RPGCodex 2014 Games of the Year

[Sensuki]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9721 - Full article is a great read. Here are the awards, and the final spreadsheet

 

#1 - Divinity: Original Sin
The winner of our survey was chosen by the highest Bayesian average, but Divinity: Original Sin wasn't satisfied with just a partial victory. Larian's RPG holds not only the highest Bayesian average, but also the highest regular average, the highest number of votes AND the highest amount of 5/5 ratings, with an impressive 49% of voters giving it the maximum score. There is no doubt, Divinity: Original Sin is the RPG Codex's 2014 Game of the Year.

 

 

#2 - Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut
If 2013's Shadowrun Returns didn't deliver all that people hoped for, Harebrained Schemes' decision to take its expansion, polish it, and release it as a stand-alone game was a slam dunk. Its rating and popularity are just a bit lower than D:OS', and way ahead of the other entries.

 

 

#3 - NEO Scavenger
The third place comes as a surprise. NEO Scavenger was released less than a month ago and was only played by 15% of the Codex, yet people were clearly impressed. About 42% of those who played it gave the game a 5/5 score, and 36% rated it 4/5. The game's average score was 4.12, the Bayesian average lowered it to 4.02 to compensate for the low number of votes, but it still managed to stay ahead of Wasteland 2 and grab the third place.

 

 

#1 - Divinity: Original Sin
Our Editor's Choice winner is the same as the Reader's Choice, so I think it's safe to declare Divinity: Original Sin as RPG Codex' Role-Playing Game of the Year. Having the most nonsensical name in years did not stop the game from sweeping a clear victory in both polls. We look forward to whatever Larian has in store for us in the years to come.

 

 

#2 - Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Well, so far it looks like our community and readers got it right. Our runner-up also shares the same spot on both polls. Shadowrun: Dragonfall solidified Harebrained's tactical turn-based design from the previous game and made it a very strong contestant in a very tough year. Hopefully Harebrained Schemes will continue to impress.

 

 

#3 - Might & Magic X: Legacy
An actual sequel in one the genre's oldest series finds its way onto our Editor's Choice list, and it's our only publisher-backed winner. With Legend of Grimrock 2 also scoring high, one could say it's been a good year for both top-down/isometric and first person RPGs. We hope Limbic returns to the series in the future.

 

 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Have to agree with the #1 and #2, but never touched NEO Scavenger. Worth checking out?

 

Despite what the Doritos Pope said, it seems like riding The Bull wasn't that fun.

 

Edited January 13, 2015 by KaineParker

[rjshae]

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

[BruceVC]

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

[Keyrock]

Still. Waiting. For. Linux. Version. Of. D:OS. 

 

Anyway, I still haven't played the Directors Cut version, but Dragonfall was awesome, I'm super excited for the incoming (today?) new Kickstarter for Hong Kong.  Might & Magic X was a surprisingly good and faithful (maybe a little too faithful) throwback to old skool M&M games, I enjoyed it thoroughly.  No comment on Neo Scavenger, haven't played it.

 

I would personally put Wasteland 2 above all those games, but that's my own personal preference.  I was a darn good year for RPGs.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Keyrock

[mkreku]

Have to agree with the #1 and #2, but never touched NEO Scavenger. Worth checking out?

 

There is a demo. I played it a long time ago and it's good. Very addictive game that relies heavily on random number generators (sometimes you freeze to death because your game refused to spawn shoes, for example). But it's incredibly satisfying when the rolls go your way and you find a rifle.. or enemies perfectly balanced for your current level.. or just a bigger backpack.

 

I didn't know it has been released. I think the demo I played was browser based! Time to check it out again.

[Leferd]

Will have to check out NEO Scavenger.

[Hurlshort]

I enjoyed Neo Scavenger tremendously.  Really I agree with the list as a whole, it's a pretty good indication how lucky we are with our RPG crop lately when the big AAA titles are way down the list.

 

 

I'm curious about Heroine's Quest.  I'm guessing it's not about finding drugs?

[IndiraLightfoot]

NEO Scavenger looks really neat and "fresh". I'll definitely check it out.

 

D:OS, Wasteland 2 and M&M X are all great games. I own, but still haven't completed D:OS and Dragonfall (far from it), so I have a lot of good stuff to look forward to.

 

DA:I certainly was the best RPG, though, that year, objectively speaking.

Edited January 13, 2015 by IndiraLightfoot

[Keyrock]

I'm curious about Heroine's Quest.  I'm guessing it's not about finding drugs?

It's a free Quest For Glory clone.

[BruceVC]

 

 

 

I'm curious about Heroine's Quest.  I'm guessing it's not about finding drugs?

 

No, I'm also guessing its not   

[Osvir]

NEO Scavenger <3

It can roll poorly on you, and you'll be dead in a day. Doesn't happen too often. But there is a psuedo-artificial difficulty. Their injury system, scripted events, C&C, and crafting is quite intelligent. When you get around to the time where you know what you're doing, each successive game is going to go better and better, regardless if you had a bad or good start.

Even without shoes you can survive. All you need is a sleeping bag.

... although, you're going to have to drop it at the end of each turn... and pick it up at the beginning of each turn... which is probably the only complaint I would give it. You'll understand when you play.

It is a bit of a trial & error game, but if you want, you can read on its Wiki and get some meta knowledge, but honestly, I highly recommend playing blind. You learn a lot each time, and if you're using your immersive brains, you'll understand a lot quicker than I did too

*cough* Wearing Crude Filter *cough* over mouth *cough cough*

EDIT: It's also a bit of a "Reference Checking" type of game. Something happens in the game and you're probably going to go "!?!?!? wut?" and then google and check wiki what it was, and why, and how.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Osvir

[Hurlshort]

I forgot to pick up my sleeping bag a few times, it was frustrating and led to disaster.  But hey, life is tough.

