Our 2014 Favorites: Daniel Perez

The end of the year is a great time for gamers to catch up on the year’s big releases before we start even considering what’s coming up next year. Playing high-profile games is a safe way to go as most of them typically end up being worth our time and money, but there are some less popular titles that you may have missed that I personally think everyone should consider to play some time before the end of the year.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

I played most of the big-name kid-friendly games this year, and my favorite by far was Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. First off, the game doesn’t require you to purchase real-life toys in order to enjoy the game, which will make all of our wallets extremely happy. Second, it’s a game that really people of all ages can enjoy. Its gameplay is simple enough for the little ones to enjoy, and there are enough cameos and homages to not only the DC Universe, but to pop culture in general, to have adults squee in enjoyment.

To get a better idea of why I thought Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a great game, check out my review.

Gauntlet

I’m a fan of most game genres, but one of my most favorites genres has to be hack and slash. During my time reviewing the Alienware Alpha, I played a lot of Gauntlet. Being a fan of the original game and its follow-ups, the new Gauntlet gives the same feel of the classic games while also giving them a more modern hack and slash feel.

You’ll once again be fighting as either the Warrior, Valkyrie, Elf, and Wizard as you make your way through various dungeons to kill anything that even remotely looks like an enemy. Your heroes have special abilities in addition to their normal attacks and they can don new gear that can be purchased with gold earned in-game. And as you’d expect, the game supports 4-player co-op both online and offline, and the game actually is much more fun when you play with more people.

Broforce

Bro. Bro? Brooooooooo!!

Indie games have been gaining in popularity recently, and one that I really enjoy is Broforce. Broforce is a side-scrolling shoot-em-up that features some of Hollywood’s most iconic action film stars. Although in this game, they’ve been turned into “bro” versions of themselves, which adds to the game’s charm as you learn what bro names the developers have come up with some of the action heroes included in the game. Some of my favorites are Rambro, Indiana Brones, and Brobocop.

Gaining these bros is done by rescuing a certain amount of hostages throughout each level played. The game informs the player how many hostages needs to be rescued in order to gain the next bro, and each rescue results in a new bro to randomly be thrown into the game. This adds a nice mix of gameplay mechanics as each bro has a weapon and grenade specific to their character.

If you enjoy side-scrolling shoot-em-ups wrapped in an awesomely nostalgic 8-bit shell, then give Broforce a shot.

Transistor

The one game that had the deepest impact on me this year had to be Supergiant Games’ Transistor. I actually had a copy of the game sitting in my PlayStation 4 library for months as I just couldn’t find the time to play it, but once I did, I knew this game was something really special.

You play as Red as you awaken in the middle of a futuristic city next to a weapon known as the Transistor. As you progress through the game, you find out a group of influential people within the city, known as the Camerata, wanted to put an end to Red’s glory as she was known for being a famous singer. The group used a group of robots to attack Red, known as the Process, which she battles throughout the game in order to learn the truth of what occurred and who was behind it.

As Red progresses through the story, she’ll come across Process that attempt to stop her in her tracks. Transistor’s battle system can either be performed in real-time, or you can plan each of your attacks against the Process. As your Transistor gains in power, you’ll unlock new abilities that can either be used to perform more devastating attacks or could benefit Red in a number of other ways.

Transistor’s story, especially towards the end as you learn what happened to Red, is what really impressed me. There aren’t many games that make me shed tears, but Transistor did and I will never forget how it made me feel while I was playing it. Transistor is definitely a game that I would highly recommend you check out sooner rather than later.