Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
Bravely Default (3DS)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
I apparently played almost no games that came out in 2014. Fortunately for me my top 2 would not have changed had I played every game.
The Dark Souls franchise is one of my favorites and the second cemented my love. It also showed that From Software is very capable and the first Dark Souls was not just a fluke. The combat is still tight and exacting which is what I wanted. The addition of dedicated servers really improved on the primary weak point of the first in my opinion. They have also been prompt with patches and updates and show a dedication to their player base even if they are sometimes misguided. Really it was just the first game with a lot of polish and if you were a fan of the first you should definitely play 2.
Super Smash Bros is pretty much the best iteration so far. Massive 8 way brawls, a semi competent online mode, an outrageous roster, and an obvious love of the characters involved. It may very well be the most fun party game ever made. I could go on but you get the point.
Gamertag: KL Retribution
PSN:Furlion
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
Thank you for voting, GnomeTank.
You voted for:
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
Far Cry 4 (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Elite: Dangerous (PC)
Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
Sunset Overdrive (XBO)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
Lords of the Fallen (PC, PS4, XBO)
Infamous: Second Son (PS4)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (PC, PS3, X360)
The Sims 4 (PC)
Goat Simulator (PC)
My #1 was pretty easy. Everyone says your first Souls game is your one true love for life, and I don't disagree. While most Souls veterans have legitimate quips with DaS2, it set me on my way, and lead to me beating Dark Souls and Demon Souls (series reverse sweep hype). DaS2 remains my favorite, and the one I've put the most hours in to.
Aside from that the only real shockers in my list would be Elite: Dangerous at 8 and Destiny at 9. Elite: Dangerous has grabbed me in a way I never expected it to. Before I knew it I was ordering 600 bucks in HOTAS and pedals to play this game "correctly". Destiny is....well it's Destiny. It's not only one of the most interesting experiences I've played this year, it's also one of the biggest disappointments. Goes to show you just how much potential was there for absolute awesomeness, that a game can end up one of the best experiences I've had all year while still being very disappointing.
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
Seeing how often a certain group of WiiU games are getting rated makes me really wish I had managed to pick one up last year. But alas, last year was not to be a good one for me. I think it's going to have to be something to get this year for sure.
Seeing how often a certain group of WiiU games are getting rated makes me really wish I had managed to pick one up last year. But alas, last year was not to be a good one for me. I think it's going to have to be something to get this year for sure.
I wish I'd gotten one a couple of years ago, when Dick Smith had a fire sale with all their remaining stock. Oh well, I'll get one eventually (both for Wii and WiiU games, since I missed the Wii) but I'm in no big rush.
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
There, I revoted. Only real change was adding Dragon Age, which pushed everything else down one spot (it's #3 for me), and adding Goat Simulator at 20 on the tail end. Not because Goat Simulator even approached a "good game", but because it was stupid, and funny, and just about dumb fun for a couple of hours. I appreciated it in that way.
Seeing how often a certain group of WiiU games are getting rated makes me really wish I had managed to pick one up last year. But alas, last year was not to be a good one for me. I think it's going to have to be something to get this year for sure.
I wish I'd gotten one a couple of years ago, when Dick Smith had a fire sale with all their remaining stock. Oh well, I'll get one eventually (both for Wii and WiiU games, since I missed the Wii) but I'm in no big rush.
There are a few unmissable games for the Wii U, but I'm finding myself wishing I'd waited and bought one on the cheap at the tail end of the generation instead. I'm finding only about a game a year releases for it that I really want, and while the likes of Bayo 2 and Mario 3D World are fantastic, that's not nearly enough to justify the purchase in my book. Obviously there are those who love the things, but for most people I'd say sitting on it for a few more years is the way to go.
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I feel like the Wii U is a slow drip, long haul system. I've been completely happy with purchasing mine early, but the drip of games has been slow (but steady goodness), and with a new Zelda this year, and possibly a new Metroid brewing on the horizon, I'll be glad I have it.
props to everyone who works to get some of the smaller indie games on these lists, i generally miss 99% of those and use this end of year stuff to catch up on that scene
Thank you for voting, I needed a gnome to post..
