Top 10 games I played in 2014...kinda

2014 has been a…interesting year. I’ve not played most of the AAA hyped games of the year (not a bad thing, considering 99% were broken) but I’ve not really played many games from 2014, period.

It’s been a backlog year, all things considered. So without further ado, here are my top 10, in no particular order, games of 2014, which may or may not have been released this year but who cares!!!

Mario Kart 8

I’m not a fan of karting games. The last time I actually enjoyed one was CTR on the PS1 and that was so long ago that I honestly don’t remember a single thing about it. Except there was this buff orange bandicoot called Tiny. He was cool.

Mario Kart 8 though? It’s great. I like the graphics, the handling is smooth as hell, it worked (it’s sad that is a selling feature) and it was good fun, a hell of a lot of fun! Nothing special per say. I don’t think I’ll look back on it in 5 years fondly, if at all. But as a pick up and play game, on occasion? Perfect. Let’s play some MP guys!!!

Dishonoured

I love me some stealth games. The raw thrill of just sneaking around people who are completely oblivious to your presence and gently chocking them with a chloroform drenched cloth then taking the still warm body to your dungeon to prepare for the an…Yes. Stealth games are really, really fun.

And Dishonoured is probably my favourite one. The powers gave you so much freedom to explore and devise strategies. The movement is crisp and precise, the art-style is wonderful and I just spent so much time dicking around. Add to this a plethora of secrets, optional side missions and a collection of fun trophies to hunt down and you have the perfect stealth game. When the sequel drops, I will be there.

Soul Sacrifice Delta

The semi-sequel/enhanced version of Soul Sacrifice, Delta is easily my favourite hunting game. There’s so much content here without the annoying filler of other hunters. Just suit up, get in there, beat the monster and get your rewards, repeat. Done. Simple and clean, IS THE WAY THAT YOU’RE MAKING ME FEEL TONIGHT!!!...Later, later, keep it together.

Yeah, Soul Sacrifice Delta is one of my favourite Vita games. It’s cheap, it improved on the original is literally every single way, it has a great story (like seriously, the dark and brooding nature of the story is delicious!) and it shows what the Vita is capable of. Go buy it nerds.

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix Limited Edition Super Awesome Hyper Fantastic Bundle Ultimate Cannon!

Is it fair to include remasters in your top games of the year? Hell yes! Especially when they’re done this well.

It’s no secret that Kingdom Hearts 2 is one of my favourite games ever, so I was going to buy a remaster without even thinking about it. But a remaster of the Final Mix version of the game, with new bosses, weapons, items, etc? Awesome! But it also has Birth by Sleep, the PSP game that isn’t available digitally on Vita and many say is the best Kingdom Hearts? Double Awesome!! And the Final Mix version of said game? Triple awesome!!! And remastered cut-scenes of some other game I don’t care about? Still Triple Awesome!!!

I love Kingdom Hearts. And this could be my favourite release of the year. A remastered collection. Bite me.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

Wind Waker was perhaps my greatest surprise of the year. I went in expecting a fun but severely over-hyped game. What I got was an adventure filled with magic, whimsy, beautiful visuals, seagulls and a talking boat. All wrapped up with some great uses of the Gamepad. Off TV play really is a great feature, truly.

It has problems, of course. It’s far too easy. The bosses are all spectacle but are also, again, easy. Sailing gets tedious quickly, so I’m glad there is a fast travel system. It’s kinda short, barring side quests. And yet, it’s one of the best RPG’s I’ve played this year and has hyped me up for Zelda U. I finally understand that Nintendo magic everyone harps on about! It’s pretty special.

…Okami is still the best Zelda though. :P

Tearaway

You know when you play that one game and it just consumes a certain part of your life so that, when you finish it and surface from your reverie, you go ‘Where did the time go?’ Tearaway is that game taken to 11.

I don’t remember when I started playing Tearaway, nor exactly when I finished. All I know is that I loved every minute I spent in the world of Tearaway and I hope we get more of it. I don’t have any issue with the PS4 port because more people can enjoy this wonderful game and, if it sells enough, maybe we can get a sequel? I can only hope.

Professor Layton (Entire series except Azran Legacy)

No-one is more amazed than me that my favourite game on the 3DS is a puzzle game. And yet I’m not surprised in the slightest. My 3DS experience can be described as ‘crushingly disappointing’ but Professor Layton makes everything worthwhile.

The English Professor is the most disarmingly charming character I’ve seen in a long time. Luke is cool as well, as are the entire quaint and weird cast. It’s amazing how just plain English the game feels, especially since the devs are Japanese! I swear that Bob down the street could have made this game in his shed, while sipping some Yorkshire tea and eating a marmalade crumpet, it’s that faithful. Still need to play Azran Legacy but I know it’ll be a wonderful experience.

God of War (Entire series)

I managed to pick up all the GOW games, including Ascension, for about £30. That’s 6 games. For £30. £30!!! BVOTY. Best Value of the Year. And every game in the collection is great.

I think everyone knows what the GOW games are about. Simple but fun mechanics, jaw-dropping scale and brutal, brutal combat. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how Kronos died, with his fingernail ripped off, his intestines spilling out from a cut in his side and a spike driven through his head, jaw first. Ugghh, so harsh. I love it.

So happy there is a new GOW for PS4. I just hope it changes things up a bit. I don’t mind more of the same but something new would be greatly appreciated.

Infamous: Second Son

If one game could take my GOTY, it would be Infamous: Second Son. It doesn’t do much new or different from previous games, it’s lacking in content a bit and…that’s all my gripes actually!

If I can focus specifically on the visuals, this is by far the best looking game I’ve seen on console. Ever. A full 1080p with SMAA T2x anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering results in a literally flawless image. Coupled with a rock-solid 30fps and the level of immersion is unparalled. I spent way too much time in photo mode taking shots. Just, wow. An incredible achievement.

And the game itself is just so much fun! I could mess around in the city of Seattle for ages, it’s just bliss. The Dualshock 4 feels so much more precise so getting headshots is fun and the variety in powers adds some spice to the preceding’s.

Infamous: SS makes me excited for what we’ll see for the PS4. Cause this is just year one. And 2015 looks pretty badass!

Danganrompa (And Danganrompa 2 when I finish it)

I never thought a story about over-achieving teenagers who are forced to kill each other by a talking bear could be so beary interesting. But it is, oh hell yes it is.

You essentially are locked in a school and the only way to escape is to kill someone, which leads to a class trial to find the culprit. If the killer escapes, they escape and everyone except them dies. If they are caught, only they die. No spoilers but I was enthralled the entire way through. Sometimes I’d figure out the case halfway through gathering clues. Other times I’d be at a loss until I was halfway through the trial. Needless to say, if you have a Vita and enjoy games with great stories, you owe it to yourself to buy this!

I also just started Danganrompa 2 and am loving it so far. Let’s hope there is a third!

So those are the top 10 games I played in 2014. The releases of 2014 may have been disappointing to me personally but, thanks to my backlog, I can honestly say that it was a terrific year for gaming. And with Persona 5, Bloodborne, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Zelda U, Uncharted 4, The Order: 1886 and many, many more, I can safely say that 2015 is going to be the best year in gaming for a while. I sincerely hope so!

Take care guys and let me know how wrong my opinions are in the comments! They are pretty wrong, clearly.

Honourable mentions:

-Vanquish

-Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus

-Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

-LA Noire

-Y’s: Memories of Celceta

-Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HdRemix

-Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 1 and 2

-Asa Akira’s Bangkok Adventures DDXXX

PS: (One of these does not exist)

- lol ur mum

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