The 2014 GAME AWARDS: What YOU Need to Know


It’s been a wonderful year for gaming. And with it, a new celebration has been created. The 2014 Game Awards ask the hardest of Questions that only a Jury of twenty eight dudes from International Media can answer. Nominations for Game of The Year, Best Independent Game, Best Family Game, Best Remastered, Best Soundtrack, and even so far to find the best online experience in gaming for 2014.

Game of The Year

    game of the year

  • Bayonetta 2 (Platinum Games/Nintendo)
  • Dark Souls 2 (Software/Bandai-Namco Games)
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition (BioWare/EA)
  • Hearthstone (Blizzard)
  • Shadow of Mordor (Monolith/WBIE)

My heart wants Bayonetta 2 to win because I love the Wii U despite all the hate from people who don’t have one. But I can easily see this game going to Dragon Age: Inquisition. And I don’t know enough about Hearthstone to say either way but from what little I know I’m not even sure why this game got nominated. Not a stab at Blizzard, there are a ridiculous number of people still playing WoW, so they have to have done something right.

Developer of the Year

developer of the year

  • Blizzard Entertainment
  • Monolith
  • Nintendo
  • Telltale Games
  • Ubisoft Montreal

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Ubisoft take this, With titles like Watchdogs, Child of Light, Assassin’s Creed: Unity and Far Cry 4 it’s tough to compete. Blizzard is a multiplayer powerhouse they have Hearthstone, WoW and Diablo 3. Monolith‘s only release is a great game, Shadow of Mordor, but that alone shouldn’t merit them this award. Nintendo has an amazing amount of games, all of them quality work. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2, Super Smash Brothers, Yoshi’s New Island, Kirby Triple Deluxe, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire / Omega Ruby, and Bravely Default. Lastly Telltale is responsible for The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead Season 2 and Tales from the Borderlands.

To me, it’s a close race between Ubisoft and Nintendo. But I’d say Nintendo deserves it more.

Best Independent Game

independant

  • Broken Age: Act 1
  • Monument Valley
  • Shovel Knight
  • Transistor
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

I don’t have too much to say on this subject, The only game I outright recognize is Shovel Knight, and it is awesome.

Best Mobile/Handheld Game

mobile handheld

  • Bravely Default
  • Hearthstone
  • Monument Valley
  • Super Smash Bros. 3DS
  • Threes!

I automatically say that one of the 3DS games should take this one. I’m not sure where this will go but I’d love to see Bravely Default get it because it happens to be the Best title Square Enix has released in a long time.

Best Narrative

narration

  • South Park: The Stick of Truth
  • The Walking Dead Season 2
  • The Wolf Among Us
  • Valiant Hearts: The Great War
  • Wolfenstien: The New Order

Again not a whole lot to say. There’s a reason TellTale is in the running for best developer with only 3 games this year, I want The Wolf Among Us to take it but won’t be surprised the hype of the Walking Dead secure this games victory. I’m honestly surprised South Park: The Stick of Truth was nominated, but my reasons are mainly because I’m not a fan of the show. It’s hard for me to grasp that they wrote a story worthy of being nominated for Best Narrative when there were obviously better games.

Best Score/Soundtrack

soundtrack

  • Alien Isolation
  • Child of Light
  • Destiny
  • Sunset Overdrive
  • Transistor

This one is a tossup because these are all games I nver had a chance to play or didn’t like. Honestly from what little I’ve heard from Sunset Overdrive‘s Soundtrack I think it’s a gimme, but I could be wrong.

Best Performance

performance

  • Adam Harrington: Bigby Wolf (The Wolf Among Us)
  • Kevin Spacey: Jonathan Irons (Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare)
  • Melissa Hutchison: Clementine (Walking Dead: Season 2)
  • Trey Parker: Various Voices (South Park: The Stick of Truth)
  • Troy Baker: Talion (ME: Shadow of Mordor)

This one is hard to decide on, Troy Baker is a fantastic Voice Actor, I’ve met the guy once. I’m sure he did a fantastic job on SoM. The Role of Jonathan Irons was one only Kevin Spacy could preform, Hutchison has done tremendous work with TellTale as Clementine. My vote is going to go to Spacey for his stellar work in a franchise I don’t like.

Best Remaster

remastered

  • GTA:V
  • Pokemon OR/AS
  • The Last of Us Remastered
  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  • Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

This is by far the hardest one for me to call. Pokemon is great, but I don’t think it holds a candle to the stories in these other great games. I Think The Last of Us will take it, but I’d love for it to go anywhere expect to Rockstar.

 Best Shooter

Nominees

shooter

  • Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
  • Destiny
  • Far Cry 4
  • Titanfall
  • Wolfenstien: The New Order

In reality to me this is only a fight between Titanfall, Destiny and Call of Duty. I believe Destiny is going to take it, but the bigger question is why wasn’t Halo: The Master Chief Collection nominated over Wolfenstien, or Far Cry? It’s more qualified as a shooter to me, but I guess that’s why it’s their show and not mine.

Best Action/Adventure

action

  • Alien Isolation
  • Assassin’s Creed: Unity
  • Bayonetta 2
  • Shadow of Mordor
  • Sunset Overdrive

So long as Alien doesn’t win I’d be okay. What a boring game, walk around hide, get eaten by an alien, that’s a great action adventure game.

Best RPG

rpg

  • Bravely Default
  • Dark Souls 2
  • Divinity
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth

Honestly I’m sure Dragon Age will take this one home but I’d be delightfully shocked to see Bravely Default take it.

Best Fighting Game

fighter

  • Killer Instinct Season 2
  • Persona 4 Arena: Ultimax
  • Super Smash Bros for 3DS
  • Super Smash Bros for Wii U
  • Ultra Street fighter 4

It made me laugh to see that both Smash for 3DS and WiiU were nominated, considering they are the same game could they just not think of another game to put in the 5th spot? What about Skull Girls? Anyway I’m almost positive that Ultra Street Fighter 4 will take this.

Best Family Game

family

  • Disney Infinity
  • Fantasia: Music Evolved
  • Mario Kart 8
  • Skylanders: Trap Team
  • Tomodachi Life

My choice is easily Mario Kart 8, beautiful graphics, great courses and awesome DLC.

Best Sport/Racing Game

SPORTS

  • Fifa 15
  • Forza Horizon 2
  • Mario Kart 8
  • NBA 2K15
  • Trials Fusion

Without any hesitation I can Say Fifa 15 will take this. I don’t know what it is about this game that makes even the most Anti-Soccer dude in the world lose his shit over it but they do.

Best Online Experience

ONLINE EXPERIENCE

  • Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
  • Dark Souls 2
  • Destiny
  • Hearthstone
  • Titanfall

As The Online experience in Dark Souls 2 and Destiny are that of co-operative play I think one of them will take it, however I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hearthstone steal this one.

The Game awards will be Live from Las Vega Friday December 5th at 8pm Central on their website www.thegameawards.com/watch-live/ or other providers including PSN, XBL, WiiU, Steam, Twitch, YouTube, IGN, Gamespot, Kotaku, Niconico, and MLG.

I’ll be watching live and I hope you’ll join me.

Frank Wak