Top 10 Games of the Year

So it’s that time of year. The weather sucks, it’s dark at 4pm, and all of the video games have come out. Looking back on this year, I was actually surprised at how many awesome games there were. Narrowing my list down to ten was pretty difficult, and I didn’t even play most of the pc exclusive games, since my laptop is kind of terrible for playing games. These games aren’t in any particular order. Happy new year and whatnot.

Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar North’s latest game still has a unique style that no other developer can match. Driving around the superbly crafted Los Santos while listening to the excellent radio stations will probably never get old for me. The game’s use of multiple characters, with their own stories and side missions, added variety and should be utilized by other developers. The heist missions are fantastic, thrilling and provide a level of strategy and planning that most big action games don’t attempt to have. Sure, the writing is getting a little stale. But Rockstar still manages to create a vibe that feels like nothing else.

Bioshock infinite

Few games create the sense of wonder that Bioshock Infinite does in the first hour or so. The audacious level design and art style immediately introduces you to the world gives you a great sense of place. The game touches on a number of themes that most big-budget games don’t really talk about. Traveling through this Super-America theme park in the sky with Booker and Elizabeth helped add to the excellent sci-fi story. That ending, man.

Devil May Cry

Ninja Theory got a lot of undeserved crap when they were announced as the developer for the Devil May Cry reboot. They responded to the angry nerd rage in the best way possible: make a really awesome game. The combo system is excellent, the level design is smart and ever-changing, and the boss battles are some of the best of the generation. Nerd rage isn’t always directed in the right direction.

Saints Row IV

It’s crazy to look back on the first two Saints Row games and see where this incredibly bizarre franchise has gone. This game is ridiculous in the best way. It’s not quite as funny as the last game, but it makes up for that by being the ultimate power fantasy. Saints Row 4 is the best Crackdown game ever made. The superpowers feel amazing, and the variety of the powers help keep the combat entertaining. The excellent soundtrack makes the time you spend collecting upgrades more enjoyable. Riff Raff makes everything better.

Last of Us

Everytime I say think I’m done with the whole zombie apocalypse setting, somebody makes a game that makes me take it all back. Traveling through this dying and decrepit version of America with Joel and Ellie was one of the most tense and gripping stories I’ve ever seen in a videogame. Both characters are written and animated so well that that you can empathize with whatever their feelings are at that moment. Even the completely optional things you can find exploring the environment can tell a fascinating story that rounds out the fiction. It feels like a game that was built around the story they wanted to tell, and not around whatever cool set piece they had designed.

Also, that game is damn pretty.

FIFA 14

Given the relative troubles of the rest of EA Sports’ games this year, it was a relief that FIFA continued to be excellent. The subtle improvements to the control of the ball greatly add to the realism. The difference between what the best players can do with the ball, and what the worst players can do with it feels much larger than it has in previous iterations. The changes to the career mode aren’t where they need to be, but the game on the pitch is still the best out there.

Rayman Legends

The color palette of most games is pretty similar, i.e. hella brown. Dark and gritty stories, usually set in some embattled middle-eastern country, have become a bit stale. Rayman Legends is the complete antithesis of that. Each set of levels has a fresh and vibrant feel to them that compels you to see each one. Even the cave levels look nice. Since when do caves look nice? Almost never! The game’s a little easy, but that doesn’t get in the way of how fun the platforming is.

Hotline Miami

Yes, I know this game came out on the pc in 2012. But my laptop is old and terrible, so I didn’t get to pick this up until it was on the Vita. This game feels like a really bad (or really good) medicine-induced fever dream with a really dope soundtrack. There isn’t really anything about this game that could be defined as normal. From the Miami Vice art style, to the strange and murky story involving Russians and ultraviolence, you are never quite sure what the hell is going on while you’re playing it. But you don’t want to stop.

Depression Quest

Depression is never easy to explain to people who have never dealt with it before. Mental illness isn’t something that most people are adequately educated to understand it, or to help. What makes Depression Quest special is the fact that it’s a videogame. The interactivity allows the player to seamlessly fall into the character and empathize with the character, as well as just how debilitating the condition can be. You’d like to go to sleep, but your mind is racing too much to do so. You go to a party, but you feel way too awkward to actually talk to anyone. You know you need help, but actually telling someone is incredibly difficult. I didn’t think a video game could encapsulate those feelings so well.

Tearaway

I bought this game when I was sick and generally feeling down, and it ended up being the perfect thing to cheer me up. From the paper craft art style, to the typical Media Molecule charm, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to be in a bad mood while playing this game. I actually played a lot of games on my Vita this year, but Tearaway is one of the few that really feels like it was built for the platform. I had kind of forgotten that the Vita had a touch pad on the back before I played this game, and it becomes crucial while playing this game. Combined with much improved platforming, this game is well worth buying a Vita for.