Games of 2014 - ranked by preference

Release Date: July 29, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Adventure

The Last of Us on Playstation 3 was one of the best games in 2013. The Last of Us - Remastered is updated graphically and includes all of the DLC from the PS3 original. It's just as good as you remember it being...it's just a little prettier now and it has new content for you if you're like me and never really buy any DLC. It's definitely worth a purchase if you haven't played it before. It may be a re-release, but it's still one of the best games available for the PS4.

Release Date: August 12, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: 7780s Studio
Developer: 7780s Studio
Genre: Adventure - Horror

P.T. stands for "Promotional Teaser" or "Playable Teaser" (I've seen it listed as both, so I'll name both) and is called a demo...But in my opinion, it's not. Demos generally are a demonstration of a game with no end or goal, where as P.T. is a complete, albeit short, game and serves as a very good promotional tool to get folks ready for the new Silent Hill game with Hideo Kojima at the helm. It's been a long time since a game created this kind of creepy atmosphere in my opinion. If Silent Hills is only a fraction of what this amazing free game is in terms of scares and atmosphere, then I think the Silent Hill franchise will finally regain much of its lost popularity.

Release Date: January 28, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Nixxes Software
Genre: Adventure

Square Enix successfully resurrected the Tomb Raider franchise with a game simply called "Tomb Raider." That game became the best game in the franchise with a great overall experience. Fast forward a year and it has been re-released as the "Definitive Edition" with updated graphics and a few other bells and whistles...And it's still just as fun as it was a year prior. If you haven't played the original, the next-gen Definitive Edition is definitely a must-buy.

Release Date: February 7, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
Developer: Necrophone
Genre: Adventure

I want to have surgery done so that I'm able to have this game's babies. Jazzpunk is a short li'l adventure game loaded with humor, and plenty of the immature kind, too...You sit on a whoopie cushion in the first few minutes of the game. If you just play straight through, you can probably beat it in an hour or so, but there's plenty to discover by just walking around and interacting with things and people that have nothing to do with the story. I beat the game multiple times just to ensure that I saw everything that this game has to offer...And then again just because I like it enough to do so. This game is fantastic.

Release Date: November 4, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Nicalis
Developer: Nicalis
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

The original Binding of Isaac was a great game...Rebirth, at first glance, appears to just be more of the same. In a way, that's exactly what it is. It's more of the same - plus more. More enemy variety, more level variety, more power-up variety, more playable character variety. It's the Binding of Isaac plus more goodness tossed in. It may not quite have the impact of the original, but it's definitely just as enjoyable.

Release Date: August 19, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Developer: Dennaton
Genre: Action

I liked Hotline Miami a lot on PC, and the Playstation Network version is just as good. I seemed to get stuck on a level less often and die a lot less in the Playstation Network version of the game, but at the same time, I seem to not get as good of grades in the levels, either. So, take that for what it's worth, I suppose. But anyway, if you haven't had a chance to play the PC version and have a PS4, PS3, or a Vita (or all three - if you buy this game for one, you get the version for them all for free) then give it a try. You'll probably be glad that you did.

Release Date: September 2, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Mojang AB
Developer: 4J Studios
Genre: Adventure

I'm VERY late to the Minecraft party. I first heard about it about 6 years ago on a podcast, and it sounded really interesting to me...But I never bothered to sit down and give this little-known game a try. Fast forward and now the world is obsessed with this game and while I've known about it for a long time, I am just now finally playing it for the first time. It's good. This being a console version, I'm assuming that the PC version is better, since that's what it was originally designed for, but this console edition is still quite good in its own right. Whether you like building things or just exploring the world around you, Minecraft has plenty to to love.

Release Date: March 18, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Productions
Genre: Action

A glorified demo? I don't think so. Sure, the main mission does not take long to complete...But there's plenty of other side-quests to do that increase the playtime drastically. Personally, I think it was neat for Konami to release a small game, at a discounted price, to let fans see what the upcoming game in the series is going to be like, introduce them to some of the characters, etc. It's a solid purchase that will provide you with a few good hours of entertainment while it lasts.

