2014 was not a kind year for video games. If there was a noticeable trend last year it was games that were incredibly hyped up only to disappoint upon release. These titles were of varying quality of course. From the lukewarm Destiny, to the irredeemably broken Assassin’s Creed Unity, the games everyone expected to appear on all our game of the year lists have largely gone missing. But there is a silver lining to be had here. The failure of the big AAA titles has given great games that would have otherwise have been lost in the shuffle a stage where they could shine. These are the six best examples of that this year:
6) Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is not a game that has any right to be as gripping and entertaining as it is. The story is bad, the dialogue hilariously cliched, the boss battles are lame, and it is too short. Despite all this, Mordor does some major things very right. It runs like heaven, which for a game released in 2014 is already a feat. It has a map that is just the right size, and while it does have side activities they are few so as to not distract you from the main draw of the game: the Nemesis System. Killing, interrogating, and branding the Uruk-Hai is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time. I love that one mistake in your handling of the Uruk chain of command (or your death) can cause a change of 75% of the captains, sometimes setting you back hours. It is also perhaps the closest thing to an Inglorious Basterds game we will ever get. You can simply take Lt. Aldo Raine’s speech and change German for Uruk, and it describes the game perfectly:
We will be cruel to the [Uruk], and through our cruelty they will know who we are. And they will find the evidence of our cruelty in the disemboweled, dismembered, and disfigured bodies of their brothers we leave behind us. And the [Uruk] won’t not be able to help themselves but to imagine the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, and our boot heels,and the edge of our knives. And the [Uruk] will be sickened by us,and the [Uruk] will talk about us, and the [Uruk] will fear us. And when the [Uruk] closes their eyes at night and they’re tortured by their subconscious for the evil they have done, it will be with thoughts of us they are tortured with. Sound good?
Sounds Great!
5) Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a strange game. It’s set in the often ignored conflict that is World War I and it focuses not on the fighting so much as the people affected by it. Set exclusively on the Western front, the game follows four people (and a dog), as they try to survive through the war. You will not pick up a rifle in this game, gameplay is almost exclusively in the form of a point and click adventure with some rhythm sections. Valiant Hearts exploits its whimsical gameplay and colorful aesthetics to effectively deliver some of its most emotionally crushing scenes. The game also attempts to educate the player, though in a way that is not intrusive, and perhaps not very effective. It does however, instruct you as much as you want it to. Plus you can pet a doggy on command!
While Valiant Hearts takes a subversive approach to war, you’re still playing as characters directly involved in the conflict. This War of Mine takes the perspective a step further and puts you in the shoes of civilians. You’ll find yourself in charge of a group of survivors as you try to eke out a living in the middle of an active war zone. It is a resource management and crafting game more than anything, with a crucial survival component. As the game progresses, resources become scarce, and the temperature starts to drop. You will have to make some tough decisions regarding your own safety and the well being of those around you. The game never judges you for losing the moral high ground, but negative actions can have a toll on your survivor’s mental well being. I find this game still comes to my mind when I’m reading news about the many conflicts in the world today. And I’m still haunted by the time I shot an old lady in the back for some meager amount of food.
3) Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
I was honestly surprised how good Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is, and even more surprised that it is so high in my list for games of this year. However, the move from a JRPG with a social aspect to a full on dungeon crawler really works for the Persona franchise. It helps that the game is filled with fan-service from both its predecessors, and allows dedicated fans of both games to build a dream team of their favorite Persona 3 and 4 characters. The gameplay is great as usual. In pure SMT fashion it is challenging, easy to learn, but unforgiving of mistakes or lack of preparation. Of course, the best part of the game is that you get to see the characters from the two RPG’s interacting at the same age they were when they were in their respective games!
2) Wasteland 2
It is no secret I am a huge fan of the old Fallouts (1 and 2), and while I liked 3 and New Vegas, I was excited to see InXile’s successful Kick-starter for Wasteland 2. What makes this game special is not only the great world building, but also the way it brings back some of the old design philosophies that made late 90’s isometric western RPGs classics. Wasteland 2 has a great and detailed character creator, with options as small as being able to choose the brand of cigarettes your character likes to smoke. The world is wide open, and Wasteland 2 will allow you to try to forge your own path, but there are also real feelings of consequence as you play through the game. Sure it will allow you to go to areas you aren’t ready to brave, as well as allow you to completely ignore things in the world, but be ready to deal with the repercussions for doing so. There is a lot to do and see in this game, and before you know it, it’s three in the morning and you should really go to bed.
1) Transistor
Amazing world building? Check. Gorgeous art? Check. The best soundtrack since Hotline Miami? Check. Cyberpunk? Check. Admittedly, Transistor seems to have been a game made for me. An isometric real time crawler with optional turn based combat, the game features a lot of powers that can be combined in a variety of ways to let you play the way you want. In a stroke of real genius, Transistor rewards you for experimenting with the powers by unlocking the backgrounds of the people that give them to you. Another great touch was the use of terminals that are in the game as a way to access Red’s thoughts and reactions towards the story, fleshing our her characters while maintaining her status as a silent protagonist. Transistor is somewhat short, but I feel that works to its benefit. Had it been longer, it may have probably worn out its welcome. Like Gunpoint last year, if my only problem is that I want more of it, then that is the best type of issue a game can have.
