It's common to hear critics bemoan the state of gaming by saying during the awards season that this year's releases were boring, but saying that for 2014 would be a stretch. Sure, the exclusives for PlayStation were somewhat disappointing and there were plenty of legitimate complaints and less-than-stellar sequels, but if our list of Game of the Year nominees serves any notice, we've had plenty of surprises as well.
Taking a step back to take a bird's eye view on this year in video gaming, Microsoft has made a significant comeback with its focus on exclusives, its handy price cut, and its detachment from the Kinect as a required peripheral. The Xbox brand has closed the gap to the PlayStation since the poor fan reaction to the Xbox One. With any luck, Sony will be testing Microsoft's strength with Uncharted 4 and Project Morpheus, as the company already has with the inaugural PlayStation Experience event in Las Vegas.
Nintendo didn't rest on its laurels, either. Though its third-party relations aren't its strong suit, apart from the surprising exclusive dark and sexy Bayonetta 2, its first-party relations are still markedly the best of the big three with Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., and its host of handheld titles that only bolster its dominance in the handheld market. We're still anticipating The Legend of Zelda and perhaps rumors of the next Wii console (if it's even called that).
And of course, we can't forget the indie scene with so many bite-sized games on Steam receiving an award, an Editor's Choice, and/or four or more stars in our reviews. The number of fresh IPs is almost overwhelming and, because of it, my stack of shame is growing. But surely, the holiday Steam sale will help matters.
Best of 2014 Awards
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Best PlayStation Console Exclusive
Winner: inFamous: Second Son
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rnAction games often rely on a lot of similar gameplay loops to keep the player engaged beyond an hour or more. This factor remains incredibly important for open-world games with expansive environments littered with collectibles and things to do, missions to finish, and geometry to scale. inFamous: Second Son does this better than almost every other game on PlayStation 4. Obviously, you could jaunt around the Space Needle with just one of this super-powered adventure's power-sets, but the dynamism in its variety of uniquely engaging and cool-looking abilities is too good to pass up.
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rnNominees: The Last of Us Remastered, Natural Doctrine, inFamous: Second Son, Entwined, MLB 14: The Show
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rnRead our inFamous: Second Son review here>> -
Best Xbox Console Exclusive
Winner: Sunset Overdrive
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rnIt's not hard to discover the derivative nature of Insomniac's open-world shooter featuring energy-drink swilling yahoos who'd sooner eat your face off than offer you a free can. In fact, collecting Overcharge in Sunset City becomes a wholly entertaining distraction because of how easy it can be to slide into the rhythmic gameplay. It sounds foolish to bounce from picnic table umbrella to literally slide on water, only to wall-run and then grind a few miles via wire. Still, Sunset Overdrive's drop-dead gorgeous visual flair pushes this comforting and classically inspired gameplay design over the line to nab this award.
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rnNominees: Forza Horizon 2, Fantasia: Music Evolved, Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Titanfall
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rnRead our Sunset Overdrive review here>> -
Best Nintendo Console Exclusive
Winner: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
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rnLaunching a Super Smash Bros. game on a portable system seemed to be a bold move for a publisher that has embodied gaming in its own way altogether. Mario is Mario and Luigi had his own freakin' year. What could Smash Bros. do to be bigger and better than ever before? The 3DS version proved a wind-up while the Wii U version will surely prove a smash hit. Faster, sharper, prettier, more immediately and variably engaging, and full of more beloved characters than ever before, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U rather expectedly beats much of 2014 to a pulp.
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rnNominees: Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
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rnRead our Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review here>> -
Best PC Exclusive
Winner: Divinity: Original Sin
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rnDivinity: Original Sin almost belongs in the Most Surprising Game category as well, because I almost dismissed this game as a hack-’n’-slash Diablo clone. But it’s an incredible departure for both the Divinity series and the RPG genre by being a turn-based/real-time strategy title that doesn’t use a grid and forces you to make pivotal decisions in combat, dialogue, and approach.
