Best Video Games Of 2014

 

While 2014 wasn’t a great year for video games — and no, I’m not just talking about that #gamergate crap — there were a bunch that I had a lot of fun playing.

Here now, in no particular order, are the best games I played in 2014.

Destiny

Developer: Bungie

Publisher: Activision

Systems: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360

It’s funny: while a lot of people bagged on this game when it came out, a lot of people (in some cases, the same people) were still playing it months later. That’s because while it did have its problems, redundancy being the biggest, it was still really, really fun. And I say that as someone who mostly played solo.

SCORE: 9.0/10 (You can read my full review here.)

 

Metro Redux

Developer: 4A Games

Publisher: Deep Silver

Systems: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Sometimes it seemed like 2014 was the year of the remake. But while most weren’t worth getting if you already played the game — I’m looking at you Halo: The Master Chief Collection, The Last Of Us Remastered, and Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition — Metro Redux bucked trend by fixing the mistakes of the disappointing original, turning it (especially the first game) into the great shooter it always aspired to be.

SCORE: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

 

Titanfall

Developer: Respawn

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Systems: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

While I still feel that Titanfall really, really needs a single-player, story-driven campaign — especially after playing the similar but not really Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare — there’s no denying that even without it, this sci-fi shooter was really, really fun.

SCORE: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

 

South Park: The Stick Of Truth

South Park’s Super-Sweet Pinball

South Park: Butter’s Very Own Pinball Game

Developers: Obsidian (Stick), Zen Studios (pinball)

Publisher: Ubisoft (Stick), Zen Studios (pinball)

Systems: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC (Stick); Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PCs, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire (pinball)

Given how bad the previous South Park games were, it’s rather amazing that fans of the show not only got a great adventure game this year, but two of the better pinball tables for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2 as well. Not only were they funny (no surprise there), but they were also loads of fun even if you don’t love the show.

SCORE:

South Park: The Stick Of Truth: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

South Park Pinball: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

 

Alien Isolation

Developers: Creative Assembly

Publisher: Sega

Systems: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC

Easily the scariest and most nerve-wracking game of the year, this really did feel like a proper sequel to the movie because it was like that damn alien was chasing you around a space station was feng shui-ed by the same interior decorator who decorated the Nostromo in the original film.

SCORE: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

 

Forza Horizon 2

Developers: Playground Games

Publisher: Microsoft

Systems: Xbox One

In a year that had racing games that were terrible (Driveclub) and just okay (The Crew), Forza Horizon 2 stood out for having great controls as well as challenging courses. Though it didn’t hurt that you got to drive around the South of France and Northern Italy.

SCORE: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

 

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Developers: MachineGames

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Systems: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC

As a Jew-ish sci-fi fan who loves first-person shooters and has an interest in the occult (fictional, not functional), I’ve long been a fan of the Wolfenstein series. But The New Order didn’t just meet my lofty hopes, it flew past them, then turned around to give me a jaunty wave, before continuing to fly above the clouds…which it then shot in the face.

SCORE: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

 

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Developers: Retro Studios

Publisher: Nintendo

Systems: WiiU

As the series that led me to a career in games journalism, I’ll always have a soft spot for any Donkey Kong Country game. But while I was a bit leery after 2010’s disappointing Donkey Kong Country Returns, I was happy to find that this one lived up to this series’ legacy.

SCORE: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

 

Moshling Rescue, Cookie Jam, and a ton of other connect-3 games

Developers/Publisher: Mind Candy (Moshling Rescue), SGN (Cookie Jam)

Systems: Facebook, tablets, smart phones

Yes, they were all kind of the same. And yes, they all got kind of tiresome after fifty or sixty levels. But I spent a lot of time on Facebook playing these and other match-3 puzzle games this year, and am still not tired of this genre.

 

The Deadpool, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Star Wars: Heroes Within, Walking Dead, and Venom tables for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2

Zen Pinball 2 for PlayStation 4

Pinball FX 2 for Xbox One

Developers/Publisher: Zen Studios

Systems: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox Vita, Amazon Fire, iOS, Android

Black Knight 2000, Junk Yard, High Speed, and WHO Dunnit tables for The Pinball Arcade

The Pinball Arcade for Xbox One

Developers/Publisher: FarSight Studios

Systems: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Vita

While this list might suggest otherwise, I spent a lot of this year waiting for games I wanted to play. But I didn’t really mind because I always had these pinball games (and the aforementioned South Park ones). Which is why I now have Zen Pinball 2, Pinball FX 2, and The Pinball Arcade on every game console, tablet, and phone I own.

SCORE:

Deadpool: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

Guardians Of The Galaxy: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

Star Wars: Heroes Within: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

The Walking Dead: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

Venom: 8.0/10 (Full review here.)

Zen Pinball 2, PlayStation 4: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

Pinball FX 2, Xbox One: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

The Pinball Arcade, Xbox One: 8.5/10 (Full review here.)

Black Knight 2000, Junk Yard, High Speed, and WHO Dunnit: 8.0/10 (Full review here.)

 

Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Developers: Sledgehammer Games, High Moon Studios, Raven Software

Publisher: Activision

Systems: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC

Much like with Destiny, Advanced Warfare wasn’t without its problems…but it was also tons of gun totin’ fun. And I say that, again, as someone who mostly played solo.

SCORE: 9.0/10 (Full review here.)

 

So, what do think the best games of 2014 were? Let me know in the comments below.