Ceno's Big Big 2014 GOTY Post brought to you by Subway Eat Fresh
2014 was kind of a bummer of a year for me in a lot of ways, video games most assuredly included. I couldn't scrape together a list of ten games, so I had to settle for a top five. Some of the categories have runners-up, some don't, it's all a big mess. So let's get started!
PLEASE STOP Cross-gen ports
It's hard to make new games, I know. And when new consoles launch, that first year is always a little dicey, so I understand the urge to re-release schmancier versions of your old games. But we are here in the second year now, and it hasn't shown any sign of slowing down. Some studios have done better than others (GTA 5's first person mode being the most notable), but come on. I haven't seen anything that has me convinced I need to have either a PS4 or Xbox One yet, and that's kind of sad. Take advantage of that new hardware! Runners-up: Origin, Ubisoft
MOST DISAPPOINTING Titanfall
This is what came out of the big Infinity Ward split? I mean, it's a solid first person shooter, and it has good mobility, but... it's still the same formula that they developed years and years ago. It feels a bit bare-bones from a multiplayer perspective and since that's pretty much all you get, the package doesn't feel worth the price of a full game. On the PC, there are whole modes that you simply can't play due to a lack of players. They shouldn't have bothered with the "campaign" mode at all. Bummer. Runner-up: Dark Souls II
BEST SURPRISE Wolfenstein: The New Order
This game wasn't on my radar at all until the glowing reviews started pouring in. I took a chance on it and what I got was easily one of the best shooters I've played in years. No tacked on multiplayer, no unnecessary DLC or microtransactions, just a robust, complete, well-executed single player campaign that I hope more shooters take inspiration from in the future. Runner-up: Alien Isolation
BEST MOMENT Using the Horn - Mario Kart 8
YES. EAT SHIT, BLUE SHELL. FINALLY. SWEET RELEASE. YOU DESERVED IT AND I'D DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT. UGH. Runner-up: Playing as Marlowe - Alien: Isolation
BEST OLD GAME Dark Souls
This was the year I finally mustered up the courage and it was worth it. I tried to avoid using guides as much as I could, and the experience was so rewarding that I can't wait to play through it again once the PC version ditches GFWL for Steamworks.
BEST DLC/EXPANSION Diablo III: Reaper of Souls
An expansion so good that many will qualify it as a different game, and it's hard to argue with that. Reaper of Souls fixed everything that was wrong with Diablo III. A sorely needed revamp to the loot system, ditching the auction house, a fantastic adventure mode, and did I mention all the loot?
BEST SOUND DESIGN Alien: Isolation
Creative Assembly owes me new pants. To be fair, they had a library to work from (given the film and all), but the way they utilized sound in Alien: Isolation makes it one of the most atmospheric and immersive horror games I've ever played. Play with headphones, if possible.
BEST MUSIC Crypt of the Necrodancer
Not terribly surprising, considering the quality of the Super Meat Boy soundtrack, but the tunes in this game are catchy as all hell and stick in your head long after you've stopped playing.
BEST LOOKING
Alien: Isolation
The dark, dank halls of Sevastopol. The eerie, lifeless glowing eyes of a Working Joe. The horrible slobbery Lovecraftian nightmare that is the Alien itself. A beautiful, beautiful game oozing with detail.
HONORABLE MENTION Heroes of the Storm
The only reason that this isn't high up on my actual list is because it's still technically alpha. Given Blizzard's degree of polish, you'd barely know it, considering it's already more of a full game than several full games that released this year. Enormously fun and accessible, I anticipate this will be a contender in 2015.
BEST GAME 5. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Following the old "if it ain't broke..." mantra, there isn't a lot that's terribly new about Super Smash Bros, but what is there is ripe with the same fun, chaotic, and nostalgia-fueled gameplay for which the series is famous. If you have a Wii U, it's pretty much a no-brainer.
4. Crypt of the Necrodancer
Addictive, quirky roguelike with lots of unlocks and sweet jams.
3. Wolfenstein: The New Order
Return to ye olden shooter campaigns with maps and hidden areas and stuff. Surprisingly great characterization and really solid gameplay.
2. Mario Kart 8
A bizarrely ill-conceived battle mode keeps this game down. Otherwise it's a ridiculously refined, well-playing, and stupidly purty version of the Mario Kart we all know and love. Value-priced DLC that adds 50% more of the game is icing on the cake.
