My favorite video games of 2014
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't come close to touching all of the gaming experiences that 2014 had to offer. As such, I've purposefully titled this post "my favorite games of 2014" rather than "the best games of 2014" so as to dispel any notions that this will be a comprehensive, scientific account of the year's strongest titles. I never got around to toppling the orc hierarchy in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. I ran out of time before I could battle the Lumen sages of Bayonetta 2. I didn't take control of the inquisition in BioWare's latest Dragon Age entry, and a huge volume of undoubtedly worthy indie games passed me by over the year's course, from Shovel Knight to Monument Valley.
I played only a small fraction of the multitude of worthy games that released in 2014, so if you're seeking a definitive crowning of 2014's "Game of the Year," look elsewhere. I hope simply to express the greatest gaming enjoyments that I found during 2014 -- and to hopefully inspire a few readers to revel in the same fun.
So without further ado, here are my personal favorite gaming experiences of 2014.
My favorite adrenaline rush: Titanfall
Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts -- March 11
Respawn's highly anticipated online-shooter debut released exclusively on Xbox One and PC way back in March. What many expected to be the next revolution in online gaming failed to sustain its considerable pre-release momentum. Just ten months after Titanfall's release, the most you'll hear about the game are mutterings of the inevitable, supposedly-multiplatform sequel. Titanfall's failure to resonate in the long-term can be attributed to its lack of content at launch, and while I can admit that the game didn't keep my attention for as long as my all-time genre favorites (like Halo 3 and Team Fortress 2), the twenty-ish hours I spent with Titanfall is a chunk of time I'd never want back. Tight gunplay and creative weaponry are to be expected, and while Titanfall delivered those, it also packed in the ability to wall-run along and jet-pack over futuristic, dilapidated environments using the impressively smooth parkour mechanics. As soon as I tired of the liberating mobility granted by the pilot class, I could call for a Titan air-drop and hop into a hulking mech, lumbering around the map and picking off puny pilots like flies. Titanfall gives players the rare opportunity to experience two very different -- and equally entertaining -- power trips, all in a single package. Its lack of modes may have harmed its lasting appeal, but its unique gameplay and relentless energy meant every moment I spent with it, I was utterly engrossed, and breathing hard.
My favorite local multiplayer game: Mario Kart 8
Nintendo/Nintendo -- May 30
My first Mario Kart title was Double Dash!! on the GameCube. I sunk an exorbitant amount of hours into that game, chasing the gold trophy on All Cup/Mirror Mode with my friends. Though I've dipped my toes into series entries between then and now, Mario Kart 8 was the first installment since Double Dash!! that really clicked with me. It recaptured the giddy joy that I felt after winning the gold, and the (unhealthy?) addiction to besting computerized racers in Grand Prix mode. But most importantly, it resulted in more local multiplayer fun than I've had with a game since Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Getting a group of four together to race, battle, and endlessly trash-talk amid shaky alliances and blue-shell betrayals makes for a hilariously great time. Better yet, Nintendo's item balancing means that Mario Kart 8 is the fairest series entry ever -- so you'll often have no one but yourself to blame when you wind up on the tail end of Lakitu's fishing pole. The fact that Mario Kart 8 looks as beautiful as it plays is just icing on an already decadent cake.
My favorite guilty pleasure: Assassin's Creed: Unity
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft -- November 11
If you read my review of Unity, then you'll already know that I enjoyed the game despite its many flaws. I have trouble expressing that point because of the endless flack that Unity gets, and for good reason. I have no defense for the title's unacceptable volume of game-breaking bugs and graphical blemishes -- but that doesn't change the fact that I had a great time with it. As someone who's been a huge fan of the series since its inception, I noticed how much effort Ubisoft Montreal put into addressing criticisms of past entries with this installment. Unity revamps many of the series' gameplay systems, including its oft-criticized combat and stealth mechanics. It also allows for the most player freedom of choice out of any series entry since the first. The result is an Assassin's Creed that, while faulty in the technical sense, plays and looks better than any installment before it. I was compelled to overlook Unity's blemishes for the sheer joy I yielded from vaulting over the rooftops of Paris and inhabiting the gorgeous, vivid historical world that the game offers. Despite its problems, Unity makes me hopeful for the future of the series. If Ubisoft can build off of the work they've done here while eradicating the technical shortcomings, then the series could be on a path toward true greatness.
My favorite on-the-go game: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco Games/Nintendo -- October 3
"Smash Bros. on the go" is an alluring phrase that once seemed like a pipe dream. But this year, Nintendo made it happen with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, and the result was a portable series entry that managed to retain the kinetic spark of the previous console titles. The 3DS's congested controls take some getting used to, and the transition from a television to a tiny LCD screen is a change that's difficult to ever get over completely, but by and large, Smash 3DS is a remarkable achievement. Its huge roster gives players plenty of new characters to master; its mechanics find a happy medium between the speed of Melee and the slower pace of Brawl; its seamless local multiplayer connectivity options mean that a round of Smash is never far away. Smash 3DS may now be overshadowed by its big brother on the Wii U, but as far as filling the portable Smash niche goes, it's hard to ask for much more than what Nintendo offers.
My favorite downloadable content: BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 2
Irrational Games/2K Games -- March 25
Sadly, and shockingly, Irrational Games closed their doors earlier this year. Luckily, their swan song happened to be the excellent second episode of BioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea saga. The return trip to Rapture reaches its dramatic high-note as players take control of Elizabeth for the first time. Irrational forces players to adopt a relatively stealthy approach this time around, and while BioShock's mechanics don't always meld seamlessly with such a style, the change of pace is welcome and, largely, works well. Artistically speaking, Episode 2 is one of the most beautiful products that Irrational ever produced. One of my captured in-game screenshots was so stunning that it remained my desktop wallpaper for months. In terms of narrative, this episode skillfully weaves together the divergent tales of Rapture and Columbia into an impressively cohesive whole, shedding new light on the entire BioShock saga and acting as a fitting end to Irrational's work on the series. Irrational will be missed, but Burial at Sea - Episode 2 cements the studio's legacy as an all-time industry great.
My favorite gaming experience of the year: The Last of Us: Remastered
Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment -- July 29
Okay, I'll admit that this one is sort of cheating. The Last of Us initially released in 2013, but I didn't get around to playing the critically lauded title until its 2014 re-release on the PlayStation 4. My time with the PlayStation 4 update completely eclipsed any experience that I had with a game that released originally in 2014, so there's no point in pretending otherwise. The Last of Us enthralled me completely. Becoming immersed in video game stories is something I've always had trouble with, but The Last of Us had me utterly riveted straight up until the ending -- at which point I likely let out an audible gasp. The Last of Us boasts what I would, without hesitation, call the greatest story ever featured in a video game, but the narrative is just one aspect of a universally stellar gaming experience. The Last of Us's tight stealth mechanics, weighty, satisfying gunplay, and smart design had me contemplating every combat scenario I encountered rather than charging in blindly. I felt truly immersed in Joel's plight, and was invested in the game's world and characters to an extent I've never been before. Please excuse my lateness to the party; The Last of Us ranks among the greatest video games that I've ever played, and my first experience with the game was with the 2014 release. Calling anything else my favorite gaming experience of the year just wouldn't feel right.
(Also: Read this review of The Last of Us written by fellow Tech Deck contributor Kip Hill.)
Thoughts? Don't hesitate to leave any and all input in the comments section.