and besides Mew Two and the Miiverse stage Sakurai is done until he feels like he has to drag himself back into the director's chair on the next Nintendo console since it's his baby. Everything has to have his personal touch and while a team at Nintendo and Bandai Namco could certainly make content for this game for 2 to 4 years easily if handled properly I just don't see Sakurai letting that happen somehow. So okay I've complained a shit ton about this game but only because I really like the franchise a lot. It's a fun as hell game and a big celebration of everything Nintendo and for some reason I don't think it really is as much of a celebration of Nintendo as it could be and that a lot has been overlooked.

I haven't actually played many games this year, I'll have to think about it and get back to adding more and perhaps changing points for these two. Or probably just Smash. (Edit: yup just smash from 40 to 20 b/c Sakurai is a hack even though I still really like his game) Mario Kart definitely deserves 40 points.

EDIT: I looked at Diss' post and realized I had two games from this year that I played and really loved the hell out of.

Ultra Street Fighter IV - 10
I had a crazy amount of fun with the punch crew. I am horrible at this game but I fucking love it. Ibuki time is all about the jumps and not blocking and not ever doing supers or ultras because you can't learn bupkis. I doubt I'll ever get truly acceptable at this game but I'll eat my burgers with pride with you gentlemen as long as you'll tolerate me.

La-Mulana - 30
I haven't gotten as mad or as sleep deprived or as totally invested in a game as I have in a good while as I did with La-Mulana. This game is amazing. It's been basically the prove you are a true man hogan event of the year. Yes, I required prodding through my delirium from my spirit guides CHz and diss but I made the journey and I am so happy that I did. Garr is still going through it. He and Face accidentally activated hard mode but super hogan'd through anyway. Erik is about to start. We are all doomed. Load a musket with curry powder and live bats and shoot yourself in the face.

I was speaking idiomatically.

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.

Most amazing jew boots

I'm going to steal Q's idea because I love it. <3333

Mario Kart 8 - 40 Points

Best Music
Best Princesses
Best Heart Attacks
Best Fuck You Tails
Best Grunts
Best Game

Rosalina wants none of your bullshit. None of it.

This game has probably given me legit anxiety issues and heart palpitations. It gave me a stroke. The online is amazingly smooth. The game tracks stats versus individual players. IT HAS ROSALINA. IT HAS A JET BIKE. It has EVERYTHING.

It has the BEST SELECTION OF COURSES EVER.

IT HAS THE BEST DLC FROM THE LAST TWO YEARS.

THE SOUNDTRACK IS LIKE LEPRECHAUNS SHITTING GOLD DIRECTLY INTO YOUR EAR CANALS.

CHZ IS AN ASSHOLE.

Bayonetta 2 - 15 Points

Best Punching
Best Hair
Best Angels
Best Thing that Sold Only Four Copies

Man I'm not even done this yet (because I'm a shitwad) and I want to play the co-op. It's sublime, though. I can't think of anything wrong with it. And everything's improved somehow from the damn near flawless original. Everything. How does that happen? I don't even know. Platinum why are you so good at all things all the time everywhere.

Elite: Dangerous - 15 Points

Best Space
Best Trolling
Best Tricking Other People into Killing Themselves
Best Reason to Own a Flightstick

Ok so. In this game about being a space asshole, you can space troll people in MANY WONDERFUL AND UNIQUE WAYS, such as; stealing all the shit they just worked four hours for, getting them to shoot friendlies and aggroing entire space stations on them, scooping up all their cargo after they bribe you to leave and then killing them anyway, tricking them into flying into the sun and exploding.

It's really quite the thing.

Also it's FUCKING GORGEOUS JESUS CHRIST.

