Best of 2014
[Image credit: Mike Lambert]
You can have the greatest narrative in the world and sprinkle memorable characters and scenes throughout a game, but all of it’s for naught if your mechanics can’t shine through. As the great Irving Mills once wrote, “it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”
These nominees spotlight the best of games that transcend the simple title of “functional” and instead go for the gold when it comes to making things feel absolutely solid. Pulling off combos is akin to wrapping yourself up in a silk robe. You never have to fight these games in order to complete objectives. They’re all titles you’d be playing over and over even if the other aspects were lacking. They simply feel right. We all know I’m talking about Bayonetta 2, but here’s a list of other games, I guess.
Best Mechanics of 2014
- Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Titanfall
- Sunset Overdrive
- Dark Souls 2
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch
- Shovel Knight
- Bayonetta 2
- OlliOlli
- Woah Dave!
- Geometry Wars 3
- Super Time Force
[NOTE: Re-releases of games that contain minimal new content, incomplete products like Steam Early Access titles, and episodic titles that are not fair to assess as stand alone experiences were not eligible for this year’s awards. Due to time constraints, games released in December 2014 were also not eligible.]