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rnSome of the quests lack direction and the inventory system can get over-complicated, but the challenging fights, the freedom and detail of the map, and the co-operative play push the envelope. Larian Studios should be applauded for stepping outside of the box and creating depth in a genre that we once thought stale.
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rnNominees: This War of Mine, WildStar, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, Faster Than Light: Advanced Edition, Divinity: Original Sin
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rnRead our Divinity: Original Sin review here>> -
Alex\'s Editor\'s Choice
Winner: Broken Age: Act 1
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rnI’ve been wary of Kickstarter-funded games ever since they became the new hot thing, but after playing through the first act of Double Fine’s new adventure game Broken Age, my tune immediately changed. As a fan of traditional adventure games, I was immediately enthralled by this crowd-funded experience’s ability to deliver the same classic point-and-click goodness I fondly remember from my youth. Not only is the game loaded with Tim Schafer’s witty humor and whimsical storytelling genius, it’s also got some fantastic puzzles that will have you scratching your head rather than banging it over your keyboard. -
Best Vita Game
Winner: Ys: Memories of Celceta
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rnSolid Vita software comes around once every blue moon, since third-party publishers seem to be avoiding Sony’s handheld. The JRPG genre, however, haven’t abandoned the platform with four of them making this year’s Vita nominees. Ys: Memories of Celceta came out on top, though the Ys name isn’t the most renowned series out there. However, its action-based gameplay takes advantage of the Vita screen and the anime plot sets up combat better than you might expect at first. It’s surprisingly one of the best action-RPGs this year.
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rnNominees: Natural Doctrine, Ys: Memories of Celceta, Soul Sacrifice, Dustforce, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
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rnRead our Ys: Memories of Celceta review here>> -
Best 3DS Game
Winner: Bravely Default
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rnI am scared of Bravely Default. Given my obvious love of Persona-brand role-playing games, I didn't expect to so immediately fall in love with the diminutive heroes you control in Bravely Default's don't-call-it-Final-Fantasy adventure. In fact, my hour count is criminally low, though even 30 minutes with the title leaves you wondering how and why Final Fantasy has, in fact, strayed from open-fields and costumes without an excess of zippers. This portable game from Square Enix stands tall besidw Pokémon and Smash Bros. releases even months later in a year packed with excellent gaming on-the-go.
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rnNominees: Bravely Default, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Mario Golf: World Tour
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rnRead our Bravely Default review here>> -
Best Mobile Game
Winner: Threes!
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rnThe first time I played Threes!, though I had heard about it numerous times through the grapevine, was at the Xbox Indie Showcase at this year’s PAX Prime. In between games like Never Alone: Kisima Ingitchuna and Fibbage stood Threes!, and despite only having two hours at the showcase, I probably spent about a half-hour pushing cards into exponents of three.
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rnOf course, on mobile platforms this game is even better, allowing you tap and swipe cards with ease. It’s clear, it’s elegant, and it’s spawned numerous clones that was given undeserved credit. Luckily, we like giving credit where it’s due.
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rnNominees: XCOM: Enemy Within, Threes!, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Plants vs. Zombies 2, Entwined Challenge -
Best DLC
Winner: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
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rnWorld of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor is everything an expansion should be and then some. The fact that Blizzard’s MMO has endured for a whopping ten years is a testament to the studio’s development prowess, and the release of Warlords of Draenor only further drives that point home. The expansion adds an incredible amount of new content to the experience, including Garrisons, character model upgrades, and new raids. Warlords of Draenor also delivers the most interesting narrative WoW has ever seen and accompanies it with some truly epic quests. Not only will WoD suck wayward fans back into Blizzard’s expansive virtual world, it’ll likely attract newcomers, too.
