Top 10 Best Video Games of 2014

The first entry in the franchise to hit this new generation of consoles has made quite an impression on gamers (4:18). The unpredictable wilderness has never looked so crisp. You’ll often find yourself staring at the environment around you... until you have to fight for your life, of course, whether it’s from humans or the animals roaming the area (8:20). Whether you’re following along with the story, or taking on a side quest, this game is an insanely fun adventure from beginning to end. Just watch out for those damn eagles.

While the first episode was released back in December of 2013, since the rest of the episodes were released this year, we consider it a 2014 release. This season picks up where season one left off, letting players take control of Clementine -- who is definitely scarred for life by now. Just like the previous season, Telltale brings their point and click adventure A-Game here, where tough decisions alter the course of events for better or for worse. And, just like the previous season, you quickly become engaged in the story and find yourself wanting more.

For those of you who still crave those 8-bit classics, this 2D side-scrolling platformer pays homage to the games of yester-year, right down to the color scheme matching the NES’s original color palette. As the lead character, you’re armed with a sharpened shovel and on a quest to defeat an evil Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter. With gameplay that honors the games of old while bringing some of the best platforming we’ve seen in a long time, along with some nice surprises on the way, Shovel Knight’s blend of classic and modern gameplay makes this gem feel timeless.

Going down to South Park gonna have ourselves a time... and oh, what a time we had in this quiet little mountain town. Delays had us thinking that this wasn’t going to be released, but this year we finally got to take these Colorado boys out on a grand adventure. An original and fun RPG with the authetic style and humor of the hilarious series that also lampooned modern video game tropes, this is how you make a game based on a television show.

You’d think at this point we’d be tired of kart racing with Mario, but this installment proves that the series continues to age like a fine wine. Is it the fantastic new courses? The gorgeous HD makeover for classic tracks? Or the new Anti-Gravity mechanic that really shows how creative some courses can be. Maybe we just missed throwing that devilish blue shell at our friends! The main reason many people went out and bought a Wii U this year, we’re all going to be kart racing for a long while.

It’s a good time to be a fan of “The Lord of the Rings.” With the second trilogy wrapping up, Tolkein-heads also got an unexpected gem in video game form. Taking the exploration and parkour mechanics of the Assassin’s Creed series, mixed with the Combat of the Batman Arkham series, and topped it off with a unique Nemesis system that made every playthrough unique, Shadow of Morder wraith-struck out of nowhere and became one of year’s must play titles. Also, decapitations.

We may have been a bit anxious for this title. Though caution was justified, given our disappointment with Dragon Age 2. Thankfully, Bioware’s new foray into the Next Gen not only met our expectations but it also blew them away.. Even though it still straddles the current and next gen, it’s everything you’d expect from a next-gen game with ludicrous amounts of content, all in the classic Bioware style. It’s a shining example of why they’re often revered as the modern kings of RPGs.

This is how you make a next gen entry to an ongoing franchise. We don’t even know where to begin our gushing over it! The graphics? Gorgeous. The characters? Hell did you ever think Mario, Sonic, Mega-man, and Pac-man would be in the same game, fighting each other all at once? Then there’s eight player smash, online play, and the numerous controllers you can use -- including the GameCube controller for all you purists out there. If the 3DS version was the appetizer, the Wii U version is the main course we still can’t get enough of.

How to be a total bad ass, an autobiography by Bayonetta. Step one: get a new haircut. Step two: slide on an amazing pair of gun boots. Step three: turn up the sass. Where else can you say you took on a giant serpent while surfing alongside a water tornado? Or took on a rival sage in a high flying clash with a Kaiju battle going on in the background? And By the way, that’s all in the first third of the game. This is how you make a sequel: take what made the first one good and then go way over the top.



Before we get to our Game of the Year, let’s check out some honorable mentions

“Sunset Overdrive” (2014)

“The Wolf Among Us” (2014)

“Call of Duty Advanced Warfare” (2014)

“Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft” (2014)

“Bravely Default” (2014)

“Divinity: Original Sin” (2014)

It was a very close race between this game and Bayonetta 2 for #1, but Darksouls 2 just barely dodgerolled into #1. Justlike Bayonetta, Dark Souls 2 is another shining example of how to properly make a sequel to an already great series. Better graphics. More customization. A fine tuned multiplayer. And of course, innumerable ways to die that’ll make you want to throw your controller. Just like the previous installment, this one manages to frustrate you to now end while never letting you go. Dark Souls 2 isn’t just a great game, it’s a trend setter for gaming as a whole, as more games get challenging, you can thank the Dark Souls series for that. Praise the sun!


Do you by any chance agree with our list? We’d like to see your lists of your favorite games this year so drop a comment with your own top 10, and for more top 10 lists that celebrate the games you love, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.