Release Date: March 11, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Matt Makes Games, Inc.
Developer: Matt Thorson
Genre: Action

I first played Towerfall Ascension at the Midwest Gaming Classic, getting roped into a multi-player tournament with absolutely no experience in the game. I lost in the first round (though I did begin to make a bit of a comeback once I got used to everything) but I still found it fun. Once I got the game for myself, I found the single player mode fun and all, but this game shines in the multi-player with all of the trash talk between friends. If you've got a group of friends to play with, this game is a blast. If you plan on playing it solo, it's still good, but you may not be quite as smitten.

Release Date: May 6, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCEA San Diego Studios
Genre: Sports - Baseball

The Show has consistently been one of the best sports games released each year. MLB 14 is no different. Unfortunately, these games haven't really improved on themselves much over the past few years. The end result is that MLB 14 is still a great game, but if you still have your PS3 and one of the past few MLB: The Show games, then you don't really have a reason to want to go out and get this game unless you're a baseball nut that absolutely must have updated rosters when you play. MLB 14 is a good game - it's just lacking in anything really innovative.

Release Date: March 6, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Simogo
Developer: Simogo
Genre: Adventure

Year Walk looked stylistic and interesting, so I gave it a shot. I guess this is the PC version of a game that was previously on iDevices and Android. If that's the case, I'll likely be getting the portable versions - I'm a fan. It's not long at all. It took me about an hour and a half to beat and depending on your puzzle solving skills it may take a little shorter or a little longer. But it's definitely worth playing through, especially if you're into adventure games with mild horror elements blended in.

Release Date: February 4, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Red Barrels
Developer: Red Barrels
Genre: Adventure - Horror

Outlast is essentially a game of cat and mouse in a horror setting...Except unlike in Tom and Jerry, the mouse can't fight back. As you wander around the asylum, sometimes in complete darkness, you'll occasionally get attacked, in which you'll then have to run away and hide until they go away. You also have a trusty camcorder with you with night vision, but limited batteries to use, so it's necessary to wander around in the darkness at times in order to save battery life. It's well done in an atmospheric sense, but a few tweaks to the gameplay mechanics would have made this game quite a bit better as a whole. It's worth playing through for horror fans, but if you feel the need to shoot everything in sight in your video games, you may not appreciate what this game has to offer.

Release Date: October 7, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Midnight City
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Genre: RPG

I was a huge fan of the original Costume Quest and have been hoping for a sequel ever since playing the first game. Now that a sequel was made, I can say that while I like Costume Quest 2, the original just had more charm to it...And more difficulty. You don't heal after battles in Costume Quest 2 - you have to do minor backtracking to a healing fountain...And yet, this game is much, much easier than the original...but, it's not a bad game by any means...it's just not quite as good as the original was. If you were a fan of the original, you'll probably still enjoy this like I did...If you didn't like the original, you probably won't be a big fan of the second game in the series, either.

Release Date: February 18, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Double Helix Games
Genre: Action

Strider looks great, it plays okay, and overall, it's a solid game...But it falls short of the original game that this is a re-imagining of. It is neat that the original game has been re-imagined as a Metroidvania-style game, but the lack of challenge and how most of the game's enemies can be beaten by simply mashing the attack button until they die hurts what is otherwise a fine game. Strider is still decent and worth checking out, but the arcade original is still the version that I'd recommend checking out.

Release Date: April 15, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: RedLynx
Genre: Racing

Trials Fusion may remind one of Excitebike. Basically, you race the clock to the end of a course, trying to prevent from crashing along the way. You've also got the option of creating your own tracks, which again, may remind one of Excitebike. While Trials Fusion's tracks are definitely more interesting than those found in the 8-bit classic, I feel like it lacks the overall quality of Nintendo's beloved dirt bike game. But still, if you enjoyed Excitebike in the past, you'll probably find a few things to enjoy about Trials Fusion.