**WINNER - Alien Isolation**
Gorgeous, terrifying, lengthy, atmospheric, divisive. This game is not for everyone, but if you think it might be for you, get on it. The most faithful video game adaptation of the Alien franchise to date, obviously made with a lot of love. If this world is just, we will get a Creative Assembly-led sequel to this game. I just keep playing it over and over.
Mordor was a lot of fun but aside from the Nemesis system, which I appreciated a lot more than actually enjoyed, isn't that special. It's a combinations of mechanics from other games competently implemented.
It's a fine game but I dunno if it will break my Top 10.
Mordor was a lot of fun but aside from the Nemesis system, which I appreciated a lot more than actually enjoyed, isn't that special. It's a combinations of mechanics from other games competently implemented.
It's a fine game but I dunno if it will break my Top 10.
Hence my statment of honorary mention. I'm willing to bet Shadow 2 will be a solid contender.
I personally would be put it at like 2 or 3 of the year, but I actually don't enjoy a lot of the games that will probably fill out most people's lists, so it has a lot of room to move up.
I'm sure it'll be high on his personal list but he definitely understands the complaints people have with it. I can very much see him trying to wedge it into the music category though.
So Destiny is pretty much going to be Brad's ME3/DotA/Minerva's Den "dig my heels in and hold the deliberations hostage" game of this year right?
Nah, there's no way he tries to get it into the top ten; the biggest discussion will be if it wins most disappointing or not.
Yeah, I think that's where Brad pulls out the filibuster, to keep Destiny from getting Most Disappointing. It'll be one of the three but I see Brad fighting hard so it doesn't win.
Though, again, Brad hasn't really been fighting the rest on Destiny's quality, especially as times gone on. He was kinda always "It's not great but I can't stop playing it" and then he stopped playing it for awhile and only started again because of the expansion, which he admits isn't much content. (he beat the story missions in an hour)
Jeff kinda encapsulated the main issue with zombie games this past week. The games are over abundant, they're "spooky" but not really, they're an excuse to program boring AI enemies that just run at you, etc.
I'm surprised that no one mentions the second season of the walking dead when talking about most disappointing game. The first season got so much praise and was hailed as the return of the adventure game but then the second season comes out and it doesn't seem like most people even bothered to play it.
I'm surprised that no one mentions the second season of the walking dead when talking about most disappointing game. The first season got so much praise and was hailed as the return of the adventure game but then the second season comes out and it doesn't seem like most people even bothered to play it.
Nobody cared cause Wolf Among Us, Borderlands, and Game of Thrones are really good
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COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
Why is that a shock? Dan didn't have a PC. I'm pretty sure he mentioned it the last time Brad or Jeff played Quake on a stream
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
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3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
PUSHMO.
WORLD.
WORLD.
I guess I'm in the club, didn't even realize it, not that I post much...
Back on topic, did anyone else read Sphere and listen to the podcast? I thought it was super enjoyable, but I didn't watch the movie.
Have they announced another book for bomb after reading?
The Brad Shoemaker "I'm Calling It" Award for Best Use of Zombies
The winner is Left 4 Dead 2 but the point of this category is that we're all really fucking tired of zombies
Flash forward five years and we still have Dying Light, Dead Island 2 and a bunch of other bullshit zombie games still coming out
Sorry Past Brad
2014 was kind of a bummer of a year for me in a lot of ways, video games most assuredly included. I couldn't scrape together a list of ten games, so I had to settle for a top five. Some of the categories have runners-up, some don't, it's all a big mess. So let's get started!
PLEASE STOP
Cross-gen ports
It's hard to make new games, I know. And when new consoles launch, that first year is always a little dicey, so I understand the urge to re-release schmancier versions of your old games. But we are here in the second year now, and it hasn't shown any sign of slowing down. Some studios have done better than others (GTA 5's first person mode being the most notable), but come on. I haven't seen anything that has me convinced I need to have either a PS4 or Xbox One yet, and that's kind of sad. Take advantage of that new hardware!
Runners-up: Origin, Ubisoft
MOST DISAPPOINTING
Titanfall
This is what came out of the big Infinity Ward split? I mean, it's a solid first person shooter, and it has good mobility, but... it's still the same formula that they developed years and years ago. It feels a bit bare-bones from a multiplayer perspective and since that's pretty much all you get, the package doesn't feel worth the price of a full game. On the PC, there are whole modes that you simply can't play due to a lack of players. They shouldn't have bothered with the "campaign" mode at all. Bummer.
