MERCH!
Giant Bomb - a website about video games and the people that make them

My Personal GOTY 2014 List

by mbradley1992

This list will probably be unpopular, because I only really paid a bunch of AAA/big publisher stuff this year. I don't have much gaming time, so I have to limit what I play.

Showing 1-10 of 10 items

South Park: The Stick of Truth

1. South Park: The Stick of Truth

It's difficult to make a South Park game that's funny, true to the show, and is also a solid game. While arguably basic, Stick of Truth is still a solid RPG and has humor from beginning to end that's comparable to what you'd get out of 8-10 hours of a South Park season. The wait was worth it.

Shovel Knight

2. Shovel Knight

Holy crap. I couldn't put this game down. I am typically turned off to games that are difficult or require either a ton of grinding or require many restarts to get through. Shovel Knight has the perfect balance between difficulty and accessibility. When you die, it is your fault and you know why you died. When you mistimed a jump or a shovel smash, you know that it was your fault. This is definitely one of the best platformers ever made, combining perfectly modern day "quick reset" level design along with a great graphical style and good music.

Wolfenstein: The New Order

3. Wolfenstein: The New Order

This is the dark horse GOTY this year. It was very much a traditional FPS, but the story goes above and beyond what you'd ever expect from a Wolfenstein game. Going to the moon is absurd and awesome at the same time. The gunplay is some of the best you can get, especially the dual wielding.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

4. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

The Exo abilities carry the gameplay above what COD typically delivers, and the futuristic story and weapons are just plain fun. It reminds me of what I loved when I played Modern Warfare and MW2. Behind those, one of the best COD games.

Hyrule Warriors

5. Hyrule Warriors

They took every bit of Zelda fan service they could and crammed it into a Dynasty Warriors template while not alienating someone like myself who has never played a DW game before. It's a great, fun romp through the Zelda universe.

Forza Horizon 2

6. Forza Horizon 2

This was a tough #5. I battled with moving it higher, but I can't have 5 #1s. One of the best racing games made, and while just being more of FH, the next-gen leap is great.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Nintendo 3DS

7. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Nintendo 3DS

Probably my favorite Smash game, yet. Just because of the sheer amount of content as well as the great art style and graphical upgrade (Wii U).

Tomb Raider

8. Tomb Raider

I played this for the first time on PS4, and I thought it was what I miss from Uncharted 2. Great mechanics and environments. Definitely sets up excitement for the sequel.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

9. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

More Diablo 3. I had put the game down after one playthrough, being both satisfied and wanting more. Reaper of Souls expands the plot just enough with new content to give me a new excuse to open D3.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

10. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

I have never finished a Halo campaign. I have started many, then get sidetracked by the multiplayer. This collection has provided a great graphical and succinct package to plow through the stories for the first time ever.