You voted for:
Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
Drawful (PC, PS4, PS3)
Transistor (PC, PS4)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC, PS4, Vita)
Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
Sportsfriends (PC, PS3, PS4)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
Glitchhikers (PC)
Velvet Sundown (PC)
Endless Legend (PC)
80 Days (iOS, Android)
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- (PS4, PS3)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
The Rapture Is Here And You Will Be Forcibly Removed From Your Home (PC)
The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
Desert Golfing (Android, iOS)
Threes (iOS, Droid, XBO)
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LCDXXA flask of wood and glassTerre Haute, INRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
Freedom Wars (PSVita)
Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut (PC)
Planetary Annihilation (PC)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
PT (PS4)
I truly expected Dark Souls 2 to top the list, but love it or hate I had to go with Destiny. Simply put, I haven't had this much fun online since Halo 2. Now with 2 kids commanding so much of my time these days it's not easy to commit so much to one game. Yet, somehow I have 160 hours logged and that's not even close to many of my fellow guardians here on the forum. It's kinda bittersweet as I know I've missed out on other, potentially better games because I'm too wrapped up in hanging out with some pretty great folks in that Destiny thread. I haven't had this much social interaction with the PA community since The Bees Knees and it feels good to be involved again.
And then there's Bravely Default... I feel like its most Final Fantasy-like game to come outta Square since FF9. Despite the shallow slog at the end, this game gives me hope for a better future from Square. And I'm looking forward to Bravely Second.
Dark Souls 2 comes up short of the original DS (which arguably fell short of DeS before it) but damn if it wasn't spectacular all the same. The lore, the atmosphere, the challenge. Probably my favorite series to come out in the past 10 years and I can't wait to see what comes next in Bloodborne (yeah, yeah, it's not a "Souls" game but I'm considering the pedigree here).
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
It's so funny, I really believe the order you played them in effects how you see the Souls games. I played them DaS2 -> DaS -> DeS, and loved them all, but if given a choice, that's the order I'd rank them in as well. I love DaS2, and have poured way more time in to it than the other two. Your first souls game tends to be your true love.
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
edited January 2015
I actually liked Dark Souls 2 more than Dark Souls, but both of those far more than Demon Souls. I didn't have a ps3 when demon souls came out originally, so the first of the games I played was Dark Souls.
My own hierarchy is Dark Souls II with DLC > Dark Souls > Dark Souls II = Demon's Souls. I started with Dark Souls. I'm big on environment design and the areas that the Dark Souls II's DLC introduced were the pinnacle of the series for me.
My own hierarchy is Dark Souls II with DLC > Dark Souls > Dark Souls II = Demon's Souls. I started with Dark Souls. I'm big on environment design and the areas that the Dark Souls II's DLC introduced were the pinnacle of the series for me.
I haven't played the DLC yet, been waiting for it to go on sale and/or picking the whole thing up with the new updated version...must hold out.
and a bunch of other games on 2) and beyond, but Divinity is my big GOATEE right on top. Everything except for the story is outstanding, especially the combat.
2) South Park: Stick of Truth
3) Door Kickers
4: Hexcells Infinite
5: Walking Dead S2
6: Shadowrun: Dragonfall
You voted for:
Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (3DS, WiiU)
Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (WiiU)
The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Hitman Go (iOS, Droid)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (PC, PS3, X360)
Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
Hyrule Warriors (WiiU)
Steel Diver: Sub Wars (3DS)
Mount Your Friends (PC)
Flappy Bird (Droid, iOS)
gay cats go to the weird weird woods (PC)
I've had a ton of fun with DriveClub over the last week, so that went up two spots. I do wish it had less of a grind though.
I also gave Strider a couple of more shots and it eventually grew on me. It's still a bit too bland for my liking but it's a decent enough Metroid style game.
Pokemon unceremoniously dumped Doorkickers off the top of the list due to the fact that I put 150 hours into it since I bought it.
Before I had picked that up though it was really tight between Titanfall and Doorkickers for my GOTY. I put a lot of time into both of them and love them equally, even if it's for very different reasons.
My biggest disappointments of the year were Dark Souls 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. DS2 just didn't grab me like the first did.
DA:I is just a complete dumpster fire and I hated every minute spent with it, just fucking shockingly bad.
My "Totally would have been GOTY if I had the chance to play it!" goes to Bayonetta 2. In fact I was tempted to make it my #1 simply because I knew it would've been, but I opted against that simply because I didn't want to shunt Doorkickers any further down the list.
1. Transistor
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition
3. Wolfenstein: The New Order
4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!
