As 2014 draws to a close, it is a time for reflection. to my mind, 2014 has been potentially the most disappointing gaming year in some considerable time. Great expectations have turned into damp squibs as the next console generation has failed to get into its stride, and time and time again anticipation of the next big title has let us down. That said, its not all been doom and gloom – there have been some real gems nestled in the mound of mediocrity, and the guys at Zero1Gaming have got together to bring you their highlights. Let us all hope that Paul doesn’t bang on about Dragon Age too much….  (Ed’s note: What? It’s awesome!)

Drew Pontikis – Far Cry 4

It took its time getting here, but after some really big misses in 2014 Ubisoft Montreal FINALLY got it right with Far Cry 4. Staggeringly beautiful, an enthusing plot and enough wilderness to make Bear Grylls start warming up his unique brand of home brew; Far Cry 4 truly has been the only 10/10 game I’ve played this year. It’s a testament to them that they have taken a tried and tested formula and made it feel fresh and new, with the delights of Kyrat a hundred thousand miles from the brain fart of Assassins Creed Unity but a few weeks before. I don’t care what anyone says (especially Paul and his ridiculous Dragon Age lovefest), Far Cry 4 is the only game you should be buying this Christmas.

 

Joseph Butler-Hartley – Transistor

Set in a beautifully melancholic sci-fi world, Transistor is an intelligent and astonishingly deep isometric action-RPG about a famous singer named Red who comes into possession of a talking sword. Together, they battle to save the Art Deco city of Cloudbank from a race of destructive robots called ‘the process’ and a mysterious terrorist group who call themselves the ‘Camerata’.

While the story and setting are strong, it’s the gameplay that earns Transistor its place upon this list. The innovative combat system, complete with a range of differing and varied abilities, forces the player to endlessly tinker and experiment, meaning every fight is unique and interesting. It’s a game that requires a strategic approach and a player who is willing to ponder, and if you’re that kind of player, then Transistor is the most satisfying and enjoyable game of 2014.

 

Trent Cannon – Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

So 2014 is coming to a close and what a strange year it has been. Games that should have been amazing were buggy and flawed. Games that should have been awful ended up being actually pretty damn fun. And the games that should already be on our shelves have been pushed further and further into 2015.

So which game stood head and shoulders above the rest for me? Out of all the titles I’ve played this year, which one did I enjoy the most? Its close between several games for me. Always Sometimes Monsters was an exceptionally emotional journey. Goat Simulator sat on the other end of that scale, giving not a single eff about taking itself seriously. But the game that I’ve had the most fun with, and this probably isn’t a surprise to anyone here, was Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth by Atlus. Despite the fact that I had been looking forward to it for almost a year, it managed to deliver on nearly every level. Great art style. Great music. Great gameplay. Just an all-around great game for fans of the series.

 

Paul Izod – Dragon Age: Inquisition

It was a very close call this one; between Watchdogs and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Watchdogs exceeded my fairly low expectations to prove to be an excellent and engaging take on a popular genre, but Inquisition not only lived up to my high hopes, but flew right past them onto a whole new level.

The game embodied pretty much everything about its creators Bioware. It’s a grand, sweeping epic of an experience; something I can say without irony or lazy stereotype. The combat manages to be accessible at the same time as offering a remarkable level of depth and challenge; a quality all too rare in games as a whole, let alone large-scale fantasy RPGs. This is the game that keeps on giving, even 30-40 hours in. the story starts as a fairly basic sword and sorcery tale and Then.It.Gets.Awesome! Not only that, you show me many other AAA games that throw new core gameplay mechanics at you in hour 30!

Put simply, Dragon Age: Inquisition is my game of the year because it’s the best and most enjoyable game I’ve played since Tomb Raider and, seeing how much I enjoyed that game, that’s saying something. It sets the benchmark for all future fantasy RPGs to aim for and I really hope they do a Mass Effect and continue with the franchise for further iterations.

Now if you’ll excuse me, Thaddeas isn’t going to save itself!