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rnNominees: inFamous: First Light, Resogun Heroes, Mario Kart 8, World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, Dark Souls II Crown of the King Trilogy
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rnRead our World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor review here>> -
Daniel\'s Editor\'s Choice
Winner: Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
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rnLooking at EA's tower-defense brand as exactly that should clue many readers into why I loved Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare as much as I did in 2014. There's certainly a factor of moving from slightly static strategy gameplay into action-packed third-person shooting, but I think the look and sound of Garden Warfare goes further than the mechanics do. It's difficult to maintain video games as an artistic medium we love so much without finding something like the family-friendly Garden Warfare a hugely valuable weapon in that fight.
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rnRead our Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare>> -
Best Indie Game
Winner: Shovel Knight
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rnA helping of indie titles received perfect scores from us this year, so choosing just one to receive the award kept us milling in the dark. Thankfully, we settled on Shovel Knight, bolstered by our review by Ryan Bates, for numerous reasons: the homage to retro gaming, the chiptune soundtrack, the humor, the challenging levels, the originality.
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rnWhat’s not to love about it? 99% of users on Steam have given it a positive review, and the rest of them are being cynical about the game being cheap because it’s too retro, though that’s sort of the point, isn’t it? Shovel Knight isn’t just a love letter, it’s a celebration.
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rnNominees: Shovel Knight, This War of Mine, Counterspy, Transistor, Entwined -
Best Sports Game
Winner: EA Sports UFC
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rnMy first brush with EA Sports UFC leveled my eyes and my thumbs. I didn't think a sports game could possibly approach the kind of graphical presentation or mechanical approximation of a sport I didn't know much about. Instead, EA Sports UFC taught me UFC from the inside out and managed to capitalize on big hits and ground game moves that put the brand in a submission hold. EA Sports UFC doesn't play to one audience or another. Whether you're a hardcore fighting fan or simply looking to throw down in multiplayer, EA Sports outdid themselves in guaranteeing both novice and experts could enjoy balanced action.
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rnNominees: EA Sports UFC, NBA 2K15, Mario Golf: World Tour, NBA Live 15, MLB 14: The Show
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rnRead our EA Sports UFC review here>> -
Best Action Game
Winner: Bayonetta 2 rn rnWhen you think of action gaming, you can't really consider the genre without bringing up one name and this Nintendo Wii U exclusive furthers Hideki Kamiya's ability to craft a white-knuckled thrill ride. While you could look to the likes of The Wonderful 101 for unique action and style, Bayonetta 2 largely overrides nuanced design to play smoothly for gamers of all skill levels. Easing the difficulty curve, providing tons of unique weapons, and allowing dedicated players to dress Bayonetta in a seriously foxy outfit made this one of the best experiences of 2014. rn rnNominees: Destiny, Bayonetta 2, Far Cry 4, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Halo: The Master Chief Collection rn rnRead our Bayonetta 2 review here>> -
Best Action-Adventure Game
Winner: Grand Theft Auto V (PS4/XOne)
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rnLauding Grand Theft Auto in successive years wouldn't normally make sense as GTA V carries its own massive scrotum of male-dominated testostor-blasting depravity onto next-generation console hardware, but the game looks and plays just as beautifully as it did in 2013. For many consumers, Grand Theft Auto V will remain a hulking monument to gamer culture and all of its ails but for most it'll prove an inviting, exciting, and hugely satisfying action-adventure throughout Los Santos and the surrounding countryside. We can't wait to see what happens to our three protagonists next.
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rnNominees: Dark Souls II, Watch Dogs, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Assassin's Creed Unity, Grand Theft Auto V (PS4/XOne)
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rnRead our Grand Theft Auto V (PS4/XOne) review here>> -
Ryan\'s Editor\'s Choice
Winner: The Wolf Among Us
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rnWhen the surprise hit for Telltale Games, last year's The Walking Dead: Season One, took off, people wondered if it would be the first and last we heard from the studio (despite successes with the Sam & Max revival and Poker Night at the Inventory). To answer doubts, Telltale introduced the gamersphere to a big bad wolf that huffed and puffed and blew our socks off.