5. Gauntlet
6. The Banner Saga
1. Transistor: Adored it. I held off for a long time because though I liked Bastion, I didn't love it, and while the presentation of Supergiant's follow-up was pressing all the right buttons (seriously, just look at those trailers), I wasn't sure I'd like it beyond the wrapper. Turns out I needn't have worried. Aside from an aesthetic positively oozing style and cool (the mark of Jen Zee's prototypical involvement vs. being brought on late with Bastion), the writing was strong, the gameplay more compelling and strategic than Bastion's, the environments more lovely, the music exceptional, and the entire execution on-point, resulting in an extremely tight game.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition: Really there's too much to say about this game to put in such a brief review. Inquisition is the DA team's four-year attempt to win back the whole fanbase after the divided response to the rushed one-year-production of DA2, and ultimately it answers the worst without inheriting the best. It also suffers from a wealth of filler and disposable content, a main plot that peaks early and ends in a whimper, and a return to the dull but popular formula of a chosen hero conquering unambiguous evil to great applause. Despite all that, it is gorgeous, sprawling, (mostly) well-written, staffed with a large crew of typically excellent Bioware companions, and fun enough that after investing TES-level time in one playthrough, I wasn't put off another. The only reason it's not in the top slot is because as much as it suffers from lack of focus, Transistor exceeds in the same.
3. Wolfenstein: The New Order: Hey, remember when first-person shooters had good campaigns and weren't just weak gestures neglected alongside multiplayer? When you're playing a WWII game's requisite beach landing intro and your character starts musing "this ain't war, but the breaking of the seals, the undoing of life itself," you know you're in for something fresh. Wolfenstein has a curious amount of humanity in it for a title in its genre or even its franchise, and the lead voice actor (Varric from Dragon Age, as it turns out) sells the hell out of BJ's introspective, poetic observations. Add in good gameplay, a perk system encouraging metastrategy, and a solid soundtrack and you've got a good title...though the ending leaves something to be desired.
4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!: An off-year production is farmed out to 2K Aus, and they actually do a lot of things better than Gearbox (not necessarily a surprise). Featuring the best cast of the three main Borderlands titles and a few welcome new mechanics like lasers, cryo, the loot grinder, boost-jumping and buttslamming alongside kinder drop rates, TPS offers a nice tune-up to the formula—but just a tune-up. The next Borderlands will have to justify itself again. Oh, and the plot is pretty decent as an origin story, and there's a shit-talking shotgun.
Gauntlet was fun monster-mashing mayhem, and while I haven't played enough of Banner Saga to compare it much to the priors, I played enough to like what I saw. I also played Thief, but it wasn't worth a vote. All in all, a pretty thin year for me as far as playing actual 2014 titles.
You voted for:
1. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS3)
2. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU)
4. Fibbage (PS3)
5. Threes (iOS)
6. Hitman Go (iOS)
7. Monument Valley (iOS)
8. Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PS4)
I'm always coming to games a year or more late, so I guess it's not suprising that I only played 8 games that came out in 2014, 3 of which were mobile (if Crossy Road had made the overall list, I'd have included it too).
My own personal Top 5 games I played (for the first time) in 2014 is:
1. Mario Galaxy
2. Super Mario 3D World
3. A Link Between Worlds
4. Tomb Raider
5. South Park
MongerI got the ham stink.Dallas, TXRegistered Userregular
2014 is a year in which I played a ton of games and finished basically none of them. Excellent 60+ hour RPGs out the ass. Usually, I write up a thing about everything I vote for. I don't seem to have the focus to do so this year.
20. The Banner Saga (PC, iOS)
19. Mercenary Kings (PC, PS4)
18. Neverending Nightmares (PC, Ouya)
17. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, PC)
16. Super Time Force (PC, X360, XBO)
15. Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry (PS4, PC, XBO, PS3, X360)
14. The Fall (PC)
13. Wasteland 2 (PC)
12. Abyss Odyssey (PS3, X360, PC)
11. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PC, PS4, XBO)
10. Roundabout (PC)
9. Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
8. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
7. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
6. Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
5. Transistor (PC, PS4)
4. Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
3. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO) 1. Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
Long War stands proudly on top of this year. No question. I've put so many hours into that fucking mod, and will put many more in to come. Bayonetta is also sort of alright, I guess. Or whatever. You could do worse.
