Soon we will start the new year, so, to sum up symbolically, we will look back a little and see what exactly we played 10 years ago, that is, in 2014, which was a transition period between the seventh and eighth console generations.
In a moment, 2024 will begin, and with it another important chapter will open for our sector: the future looks very interesting, and the productions planned for the next 12 months could leave us speechless even more than in 2023. Of course, we won’t we just live for new things and sometimes it’s worth looking back to remember the happy years our industry once had.
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Today we’ll go back to 2014, when Wii U spread its notoriously clipped wings, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 said goodbye to their players and their successors began to achieve their first real successes. It was a beautiful year for the industry, although perhaps not as great as 2013 or 2023, but still worth remembering, because it was then that many now iconic titles appeared on the market for literally every console in the world at that time – yes, even 3DS and PlayStation Vita. I left out remasters and upgrade packs like The Last of Us: Remastered or Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Collection in my list – I wanted to focus on the newer games that took over the market at the time.
1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U) – 92%
Let’s start with the most popular work of 2014, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, which showed Nintendo fans that their next-generation console can work real miracles, raising the quality of SSB to a whole new level. Lots of characters, Amiibo usage, epic combat and a really nice combat system with cross-play with Nintendo 3DS. It was a real revolution.
2.Bayonet 2 (Wii U) – 91%
Then we have another Wii U exclusive title, which I actually bought this console for. The second adventures of Bayonetta are a true masterpiece in terms of slasher and certainly one of the best titles of this genre. Everyone’s favorite witch was in great shape back then and it’s a good thing the Wii U was such a success. It’s a shame that Bayonetta 3 is just a shadow of the previous series.
3. Dark Souls II (PS3, X360, PC) – 91%
There are a lot of complaints about Dark Souls II. Since its preview, it was believed that From Software had made a mistake and some elements of the game, such as limiting enemy respawns, were rather mediocre ideas. Nonetheless, upon its debut on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, the Japanese title received numerous praises and even exceptional reviews, finishing with a higher average than the original. In my humble opinion it was a truly successful sequel.
4. 2X Speed (PS4, PS Vita) – 90%
The status of PlayStation Vita in 2014 is demonstrated by the fact that Velocity 2X is the best game released on this device. Not a first-party title, or even an AA game, but a classic, beautiful and really badass game full of great ideas. If you haven’t played Velocity 2X yet, you absolutely need to try it – it’s a brilliant code!
5. Shovel Knight (PC, 3DS, Wii U) – 90%
Another unexpected hit of 2014, this time exclusively for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles. A knight does not always have to be equipped with a sword or shield, and a simple shovel can be enough to fight evil. The work of Yacht Club Games gave birth to a new brand that is strong and well recognized to this day. A fantastic soundtrack, amazing level design, and lots of great Easter eggs for retro fans are why this game is worth giving a chance.
6. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS4, XOne, PS3, X360) – 89%
Winner of Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2014 and the latest installment in the Dragon Age series. After the very weak “2”, fans had slightly higher expectations for this BioWare production and I think it’s safe to say that they were not disappointed. We got a beautiful, huge world with a fantastic story that played on fans’ emotions in a nice way. Maybe not as good as Mass Effect 3, but still good. It’s just a shame that the side missions were so weak.
7. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) – 88%
This is how Nintendo launched the best karting game in history and one of the best-selling productions of all time. After the great success of Mario Kart 7 on Nintendo 3DS, we have an even better and really beautiful sequel that includes a lot of new content, ideas and courses. Subsequent DLC only assured fans that the Japanese could still do it, despite so many years.
8. The Last of Us: Left Behind (PS3, PS4) – 88%
The Last of Us proved to our entire industry that big budget AAA games can explore mature themes and can be presented in a truly passionate, intelligent and subtle way. The Left Behind expansion confirmed this belief again by showing Ellie’s sad past and her relationship with Riley, who, as we well know, unfortunately did not survive the bite of the infected.
9. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (PC, Mobile) – 88%
Blizzard’s first (almost) new franchise since Diablo has been received with great enthusiasm. Players were really eager to try the Blizzard card game and they definitely weren’t disappointed. We got a really solid digital CCG, which initially started to conquer the world of e-sports as well. Today, however, despite active support, Hearthstone is not as popular as it was the day it premiered, which is a shame.
10. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XOne) – 87%
Another DLC on our list and once again Blizzard. Diablo III has been accused of being too bright, having fairytale and rainbow colors, and generally being the worst entry in the series. Of course fans exaggerated, but it was thanks to the Reaper of Souls expansion that we could see that the already really good Diablo III could become even better. New act, balance changes and tons of content. It was worth the wait!
11. Divinity: Original Sin (PC) – 87%
Before preparing the brilliant Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian transformed the Divinity brand into a classic cRPG straight from the days of Baldur. Both Original Sin 1 and 2 are absolutely phenomenal RPGs with a fantastical world, compelling stories, charismatic characters and exciting combat.
12. World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor (PC) – 87%
And here we have Blizzard again. In 2014, Blizzard was, as they say, “on the wave” and was brought to the top thanks to admiration for its key projects. Warlords of Draenor was one of the best expansions of the iconic WoW, thanks to which the great MMORPG was revived a bit and showed that, even after the chaos that Cataclysm brought us, it is still worth returning to its production.
13. Titanfall (XOne, X360, PC) – 86%
Whatever the case may be, we can safely say that the first year of the Xbox One was much better than the corresponding period of the PlayStation 4. The team at Respawn Entertainment has provided Xbox owners with a fantastic multiplayer shooter that beats everything that the industry represented at that time. time – in my opinion, even Call of Duty. Thanks to the success of this article, Microsoft could be talking about a good start for FPS enthusiasts.
14. Forza Horizon 2 (XOne, X360) – 86%
The same goes for racing. Sony forever delayed Driveclub and ultimately disappointed the fans of Motorstorm’s authors. At the same time, Xbox released the second Forza Horizon, which can easily be called a perfect, if somewhat safe, sequel. We have a bigger map, more cars, more competitions, more excitement and more fun. That’s all and that’s it.
15. The Talos Principle (PC) – 85%
Logic productions were once a niche, but thanks to The Talos Principle we can talk about a small renaissance of the genre. This work was so unique, atmospheric and exciting that even 9 years after the premiere of the original, “2” caused great emotions among puzzle lovers. However, console players had to wait a while for this adventure.
16. The Legend of Grimrock II (PC) – 85%
Today, serious dungeon crawlers are pretty much dead and have become the domain of indie games or games focused on crap and cheap “erotica”. Legend of Grimrock II, however, was one of the last big-budget gusts of wind in this RPG industry, and hopefully not the last. If you like the classics and have never played them, be sure to catch up.
17. Bravely Default (3DS) – 85%
Anyone who owned a Nintendo 3DS had certainly had their eyes on this jRPG from Square Enix. The unique atmosphere of the production distinguished it from the slightly faded Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or even the revived Persona, and even pushed fans of the genre to buy a Nintendo portable console just to play this title. Anyway, it’s definitely worth buying the old gear and this adventure, especially if you liked “2”.
18. Chaos Reborn (PC) – 85%
Today, no one remembers the Chaos brand, although three decades ago it was a real delight for fans of turn-based fighting games. Chaos Reborn was a spiritual successor and a sort of continuation of the cult productions and did a great job in this niche genre. Unfortunately it didn’t help much, because as of today the game has less than 800 ratings on Steam, which shows that we definitely won’t see another Chaos.
19. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, X360) – 85%
South Park had to wait almost 18 years for its big game, but I think it’s safe to say it was worth it. Obsidian Entertainment, now owned by Microsoft, gave us something that made the dreams of fans of the series come true. A porous, vulgar, rude, brutal and extremely stupid game that you simply love. Not only was the art style of the series maintained, but its atmosphere, humor and combat system were a lot of fun.
20. Far Cry 4 (PC, PS4, PS3, XOne, X360) – 85%
Far Cry 4 had a rocky start because it had to deal with the huge legend created around the grandiose, but not exaggerated, Far Cry 3. Far Cry 4 offered a larger world, a much better cooperative mode, showed an antagonist again charismatic and also radically refreshed the atmosphere in which we had to fight combat operations.
2023-12-30 15:02:24
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