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rnThe Wolf Among Us took Fables characters like the aforementioned Bigby Wolf, along with Snow White, Mr. Toad, Beauty and the Beast, and many others good, evil, and downright terrifying, and built an episodic crime noir masterpiece. I was hooked from the opening moments. Telltale, along with Fables creator Bill Willingham, dared to show us imperfect heroes, sympathetic villains, and a powerful narrative to create one of the most gripping storylines of the year, leaving players hungrily awaiting the next episode.
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rnRead our The Wolf Among Us review here>> -
Nick\'s Editor\'s Choice
Winner: Crypt of the NecroDancer rn rnEarly Access titles on Steam tend to overreach just by virtue of asking players to purchase a game, or glorified demo, that’s still in development. But Crypt of the NecroDancer belies the Early Access moniker by being innovative and downright addictive, blending roguelike dungeon-crawling with rhythm-based action where you must move at the same BPM as the song. Not only can you use custom music (I like using Super Mario RPG music), but you can hook up a DDR dance pad to the game and burn some calories without knowing because you’re having too much fun. rn rnVisit our Best of GR hub>> -
Best Original Game
Winner: Transistor
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rnTransistor's drop-dead gorgeous style seeps out of every scene, every battle, and every interaction between the protagonist and the large, heavy, programming sword you drag around throughout the game. Supergiant Games have established an eye for artistic representations of complex ideas in gaming, but Transistor proves that rare sophomore effort that doesn't retread design and only furthers a style all the studio's own.
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rnNominees: This War of Mine, Transistor, Entwined, Shovel Knight, Valiant Hearts: The Great War
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rnRead our Transistor review here>> -
Best Racing Game
Winner: Mario Kart 8
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rnMario Kart has always proven itself the leader of the go-karting genre, but it also bests the likes of simulation racer F1 2014 and open-world graphics showpiece Forza Horizon 2 by dedicating efforts towards modernizing what's become stale. In high-definition, players can more easily see weapons carried by their opponents and limiting "drag" to one item at a time means the rest of the pack catches up a lot faster. All told, Mario Kart 8 retains everything you love about the series without dumbing things down. In fact, these simplified mechanics and new items like the Super Horn mean the engines never really cool down.
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rnNominees: Forza Horizon 2, Mario Kart 8, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, F1 2014, GRID Autosport
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rnRead our Mario Kart 8 review here>> -
Best Fighting Game
Winner: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
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rnSuper Smash Bros. may not be considered a core fighting genre stalwart, but its rapid acceptance into a competitive scene like EVO says something about its staying power both as a brand and as a multiplayer experience. Allowing up to eight players to fight at once, including new options for amiibo figures that learn fighting styles all their own, and driving home Wii U console viability this year makes for one smash hit. While other games in the genre allowed for mind games and new forays into digital content, there's no denying Smash Bros. either as a console exclusive to Wii U or as a portable brawler to take with you on 3DS.
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rnNominees: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, EA Sports UFC, Ultra Street Fighter IV, Killer Instinct (Xbox One)
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rnRead our Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review here>> -
Best RPG
Winner: Dragon Age: Inquisition
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rnRole-playing game fans will never fail to tell you how important it is to understand both character motivation and situational factors pushing you towards an end goal. At least in titles from Bioware, this could not be more true. In fact, it was my biggest fear starting Dragon Age: Inquisition this Fall with no prior knowledge or experience from the franchise's previous outings. Setting the player at the cusp of a murder mystery with implications throughout the land meant even total newcomers like myself could find a lot to love. If you're new to the series, you can also bring choices into Inquisition with DragonAgeKeep.com, making this the best possible time to join up. To the war room!