Also you can discover all sorts of wonderful things and then shoot them for profit. Rad.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - 5 Points

Best Animu
Best Plot Twist
Best HOLY SHIT WHAT
Best Reason to Still Have that OLED Vita

So I picked this up because of the director, and MAN. MAN. It's almost (almost) Virtue's Last Reward good. There's a few misteps on the way due to some minigame shenanigans but the VA is solid, the characters are actually not the giant shit eating tropes they start out as, and it's a very compelling VN. SURPRISED. Also dem colours on dat Vita OLED. Sucks for people with the 2000 model, I tell you what.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 5 Points

Best Toon Link
Best AcerBandit
Best Tritoch Getting Mad About AcerBandit
Best Reason to Spend like 380 dollars on Adapters, Controllers, and 4 inch plastic toys

MAN LOOK AT ALL THE ACER UPPERCUTS. And Wii Fit Trainers volleyball spikes. And general horseshit. BATS. SO GOOD. Best Smash yet, Melee people can suck a dick. Everything in this is so good. So rad, so snazzy. I've only put in like 15 hours into it too, and I've barely scratched the surface. I need to get my Acer to top tier Acering. Behold UP B UP B UP B UP B UP B UP B UP B UP B UP B. And beard. With backup Toon Link and Tritoch salt.

Yissssss.

BattleBlock Theater - 5 Points

Best Co-op
Best Pants Buckling
Best Announcer
Best Why is that Bird Farting Me Out like a Rocket

Holy shit in a cup, this game. THIS GAME. The CO-OP. Drowning your buddy and then jumping off his head while his lifeless corpse floats in the sea. Pulling out a platform from underneath him so he gets eaten by a mutant bear racoon thing. Breaking the game because it's easy to break and relying on general fuckery to get things done.

Also jesus the ending. And the announcer, like, in general. "IT SMELLS LIKE BEEF STEW IN HERE". Alien Hominid is ok. Castle Crashers was alright, but this. THIS. This is Behemoth's masterwork. I suddenly care about what they're putting out next. This is just fucking golden.

Lethal League - 5 Points

Best Robot on a Skateboard
Best Pang is SO MAD You Guys, Like For Real
Second Best Music

It's basically multiplayer Pong and the best fighting game. Like...ever. Also the best/worst MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE CLUTCH MATCHES. Awww yeah feel the beat son.

Also Pang salt is best salt.

Mario Golf: World Tour - 5 Points

Best Hitting Balls with Sticks
Best Sport Played Underwater
Choke of the Year
Best 3DS Hand Cramps

Oh lord. Best Mario Sports game in multiple generations. Courses are great. Characters are great. MP is fantastic. I CHOKED LIKE A BITCH after something like 8 or 9 extra holes after staying tied with Omagnus for like AN HOUR AND A HALF. And then I got so fucking antsy I flubbed a shot on a par 3 and IT WENT OUT OF BOUNDS oh man I was so mad.

Five points for how mad I was.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PC Port) - 5 Points

Best Japanese Game on PC
Best Cutting Dudes in HALF
Best MANLINESS
Best Surprise Christmas Gift

Zandatsu in 1080p/constant 60 frames a second/all DLC/always on sale/giving it to people/giant testicles.

SO BIG.

SO TESTICLES.

---

Honourable Mentions:
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse.
Shovel Knight.
Transistor.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.

Things that would have gotten more points had I, y'know, played more than an hour of them this year probably:
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Divinity: Original Sin.
Crimzon Clover: WORLD IGNITION.

Things that were giant piles of dogshit that should never have come out and I feel bad for actually playing them:
Destiny.

FELIPE NO

Now that I've played 2 games from 2014, time to join the thread!

40 Points - Bravely Default



Looks like Final Fantasy, sounds like Final Fantasy, smells like Final Fantasy, and as cheesy as Final Fantasy! It's a good game that satisfies that JRPG/nostalgia itch that you occassionally get.

40 Points - Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes



Stealth! Rain! Guards! Rescuing people! Bombs! Explosions! Snake!
Sure, it's a demo, but it's a lot better than MGS4. :/

Story is pretty good too (so far).

