Right from the start I want to go ahead and say not everyone is going to agree with this list. I have made omissions in certain areas so as to leave out games that were re-released or remastered this year. That ended up removing some really solid games from the list. On top of that, this is only a list of games I’ve played that came out this year. So if you remember a game that was totally radical but didn’t make the list, odds are I haven’t had a chance to sit down with it yet. With that being said, lets get to it. 10. Oddworld: New and TastyThis is a from scratch rebuild of Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee for PC and current and last gen consoles. I struggled with the addition of this to the list as it is a remake, but ultimately ended up throwing it in because it has enough new content that it’s basically a new game. 9. Destiny Now here’s a divisive one. I’ve talked to a lot of people about Destiny and the opinions are usually pretty explosive. Out of 100 people polled, there would be 45 people saying it’s the greatest game they’ve ever played, 45 people saying it’s a huge steaming pile, and 10 people who are completely indifferent. I decided that it earned a place on this list as it was able to suck about 50 hours out of my life in a single week. That very rarely happens to me. 8. Mario Kart 8 Mario Kart in HD. Not a whole lot to say about it other than “Yep, Mario Kart is still fun”. However, if this was my Video Game Soundtrack of the Year list, this would be number 1. This game contains more ripping saxophone solos than one individual can safely process at once. 7. Wolfenstein: The New Order Ultra-violence of the most classic style. I grew up playing Wolf3d and DooM so I’m a bit biased by nostalgia on this one. I think even past the nostalgia factor, Wolfenstein is still a great game. It’s got fast paced, high octane, bullet spraying action and doesn’t disappoint everyone like Rise of the Triad 2013 did. That’s right Interceptor Studios, I’m looking at you. 6. Bayonetta 2 Bayonetta is weird… I’m completely aware of that. But if you can get through the uber-sexualization of this witch whose clothing is made out of hair and the Power Ranger-ian amount of unnecessary acrobatics and butt close-ups, you’ve got a really solid Devil May Cry style beat-em-up. 5. Sunset Overdrive Sunset Overdrive is crazy in ways that I’m completely okay with. It’s an infamous style parkour injected third person shooter with supremely dumb weapons (in a good way). I, having a deep appreciation for things that are stupid, am obliged to throw this one in here. 4. Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition This is another one of the “sort of” re-releases I allowed onto the list. It adds another act to the game so I let it slide. On top of that, this game is another one of the time vampires that will make your entire day disappear if you’re not careful. Hot loot abounds. 3. Divinity: Original Sin Freedom is the name of the game here. Divnity: OS allows you to go wherever you want and do whatever you want and it almost always results in your untimely demise. I do appreciate it when a game makes suggestions instead of making my choices for me. If I want to try and take on that level 50 boss at level 8 then I’m going to do it. I know it’ll kill me, I just want to see how quickly it will get it done. 2. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Do you like stabbing dudes in the face? If you do, this game is for you. I was not expecting to get as much mileage out of Shadow of Mordor as I did. I picked it up thinking it was going to be a run of the mill LotR game adaptation (like most of the others) but was extremely surprised to see that four days later I had 100% completed the whole thing, gotten all the achievements, and was still running around finding new things to do. DRUM ROLL PLEASE…. 1. DARK SOULS 2 This game… Never have I been more frustrated. Never have I sat for so long in front of a game and come away having made almost no progress. That, my friends, is the Dark Souls experience. You run headlong into chaos, get kicked off a cliff, and go back and replay the last 20 minutes of the area more cautiously. But when it’s over… When you finally defeat the end boss, a feeling of pride swells up within you and suddenly all those hours of lost progress are worth it. Dark Souls 2 is my game of the year. Well there you have it. My top 10 games of 2014 (that I’ve played). Some of these games can even be picked up on Steam at a discounted price until January 2nd. If you disagree with my list, which you have the right to do, make a list of your own and post it in the comments section. I’d really like to see what everyone was into this year.
