Now that you’ve had a chance to read through the list of those that didn’t quite make it, it’s time to run down from numbers 10 to 6 of the NGB crew’s favourite games of 2014.
10: Dragon Age Inquisition
Nick’s thoughts: Bioware has always been great at plotting out a world and allowing you to get invested in its characters; Dragon Age: Inquisition is a prime example. Whilst it does have some problems, the world is so vast and so littered with fine details and hidden gems that even after a hundred plus hours in game I’m still discovering new areas, chasing collectibles and pursuing its epic narrative. Ever had those moments when you disappointingly think you’re approaching the end of a great game, only for three new areas and thirty more objectives appear? That’s what Inquisition does, and it’s brilliant.
9: Dark Souls 2
Aaron’s thoughts: Some may argue that this niche franchise lost some of its magic on route to becoming a little more mainstream, but there is no arguing that Dark Souls 2 is still an epic romp through a fantasy world that isn’t afraid to kill you a few hundred times.
8: Alien Isolation
Asim’s thoughts: It’s taken a while, but Creative Assembly finally produced the Alien game fans were waiting for. Not only that, the strategy game specialist delivered a title that can be regarded as one of the best in its genre, embarrassing experienced survival horror developers in the process. Major emphasis on the survival part. It makes great use of the movie license too. Creepy and oozing atmosphere, Alien: Isolation is easily one of the best games released this year. Oh and those set pieces… My god.
7: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Aryel’s thoughts: World of Warcraft is ten years old, Blizzard’s MMO has dominated the interwebs for an entire decade now and with its new release; Warlords of Draenor the game is stronger than ever. Whilst the last couple of expansions have been lacklustre, WoD has reinvigorated the series with a storyline and characters that players actually care about. I hardly noticed the XP bar whilst levelling, the only thing on my mind was getting to the next cut scene to see the Draenor epicness unfold.
6: Destiny
Deborah’s thoughts: Destiny was my first real experience at a first person shooter as I had always steered away due to not being very good at them. Despite this it was easy to pick up and I actually did pretty well. What brought this game to my attention was the story, gameplay and its stunning visuals. Unfortunately Destiny was a little overhyped, with the story being relatively short and repetitive with farming missions. For me however this has not dulled my experience. Sure the story may not be as deep as expected, and yes the DLC is expensive however the gameplay was and still is captivating and I find it hard to put down to this day. The ability to play with a group of friends and complete the story together, as well as completing challenging raids made for a much richer and fun experience. There is barely anyone I know who does not own this game and my social media feeds were filled with screenshots and plans to play together online, which for me made this game a great success. Destiny demonstrates how games can bring people together and join as one big community, sharing our fun experiences, struggles and helping each other out (or taking each other out in the crucible).
That does it for us with the first half of our top ten, come back on Tuesday when we’ll have the final rundown of our top five games, and see which title takes home the prestigious honour of being named NGB’s Game of the Year 2014!