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Mario Kart 8 - 30 points


Although I havne't played it as much as I'd like, it is still a really awesome game. The best in the series with tons of replay value and the awesome DLC packs. There aren't enough awesome words to give this game.


Super Smash Bros. Wii-U - 30 points


I honestly love the smash series. I have played all of them to death and then some. Probably one of my favorite game series to play through. I do miss the single player features from Brawl, and I am sad that they opted to do Smash Tour instead of Smash Run in the Wiii-U version. However, there's just so much to do in this game that the disappointment from these small gripes is easily overshadowed. If I had to choose just one GOTY, this would be it.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - 15 points


I am probably gonna get shit for putting this game lower than 40 points. I enjoyed it, a lot. The combat was solid, the game was smooth and the story was enjoyable. The camera annoyed me a bit, especially in chaotic battles like the Sam fight. I also can't see myself going back to replay the game, even though I enjoyed myself going through it in the first place. SORRY GUYS, still great though!

Transistor - 10 points


I really enjoy the narrative in this game. I figured I would, as I enjoyed the narrative in Bastion when I played that. Plus, the inner geek in me loves the programming named skills and the synergy play of the functions. Overall a very well put together game. I haven't finished it yet, which might have pushed this to a higher point total if I had, but oh well!

Hyrule Warriors - 10 points


Another game I really wish I had more time to play. What I have played of it so far is great and there are tons of things to do in the game, plus co-op!

Mario Golf: World Tour - 5 points


While not the most in depth game this year, I did play it a ton thanks to Meet. Played it at meet a bunch with Omagnus and Skills, and then continued to play it while out and about with my 3ds. This game was my mobile game of choice until Smash for the 3ds came out.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

30 Points - Mario Kart 8
For the second year in a row, the game I had the most fun with was an online game. Maybe this is a sign I should be social more often.

Saturday Karting with you chucklefucks has easily, easily been the highlight of my week most weeks in the past year. There are absolutely chunks of that game that are not great, like battle mode and all the courses that aren't Music Park, but it looks fantastic, plays like Mario Kart, and has a shockingly competent internet implementation. Also, I'm an asshole.


30 Points - Transistor
Best art direction of 2014, and perhaps the best encouragement of mixing up play styles in a video game ever. Smart storytelling and subtlety abound. A 100% complete package.


10 Points - Super Smash Bros. 4
Yeah, it's all right. I don't get as GOTY pumped about Smash games as I did pre-college, but it's fun. Needs less guest musical arrangements by everyone on the planet and more arrangements just by HAL's sound team though, where's my Hirokazu Ando at.


10 Points - Kirby Triple Deluxe
HERE'S where my Hirokazu Ando is at. Soundtrack of the year. HAL is still capable of turning out games that give me more pound-for-pound joy than any other series.


10 Points - Shovel Knight
It's a Mega Man with melee attacks, modern sensibilities, and virt making soundchips explode.


5 Points - Bravely Default
First half is a serviceable SNES-style adventure romp. Second half is a disaster, with one good story idea but a scenario team unequipped to the task of exploring it. It is, however, the game I had the most fun breaking in 2014, and for that it gets a spot here. It takes the best part of Final Fantasy V, its hilariously unbalanced job system, and cranks that shit up to 11 by giving every class broken abilities and letting you combine things left and right.

This is a game that lets me hulk out three party members with huge attack and zero defense, give them all an ability where they deal mega damage to every enemy when they die, and then have the fourth party member murder and mass revive them twice a turn. For this, it deserves points.


5 Points - Mario Cars 2: 64
Fight or not fight, a like reward we claim,
The wretch and hero find their prize the same.
Alike regretted in the dust he lies,
Who yields ignobly, or who bravely dies.
Of all my dangers, all my glorious pains,
A life of labours, lo! what fruit remains?


These were close to points: Contraption Maker, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Pushmo World, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, Theatrhythm: Curtain Call
I haven't played these yet, or else they might've been here: Bayonetta 2, Captain Toad, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall, The Talos Principle, Wasteland 2

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Mario Kart 8 - 20 points
Ambient anger noises.

