It’s been an interesting summer for video games in 2014; we saw two remastered titles hit the streets as well as a very terrifying demo that posed more questions than we could answer. We were hit with some shady journalistic conspiracies, shameless scandals and even the tragic murder of a fellow gamer. Still, the annual summer drought returned in exquisite fashion as we had to be creative with what to play and what to buy. Luckily, there were quite a few gems that we enjoyed very much and hopefully many of you had the pleasure to play some of these great titles. Voted in by the The Game Fanatics staff, these are the cream of the crop and the games we played the most this summer.
5. Titanfall (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC)
Release Date: March 11th, 2014
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Titanfall is a game that was met with unbridled hype when it was first announced at E3 2013, winning hundreds of awards and capturing the hearts and minds of many FPS-lovers who wanted something different. Whether or not the game warranted the hype, it was still a great game that continues to be a winner for Microsoft. It controls great and sounds great and sometimes it’s just hard to put the controller down. Read our review of Titanfall here.
4. Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360)
Release Date: August 19th, 2014
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Few games translate over to console and end up being this smooth and natural. Diablo 3 feels like a game that has always existed on console and it has us wishing for even more Diablo content. This special edition came with the Reaper of Souls expansion which added even more content. This game is brutal at times and it encourages apt cooperation and coordination. We’ve had many sleepless nights trying to uncover secrets and collecting loot but who can get tired of seeing numbers pop up and multiply over enemies’ heads? It’s a truly satisfying experience that warrants multiple playthroughs.
3. Infamous: Second Son (PS4)
Release Date: March 21st, 2014
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
The third full-fledged Infamous game debuted on next-generation hardware this year and it was one of the most fun experiences we had on the PS4. The story was pretty non-significant but it was really all about the awesome powers we had at our disposal. Traversing the streets of Seattle with Neon dash was a hypnotic rush that never got old. Infamous: Second Son boasts equally impressive graphics that really demonstrate the jump in graphical fidelity we should expect from next-generation hardware. Sucker Punch released a stand-alone DLC, Infamous: First Light, in which we took control of fan-favorite Fetch and her origin story. Check out our review of Infamous: First Light.
2. Dark Souls 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Release Date: March 21st, 2014
Developer: FromSoftware
The Souls phenomenon continued this year with the hotly-anticipated release of Dark Souls 2. Although arguably not as good as the previous Dark Souls, this sequel was a fine entry in the rapidly growing series. Dark Souls 2 had two new directors at the helm meanwhile original creator Hidetaka Miyazaki was off doing something else; a little game called Bloodborne.
Even with the new crew tackling the beloved series, Dark Souls 2 was beautiful and just as mercilessly difficult as the other games. FromSoftware delivered a true Dark Souls experience and a strong contender for Game of the Year. Three pieces of DLC were planned for Dark Souls 2 with the third and final one releasing very soon. Check out our review of Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Old Iron King DLC.
1. The Last of Us Remastered (PS4)
Release date: July 29th, 2014
Developer: Naughty Dog
What else is there to say about this game? It’s a triumph of video game design, storytelling and acting all wrapped up in a beautiful 1080p/60 frames per second package. It also comes with the delightfully dark but painfully short Single Player DLC, Left Behind. This is a true remastered in every sense of the word, without a doubt this is the only way to play The Last of Us. We won’t spoil anything here but you can check out our review for The Last of Us and decide for yourself if it’s worth a purchase. –Spoiler Alert- it’s totally worth a purchase.
The best of 2014 in gaming is yet to come as we’re just about to enter a wallet-draining black hole of new releases in the coming months. Prep your funds and get ready to take on the likes of Far Cry 4, Assassin’s Creed Unity and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Save some dough for 2015 though as many huge releases will hit in February. The biggest game of 2014 arrived in the form of Destiny on September 9th, check out our review of Bungie’s latest epic. Game on Fanatics!