 

Chris Halpin-Durband – Elite: Dangerous

At the time of writing Elite: Dangerous has just gone into “gamma” which appears to be a form of soft-launch, hence why I’ve chosen to include it. For decades gaming has lacked what I would consider a decent space/trading/combat simulation (EVE Online fans, sorry to say but I can’t stand your baby!) Who better to bring an offering to this unique genre than David Braben, the genius behind the original Elite, and Frontier: Elite II, and the person responsible for a huge number of lost weekends throughout my childhood?

The game itself is vast, and it has been a pleasure to watch it steadily evolve from a relatively simple space game into a complex simulation complete with a huge area of space to explore and various trading and combat options to keep us entertained. The beta experience was one of those rare testing phases which actually saw the developers listen as best as they could to the players and attempt to implement changes that would benefit the majority of the community. As with any creative process there have been hiccups on the road but now that the destination is in sight Elite: Dangerous promises to be a constantly growing immersive experience, and a must own title for any PC gamer this Christmas.

 

Ryan Mills – Far Cry 4

2014 has been a rather disappointing year for the video game industry. A number of high profile games were pushed back to 2015 and blockbuster titles such as Destiny, Titanfall and Watch Dogs were lacklustre. There have been some pretty fine games this year, though none have impressed me more than Far Cry 4. I was a huge fan of its predecessor, so I was highly anticipating its release. Far Cry 4 builds upon a solid foundation to great effect, and features some of the most fun I have experienced on my PS4. Kyrat is a stunning world, filled with luscious locations and formidable wildlife. There’s just so much to do in this game!

 

Sebastian Young – Destiny

Like my colleagues above have said, it’s been a somewhat insipid year for gaming. So much so in fact that the game I’m nominating as the best of 2014 for me is also the game that I have the most problems with. It is of course Destiny.

Bungie’s ‘open world shooter’ is not at all what any of us were expecting/hoping for. From the relentless grinding to the monotonous content; the unbalanced multiplayer to the ‘members-only’ Raids; and now a new Raid rendering old gear useless and DLC content locking off sizable amounts of activities to vanilla players. But damn, if shooting aliens in the face has ever been this satisfying. As a mechanical shooter Destiny is flawless, and God help me, after over 200 hours I still keep jumping back in for more. 2015, for the love of all that is holy, please deliver us from this evil.

 

Jareth Anstey – Dark Souls 2

2014 has been an incredible year for gamers, and with so many stellar games on every format choosing a single game for my GOTY was difficult to say the least. In the end I thought to myself “Why do I play videogames?” the answer was immersion. I play videogames to be engulfed in the world it presents and therefore judge games based on how immersive that world is. Even with this aspect considered there were so many contenders, Far Cry 4 and GTA 5, are both massively immersive games and could easily have held the top spot. Though in spite of these Dark Souls 2 is my GOTY because this year it is the game that I became most immersed in. I was absorbed into the game and for some time it became a major part of my life, I would be excited to play it when I was away and when I was playing the time would fly by. The game forced me to hone my skills as a player, caused me to blame myself for any mistakes made and praise myself when victory was achieved. This game gave me an entire world that I could inhabit using just a controller and that is why it is my game of the year.

 

Michael Dalgleish – Destiny

Right, let me preface this by saying that I know Destiny is a divisive game and is not for everyone. I also accept it has its flaws and is by no means perfect. But I have picked Destiny simply because of all the games I have played this year, it is the one I have put the most amount of hours into and had the most fun with. Everytime I think I am done with it, it finds a way to reel me back in. The competitive multiplayer is not groundbreaking but it is very fun and the campaign is good when played solo, but awesome if you can rope a few friends on board. The loot drops are stingy enough to make it feel special when you do get a great drop, but frequent enough to make legendaries and exotics feel attainable. The Dark Below DLC was also a breath of fresh air for the game just when it needed it and added new elements that make me excited to see where the game goes in 2015.

Honourable Mentions:

Wolfenstein: The New Order, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor”

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