Secret Answer #21:
Sir, You Are Being Hunted (PC)
Things that should be on this list and aren't (because I can't play them):
Assassin's Creed: Unity
Things I bought and didn't get around to:
So Many Things
Things I intended to buy and didn't:
So Many More Things
The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
Elite: Dangerous (PC)
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (3DS)
Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Nidhogg (PC, PS4, PSVita)
Fantasy Life (3DS)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
I ended up forgetting Dragon Age and Middle Earth, which I kind of don't mind. I liked Middle Earth but it has gotten its due for sure and with Dragon Age, I liked about 60% of it. The other 40% got tedious and was poorly paced which I found I didn't have the patience for this year as much. I still haven't gotten around to beating either despite being at the end of both.
Things should be open, I see two votes in progress so I'll let those finish but I wouldn't recommend anyone else start.
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RandomHajileNot actually a SnatcherThe New KremlinRegistered Userregular
edited February 2015
Okay, I'm good. Thanks again. I'm literally the worst. Which is a good segue to this:
Thank you for voting, RandomHajile.
You voted for:
1. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360) - Even though I haven't finished this, I can say with a good degree of certainty that this is the pinnacle of pure ludology this year. Or something. It's great.
2. Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO) - Eff the haters. I have over 4 full real-time days in this game and enjoyed even the "boring stuff."
3. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360) - As a (still) huge SP fan, I nearly made this my number 1. Just great at what it is.
4. Infamous: Second Son (PS4) - This is the game I just consumed. Great to look at and fun as hell.
5. Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry (PS4, PC, XBO, PS3, X360) - This combined the best parts of ACIV with a really grounded and interesting story that very few developers would be willing to tackle.
6. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360) - This may be the best Telltale game yet. Perhaps right behind TWD S1.
7. Monument Valley (iOS, Android) - One of the few games to make me really treat my iPhone as a unique gaming platform.
8. Assassin's Creed Rogue (PS3, X360) - This probably should have been 2014's game (and perhaps a Haytham-as-the-PC game), and then they could have held off on Unity for 2015.
9. Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PC, PS4) - Frustrating at times, but that's totally the point. Also, my 3-year-old nephew loves watching me play it, so there's a few bonus points.
10. Assassin's Creed Unity (PC, PS4, XBO) - I still really enjoyed this, but I'm a pretty huge AC fan. Also, graphically, this game is very impressive, and I didn't play until after the big patches fixed a bunch of stuff. It's closer in tone and gameplay to AC2 than people give it credit for. Except the parry stuff and off-screen attack indicators were the worst.
11. Strider (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, PC) - Close to finishing this. A few frustrating segments, but really quite a fun Metroidvania.
12. Highrise Heroes (iOS, Android) - I'm a sucker for word games. I even love the little side banana challenges.
13. Infamous: First Light (PS4) - More Infamous SS, but with fewer powers. Fetch is pretty cool, too.
14. Civilization: Beyond Earth (PC) - Also, I'm a sucker for Civ. Too bad it isn't more SMAC-ish. Got my fill for a while on the free weekend.
15. Murdered: Soul Suspect (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO) - This one flew under a lot of people's radars, unfortunately. Not great stealth sequences and totally missable collectibles, or else this would have been higher for me.
16. The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC, PS3, X360, iOS, PS4, XBO, PSVita) - Only got to part of Episode 2, so this could have been higher, I guess.
17. Transistor (PC, PS4) - Not very far in, but just based on the style and mechanics, I think this should be recognized
18. Jazzpunk (PC) - Humor is really hard, but this does it well. I actually thought about placing this quite a bit higher, but I'm just not sure.
19. Escape Goat 2 (PC, PS4) - I got really hooked on this a couple weeks back. Reminds me a bit of Super Meat Boy with a bit more puzzle platforming.
20. Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita) - Best styyyyyyle. I'm just not very good at it.
Aaa! I forgot Framed. That might just have bumped Luftrausers out of the 20. Maybe even as high as 15.
YES! I meant to do it earlier today because I was still playing a few things, but then my wife and I were babysitting my nephew all day, and we got stuck at my parents' house dropping him off.