Bravely Default - 15 points
I’m a sucker for a good job class system, so this was right up my alley. You have to play pretty much the same boss battles 6 times to see the true ending, and some of the plot choices don’t make sense, but the gameplay and music are way above par. Here’s hoping the sequel corrects the original’s missteps.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare - 15 points
PvZ was an afterthought for us when we bought our Xbox One; there just aren’t that many games. Surprisingly, Tritoch and I have probably played it more than Titanfall at this point, mostly because the community has remained populated. It’s a competent shooter with neat weapons and modes, and EA has been good about adding new content. What other game lets you capture tacos?

Titanfall - 10 points
This is the main reason we bought an Xbone. It’s every bit as fun as you’d expect a game about giant fighting mechs to be, but unfortunately everyone stopped playing when the new CoD came out. Also, the weapon selection is pretty bare-bones. Another one that I’m sure will be greatly improved by the inevitable sequel.

Theatrhythm Curtain Call - 10 points
All the best things from the original Theatrhythm, with tons more songs and continuing DLC from non FF games. Way less annoying to unlock characters too.

Smash Bros WiiU/3DS - 10 points
Another Nintendo system, another Smash Bros. The portable version is ok, but the WiiU version is where the new levels and characters really shine. Lack of support for more than 4 players online (even for some kind of tournament lobby) is the only thing holding it back.

Hearthstone - 5 points
I know, I know, why a free-to-play card game? Because it’s very well put together, not pay-to-play, and works great on tablet and PC. It’s an awesome way to waste 15 minutes, and you’re never that far from earning another booster pack.

Shovel Knight - 5 points
I missed out on backing this on Kickstarter, but it’s amazing how well this 8-bit homage turned out.

Chariot - 5 points
I can’t recommend this if you don’t have a local friend, but the couch co-op puzzle solving is great. I don’t understand why there’s no online multiplayer.

Valiant Hearts- 5 points
I just picked this up on the winter Steam sale, so I haven’t finished it, but what I’ve played so far is fantastic.

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

There were very few games I was super passionate about in 2014.

Drakengard 3 - 40 points
Comedic ultraviolence! Endearing characters and such.


Bravely Default - 40 points
More Final Fantasy than Final Fantasy.


Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 20 points
Goddamn amiibos draining my wallet.


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

Bravely Default - 25 points



It may overstay its welcome, but man was this a refreshing return to old RPGs with updated mechanics. The online move sharing as well as rebuilding Norende were some of the best social features in a 3DS game so far. I still need to finish it up, since I got a bit burned out from playing it non-stop for around 60 hours.

Mario Kart 8 - 15 points

YouTube Video

I don't think any of us could have predicted how much staying power this has had, nor how many times we'd play Music Park. So much MAD. The lack of a real battle mode is a major bummer since that's usually my favorite part of Mario Kart.

Hyrule Warriors - 10 points



I'm still surprised by how well this was done. It goes beyond being a good Dynasty Warriors game and manages to just be a great game overall. There's so much attention to detail in the stages and characters, and the Adventure Mode maps are massive. The DLC has added a lot to the game for a reasonable price too. The only real downside is that Link predictably gets tons of weapons while most characters are stuck with only one weapon type each.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 10 points



I'm torn on which version to give this to, but I'll go with the console version since I've enjoyed the actual fighting more there. The 3DS has some fantastic stages though, and the Smash Run mode is endlessly better than Mario Party Smash.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - 10 points



Amazing, and the recent DLC with songs from other Square series cements its permanent place in my library. The Quest system is SO much less annoying for earning crystal shards, though it would be nice if it didn't stay perpetually at high level since I prefer Expert over Ultimate. Here's hoping we keep getting more of these after the Dragon Quest game.