Runner-up: Dark Souls II
BEST SURPRISE
Wolfenstein: The New Order
This game wasn't on my radar at all until the glowing reviews started pouring in. I took a chance on it and what I got was easily one of the best shooters I've played in years. No tacked on multiplayer, no unnecessary DLC or microtransactions, just a robust, complete, well-executed single player campaign that I hope more shooters take inspiration from in the future.
Runner-up: Alien Isolation
BEST MOMENT
Using the Horn - Mario Kart 8
YES. EAT SHIT, BLUE SHELL. FINALLY. SWEET RELEASE. YOU DESERVED IT AND I'D DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT. UGH.
Runner-up: Playing as Marlowe - Alien: Isolation
BEST OLD GAME
Dark Souls
This was the year I finally mustered up the courage and it was worth it. I tried to avoid using guides as much as I could, and the experience was so rewarding that I can't wait to play through it again once the PC version ditches GFWL for Steamworks.
BEST DLC/EXPANSION
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls
An expansion so good that many will qualify it as a different game, and it's hard to argue with that. Reaper of Souls fixed everything that was wrong with Diablo III. A sorely needed revamp to the loot system, ditching the auction house, a fantastic adventure mode, and did I mention all the loot?
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Alien: Isolation
Creative Assembly owes me new pants. To be fair, they had a library to work from (given the film and all), but the way they utilized sound in Alien: Isolation makes it one of the most atmospheric and immersive horror games I've ever played. Play with headphones, if possible.
BEST MUSIC
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Not terribly surprising, considering the quality of the Super Meat Boy soundtrack, but the tunes in this game are catchy as all hell and stick in your head long after you've stopped playing.
BEST LOOKING
Alien: Isolation
The dark, dank halls of Sevastopol. The eerie, lifeless glowing eyes of a Working Joe. The horrible slobbery Lovecraftian nightmare that is the Alien itself. A beautiful, beautiful game oozing with detail.
HONORABLE MENTION
Heroes of the Storm
The only reason that this isn't high up on my actual list is because it's still technically alpha. Given Blizzard's degree of polish, you'd barely know it, considering it's already more of a full game than several full games that released this year. Enormously fun and accessible, I anticipate this will be a contender in 2015.
BEST GAME
5. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Following the old "if it ain't broke..." mantra, there isn't a lot that's terribly new about Super Smash Bros, but what is there is ripe with the same fun, chaotic, and nostalgia-fueled gameplay for which the series is famous. If you have a Wii U, it's pretty much a no-brainer.
4. Crypt of the Necrodancer
Addictive, quirky roguelike with lots of unlocks and sweet jams.
3. Wolfenstein: The New Order
Return to ye olden shooter campaigns with maps and hidden areas and stuff. Surprisingly great characterization and really solid gameplay.
2. Mario Kart 8
A bizarrely ill-conceived battle mode keeps this game down. Otherwise it's a ridiculously refined, well-playing, and stupidly purty version of the Mario Kart we all know and love. Value-priced DLC that adds 50% more of the game is icing on the cake.
**WINNER - Alien Isolation**
Gorgeous, terrifying, lengthy, atmospheric, divisive. This game is not for everyone, but if you think it might be for you, get on it. The most faithful video game adaptation of the Alien franchise to date, obviously made with a lot of love. If this world is just, we will get a Creative Assembly-led sequel to this game. I just keep playing it over and over.
Even more tired than zombie games is people whining about zombie games.
Throw me fitty dollars and I will.
33.50 at GMG
And most tiring of all is RPG rhythm puzzle shooters.
Oh, and I need a PS4 too.
It's a fine game but I dunno if it will break my Top 10.
Other games are my 2 through 10
The order doesn't matter because if you ain't first, you're last
Hence my statment of honorary mention. I'm willing to bet Shadow 2 will be a solid contender.
I personally would be put it at like 2 or 3 of the year, but I actually don't enjoy a lot of the games that will probably fill out most people's lists, so it has a lot of room to move up.
Nah, there's no way he tries to get it into the top ten; the biggest discussion will be if it wins most disappointing or not.
Are there any games he would consider more disappointing, even just to him?
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Nobody cared cause Wolf Among Us, Borderlands, and Game of Thrones are really good
I mean I guess Patrick talked about episode one of GoT
It seems like they are all largely done with Telltale though
Which is great because I'm super-done hearing about Telltale