For convenience, spoilered are the Top 10 by system:
PC
1. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
3. Transistor (PC, PS4)
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
5. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
6. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
7. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
8. Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
9. Endless Legend (PC)
10. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
PS3/4
1. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
3. Transistor (PC, PS4)
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
5. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
6. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
8. Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
9. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC, PS4, Vita)
10. Alien: Isolation (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
XBOX
1. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
3. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
4. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
5. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
6. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
7. Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
8. Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
9. Alien: Isolation (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
10. Far Cry 4 (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
WiiU
1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
2. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
3. Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
4. Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
5. Hyrule Warriors (WiiU)
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (WiiU)
7. Watch Dogs (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, WiiU)
8. Child of Light (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, PSVita)
9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU)
10. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, 3DS, PSVita)
3DS
1. Bravely Default (3DS)
2. Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
3. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
4. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (3DS)
5. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (3DS)
6. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)
7. Fantasy Life (3DS)
8. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS)
9. Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)
10. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, 3DS, PSVita)
Vita
1. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
2. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC, PS4, Vita)
3. Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
4. The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC, PS3, X360, iOS, PS4, XBO, PSVita)
5. Nidhogg (PC, PS4, PSVita)
6. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PSVita)
7. Child of Light (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, PSVita)
8. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PSVita)
9. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, 3DS, PSVita)
10. Freedom Wars (PSVita)
iOS
1. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
2. The Banner Saga (PC, iOS)
3. The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC, PS3, X360, iOS, PS4, XBO, PSVita)
4. Broken Age Act 1 (PC, Ouya, iOS)
5. Threes (iOS, Droid, XBO)
6. Valiant Hearts: The Great War (iOS, PS3, PS4, PC, X360, XBO)
7. 80 Days (iOS, Android)
8. Desert Golfing (Android, iOS)
9. Hitman Go (iOS, Droid)
10. Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
Android
1. Threes (iOS, Droid, XBO)
2. 80 Days (iOS, Android)
3. Desert Golfing (Android, iOS)
4. Hitman Go (iOS, Droid)
5. Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
6. Terra Battle (iOS, Droid)
7. FIFA 15 (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, Wii, PSVita, 3DS, Droid, XBO)
8. Five Nights at Freddy's (PC, Droid, iOS)
9. 2048 (3DS, Droid, iOS, PC)
10. Flappy Bird (Droid, iOS)
I see I'm not the only one who voted for shouldn't-have-been-on-the-poll Tales of Symphonia Chronicles. It barely edged its way into the top 200!
Assassin's Creed Rogue is at a lowly 107 while Unity is at 60? I was a bit surprised by that. I thought that Rogue was commonly agreed to be the better AC game this year. Did no one buy it because it was old consoles only? I wonder how well it did for Ubisoft.
Defense Grid 2 at 66? Not bad!
Watch Dogs as low as 46 is a bit of a surprise too. I know I number of people liked it (myself included), but I guess a lot more people just plain disliked it than I thought. It did better than any AC game this year, though.
Despite all of the claims that Titanfall was quickly forgotten, it still placed high up there at 14.
Posts
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
Bravely Default (3DS)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
I apparently played almost no games that came out in 2014. Fortunately for me my top 2 would not have changed had I played every game.
The Dark Souls franchise is one of my favorites and the second cemented my love. It also showed that From Software is very capable and the first Dark Souls was not just a fluke. The combat is still tight and exacting which is what I wanted. The addition of dedicated servers really improved on the primary weak point of the first in my opinion. They have also been prompt with patches and updates and show a dedication to their player base even if they are sometimes misguided. Really it was just the first game with a lot of polish and if you were a fan of the first you should definitely play 2.
Super Smash Bros is pretty much the best iteration so far. Massive 8 way brawls, a semi competent online mode, an outrageous roster, and an obvious love of the characters involved. It may very well be the most fun party game ever made. I could go on but you get the point.
PSN:Furlion
You voted for:
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
Far Cry 4 (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Elite: Dangerous (PC)
Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
Sunset Overdrive (XBO)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
Lords of the Fallen (PC, PS4, XBO)
Infamous: Second Son (PS4)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (PC, PS3, X360)
The Sims 4 (PC)
Goat Simulator (PC)
My #1 was pretty easy. Everyone says your first Souls game is your one true love for life, and I don't disagree. While most Souls veterans have legitimate quips with DaS2, it set me on my way, and lead to me beating Dark Souls and Demon Souls (series reverse sweep hype). DaS2 remains my favorite, and the one I've put the most hours in to.
