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GOTY 2014

by blackout62

Well... that was a rough year. Did I play enough video games this time? No? Well I don't care.

Showing 1-8 of 8 items

Kentucky Route Zero

1. Kentucky Route Zero

Two years in a row and everyone has to deal with it. If it makes three then I'll probably just say it's best game ever. And Act 3! Starting out with that subtle a visual reference to Godot! And then confirming by quoting the play. Just the "yeah you got us, it's a Godot reference" is great.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

2. Dragon Age: Inquisition

DA:I goes three places: Northern Renaissance for the 3D art (Those memento mori skulls really do add to a room), whatever the DA:II frescoe inspiration was, and those Tarot Cards which just scream Klimt by way of early perspective European art. Between this and Transistor the artistic touchstone of 2014 in videogames was straight Klimt.

Wolfenstein: The New Order

3. Wolfenstein: The New Order

I mean from a painterly perspective it's nothing to really shake a stick at. Film wise it's gold though: cinematic, detail rich, great use of shadows and depth of field, not actually that well optimized with all those effects come to think of it. And musically there's just so much in the soundtrack that carries the theme and period of the game. Sadly I don't know shit about music.

Blade Symphony

4. Blade Symphony

Wait, this came out in 2014? Shit, this is the best fighting game I've ever played.

Transistor

5. Transistor

I actually want to know every artist inspiration for Transistor. The game is so Klimt and I'm amazed it's not in the advertising art more. But beyond that it's clear Jen Zee went through all the works that inspire-- Look, while Klimt was inspired by the Byzantine mosaics of the Haghia Sophia I'd gather that Jen Zee took that one step further and was also inspired by the Islamic paintings within the building. The inspirations are probably more complicated than that but I don't feel like doing the research. Also there's some Art Deco.

This War of Mine

6. This War of Mine

Good year for war games. We managed to squeeze some post-Spec Ops pathos out and get some good works.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

7. Valiant Hearts: The Great War

War Horse wasn't a very good movie was it? Guess it needed more dog. Also Herge? Not artistically but the game's story with the light-hearted but violent tone, new technology of the time, and a dog seems pretty Herge.

Gods Will Be Watching

8. Gods Will Be Watching

Needs some Klimt? Sure, why not? Straight pixel art is getting boring.