Titanfall - 10 points



This was the reason I opted to get an XBOne before PS4, and I don't regret it. It's COD, but with fluid movement and all the kill streaks are mechs which you get on a timer even if you suck. It's a shame the lobbies have emptied a bit since the new COD came out, but it would be really hard to go back to such a bland shooter without wallrunning and dropping robots on people.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare - 10 points



It's surprising how much fun this has turned out to be. Some modes may be weighted in favor of one side and the party matchmaking is very broken, but it's well worth the hassle.

Shovel Knight - 5 points



This one really lived up to the hype, which was a pretty daunting task. The gameplay is solid, the soundtrack is amazing, and there may be more puns than any other game has ever dared to contain. Also butts.

Fantasy Life - 5 points



Easy, but highly addicting. Between crafting, gathering, and killing it keeps you constantly working on a couple dozen goals at once. With a bit more difficulty, a bit less talking, and not hiding endgame content behind a paywall this could have easily been my top game of the year.


Honorable Mentions
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - TIME FOR ADVENTURE!
- Atelier Escha & Logy - Finally, a main Atelier game I love.
- Child of Light - Incredible art, and I have to like a game that rhymes the whole way through.
- Transistor - I haven't played as much as I'd like, but that soundtrack.
- NES Remix 2 - Big improvement over the original in games and challenges.
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - Etrian and Persona just mesh so well.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Whelp. Most of my top hitters of the last year were older than that. :\

Hyrule Warriors - 40pts

I always made fun of SailorDaravon for playing Dynasty Warriors because... holy shit. Its like japanese soaps or something in video game form. I just fucking lol everytime I see something on there.

However, throw in Zelda in this, you got me interested. I already love the co-op play on this. He'd troll me for picking Link every time but whatever, he's a damn powerhouse.

Downside to this is that he had to play on the wii u controller while I can look at the glorious wide screen tv.

Story mode was laughable but adventure mode is neat and a bit of a tedious grind but still pretty fun.

Fantasy Life - 40pts

We rented this first and I loved it for the simple grind it gave me to do. When I got the second job, it more or less became my easy go to game because of it.

Story line is laughable here too. People bitched about it but whatever, what they shouldn't have played it for, they should had played it for the various lives and the minigames with it.

Mario Kart 8 - 20pts

I've not played this much but I did enjoyed most what I got from it. Great co-op as usual. I enjoyed learning which cart and which character I should use and experimenting.

And that's about it. There's a couple of others but they're honestly not worth mentioning here. Layton vs AA had disappointed me with that ending so.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Bayonetta 2 - 30
A gloriously fun romp through all sorts of silly shenanigans. New weapons, a new co-op mode (which i still haven't actually gotten to play with friends), and characters that make me grin. Everyone in this game is just so sassy. Bayonetta seems to have that effect on people.

Transistor - 20
This game is the first one that i've ever pre-ordered on Steam. So beautiful. Any game with a dedicated hum button is a winner in my books.

Bravely Default - 10
So much fun just messing with jobs and abilities in this one. A great throwback to the JRPGs of yore, with enough of its own identity to stand on its own merits.

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright - 10
I was drooling over this game since it was first announced like 4 years ago or whenever. It wasn't perfect, but i felt that it was a great combination of the two distinct play styles. I also enjoy silly and ridiculous Layton-style stories (filled with plot holes as they may be).

Mario Golf: World Tour - 10
I played this so much for months after it came out. It's too bad i didn't like the format they picked for the tournaments - i'm not sure how else they could have done it, but being able to play the course over and over until you have eagles on every hole - and having to if you want to rank well - didn't really sit well with me. The online play was great, though.

Smash 4 - 10
Smash! I like smash. I'm not exceptionally good at it, but in an 8-player game none of that matters anyway. I really like the idea of slightly altered movesets that make characters play a little differently.

Mariokart 8 - 5
Yup, kart. Not much to say - go fast and pray to the RNG gods that the person behind you gets bananas. I haven't played this game on my own very much, but when i get the chance playing with the GFF crew is a blast.