Aside from that the only real shockers in my list would be Elite: Dangerous at 8 and Destiny at 9. Elite: Dangerous has grabbed me in a way I never expected it to. Before I knew it I was ordering 600 bucks in HOTAS and pedals to play this game "correctly". Destiny is....well it's Destiny. It's not only one of the most interesting experiences I've played this year, it's also one of the biggest disappointments. Goes to show you just how much potential was there for absolute awesomeness, that a game can end up one of the best experiences I've had all year while still being very disappointing.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
I wish I'd gotten one a couple of years ago, when Dick Smith had a fire sale with all their remaining stock. Oh well, I'll get one eventually (both for Wii and WiiU games, since I missed the Wii) but I'm in no big rush.
Thank you for voting, I needed a gnome to post..
You voted for:
Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
Drawful (PC, PS4, PS3)
Transistor (PC, PS4)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC, PS4, Vita)
Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
Sportsfriends (PC, PS3, PS4)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
Glitchhikers (PC)
Velvet Sundown (PC)
Endless Legend (PC)
80 Days (iOS, Android)
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- (PS4, PS3)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
The Rapture Is Here And You Will Be Forcibly Removed From Your Home (PC)
The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
Desert Golfing (Android, iOS)
Threes (iOS, Droid, XBO)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
Freedom Wars (PSVita)
Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut (PC)
Planetary Annihilation (PC)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
PT (PS4)
I truly expected Dark Souls 2 to top the list, but love it or hate I had to go with Destiny. Simply put, I haven't had this much fun online since Halo 2. Now with 2 kids commanding so much of my time these days it's not easy to commit so much to one game. Yet, somehow I have 160 hours logged and that's not even close to many of my fellow guardians here on the forum. It's kinda bittersweet as I know I've missed out on other, potentially better games because I'm too wrapped up in hanging out with some pretty great folks in that Destiny thread. I haven't had this much social interaction with the PA community since The Bees Knees and it feels good to be involved again.
And then there's Bravely Default... I feel like its most Final Fantasy-like game to come outta Square since FF9. Despite the shallow slog at the end, this game gives me hope for a better future from Square. And I'm looking forward to Bravely Second.
Dark Souls 2 comes up short of the original DS (which arguably fell short of DeS before it) but damn if it wasn't spectacular all the same. The lore, the atmosphere, the challenge. Probably my favorite series to come out in the past 10 years and I can't wait to see what comes next in Bloodborne (yeah, yeah, it's not a "Souls" game but I'm considering the pedigree here).
I haven't played the DLC yet, been waiting for it to go on sale and/or picking the whole thing up with the new updated version...must hold out.
and a bunch of other games on 2) and beyond, but Divinity is my big GOATEE right on top. Everything except for the story is outstanding, especially the combat.
2) South Park: Stick of Truth
3) Door Kickers
4: Hexcells Infinite
5: Walking Dead S2
6: Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (WiiU)
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (3DS, WiiU)
Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (WiiU)
The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)
Bravely Default (3DS)
Hitman Go (iOS, Droid)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (PC, PS3, X360)
Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
Hyrule Warriors (WiiU)
Steel Diver: Sub Wars (3DS)
Mount Your Friends (PC)
Flappy Bird (Droid, iOS)
gay cats go to the weird weird woods (PC)
I've had a ton of fun with DriveClub over the last week, so that went up two spots. I do wish it had less of a grind though.
I also gave Strider a couple of more shots and it eventually grew on me. It's still a bit too bland for my liking but it's a decent enough Metroid style game.
After thinking about it some more, I also switched Civ:BE above Destiny, as well as Mario Kart 8 above MGS:GZ.
Updated list:
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (3DS)
Door Kickers (PC)
Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, PC)
Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
Lovely Planet (PC)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
Abyss Odyssey (PS3, X360, PC)
Pokemon unceremoniously dumped Doorkickers off the top of the list due to the fact that I put 150 hours into it since I bought it.
Before I had picked that up though it was really tight between Titanfall and Doorkickers for my GOTY. I put a lot of time into both of them and love them equally, even if it's for very different reasons.
My biggest disappointments of the year were Dark Souls 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. DS2 just didn't grab me like the first did.
DA:I is just a complete dumpster fire and I hated every minute spent with it, just fucking shockingly bad.
My "Totally would have been GOTY if I had the chance to play it!" goes to Bayonetta 2. In fact I was tempted to make it my #1 simply because I knew it would've been, but I opted against that simply because I didn't want to shunt Doorkickers any further down the list.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition
3. Wolfenstein: The New Order
4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!
