2014 has certainly been long and eventful . The gaming community made quite a few headlines this year, but let's not kid ourselves. Not all of those headlines brought good news . We've had the best of games, and unfortunately we've also had the worst of them . The numbers, my friends, are huge.
Sony's PlayStation 4 sold more than 16 million units and over 60 million games worldwide, while Microsoft's Xbox One sold more than 9 million units and over 34.6 million games worldwide.
We can't even begin to count how many games were released in 2014 ( here is a list of the more notable, bigger titles ), but you can safely assume that there is at least one for every day of the year. That many games makes it impossible to create a reasonable "Best of 2014" list. I know, I know.
For this list, we've chosen each game for a particular characteristic that makes it stand out from the crowd. If you played no games at all this year, you should certainly try out at least one of these:
Beautiful Artwork: Child of Light
Ubisoft Montreal
Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One (April 2014) PlayStation Vita (July 2014)
The Dark Queen has stolen the sun, moon and the stars. It's up to Aurora and her firefly sidekick, Igniculus, to find the celestial bodies and save the world from darkness in this stunning platformer inspired by the artwork of Studio Ghibli and Yoshitaka Amano .
Best Japanese RPG: Bravely Default
Silicon Studio, Square Enix
Nintendo 3DS (North America 2014)
Reminiscent of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light . Japan's gift to lovers of the traditional role-playing game.
Best Strategy Card Game: Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment
Windows, OS X, Android, iPhone, iPad
Back in the day people used to trade and play with actual cards. If you enjoyed that pastime from your youth, then Hearthstone is definitely the one to play. It's free to play and fits in your pocket. Perfect for a quick session when you have some time to kill.
Best Horror Adventure Game: Among the Sleep :
Krillbite Studios
Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4
Among the Sleep is not your average horror shooter game. You play as a helpless toddler who must navigate a nightmarish world in search of Mommy. It doesn't get creepier than a talking teddy bear.
Best Rhythm & Music Game: Crypt of the Necrodancer
Brace Yourself Games
Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
This one is just ridiculously addictive. We think it's the catchy soundtrack. Match the beat as you raid and loot dungeons for bounty. You can also play to your own custom soundtrack, and for those who enjoy dancing games, the developers have given you the option to use a dance pad. Endless, musical fun.
Best Story: Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Ubisoft Montpellier
Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android
Does the year 1914 ring a bell? That's the year that World War I began. The game is inspired by letters that were actually written during that time period. The artwork is certainly gorgeous to look at, but the story is guaranteed to have you sobbing into your keyboard by the time you are finished.
Best Art Game: Hohokum
Honeyslug, Sony Santa Monica
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
We wish this would come out on other platforms. You know when you're having one of those really awful days, and you just want to take a time-out from the world? From the bright and cheery artwork to the soothing soundtrack, Hohokum makes gameplay all about good feels.
Best Action/Adventure: Infamous: Second Son
Sucker Punch Productions
PlayStation 4
Use Delsin Rowe's superpowers to manipulate smoke and concrete like a true badass. Sure, the morality system might be a little off, but Second Son does parkour in open-world Seattle really well.
Best Multiplayer/FPS: Titanfall
Respawn Entertainment
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One
I have never gotten all that excited about first-person shooters. However, a first-person shooter where I get to pilot a mecha with twelve other players online? Yes, please - even if the story is weak and the AI (artificial intelligence) is a little disappointing.
Best Sequel: Dark Souls II
From Software
Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Like the first installment of the series in 2011, the appeal of D ark Souls II lies in it's difficulty. You have to die in this game. As the player progresses, the levels get tougher. Just when you think you're invincible, the game reminds you that to succeed, you have to die, die again...and again.
FYI: If a game was previously reviewed on StepFeed, or if it appeared on any of our other super awesome lists, it was not considered for this list. Feel free to make your own additions in the comments below!