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rnNominees: Dragon Age: Inquisition, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Divinity: Original Sin, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Bravely Default
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rnRead our Dragon Age: Inquisition review here>> -
Anthony\'s Editor\'s Choice
Winner: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
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rnCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker was born from an amusing side distraction found in our 2013 Game of the Year nominee and Best Wii U Exclusive winner, Super Mario 3D World. Even then, the clever manipulation of the camera to help Toad navigate an encapsulated 3D plane made for a fun and interesting experience. As a full game, Toad steps out of his kart as a mere tacked-on playable character and sees his first lead role since Wario’s Woods on the NES.
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rnThe end result is an often perplexing puzzler with a value price and substantial replay value if 100% completion is your goal. And even if it isn’t, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker brings Nintendo fans a unique experience that is adorable and entertaining until the last turnip is picked.
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rnRead our Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review here>> -
Best Publisher
Winner: Microsoft
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rnOne year ago, I wouldn’t even consider Microsoft for this award, but the Xbox One has narrowed the gap between the initial reaction to the console compared to the PlayStation 4. While the PlayStation 4 still has the indie crowd in its hands, Microsoft has focused on a smattering of solid first-party and third-party exclusives, including Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Fantasia: Music Evolved, Forza Horizon 2, and Killer Instinct Season 2. We can only hope that Microsoft continues its hot streak through next year with Halo 5: Guardians, Crackdown, and Scalebound.
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rnNominees: Microsoft, Warner Bros, Ubisoft, Nintendo, 2K Games -
Most Surprising Game
Winner: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor rn rnLord of the Ring-themed games seem obvious and without the need for original ideas. Monolith seemed to recognize this and turn the challenge and opportunity against each other like so many orcs named Maggot-Brains. While pulling from the likes of Assassin's Creed and Batman seem too easy to pass up, Middle-earth's Nemesis system gives players the control in Sauron's stead. Taking control of one camp and marching every ugly bastard into the next makes for one incredibly powerful adventure and one that took us by surprise despite this show of force. rn rnNominees: Crypt of the Necrodancer, Hand of Fate, Entwined, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Valiant Hearts: The Great War rn rnRead our Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor review here>> -
Biggest Disappointment
Winner: Titanfall
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rnIt's not that Microsoft and Respawn Entertainment failed to deliver an entertaining shooter that combines verticality with two forms of attacking the battlefield. Instead, Titanfall walks or possibly jetpacks away from this award's ceremony with biggest disappointment due to the fact that an entertaining set up was trampled on by big robot feet just to ensure another multiplayer shooter made it to market. Uncontextualized violence remains the video game industry's biggest negative force and Titanfall's campaign epitomizes that, particularly as story beats are shouted over by opponent's more intent on cementing the word "fag" in the gamer lexicon.
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rnNominees: Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers, Sacred 3, Titanfall, DriveClub, LittleBigPlanet 3
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rnRead our Titanfall review here>> -
Game of the Year
Winner: Dragon Age: Inquisition rn rnEven after exploring Dragon Age: Inquisition for over 125 hours, not counting all the reloads, and completing every side quest in its numerous expansive environments, I have already returned to Ferelden and Orlais for another playthrough. Simply put, this third main installment in the Dragon Age franchise is a wonder to behold, not just for the freedom of its story and complexity of its characters, but for how it deftly slips your decisions from the first two Dragon Age titles into the game. rn rnAt the same time, the Dragon Age Keep ensures that you have a primer and the ability to import whatever world state you wish into the game. With character-driven quests, strategic combat that can become turn-based or real-time, a world based on choices and political intrigue, gorgeous settings, endless banter, and a solid multiplayer mode, Dragon Age: Inquisition is more than deserving of our Game of the Year, setting the new standard for the RPG genre and for a sequel done right. rn rnNominees: Dragon Age: Inquisition, South Park: Stick of Truth, Sunset Overdrive, Mario Kart 8, Transistor Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare rn rnRead our Dragon Age: Inquisition review here>>