Hyrule Warriors - 5
I've played this game for like one evening with my little brother playing co-op. And it was fun enough to get on to this list. Something about running around just wrecking guys all over the place is really satisfying. It's gotten me interested in the Dynasty Warriors series too, which isn't even something that i had looked at before.

Honorable Mentions

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy - Great game, but i just didn't get into it. Vs. mode is neat, but i just get Judgemented all day and it ends up being more depressing than anything. Spend most of my time just leveling up characters in Quest Medleys.

Shovel Knight - Great little platformer. I didn't play a lot of these as a kid, so the nostalgia factor isn't there as strongly for me, but holy cow that music. Solid gameplay, a good concept, and well executed. I just sort of ran out of points to give, so.

Persona Q - neat game, i got it mostly for the character interactions. Too bad all of the characters are, at the point where i am anyway, still just lacking depth. No one's growing or anything, it's just a bunch of anime episodes about people i like. Which is good, mostly, but i'd have liked to see a little bit of what made the Persona games so great, namely the characters feeling like real, growing people.

FELIPE NO

I've played a good lot this year on PC (duh) and enjoyed gaming more than in many, many years I think. I didn't manage to play such titles as Endless Legend, Divinity: Original Sin and Valiant Hearts, which would have no doubt gotten points from me, but here's some games listed that I did play and liked:


Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - 30
Q gave me a dualshock4 to play this game and boy was that a good gift. Manhogans and nanomachines were had and everything was good times.


Shovel Knight - 25
I immediately fell in love with everything this game has, the well done graphical style, sharp gameplay, good nostalgic tunes and overally polished feel.
A little buttmad was experienced on few tough stages, but it's all part of the good whole.


Wasteland 2 - 20
I was excited for this title and I was not dissapointed. While the game still needs bug fixes and polishing, I had a fun playthrough. I did have to murder couple of towns because certain questlines were bugged, but it's all good, no witnesses.


Beyond Earth - 10
Not so much an Alpha Centauri sequel as more of a beefed up Civ5. Quite good but still need couple of expansions to smooth out the edges and add content. Played a ton none the less anyway.
I'm pretty sure Endless Legend would be here instead if I had played that already.


FLT: Advanced Edition - 10
Base game has been out for couple of years already, but Advanced Edition added so much content that, as Taco points out, it's in baby! Having already loved the original, this just makes it more awesome and I sometimes get stuck for days doing runs.


Dark Souls 2 - 5
I played both DS1 and 2 this year, and I can honestly say DS1 was one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had, shame it's not eligible for this vote. Dark Souls 2 was still pretty good, but I didn't quite get the same fantastic wibes as I had with the first game. Might have been because I played both almost back to back.
Couple of points for good effort.

How ya doing, buddy?

Even though I beat 40 games in 2014, most of them were not actually 2014 releases; I played a ton of 2013 releases on catchup like Fire Emblem Awakening, Link Between Worlds, SMT4, etc. Also since there were a number of games that we haven't played yet since we're waiting for a PS4/X1 to play them, so no Shadows of Mordor, Far Cry 4, Dragon Age, etc. In addition I should mention that Persona Q, Fantasy Life and Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix all would have had likely spots on this list but I didn't get to those in time either. With all of that said:



Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - 25 Points

This game may be my GOAT. Absolutely nothing gives me warm fuzzy feelings like this game, and the nostalgia and feels it invokes; playing the Final Fantasy Medley EMS almost gets me teary-eyed. They got rid of practically all of the bullshit weird systems and roadblocks the original game had, and added a bunch of ton of new stuff, systems, music, and more. And now they are not only continuing to actively support the game with more content, they're even branching out into crazy awesome town with stuff like Chrono Trigger, SaGa Frontier, Xenogears, etc. The only tiny nitpick I can even think of with the game is some of the menus and loading are kind of slow, but I'm reaching a bit to even come up with that.

