GWJ's Favorite Games from 2011-2014

Yikes, it might be time to take my gamer license away. I have only played and own ONE of the top 25 games. I hang my head in shame.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I do think I'll make an effort this year to play something from this list that's outside of my normal gaming habits (which, conveniently, is most of this list). Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 are the highest-rated games on this list that I haven't played that don't seem like my thing. (The Walking Dead is an adventure game, and I love those, and XCOM is a reskin away from being a Japanese SRPG.)

Start with ME1, or at least ME2. Don't start with ME3!

23/25 owned (no Diablo or TLoU)
5/23 beaten

Clearly this reflects my giant pile and lack of completionist instincts

kyrieee wrote:

Start with ME1, or at least ME2. Don't start with ME3!

I'd say definitely start with ME2 after playing the interactive backstory comic that lets you produce a save by making the key decisions in ME1.

Owned: 15
Finished: 8.5 (How do you really "finish" D3 or FTL? Maybe this should be "Saw the end of:")
Owned but unplayed: 2 (In my defense, I only just bought Tomb Raider over the holidays!)

Chumpy_McChump wrote:

(How do you really "finish" D3 or FTL? Maybe this should be "Saw the end of:")

Yeah, that's what I base my definition of "finish" on--getting to the end credits or accomplishing the main goal of the game (defeating Diablo or the Rebel Flagship).

Same. I go by "beaten" as it is defined in Backloggery. Ie, finish the main quest, beat the boss at least once, saw credits roll, whatever.

I own 15 of them, but have only played 4.

I've only played 4 of these (Portal 2, FTL, Mark of the Ninja, CK2). I've finished Portal 2 & MotN, never beaten FTL, and never lasted to the end of the game in CK2.

I also own a couple additional games on the list, but haven't played them (notably Skyrim). I'm getting a new computer soon to replace my 2005 model, so some of these will move to the top of my play list.

The Community Game of the Year vote for 2014 is done, which means it's time to update this list with data through 2014. GWJ's top 25 games for 2011-2014 are:

  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
  • Portal 2
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within
  • The Walking Dead, Season One/400 Days
  • Mass Effect 3/DLC
  • The Last of Us/Remastered/Left Behind
  • Bastion
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution/DLC
  • Saint's Row the Third
  • Dark Souls
  • Bioshock Infinite/Burial at Sea
  • Dishonored/Knife of Dunwall/Brigmore Witches
  • FTL
  • Diablo III/Reaper of Souls
  • Tomb Raider (2013)
  • Mark of the Ninja
  • The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
  • Borderlands 2
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition
  • Gone Home
  • Journey
  • Batman: Arkham City
  • Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
  • Dragon Age 2
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Yay Skyrim! That's my jam!

That is a bit of a shocker that Dragon Age Inquisition is so low, but then I remembered the 2014 games haven't been out long enough to accumulate the votes.

Yeah, DAI will be in the top 10 against next year, I bet. Especially if it gets some DLC that gets people talking again.

I really wish Portal 2 was lower on the list. I really didn't care for it.

We lost Battlefield and CK2, while Diablo 3 and The Last of Us saw big gains thanks to well-received expansions a year later. Dark Souls needs more votes in 2015 or it might slip out of the top ten!

garion333 wrote:

Yeah, DAI will be in the top 10 against next year, I bet. Especially if it gets some DLC that gets people talking again.

I really wish Portal 2 was lower on the list. I really didn't care for it.

Shadow of Mordor will probably see a boost as well. I'm hoping the sudden surge of WiiU owners at the end of last year will start to see at least one Nintendo game make it on that list next year, though.

I mean, if you filthy plebeians would just listen to me then The Wonderful 101 would have already booted Skyrim off there, but nooooooo. You all need your realism and M-ratings and open-worlds. Well I say harumph to you all!

Neat!! Was surprised to see Skyrim as #1, but pleased nonetheless. Those really are some quality games. And I've played most of them, which is pretty cool (I didn't expect that after 214's top ten).
Again, thanks for doing this for us, Clocky. *thank you hug*

The cool thing about this summary is that even though I'm usually a year or two behind I can still contribute to this list.

If only Portal 2 could conquer The Yawn Fest V: Skyrim.

If only all those games I don't like weren't on these lists!

I bid you HARRUMPH

Huh, not a single Nintendo game on that list despite a solid showing this year However, that is a very solid list of games!

It's a great list. I've played many of them, and enjoyed most. Skyrim was one of my most anticipated games of all time. Initially it blew my mind. Until the fetch quests and non-Demon's Souls combat saw it fall from those lofty heights, never to return. I pray for any form of improved gameplay in its follow up.

Played most of the games on the list. The highest ranked game I haven't played is The Walking Dead Season 1 which ironically is sitting in my Steam library almost half as long as Alan Wake (which I've had for what seems like 3 years).

I thought Skyrim had one of the best worlds to explore but the repetitive non demon's souls combat really put a damper on the game as well as the fetch quests galore & ropey engine.

Portal 2 was sheer genius, brain wrecking puzzles, world class game design plus Wheatley & Glados!

shoptroll wrote:

Huh, not a single Nintendo game on that list despite a solid showing this year

Good point. Sometimes I get clouded with what I don't like and forget the positive things like this.

Just looking at this now for the first time, bit miffed that there is no Fire Emblem: Awakening at all on any of the lists! That's probably been my favourite game in the past 5 years!

Would be interesting to see what people's votes would be like anyway if they were asked again to pick their top 25 games from the past half decade.

Spikeout wrote:

Played most of the games on the list. The highest ranked game I haven't played is The Walking Dead Season 1 which ironically is sitting in my Steam library almost half as long as Alan Wake (which I've had for what seems like 3 years)

Ha! That's nothing!! Bioshock has been on my Pile since Nov 1st, 2011, that's 1163 days!!

The fact that Deadly Premonition is not on this list is the real shock - none of you have taste clearly

ClockworkHouse wrote:
  • Portal 2

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/7gdFolM.jpg?1)

You guys really need to hop on The Talos Principle train.

Aaron D. wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
  • Portal 2

You guys really need to hop on The Talos Principle train.

Wishlisted!

Aaron D. wrote:

You guys really need to hop on The Talos Principle train.

That game does look really interesting, but somehow it doesn't look like there's enough game in their game for the price they're charging.

Yeah, I think the genre it's locked into lends to that perception.

The game could be more accurately described as an open-world, sandbox, adventure-puzzler with philosophical story beats. Without giving away much there are a ton of huge maps that you can go back and forth through, solving the puzzles. There's worlds divided into areas, further divided into puzzle "chambers" like you see in Portal. Except they're all tied together and you're free to flit back and forth at your own pace. There is a bit of world-gating, but they're unlocked fairly quickly. There's a lot of meat on that bone.

Heck, I'm at 25 hours right now and I'm only just digging into a section 2/3 of the way through the game. Granted, that does include some backtracking to find hidden stars. But that might give you some sense of the scope of the game.