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RPGCodex 2014 Games of the Year


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

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#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.

 

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#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.

 

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#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.

 

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#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.

 

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#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.

 

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#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.

 

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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.

 

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Edited by KaineParker

"Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic

"you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus

"Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander

"Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador

"You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort

"thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex

"Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock

"Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco

"we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii

"I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing

"feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth

"Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi

"Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor

"I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine

"I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands

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

 

Agreed, that is a little disappointing 

"Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss”

John Milton 

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -  George Bernard Shaw

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela

 

 

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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 by Keyrock
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🇺🇸RFK Jr 2024🇺🇸

"Any organization created out of fear must create fear to survive." - Bill Hicks

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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.

Swedes, go to: Spel2, for the latest game reviews in swedish!

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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?

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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. :p

Edited by IndiraLightfoot

*** "The words of someone who feels ever more the ent among saplings when playing CRPGs" ***

 

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

 

No, I'm also guessing its not  :teehee: 

"Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss”

John Milton 

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -  George Bernard Shaw

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela

 

 

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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 by Osvir
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... 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.

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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  :thumbsup: 

"Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss”

John Milton 

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -  George Bernard Shaw

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela

 

 

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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.

Quite an experience to live in misery isn't it? That's what it is to be married with children.

I've seen things you people can't even imagine. Pearly Kings glittering on the Elephant and Castle, Morris Men dancing 'til the last light of midsummer. I watched Druid fires burning in the ruins of Stonehenge, and Yorkshiremen gurning for prizes. All these things will be lost in time, like alopecia on a skinhead. Time for tiffin.

 

Tea for the teapot!

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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.

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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?

"Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss”

John Milton 

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -  George Bernard Shaw

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela

 

 

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

"Some men see things as they are and say why?"
"I dream things that never were and say why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

"The amount of energy necessary to refute bull**** is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

- Some guy 

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Forgot I have Blackguards.

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

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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.  

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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! 

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"If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."Justice Louis Brandeis, Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927)

"Im indifferent to almost any murder as long as it doesn't affect me or mine."--Gfted1 (September 30, 2019)

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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

The words freedom and liberty, are diminishing the true meaning of the abstract concept they try to explain. The true nature of freedom is such, that the human mind is unable to comprehend it, so we make a cage and name it freedom in order to give a tangible meaning to what we dont understand, just as our ancestors made gods like Thor or Zeus to explain thunder.

 

-Teknoman2-

What? You thought it was a quote from some well known wise guy from the past?

 

Stupidity leads to willful ignorance - willful ignorance leads to hope - hope leads to sex - and that is how a new generation of fools is born!


We are hardcore role players... When we go to bed with a girl, we roll a D20 to see if we hit the target and a D6 to see how much penetration damage we did.

 

Modern democracy is: the sheep voting for which dog will be the shepherd's right hand.

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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.

"Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic

"you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus

"Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander

"Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador

"You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort

"thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex

"Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock

"Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco

"we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii

"I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing

"feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth

"Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi

"Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor

"I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine

"I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands

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