5. Gauntlet
6. The Banner Saga
1. Transistor: Adored it. I held off for a long time because though I liked Bastion, I didn't love it, and while the presentation of Supergiant's follow-up was pressing all the right buttons (seriously, just look at those trailers), I wasn't sure I'd like it beyond the wrapper. Turns out I needn't have worried. Aside from an aesthetic positively oozing style and cool (the mark of Jen Zee's prototypical involvement vs. being brought on late with Bastion), the writing was strong, the gameplay more compelling and strategic than Bastion's, the environments more lovely, the music exceptional, and the entire execution on-point, resulting in an extremely tight game.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition: Really there's too much to say about this game to put in such a brief review. Inquisition is the DA team's four-year attempt to win back the whole fanbase after the divided response to the rushed one-year-production of DA2, and ultimately it answers the worst without inheriting the best. It also suffers from a wealth of filler and disposable content, a main plot that peaks early and ends in a whimper, and a return to the dull but popular formula of a chosen hero conquering unambiguous evil to great applause. Despite all that, it is gorgeous, sprawling, (mostly) well-written, staffed with a large crew of typically excellent Bioware companions, and fun enough that after investing TES-level time in one playthrough, I wasn't put off another. The only reason it's not in the top slot is because as much as it suffers from lack of focus, Transistor exceeds in the same.
3. Wolfenstein: The New Order: Hey, remember when first-person shooters had good campaigns and weren't just weak gestures neglected alongside multiplayer? When you're playing a WWII game's requisite beach landing intro and your character starts musing "this ain't war, but the breaking of the seals, the undoing of life itself," you know you're in for something fresh. Wolfenstein has a curious amount of humanity in it for a title in its genre or even its franchise, and the lead voice actor (Varric from Dragon Age, as it turns out) sells the hell out of BJ's introspective, poetic observations. Add in good gameplay, a perk system encouraging metastrategy, and a solid soundtrack and you've got a good title...though the ending leaves something to be desired.
4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!: An off-year production is farmed out to 2K Aus, and they actually do a lot of things better than Gearbox (not necessarily a surprise). Featuring the best cast of the three main Borderlands titles and a few welcome new mechanics like lasers, cryo, the loot grinder, boost-jumping and buttslamming alongside kinder drop rates, TPS offers a nice tune-up to the formula—but just a tune-up. The next Borderlands will have to justify itself again. Oh, and the plot is pretty decent as an origin story, and there's a shit-talking shotgun.
Gauntlet was fun monster-mashing mayhem, and while I haven't played enough of Banner Saga to compare it much to the priors, I played enough to like what I saw. I also played Thief, but it wasn't worth a vote. All in all, a pretty thin year for me as far as playing actual 2014 titles.
You voted for:
1. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS3)
2. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU)
4. Fibbage (PS3)
5. Threes (iOS)
6. Hitman Go (iOS)
7. Monument Valley (iOS)
8. Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PS4)
I'm always coming to games a year or more late, so I guess it's not suprising that I only played 8 games that came out in 2014, 3 of which were mobile (if Crossy Road had made the overall list, I'd have included it too).
My own personal Top 5 games I played (for the first time) in 2014 is:
1. Mario Galaxy
2. Super Mario 3D World
3. A Link Between Worlds
4. Tomb Raider
5. South Park
20. The Banner Saga (PC, iOS)
19. Mercenary Kings (PC, PS4)
18. Neverending Nightmares (PC, Ouya)
17. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, PC)
16. Super Time Force (PC, X360, XBO)
15. Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry (PS4, PC, XBO, PS3, X360)
14. The Fall (PC)
13. Wasteland 2 (PC)
12. Abyss Odyssey (PS3, X360, PC)
11. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PC, PS4, XBO)
10. Roundabout (PC)
9. Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
8. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
7. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
6. Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
5. Transistor (PC, PS4)
4. Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
3. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
1. Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
0. STALKER: Lost Alpha
-1. Style Switcher (Devil May Cry 3: SE)
-2. Long War (XCOM: Enemy Within)
Long War stands proudly on top of this year. No question. I've put so many hours into that fucking mod, and will put many more in to come. Bayonetta is also sort of alright, I guess. Or whatever. You could do worse.
