Best of 2014 Game Awards - Game of the Year 2014

Here we are — finally. After all the category awards have been handed out, the time has finally come to name which game impressed us the most this year. Yep, listed below are our picks for Game of the Year, and of course, the winner.

Before you read on, you might want to check out our week-long Best of 2014 Game Awards coverage linked below.

Best of 2014 Game Awards – Best Action, PSN, Soundtrack and JP Release
Best of 2014 Game Awards – Best Remaster, Horror, DLC, Sports, Fighting, Casual Games & Visuals
Best of 2014 Game Awards – Adventure, RPG, Shooter, Vita Game, Online Experience, Biggest Disappointment and Industry Person of the Year

Done with all that? Good. In the gallery below, PlayStation LifeStyle’s staff lists the best games we’ve played this year — regardless of genre. So, which game knocked our socks off? Find out for yourself.

Surprised? We’re not. In our review of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, not only did we give it a 9 and an Editor’s Choice award, we called it a robust game, and highlighted its Nemesis system and how it drastically changed the usual third-person action-adventure game.

In addition to that, here’s what the staff members who’ve played Shadow of Mordor think of Monolith’s opus and why it deserves to win game of the year:

Alex Co:

While Shadow of Mordor heavily borrows from games like Rocksteady’s Arkham franchise, Assassin’s Creed and more, that doesn’t mean it’s a shadow of those games. On the contrary, it even manages to trump these games at their own game.

Possibly most telling that Shadow of Mordor is a damn fine game is how I even managed to finish it. I rarely am able to finish games these days; but Mordor? Yep, I did. I even managed to collect all the upgrades for each weapon, too! Once I started, I just couldn’t stop — it’s just that good.

Chandler Wood:

Shadow of Mordor took a conventional and familiar formula and turned it on its head by adding the Nemesis System where the effects of every death are felt and enemies are unique, requiring a tactical approach to take on throughout the game. It also gave us an unfamiliar story within the recognizable world of Middle-earth. While gameplay may seem to mimic titles like Assassin’s Creed and the Arkham series on the surface, just a little bit of time with Talion is enough to show that Shadow of Mordor carves its own path in the open-world action adventure genre of games that is quite unlike anything that has come before.

Dan Oravasaari:

I think that the reason Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor rises above the other amazing games launched this year, is that it was able to compound a number existing game mechanics, while at the same time creating completely unique style of its own. Not since the Batman Arkham series have we seen a game be able to rise beyond its namesake, and plenty of games have tried in the past. Given the power behind the Tolkien franchise, a great deal of credit needs to go out to Monolith Productions and Warner Bros Interactive for having the ability and faith to push so far outside of the safety of a licensed IP.

Mack Ashworth:

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor nails it from the the get-go. Using Tolkien’s work as a license to thrill, developer Monolith provides players with the opportunity to explore a familiar setting populated with enemies that are fun to engage with, both through direct combat, and also via the stellar “Nemesis system”. However, walking into Mordor is no simple feat, and the game’s challenge enhances the feeling of satisfaction when a long combo, or a particularly brutal kill, is achieved. Prioritizing fun for the player above everything else, Shadow of Mordor delivers an epic adventure that is always a joy to experience.

Dyani Wood:

From very first starting up the game, I was amazed by the attention to detail that goes hand-in-hand with the revolutionary Nemesis System. Each warchief, captain, and grunt is uniquely designed in looks and personality. They remember you when you come back after a failure and all have something nasty to say. Their grotesque faces are fantastically animated I feel like I now know what an Urok’s face would look like when they articulate and gesticulate, grime, spittle, and all. The way gamers are used to gaming is fundamentally challenged by the Nemesis system that severely penalizes you for failure in sweeping and unpredictable ways. Tolkein’s Middle-earth is richly portrayed and completely immersive, interactive, and unforgettable in Shadow Of Mordor.

In case you’re wondering, second place went to Dragon Age: Inquisition and it was not an easy choice to make. Both games in fact tied for first place at some point before Shadow of Mordor was declared the winner.

Have you played Shadow of Mordor? If not, well, you should. Do you agree with our Game of the Year for 2014? Sound off and let us know what you think and what your game of the year is and why.

Game of the Year

Dragon Age: Inquisition

"When I received Dragon Age: Inquisition a couple of weeks ago, I was incredibly excited to get started on it. I had read all the news about it, and knew that it would have open areas, tactical combat, and exciting character development. I thought I knew what to expect based on everything I had read; and because I had played the first two Dragon Age games. What I was not expecting, but what I found, was the best console RPG I have ever played."
(Read the full review here)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

"Video games based off of existing IPs have had a poor history of relying more on their lineage than actually delivering on a quality product. Thankfully, over the last few years we have been seeing more and more titles come out and show that games tied to other products have the unique ability to dive deeper into worlds that we already know and love. Warner Bros Interactive and Monolith Productions’ Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a great example of a title that is able to exist in world established in other forms of media, but also deliver in creating a name for itself despite the power of its namesake."
(Read the full review here)
Destiny

"A lot of the fun that I had — and am still having — with Destiny is in challenging myself. Playing it safe is what feels repetitious, but when I take on the challenges in the game such as high level strikes and heroic missions, I always feel a sense of accomplishment and fun. This is amplified, as I mentioned before, when playing with friends. Destiny’s truly great moments are created by the player, rather than scripted by Bungie. They simply provide the canvas. One such moment had my swarmed on all sides by Vex. I let off a boosted double jump, switching to my rocket launcher on my way up and sending a shell to the crowd right beneath me, killing them all and barely saving my life. Other insane moments come when playing high level strikes with my fireteam, and having to coordinate our every action with constant communication."
(Read the full review here)
Far Cry 4

"Far Cry 4 is a game that will have players losing hours of their lives as they get lost in Kyrat, either by themselves or with a friend."
(Read the full review here)
And the Winner is...
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor