Top Action Games of 2014

We'd seen a resurgence in action heroes over recent years, with the likes of Sly Stallone and Arnie coming back to our cinema screens, and other screen verterns like Liam Neeson carving out new careers as no nonsense hard men.

No franchise proved this more than Stallone's own Expendables, which through together a load of ageing muscle men and watched the money roll in. Sadly the third film proved to be a damp squib, but thankfully there was plenty of action to be had in the video games industry in 2014.

inFamous: Second Son brought a whole lot of visual wonderment to PS4 early in the year, showing all doubters exactly what the new console was capable of. Meanwhile on Xbox One Titanfall proved it was possible to do something a little different in the FPS space.

Watch Dogs also impressed, even if the game didn't quite live up to the early hype publisher Ubisoft did so well to create. And don't forget GTA 5 which launched for PS4 and Xbox One, making a wonderful game even better thanks to a host of visual enhancements.

30.

5

Dead Rising 3: Fallen Angel

Unless you’re in the market for a couple of cool new weapons, Fallen Angel does little to justify the price tag. Over in just shy of an hour, the second Untold Stories episode follows a... more

Reviewed on: 12 February 2014 Platforms: Xbox One
29.

5

Platformines

A promising concept that hits one mediocre note then just stops. Well that's a shame. For a moment, Platformines looked like the next indie... more

Reviewed on: 31 March 2014 Platforms: PC
28.

5

Guardians Of The Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy is an okay mobile game. And that sentence is as exciting as the game itself… Guardians Of The Galaxy: The Universal Weapon is an interesting mobile... more

Reviewed on: 23 July 2014 Platforms: iOS
27.

6

Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation

Fans of the franchise will enjoy building out the mythology and exploring the world, but this Creed is still too flawed. One for Creed completionists more than anyone else, Liberation's HD makeover... more

Reviewed on: 15 January 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC,PS Vita
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26.

6

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

A huge disappointment, given the obvious potential. Always beautiful, sometimes spectacular, yet often uninspired and in some... more

Reviewed on: 24 February 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC
25.

6

LEGO The Hobbit

After the impressive voice acting and general spectacle of the main adventure starts to fade, you’re left with an altogether dull world in which to roam. It's another Lego game! Beyond a new setting and some minor tweaks, it's the... more

Reviewed on: 10 April 2014 Platforms: PlayStation 4,Xbox One,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC,Wii U,Nintendo 3DS,PS Vita
24.

6

Sleeping Dogs

As a package this is as feature-complete as you could want, but it's a long way from the version it could have been. As far as titles go, "Sleeping Dogs: The Definitive Edition" is rather... more

Reviewed on: 09 October 2014 Platforms: Xbox One,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC,PlayStation 4
23.

6

Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive has some excellent ideas, but its triumphs are sadly suffocated beneath ultra-repetitive mission design and unsatisfying enemy encounters. For most of the time you're playing it, Sunset Overdrive is insistent on... more

Reviewed on: 27 October 2014 Platforms: Xbox One
22.

7

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

A complex and enjoyable JRPG, if not a brilliant one. Lightning returns, fixing some of the XIII series' problems in the process... more

Reviewed on: 11 February 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3
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21.

7

The Last of Us: Left Behind

An enjoyable intriguing piece of DLC that doesn't add much to the almighty experience that was The Last Of Us. If the conversations I've had are indicative of gamers as a whole, no one is... more

Reviewed on: 14 February 2014 Platforms: PlayStation 4,PlayStation 3
20.

7

inFamous: Second Son

Second Son rations the good stuff, giving too little too late. InFamous: Second Son is dull. Sometimes, it's arduous. At almost all times,... more

Reviewed on: 20 March 2014 Platforms: PlayStation 4
19.

7

Batman: Arkham Origins – Cold, Cold Heart

The fundamentals are beginning to tire, but this is surprisingly decent DLC. As news of Batman: Arkham Knight lights up message boards, Twitter feeds and... more

Reviewed on: 27 April 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC
18.

7

Kirby Triple Deluxe

Another decent series entry, with smart levels, puzzles and unlockables that’ll keep the Kirby Hardcore happy. Kirby: Triple Deluxe isn't going to be the type of game that people go crazy... more

Reviewed on: 28 April 2014 Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
17.

7

Watch Dogs

Undoubtedly enjoyable, but it won't linger long in the memory. Neither the tragic failure some expected nor the introduction to a 'proper'... more

Reviewed on: 27 May 2014 Platforms: Wii U,PlayStation 4,Xbox One,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC
16.