Release Date: June 6, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Yazar Media Group LLC
Developer: Michael Todd Games
Genre: Platformer

I liked the original Electronic Super Joy, and I liked Groove City just as much. Though, this game seems to be on the short side compared to the original - I beat it in a little over half an hour. Not only did I beat it, but I also got all achievements as I made my way through the game in that time as well. But anyway, it's a decent, short platformer that many will find difficult, but as I've said in the past - unlimited lives transform stuff that seems impossible to stuff that you'll eventually get past through repetition and adapting to whatever situation is in front of you. Anyway, if you liked the original Electronic Super Joy, you'll likely enjoy this one as well.

Release Date: February 7, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Fred Wood
Developer: Fred Wood
Genre: Platformer

Love is another one of those tough-as-nails platformers where you'll probably die a ton as you play, but for some reason you continue to play anyway because it's still fun. It has retro graphics 'cause that seems to be the "in" thing right now...and that's really all I have to say about it. I guess I can add that it took me about 18 minutes to beat (according to Steam's play time counter, anyway), so it's a great game to just pop in when you've got a few minutes to kill. It's not great, but it's still very good and usually has a low price tag making it a very worthwhile purchase.

Release Date: June 17, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Sports
Genre: Fighting - MMA

Electronic Arts finally got their hands on the UFC license...And it's not as bad as I was expecting. EA's last attempt at an MMA game wasn't exactly well done...This attempt, while flawed, is still playable. I'd recommend sticking with the THQ UFC games from years gone by for your MMA fighting needs, but if you absolutely must have a game with the most recent roster of UFC fighters, then EA Sports UFC may be worth picking up - it could have been much, much worse than it is.

Release Date: August 5, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Spry Fox
Developer: Spry Fox
Genre: Puzzle - Action

For lack of a better description, Road Not Taken reminds me a bit of the Adventures of Lolo on the NES - action-based puzzle gameplay. Basically, you want to push children to their mothers while also matching stuff like trees and the like to continue on. It's a solid game, but it does also get really repetitive as you advance on. If you enjoyed the action-based puzzle games from the 8-bit era of games, but want a fancier look to it all, then Road Not Taken is well worth giving a try.

Release Date: September 9, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Sports
Genre: Sports - Hockey

When you get to the next generation of consoles, what's the best course of action for a sports game franchise? Why deleting most of the content from the previous year and releasing a shell of a game in comparison, of course. NHL 15 removed most of its modes (including basic Season mode, which should be a staple in every sports game) as well as all of the leagues that aren't the NHL. Sure, the physics and overall gameplay has been tweaked. Sure, the game is rumored to be patched with various elements from last year's game that was taken out. Doesn't matter. Taking away aspects of the game that made the NHL franchise so good over the past few years does major damage. NHL 15 is still passable, and if those rumored patches add more modes, it might even be really good, but sans patches, NHL 15 is a major disappointment.

Release Date: February 4, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Deirdra Kiai Productions
Developer: Deirdra Kiai Productions
Genre: Adventure - Point-and-Click

Musicals annoy me. No idea why, but they do. Dominique Pamplemousse is basically a point-and-click musical...And you can't skip the singing. Musical irritations aside, this is about as basic as you can get with a point-and-click adventure. Sure, the stop-motion clay animation is a nice touch, and the musical aspect makes it unique...But neither one hides the fact this this is basic and incredibly easy...I don't think it will take most people much more than an hour to beat. I'm considering it passable 'cause I think kids may love it...but I don't think many adults will be back for more after the credits roll.

Release Date: April 8, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: TT Games
Genre: Action

I haven't played a Lego game yet where I thought, "This game is amazing." I thought that this one might do that for me. I never saw the film, but I enjoyed the book when I was a young'un and was hoping that this would help rekindle the enjoyment I had when I read the novel all those years ago. Unfortunately, it didn't. The Lego formula was kind of neat when the Lego Star Wars games first came out, but the novelty of playing a game in a Lego world is starting to wear a little thin by now. Lego The Hobbit is passable, but only just barely.