Hip-Hop Wired’s Top Video Game Picks Of 2014

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary masterpiece absolutely loved this title, as it was a guilty pleasure for any fan of Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed. As a warrior bonded to an Elven spirit, the gameplay was reminiscent of Batman: Arkham City and was full of excitement.

Alien: Isolation

Mirroring the classic Ridley Scott-directed film, players were thrusted into a world of foreboding doom as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen. Creative Assembly has developed one of the scariest games of the year. If you’ve never experience the pure dread of hot Xenomorph breath, then pop this title in and play.

Destiny

The team that brought us all Halo showed out with this hugely ambitious hybrid game. Bridging sci-fi, first person shooting and online role-playing, Destiny proved to be one of the year’s best and brightest around. With an ever-growing narrative, players will enjoy hands-on time with this title as it continues to grow.

Far Cry 4

Ubisoft is one of the greatest publishers/developers in the gaming community. The company continued its tradition of creating a fun experience with the latest installment of the Far Cry franchise. Gorgeous, enormous, silly, and incredibly awe-inspiring, Far Cry 4 is great because it doesn’t take itself too serious. From riding on elephants to skinning tigers, Ubisoft’s tried-and-true open world is stuffed to the gills with enjoyable satisfaction at every turn.

Super Smash Bros.

One of Nintendo’s grand prizes, the Wii-U managed to move some healthy units due to this long-standing arena beat ’em up game. Super Smash Bros. managed to elicit squeals of pre-pubescent joy from gamers of all ages because it meant engaging in chaotic action with Mario, Link, Mega Man and Donkey Kong. There wasn’t a better fighting game on the market in 2014, which means players enjoyed watching Princess Peach be vicious with an umbrella to commoners such as Kirby.

The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter

While Telltale Games’ Season Two of The Walking Dead did well to push selective narrative in games, none captivated gamers such as The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. As a detective with paranormal powers, players are thrusted into an investigation developed by The Astronaut’s. Tasked with piecing together the disappearance of a young boy in the mysterious Red Creek Valley, this game is full of stellar moments, gruesome crime scenes, and impressive writing. A game strictly for the adventurous player.

Dragon Age: Inquistion

A role-playing game for the ages, players much liberate the land of Thedas as the Inquisitor in this must-have title of 2014. Coming in as the third entry in BioWare’s Dragon Age franchise, this was the first game to utilize DICE’s Frostbite 3 engine. With beautiful 1080p quality, Inquisition allowed players to customize their character alongside a fascinating and diverse cast of elves, dwarves and Qunari, making it an excellent place to spend your time in.

Grand Theft Auto V

Remastered for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, Rockstar Games’ wonderfully addictive third-person action-adventure title is fueled to the hilt with adrenaline. Conceived as a work of twisted genius, GTA V broke records, conventional thought, and caused quite a controversial stir. Challenging and rewarding at the same time, the Grand Theft Online component helped players take their heart-pumping moments to another level.

Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Sledgehammer Games’ critically acclaimed title had its share of ups and downs since its release, but the first-person-shooter has cemented a trend which will continue into the new year. Starring actor Kevin Spacey as a character in a video game is something that other studios will attempt to do in the future. But, in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, you are given next level tools to stop evil in a 31st Century way that is immensely fun when pegged against similar games.

The Evil Within

From the twisted mind of the creator of the original Resident Evil, Shinji Mikani returns with a chiller of a game that will leave you cold to the bone. Players step into the role of detective Sebastian Castellanos, who is tasked with investigating a horrific massacre at a mental asylum. The survival horror is taken back to its roots in this title, as gamers must keep all eyes open and a ready trigger finger from creatures terrifying and grotesque.

Kevin L. Clark is a freelance writer from Brooklyn and a member of the New York Videogame Critics Circle.