7

State of Decay: Lifeline

Turns out it’s a lot of fun to play soldiers at the end of the world. Dropping you into a proper city, Lifeline immediately grants all the... more

Reviewed on: 03 June 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PC
15.

7

inFamous: First Light

First Light is Second Son with most of the fat trimmed, making it ideal for newcomers. This stand-alone prequel expansion (I know that doesn't make sense) tells... more

Reviewed on: 28 August 2014 Platforms: PlayStation 4
14.

7

Hyrule Warriors

Hyrule Warriors is fun, pays decent fan service, and uses the Dynasty Warriors template well. If you know what Dynasty Warriors is about (bash out combos in an attempt to... more

Reviewed on: 17 September 2014 Platforms: Nintendo 3DS,Wii U
13.

7

Skylanders: Trap Team

Activision's toys-to-life series is still wonderfully entertaining, but Trap Team's relentless encouragement to buy new toys can be draining on your enthusiasm – and your wallet. As much as I try and tell myself otherwise, it is a kids game, and if you're... more

Reviewed on: 17 October 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,Wii U,PlayStation 4,Xbox One,Nintendo 3DS,Wii
12.

7

Assassin's Creed: Rogue

Being more of an epilogue than a sequel, Rogue falls short of delivering a full-fat experience. Generalisations incoming: It seems that there are two types of Assassin's... more

Reviewed on: 14 November 2014 Platforms: PC,PlayStation 3,Xbox 360,PlayStation 4,Xbox One
11.

7

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

A pleasant return to old-fashioned tomb raiding. Fan of Tomb Raider games where you actually raid tombs rather than perform... more

Reviewed on: 10 December 2014 Platforms: Xbox One,PC,PlayStation 4
10.

8

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

A great game made better thanks to a lovely lick of paint. Tomb Raider remains a very good game. It was one when it was released early... more

Reviewed on: 27 January 2014 Platforms: Xbox One,PlayStation 4
9.

8

Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King

A great amount of content, if a little unbalanced and with a high entry barrier. Crown of the Sunken King fits right into Dark Souls 2: it's infuriating,... more

Reviewed on: 24 July 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC
8.

8

Dead Rising 3

A better version of an already good game, Dead Rising 3 on PC is as close to the game's reveal trailer as we'll get. Editor's Note: Below is an overview of the PC-specific graphics and... more

Reviewed on: 03 September 2014 Platforms: PC,Xbox One
7.

8

Assassin's Creed Unity

Unity may have the intention of being Assassin’s Creed’s next-gen reinvention, but it’s remarkably faithful to its roots. Sometimes you have to look back before you move forward. Unity may have the... more

Reviewed on: 11 November 2014 Platforms: Xbox One,PC,PlayStation 4
6.

8

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

LEGO Batman 3 starts slow and then gets a lot better, and then overwhelms with so much content it's hard to be disappointed. I don't think I've ever played a game so clearly made with hardcore fans in... more

Reviewed on: 14 November 2014 Platforms: PlayStation 4,Xbox One,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC,Wii U,Nintendo 3DS,PS Vita
5.

8

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

Geometry Wars 3 makes big changes, but retains the excellent core gameplay and delivers another addictive blaster. I stuck my middle finger up at my TV within five minutes of playing Geometry... more

Reviewed on: 05 December 2014 Platforms: iOS,PlayStation 4,Xbox One,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PC
4.

9

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

A triumph of emergent gameplay, slightly let down by a heavily scripted ending. Forget the Tolkien association, and put aside its similarities with... more

Reviewed on: 26 September 2014 Platforms: Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,Xbox One,PC,PlayStation 4
3.

9

Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta 2 is a system seller. It's a Nintendo-published game that is rarely seen, and a game that will legitimately make non-Wii U owners jealous. I don't think I enjoy Bayonetta, and its sequel, for the reasons gaming's... more

Reviewed on: 12 October 2014 Platforms: Wii U,Nintendo Switch
2.

10

Dark Souls 2

A refined, slicker version of one of the greatest video games ever made. Dark Souls. That's the really hard one, right? Sure, but the difficulty is... more

Reviewed on: 11 March 2014 Platforms: PC,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3
1.

10

Grand Theft Auto 5

The definitive version of Rockstar's biggest world to date. Editor's Note: Below is a rundown of the technical accomplishments of GTA 5... more

Reviewed on: 20 November 2014 Platforms: PC,Xbox One,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PlayStation 5,PlayStation 4

VideoGamer.com

Top Action Games of 2014

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