Best Albums / Games of 2014
2014 was amazing for just about every medium. I feel like I’ve been consuming nothing but amazing music, film, comics, and especially video games this year. I’m always behind on film these days, which is odd because I have a degree in film, but I feel like I’ve been able to keep up with just about everything I’ve wanted to see/read/listen to this year.
The following lists are subjective, so these are the things I enjoyed most this year. Your list should be totally different, unless you are my doppelganger, in which any differences will call your doppelganger-ness into question. I haven’t listened to everything or read everything or watched everything, as I’m human and not omniscient, so there’s loads of stuff I’ve missed or just not properly digested yet, so forgive me.
ALBUMS
10. Vacationer: Relief
9. Sylvan Esso: Sylvan Esso
8. Lowell: We Loved Her Dearly
7. Saintseneca – Dark Arc
6. Andrew Bird: Things Are Really Great Here, Sort of…
5. Future Islands: Singles
4. Spoon: They Want My Soul
3. Moonface: City Wrecker
As long as Spencer Krug keeps putting out albums, they’ll probably keep making my top album lists of the year. Krug’s powerful chords ground emotional lyrics, “It’s 2000 and whatever and I’m still a city wrecker” he reflects.
2. Perfume Genius: Too Bright
Everything I could hope to say about this record is articulated when a bark comes out of nowhere on “Queen” and the song goes spiraling out control as the saxophones echo in the background. “Fool” dances and snaps, “I tither and coo like a cartoon, I congratulate you when I leave the room.” This album is comprised of delicate chords set to almost achingly soft vocals.
1. Run the Jewels 2: Run the Jewels 2
“I deal in dirty work, do the deed in a dash, ditch ‘em” El-P hammers out over a pulsing almost Ennio Moricone style western guitar rhythm. El-P and Killer Mike go together like peanut butter and chocolate, tagging in and out of some of the most sophisticated yet simple backing tracks I’ve heard in awhile. I’ve spent the last two months with just about nothing but RtJ2 and RtJ1 on repeat, and I have no regrets. Each song slides into the next seamlessly as the album veers, and weaves from track to track, and guests like Zach De La Rocha plug into El-Ps beats effortlessly.
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Jackson Jihad – Christmas Island, TV On the Radio: Seeds, Karen O: Crush Songs, Spider Bags: Frozen Letter, Hundred Waters: The Moon Rang Like a Bell, FKA twigs: LP1, Flying Lotus: You’re Dead!, Conor Oberst – Upside Down Mountain, Jack White – Lazaretto, Stromae- Racine Carree
GAMES
10. Wolf Among Us
Telltale games has their formula down. Tight engaging storytelling and branching narratives keep their recent output every bit as compelling as the source matter they are based on, if not more. Helping Bigby Wolf and Snow White solve a grisly murder of one of Fabletown’s own is a blast, as there are no shortage of colorful characters to interact with and question. WAU is every bit as solid as the Walking Dead series, and I look forward to their next release.
9. Threes/2048 (Tie)
I lost one day to Threes, and another to 2048. 2048 is derivative of the superior Threes, but 2048 is just a bit simpler making its tweaks a welcome addition to Threes’ formula.
8. Dragon Age Inquisition
Admittedly I haven’t beat DA:I yet, but I’m a good 75% through the main story and I’m hooked. Exploring the world of Thedas is a lot of fun, and the memorable characters further flesh out the world. Each nook and cranny is packed with lore and gear, and you’re rewarded for each and every action you do. I’m looking forward to many more hours with this game.
7. Titanfall
Titanfall’s infectious mix of on foot and in mech combat made fighting from both perspectives thrilling. I wish there was a single player campaign, but all of the time the development team spent tightening the core gameplay was evident in one of the most unique and thrilling first person shooters this year.
6. P.T.
There’s no game I wanted to drag my friends into my room and make them play more than P.T., Konami’s little side experiment that plays with player agency and minimalist game mechanics. It’s almost Lynchian in execution, and this deeply haunting experience lingered in my brain for days.
5. Super Smash Bros. (WiiU/3DS)
Both versions of SSB this year were amazing, with the Wii U version really shining. There’s so many modes and characters that you could probably chip away at it for months and still not uncover everything. The gameplay feels balanced which is incredible given a 55 character roster. It might not be tournament level balanced, but for a semi-serious player I don’t feel married to any one or two characters. The entire roster is enjoyable, and like MK8 the sound and menu design really make the game click.
4. Shadows of Mordor
Wow. Where the hell did this game come from? I’m not the hugest LotR fan, but the nemesis system and tight Arkham Asylum style rhythmic combat made getting defeated and seeking revenge a winning a unique player led story every time it happens. The Orcs take center stage, and learning about their culture and ranking system led to an engaging experience. I had more fun learning about the Orcs than I did about the protagonist! Definitely worth playing.
3. Bravely Default
Since FF13, I’ve just assumed Square Enix was dead. Each game I’ve picked up by them has furthered this belief (Eidos games excluded), so I approached Bravely Default with trepidation. I was wrong. All of the charm, design and complexity from the best Final Fantasy games is present in BD. Mixing and matching skills from the abundance of player classes was a blast, and minus a grindy final chapter the story is compelling and engaging.
2. Destiny
Seriously. Seriously? This game is simultaneously the best and worst game I played this year. The story is relegated to brief intros and outros plagued with technobabble, the missions consist of little more than flip switch-kill enemies, the reward system is terrible, and the game quickly devolves into grinding and farming for materials. But despite a game almost built to be antagonistic to its players, there’s a beating heart that gave me some of my most memorable gaming experiences this year. Assembling and coordinating six players for the games raids kept me playing for months after I swore I’d never fire the game up again. The gameplay is psychotically tight, with the physics engine shining at every turn. Juggling grenades, supers, primary, secondary, and heavy weapons added just enough elements to its Halo-y core to make the game feel fresh and replayable, which is good because you are forced to retread every inch of the world ad naseum, and somehow, despite itself, it still beckons you to come back and keep playing.
1. Mario Kart 8
I didn’t think I could love Mario Kart again after Mario Kart Wii removed Double Dash’s second rider mechanic. I picked up MK8 without having any idea of what I was getting into, and I was hooked. The courses are brilliantly designed and every aspect of the game from sound design to the game’s interface was built with Apple product level precision. Nothing feels better than drafting behind the second place player and overtaking them at the last moment, or punishing a friend with a barrage of red shells. The game is airtight and addicting, and mastering drifting is truly an art.
Monument Valley, Child of Light, South Park: Stick of Truth , Pokemon Omega Ruby, Alien: Isolation, Watch Dogs, Infamous: Second Son, Outlast, The Evil Within, MGSV: Ground Zeroes, CoD: Advanced Warfare, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls,
Honorable Mentions:
Games I Wish I Played: Bayonetta 2, Far Cry 4, Transistor, Sunset Overdrive, Little Big Planet 3, AC: Unity, Dark Souls 2
2013 Games I Enjoyed: Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Dead Rising 3, Diablo 3