[Sensuki]

 

... although, you're going to have to drop it at the end of each turn... and pick it up at the beginning of each turn... which is probably the only complaint I would give it. You'll understand when you play.

 

Hahah I can just picture it now, wandering the post-apocalytic wasteland in a sleeping bag, dat slow move speed.

[BruceVC]

NEO Scavenger <3

 

It can roll poorly on you, and you'll be dead in a day. Doesn't happen too often. But there is a psuedo-artificial difficulty. Their injury system, scripted events, C&C, and crafting is quite intelligent. When you get around to the time where you know what you're doing, each successive game is going to go better and better, regardless if you had a bad or good start.

 

Even without shoes you can survive. All you need is a sleeping bag.

 

... although, you're going to have to drop it at the end of each turn... and pick it up at the beginning of each turn... which is probably the only complaint I would give it. You'll understand when you play.

 

 

It is a bit of a trial & error game, but if you want, you can read on its Wiki and get some meta knowledge, but honestly, I highly recommend playing blind. You learn a lot each time, and if you're using your immersive brains, you'll understand a lot quicker than I did too

 

*cough* Wearing Crude Filter *cough* over mouth *cough cough*

 

 

EDIT: It's also a bit of a "Reference Checking" type of game. Something happens in the game and you're probably going to go "!?!?!? wut?" and then google and check wiki what it was, and why, and how.

 

Wow for some reason you have really made me excited about this game, I want to play it now   

[Nonek]

I'm surprised that Blackguards didn't place higher, i'd personally say that it was my number three. I agree with the first and second places however, Dragonfall really improved on the base game, and Original Sin was undisputably the finest RPG of the year.

[Tigranes]

Can't see it being too controversial, I thought D:OS was clearly the best game and then others like WL2 and Dragonfall were pretty good. A good year.

 

 

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

 

 

The game looks like crap, that's different from hating Bioware.

[BruceVC]

Can't see it being too controversial, I thought D:OS was clearly the best game and then others like WL2 and Dragonfall were pretty good. A good year.

 

 

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

 

 

The game looks like crap, that's different from hating Bioware.

 

Sure, I hear you 

 

But you don't think traditional "Bioware Bias" is also responsible for the low score. I'll hazard a guess and say RPGCodex has a good number of members who dislike Bioware?

[Sensuki]

 

https://www.facebook.com/LarianStudios/posts/850183165041883

 

Edited January 13, 2015 by Sensuki

[Meshugger]

D:OS at the number one spot? I approve.

[Malcador]

Forgot I have Blackguards.

[Hurlshort]

Can't see it being too controversial, I thought D:OS was clearly the best game and then others like WL2 and Dragonfall were pretty good. A good year.

 

 

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

 

 

The game looks like crap, that's different from hating Bioware.

 

Hardly, the game is graphically stunning.  The waves on the Storm Coast are one of the most amazing visuals I've ever seen in a game.  

 

It's not rational to rate it that low.  It is clearly guided by some misplaced emotional butthurt about Bioware.  And really, that's fine, it's what I expect from RPGCodex, just like I expect the major publications to be way too flattering about it.  In reality it's a decent RPG that lacks the imagination of games like Divinity, Shadowrun, and even NEO Scavenger.  

[Gromnir]

 

Can't see it being too controversial, I thought D:OS was clearly the best game and then others like WL2 and Dragonfall were pretty good. A good year.

 

 

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

 

 

The game looks like crap, that's different from hating Bioware.

 

Hardly, the game is graphically stunning.  The waves on the Storm Coast are one of the most amazing visuals I've ever seen in a game.  

 

It's not rational to rate it that low.  It is clearly guided by some misplaced emotional butthurt about Bioware.  And really, that's fine, it's what I expect from RPGCodex, just like I expect the major publications to be way too flattering about it.  In reality it's a decent RPG that lacks the imagination of games like Divinity, Shadowrun, and even NEO Scavenger.  

 

haven't played da:i, but the pervasive (although not total) anti-biowarian sentiment at codex is comical. the near-worship o' cain is similarly ingrained.  the most amusing part is that the codexians (again, not total) is the only folks who don't see their reflexive biases. oh, and the unapologetic homophobia and antisemitism, coupled with private messaging of folks being defecated 'pon as a showing o' displeasure, also makes codex a bit difficult to take in anything but extreme small doses.  

 

even so, we didn't actual check out the list. every time you read and comment on an internet list, a puppy gets hit by a car.

 

HA! Good Fun! 

[teknoman2]

 

Can't see it being too controversial, I thought D:OS was clearly the best game and then others like WL2 and Dragonfall were pretty good. A good year.

 

 

Those guys were pretty harsh on DA:I--it's listed 47th. Lots of Bioware haters, I guess.

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

 

 

The game looks like crap, that's different from hating Bioware.

 

Hardly, the game is graphically stunning.  The waves on the Storm Coast are one of the most amazing visuals I've ever seen in a game.  

 

It's not rational to rate it that low.  It is clearly guided by some misplaced emotional butthurt about Bioware.  And really, that's fine, it's what I expect from RPGCodex, just like I expect the major publications to be way too flattering about it.  In reality it's a decent RPG that lacks the imagination of games like Divinity, Shadowrun, and even NEO Scavenger.  

 

most voters probably did not even play DA:I, thinking it would be a polished turd because DA2 was just a turd

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I played DAI and would rate it similarly to the Codexians when 1/5 scores were counted. It's pretty forgettable IMO, and managed to make Skyrim's quests seem well written.