Secret Answer #21:
Sir, You Are Being Hunted (PC)
Things that should be on this list and aren't (because I can't play them):
Assassin's Creed: Unity
Things I bought and didn't get around to:
So Many Things
Things I intended to buy and didn't:
So Many More Things
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
I ended up forgetting Dragon Age and Middle Earth, which I kind of don't mind. I liked Middle Earth but it has gotten its due for sure and with Dragon Age, I liked about 60% of it. The other 40% got tedious and was poorly paced which I found I didn't have the patience for this year as much. I still haven't gotten around to beating either despite being at the end of both.
Steam: abunchofdaftpunk | PSN: noautomobilesgo | Lastfm: sjchszeppelin | Backloggery: colincummings | 3DS FC: 1392-6019-0219 |
Thanks everyone for voting, will be closing voting in less than 5 hours so get yours in if you haven't yet.
Results breakdown to follow shortly after close.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Then why don't you marry them?
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Edit: Well, I guess it auto-closed. Oh well.
This is a clickable link to my Steam Profile.
This is a clickable link to my Steam Profile.
Aaa! I forgot Framed. That might just have bumped Luftrausers out of the 20. Maybe even as high as 15.
This is a clickable link to my Steam Profile.
This is a clickable link to my Steam Profile.
For convenience, spoilered are the Top 10 by system:
PC
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
3. Transistor (PC, PS4)
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
5. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
6. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, iOS)
7. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
8. Divinity: Original Sin (PC)
9. Endless Legend (PC)
10. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
PS3/4
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
3. Transistor (PC, PS4)
4. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
5. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
6. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
8. Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
9. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC, PS4, Vita)
10. Alien: Isolation (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
XBOX
2. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360)
3. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360)
4. The Wolf Among Us (PS4, PSVita, XBO, PC, PS3, X360)
5. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC)
6. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
7. Titanfall (PC, XBO, X360)
8. Destiny (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
9. Alien: Isolation (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
10. Far Cry 4 (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
WiiU
2. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
3. Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
4. Bayonetta 2 (WiiU)
5. Hyrule Warriors (WiiU)
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (WiiU)
7. Watch Dogs (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, WiiU)
8. Child of Light (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, PSVita)
9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU)
10. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, 3DS, PSVita)
3DS
2. Shovel Knight (WiiU, 3DS, PC)
3. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
4. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (3DS)
5. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (3DS)
6. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)
7. Fantasy Life (3DS)
8. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS)
9. Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)
10. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, 3DS, PSVita)
Vita
2. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC, PS4, Vita)
3. Luftrausers (PC, PS3, PSVita)
4. The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC, PS3, X360, iOS, PS4, XBO, PSVita)
5. Nidhogg (PC, PS4, PSVita)
6. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PSVita)
7. Child of Light (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, PSVita)
8. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PSVita)
9. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO, 3DS, PSVita)
10. Freedom Wars (PSVita)
iOS
2. The Banner Saga (PC, iOS)
3. The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC, PS3, X360, iOS, PS4, XBO, PSVita)
4. Broken Age Act 1 (PC, Ouya, iOS)
5. Threes (iOS, Droid, XBO)
6. Valiant Hearts: The Great War (iOS, PS3, PS4, PC, X360, XBO)
7. 80 Days (iOS, Android)
8. Desert Golfing (Android, iOS)
9. Hitman Go (iOS, Droid)
10. Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
Android
2. 80 Days (iOS, Android)
3. Desert Golfing (Android, iOS)
4. Hitman Go (iOS, Droid)
5. Monument Valley (iOS, Android)
6. Terra Battle (iOS, Droid)
7. FIFA 15 (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO, Wii, PSVita, 3DS, Droid, XBO)
8. Five Nights at Freddy's (PC, Droid, iOS)
9. 2048 (3DS, Droid, iOS, PC)
10. Flappy Bird (Droid, iOS)
Thanks for your participation everyone!
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
I see I'm not the only one who voted for shouldn't-have-been-on-the-poll Tales of Symphonia Chronicles. It barely edged its way into the top 200!
Assassin's Creed Rogue is at a lowly 107 while Unity is at 60? I was a bit surprised by that. I thought that Rogue was commonly agreed to be the better AC game this year. Did no one buy it because it was old consoles only? I wonder how well it did for Ubisoft.
Defense Grid 2 at 66? Not bad!
Watch Dogs as low as 46 is a bit of a surprise too. I know I number of people liked it (myself included), but I guess a lot more people just plain disliked it than I thought. It did better than any AC game this year, though.
Despite all of the claims that Titanfall was quickly forgotten, it still placed high up there at 14.
Wow, people really like Transistor.