GET GOOD DLC

Bayonetta 2 - 15 points

Arguably the best character action game of all time. While the game doesn't quite reach the peak insanity of the end of the first game, overall it delivers a much consistent and crazier experience than the first game. Playing this immediately after the Wii U re-release of the first game really highlights a lot of the positive changes I had totally forgotten about, like all of the horrible instafail QTEs from the first game which are completely absent in the 2nd. Platinum continues to be on point mechanics-wise, the colorful nature of the sequel suits it very well, and the soundtrack continues to deliver. My only real issue with the game is it feels like more of a boss rush then the first game, it doesn't feel like you have as many regular enemies that you're fighting which I personally enjoyed since it gave you more opportunities to feel like a complete badass. In 2 it feels like you spend more time transversing environments to get to the next boss which isn't necessarily bad, but something I didn't enjoy as much.

Diablo III Reaper of Souls - 15 points

This expansion returns Diablo 3 to the king of all loot games. They addressed almost all of the huge issues that the original release had, making it an incredibly rewarding and replayable experience with an actual endgame. It only doesn't place even higher for me because there are certain walls/issues that come up at the very very endgame grind, and how they have handled Seasons has been extremely disappointing to say the least. However that's after having spent around 1200 hours on the game...so yeah.

Mario Kart 8 - 15 points

[ANGRY SKILLS SOUNDS INTENSIFIES]

Hyrule Warriors - 10 points

Yup, it's a Zelda Dynasty Warriors game. Very pleasantly surprised though at Adventure mode content, even with just the one base map the game comes with it adds several times the amount of content and gametime that the base story mode does. The sheer amount of crap to do and get is pretty ridiculous, we're probably at around 150 hours and haven't even touched either of the DLC packs...and there's 2 more on the way.

Also you have to appreciate them giving no fucks. For example, please observe Exhibit A above, which is the Skull Kid throwing the moon at Fierce Deity Link who gives no fucks and is about to cut it in half. Yeah.


Super Smash Bros. For Wii U - 10 points

As the first Smash game I've ever played for more than like 2 hours I'm actually really enjoying this, mostly due to it having generally acceptable online play. It would place higher on my list if it didn't have hilariously bad Nintendo online options; trying to get into the same lobby as Tails is ridiculous. Why wouldn't you let two people go into matchmaking together if it's for Doubles PLEASE UNDERSTAND


Bravely Default - 5 points

This is a bit of an odd one; this is the game I had hoped to finish before the deadline but didn't. The game has been a slow burn since I got it at launch, where I've gone back to it here and there. The game has the infamous twist or whatever you want to call it starting in Chapter 5, which I (and I'd imagine most people) saw coming from a million miles away. The problem is that I haven't actually beaten the game proper yet so I'm not sure how I'll feel about it at the end. Honestly in these games I care mostly about the mechanics over the story, and the gameplay and job system in this are fantastic, and as far as I've gotten past the twist it hasn't bothered me at all. So I think I'll wind up on the side of the fence where the repetitiveness doesn't bother me really, but I can't say for 100% sure yet. I do also find it a bit weird that everyone who complains about the latter part of the game seems to ignore that you can just turn encounters off, and ignore almost all of the content in the 2nd half of the game as it's purely optional and beat the entire 2nd part in 2-3 hours tops. Not that it excuses the design choice, but people seem to grossly exaggerate the amount of time it takes to actually clear the latter part of the game if you want to.

I am curious to see the ending though, since even the camp of people that shit on the 2nd half of the game seem to still agree that the ending is apparently amazing. Also I think we can all agree that the soundtrack for this game is absolutely fucking incredible, best JRPG soundtrack I can think of in recent memory by far.


Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - 5 points

TOILET ADVENTURE

Also while I really enjoyed the game, I do feel like people give it a bit too much of a free pass because it's so cute/hilarious. It's fun, but it gets repetitive, the camera has issues, and grinding out the time trials and the last maze level (which to be fair are both optional) are kind of ridiculous. Still a great game I'd recommend, but expectations should be kept in check.

Jam it back in, in the dark.