Raptor Picks 2014 - Pick of the Year

Published: January 19, 2015 1:00 PM /

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Raptor Picks 2014

Its been a busy week here at TechRaptor getting all this done up but the end is finally here. Over the past week we have celebrated the games from all consoles, genres, and areas of 2014 looking back at the year. Today is our top pick of the year on the whole - what games regardless of genre, visuals, sound, managed to combine it all to be the best game to play in our opinion.

This was the most nominated category in the nominations round with over 20 titles getting nominated. Everyone had their favorites and the ones they wanted to see make it through, but surprisingly in the end there wasn't much confusion among the TechRaptor staff once we got through the cut off, which was the preferred game. While Shovel Knight was the most represented name on these lists, it didn't manage to walk away with the grand prize today. That title instead went to a game that managed to rack up plenty of controversy in it's own right.

There were a lot of good games this past year, almost regardless of what genre you wanted to play. It was a year that was great for games in many ways, though there were more then a few slip ups along the way. With that though, these are TechRaptors Top Game Picks of 2014! -- Don Parsons

Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight As someone who believes that the Sega Genesis is the console of the year all years I can't pretend I wasn't excited by the idea of a new 2D side-scroller, and one that could do what the Genesis could not: save. Its pixel art is stunning, the concept inventive, blowing open the notion that a hero has to carry a sword upon his steed and instead simply whacks all others with his shovel.

While Shovel Knight only brings in some new gameplay mechanics, it's the nostalgic gameplay which got everyone wet around the knickers. A game that entertained, was complex, challenging, and more than anything simply works. When you die you are disciplined, bosses take careful consideration of their patterns, and certain jumps are frustratingly difficult to master. It's the good kind of challenge gamers have been waiting for, and all from an indie title.  -- Georgina Young

Wolfenstein: The New Order

wolfenstein

In an age of military shooters and multiplayer FPS experiences, Wolfenstein: The New Order stood out as a shining example of what a polished shooter experience can bring to the modern day game. A game that allowed the player to play in a variety of ways, mixing in stealth elements while keeping the idea of running and gunning still alive. The retooling of regenerating health to make finding health packs relevant again was a wonderful touch, and the story and characters were far beyond the generic stories we see of FPSs now a days, while staying true to the whole “Nazis are bad” narriative. And with great level design and an emphasis on fun, Wolfenstein: The New Order shows that following industry trends isn't required. -- Shaun Joy

Super Smash Bros for the Wii U

Super Smash Bros mario Fox Pikachu People might have been disappointed by the fact that there were only 10 unlockable characters, but even the most die-hard fan can't complain about the huge selection of playable fighters Nintendo are offering, including hugely popular new characters such as the villager from Animal Crossing, Palutena from Kid Icarus, and of course Duck Hunt Dog. Nintendo have done it again with their 4th sequel to the Super Smash Brothers series, and while it doesn't bring in any particularly new or exciting game mechanics in terms of the regular smash battles, the wide range of new characters, levels, and single player and party modes can keep gamers discovering new collectibles for hours. Coupled together with the new range of collectible amiibo figures, the addictive nature of this title is like gamer crack. -- Georgina Young

Transistor

transistor

Transistor is probably one of the most polished games anyone will run across. The visuals are not only some of the best of 2014, but some of the best to ever be put into a game. The music could standalone, though works incredibly well within the game, as something most people would enjoy.

With poor visuals, awful music, and a terrible story, most people would still see Transistor as pretty great just judging by the gameplay. What makes it so great is the ease in which it can go from simple to complex – it is only left up to player preference. The sheer amount of choice in gameplay style would leave most satisfied.

With only a few minor flaws, most should not be surprised to see Transistor near the top of many Game of The Year lists, and even winning a few, as it was one of 2014’s best showings by far. -- Andrew Otton

Runner Up: Divinity: Original Sin

Divinity: Original Sin

I had never heard of the Divinity series until I picked up Original Sin, I must admit. Sure, I saw Dragon Commander on steam sales, but for the most part I was clueless. So when I picked up Original Sin, I had no idea what to expect.

A week later, I had 30 hours in the game.

That’s just the type of game Divinity is. An addicting timesink. If either of those words are a turn off for you, then Divninity probably isn’t your thing. See, once I made it those thirty hours in and bested what I thought was the main antagonist, it turns out I was only a third of the way through. I never did finish Divinity, around the fourty hour mark I realized I probably couldn’t make it any further with other games to play, but Divinity still stood out to me as one of the greatest games to release all year, and easily my Game of the Year. -- Perry Ruhland

Top Pick of 2014 goes to... Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta-2 Bayonetta 2 achieved such amazing success this year in gaming because it appealed to all people, and yet, while pleasing every kind of fan boy, mastered exactly what makes a game great. The story is engaging so you keep playing just to find out more, yet complex enough that you need several playthroughs to understand what was really going on. Platinum kept the cast down to a few stand outs, rather than multiple forgettable ones shoehorned in to cover all demographics, and the gameplay mechanics build and improve upon those of the original. It also looks beautiful. Bayonetta is strong , sexy, and yet soft and maternal, a fully rounded female character and one women I aspire to be like, aside from being a kick-ass witch. Multiplayer certainly could have done with some improvement but the 60 hours I spent playing will tell you how flawless the main storyline is. Nintendo pulled off a coup bringing Bayonetta back from the dead, and in my mind makes the Wii U a real contender. -- Georgina Young


And that caps off our look back at 2014 with some of the best games there were of the year. We hope that you enjoyed this look back, and if you have any thoughts on the process or such please let us know. I'd like to thank all the TechRaptor writers who took part, as the different voices talking on games are part of what I think made this a different experience. We look forward to 2015 now and all the games it has to promise us!

So did you think we missed something massive on this Pick of the Year? Agree with it? Have a general thought? Tell us in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Don Parsons
| Senior Writer

A longtime lover of speculative fiction, in almost all its forms, Don joined TechRaptor in 2014 on a whim sending in an application as he was looking for… More about Don