What's your 2014 Game of the Year?

[dsheinem]

Like most sites, we usually have an annual thread for people to discuss what they thought the best game(s) released for the year were.

Old GOTY threads:
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 (anyone find any older ones?)

So, once again, it is December and here we are. What do you think were the best games released in 2014? Why? Which is the best?

If you want to talk about non-2014 games you played this year, this is the place.

My picks:

1. Destiny - This game wasn't for everyone, but I certainly felt that it was for me. I have never spent more time with any game than I have with this one, and I just adore the gameplay mechanics and art direction. The game has some design flaws and structure issues, but I think those flaws give it a certain character. This may be my GOTY, but it is still too close to call between this one and...

2. Dragon Age Inquisition - I'm an unabashed fanboy of everything related to this series, and this game is pretty much anything and everything I could have expected or hoped it would be. The sense of scope is unparalleled in any game I've ever played (including Bethesda stuff), the characters are well written, the world is beautiful and a pleasure to explore, the story is engaging, and the systems are well implemented and widely customizable. I am still wrapping it up, and how it finishes will likely determine its final place on this list.

3. Forza Horizon 2 - "Skyrim with cars" is how I think I can best explain this game. Breathtaking visuals, a fun campaign, a leveling structure, and a lot of good reasons to explore the open-world in a wide variety of licensed vehicles. It took everything I liked about something like Burnout Paradise (probably my racer of choice for the last generation) and amplified it in refreshing, engaging new directions. This game is reason alone to own an Xbox One, even if you don't consider yourself a fan of the mainline Forza series.

4. Shovel Knight - I feel like the recent "retro rebirth" movement of the past decade or so was more or less perfected in this game. Perfect controls, gorgeous sprite work, killer soundtrack, and exceedingly well designed, scalable difficulty.

5. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - The expansion and all the updates that came with it (new loot system, end of auction house, challenges, etc.) have catapulted the already-exceptional Diablo III into the upper echelon of my favorite games of all time. I am itching to try the console version at some point, but the PC version is now clicky perfection.

Honorable Mention: Titanfall - fighting people online in giant mechs never gets old, and the sense of movement and firepower in this game is really something to experience.

[Blu]

I think Super Smash Brothers Wii U is my 2014 Game of the Year. There's so much content and variety in this game. Sometimes the menus are a little cumbersome to get to what you want, but that's fine.

The characters that are available at the start are so plentiful, it can be a little overwhelming. Each of these characters has nuances and intricacies that make them feel unique in abilities, power, and speed, but also feel close enough to the core control scheme that it's easy to pick up, but difficult to master. The gameplay is deep, there's plenty of nostalgia for classic gamers, and the Amiibo features are things that I'll slowly learn. Tack that on with so many modes of play, including an 8 player mode, and the ability to play with your 3DS as a controller (if you have a copy of SSB for 3DS) this game is a no brainer GOTY for me. I love it.

Honorable Mention: Reaper of Souls & World of Warcraft - Warlords of Draenor.

[Jmustang1968]

I am just really surprised Destiny is a GotY candidate. I expect I will really enjoy DAI, I just havent gotten around to starting it yet.

Destiny was a solid FPS in terms of mechanics and graphics, but in trying to be both a shooter and MMO, it fell short. It isnt as good as other MMO-styled games in terms of that content, and wasn't as good of a multiplayer shooter experience as focused FPS titles are. The story was bad and the mythos/world they created was bland. It definitely was a victim of its own hype.

[dsheinem]

pretty much all the criticisms of Destiny are well-founded. It is a candidate for my GOTY because, despite those problems, I found it had an allure and a "masochistic charm" that kept bringing me back...

[Ack]

This thread made me realize that I haven't even played a game that was released in 2014.

[Jmustang1968]

pretty much all the criticisms of Destiny are well-founded. It is a candidate for my GOTY because, despite those problems, I found it had an allure and a "masochistic charm" that kept bringing me back...

I simply got bored with it. I respect it being a great experience for you, it just fell short for so many.

[ninjainspandex]

I know it came out in 2013 for the 360 and ps3 but the PS4 version of GTA V is my GOTY, I have never ever seen this level of detail in a video game before. Just an impressive accomplishment, it's basically the game I always dreamed of as a kid.

[Hobie-wan]

pretty much all the criticisms of Destiny are well-founded. It is a candidate for my GOTY because, despite those problems, I found it had an allure and a "masochistic charm" that kept bringing me back...

I don't see how it could be your GOTY when you (like many others) describe it like an abusive relationship.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I don't play a lot of "new" games, but I did get through two this year. Both of them, despite some technical flaws, were excellent.

South Park: The Stick of Truth - At its core, South Park: The Stick of Truth is a old-fashioned, turn-based JRPG with engaging combat mechanics, but that fact does not qualify it as "game of the year" material. Rather, the game's fantastic writing, pacing, and voice-acting make it the funniest, most irreverant video game on any system (and, likely, the funniest media I consumed this year). Freed from the already lax restrictions imposed upon it by basic-cable broadcasting, South Park's creators push the game further than they have ever pushed the television show, and despite beating the game months ago, I still chuckle when I think of some of the game's outrageous set-pieces.

The Wolf Among Us - TellTale Games' The Wolf Among Us is an fantastic film noir-inspired, episodic, adventure game. The characters and setting are wonderfully realized; the mystery is intriguing; and the voice acting is superb. Unlike South Park: The Stick of Truth, the game handles its decidedly-adult content and themes gracefully, and it employs its fantasy setting to explore social justice issues in an intriguing manner. As a tremendous fan of both detective fiction, film noir, and well-designed, thought-provoking video games, I loved every moment of The Wolf Among Us, and I am anxiously awaiting a sequel.

[dsheinem]

Truth be told, even if Destiny was just limited to its ~10-15 hour campaign it would still be in my Top 5. The story is poorly told, but the design of the levels, world, and gameplay are some of the best in the genre. Multiplayer/MMO stuff aside, it is worth playing through for anyone who enjoys a solid FPS.

That said, the multiplayer/MMO stuff is akin to what one finds in Diablo III's end game, which I also quite like. At this point, I have had more fun with Destiny this year than anything else, and the game keeps getting better with new updates, DLC, etc. I look forward to seeing where else they take it.

Stick of Truth is one I am a couple of hours into and I can't really endorse it yet. I am hoping things pick up...I love the show but the game's mechanics are slow and boring thus far