July 2014
1. Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
It’s pretty clear that the devs behind this update have kept up with all the Street Fighter upgrades gamers have seen. This refreshing action platformer stand out due to its move away from dark and dreary visuals. It’s also notable for featuring some of the most fun level exploration since those old Castlevania games. The presence of a co-op mode just sweetens this lucha libre deal.
2. Sniper Elite 3
The summer time is pretty slow for major games, which is why lesser known titles such as this sniper shooter stick out a lot more. Sniper Elite 3 transports players into Africa for a different portion of the WWII conflict. There’s an amazing amount of joy that comes from properly setting up your kill shots and watching them via the epic kill cam. 3rd-person and 1st-person shooter fans have a lot to love here.
August 2014
1. Madden NFL 15
EA Tiburon made sure to offer up another quality addition to their long line of Madden NFL games. Madden NFL 15 comes with the expected visual upgrades and better emphasis on strategic gameplay. The on-field gameplay comes with much deeper mechanics, such as altering the flow of the game and slowing down/speeding up each quarter of play. Madden NFL 15 will hold up well up until Madden NFL 16 inevitably hits next year.
September 2014
1. Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is jam packed with the type of content Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors are accustomed to. This Xbox One edition of the game cleans up the graphical sheen and throws in a ton of extra content to make sure veteran players have something new to get tied to. New characters, new missions, new weapons, new items…NEW EVERYTHING! Pick up this “Ultimate” version and spend countless hours killing hundreds of soldiers before you kill of the dreaded Hydra.
2. Destiny
The next-gen 1st-person shooter that ruled the month of September was this one. Destiny sends players into space with their chosen Guardian as they shoot aliens in the face and keep the human race thriving. The abundance of loot to find and the addictive gameplay that pushed you to finish just one more mission makes Destiny great. Never mind the extreme hype and hooplah that accompanied this release. Just enjoy the simple pleasures of this adventure and do with two of your friends.
3. FIFA 15
As far as next-gen sports game go, FIFA 15 continues the quality gameplay set forth bu past series incarnations. This new annual installment adds to the game’s great visuals by featuring a top-notch TV presentation, which would fool anyone into thinking they’re watching a real game. The soccer game itself gets even better with refined controls, more complex plays and the attention to detail that hardcore soccer fans will pick up on. FIFA 15 is the ultimate soccer game for 2014.
4. Forza Horizon 2
You may not have the cash flow needed to vacation over in southern Europe. Luckily, this Xbox One exclusive racer gives you the chance to do just that in a luxurious sports car. This much improved sequel to the spinoff Forza series offers a refined progression system, tons of new goals to achieve, plenty of rides to collect and a seriously high replayability factor. Do yourself a favor and head back into the world of Forza Horizon with this sequel.
5. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
This dark horse contender is a game we never expected to be so engaging. This open-world game places us into the undead shoes of Talion, a vengeful Wraith who kills with reckless abandon. Luckily, he carries out his stealthy kills against those evil Orcs. The wealth of abilities that Talion holds provided players with a fresh battle/stealth sequence for hours. Do yourself a favor and play one of the the rarest releases of a quality Lord of the Rings.