This is it. The awards post that you’ve been waiting for all day. What we chose might surprise you. You’ll never believe which game we chose! Ten games that you’re not playing properly! The time for small talk is over! It’s time for BIG TALK! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the Lazygamer 2014 Game Of The Year is…
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor!
It wasn’t enough for Shadow Of Mordor to be a rock-solid game set in the universe of Lord Of The Rings. That alone would not have been enough to make it our GOTY. It also wasn’t enough for it to be a sterling use of a film franchise license that contained an addictive hook in the Nemesis System, or the fact that it was a lengthy single-player experience that won our hearts over and was a total surprise since day one.
It’s the fact that Shadow Of Mordor was a game that managed to encapsulate all that and the very best that the gaming year had to offer, with none of the setbacks that plagued far too many big-name games this year. Shadow Of Mordor is a detailed romp that worked straight out of the box, a game that remembered that players want to have fun, not faff around with DLC offers or wait for constant updates.
It’s also the kind of game where you truly do shape your own story, with the aforementioned Nemesis System working perfectly. Because of that, and various other rewarding reasons, Shadow Of Mordor is our official Game Of The Year.
Honourable mentions
Dragon Age: The Inquisition, Bayonetta 2
Last Updated: December 19, 2014
hairyknees
December 19, 2014 at 15:35
Voted for Dota 2, got shot down. THESE AWARDS HAVE SURELY BEEN RIGGED!
Spaffy
December 19, 2014 at 15:38
hahahaha
MakeItLegal
December 22, 2014 at 07:20
lol
Raptor Rants A Lot
December 19, 2014 at 15:39
Excellent choice!
Mandom (Umar)
December 19, 2014 at 15:39
Perfect….This game is so fresh. Brings all these new mechanics in that just works so well. Sleeper hit of the year
Geoff Murphy
December 19, 2014 at 15:40
Nonsense. Should have been the Kim K game. SOM’s brilliant fight mechanics, genius Nemesis system, and amazing graphics have nothing on Kim K’s… um. Yes.
Captain JJ the engaged
December 19, 2014 at 15:42
Wow. Really?
Hammersteyn
December 19, 2014 at 15:46
They changed the winner after Sandy gave the winner away in one of his tags 😛
Captain JJ the engaged
December 19, 2014 at 15:46
Ah. Makes sense. 🙂
Spaffy
December 19, 2014 at 15:46
That’s what I thought
Hammersteyn
December 19, 2014 at 15:45
One thing that would like in the sequel is you have this list of Orcs you can take out right. So you start hunting all of them and pretty soon the list looks like it was hit by an Ebola outbreak. Currently if you’ve killed enough random new orcs appears which makes sense else the system would not work. But it would be nice to be able to clear the list at least before new orcs join.
Spy Master Tokashi
December 19, 2014 at 15:51
I would not even mind playing a LOTR story, shadow of mordor play style game where you can change the story, save certain characters or even play one of the bad ass orcs doing it to the humans ….
Spy Master Tokashi
December 19, 2014 at 15:46
I am a bit confused here 😉 if DA: I got best RPG and best graphics over Shadow or Mordor … how can …ah nvm, there is not place for logic here.
Have a great festive holiday and get enough sleep in, 2015 will be a great gaming year and you will have loads of late night gaming 😉
Spy Master Tokashi
December 19, 2014 at 15:49
well I am the proud owner of both of those games and both is really awesome games. Those kill moves in Shadow of Mordor were epic.
Hammersteyn
December 19, 2014 at 15:49
Slice and dice like a Ginsu chef
Dutch Matrix
December 19, 2014 at 15:49
I wonder if game developers the world over is going: “How will we answer to the threat of Mor-dor?”
Captain JJ the engaged
December 19, 2014 at 15:49
I am off. Just waited for the Game of the Year.
Thought it was going to be something else tbh.
Shadow of Mordor is a great game, and I enjoyed playing it, but the fact that it shared so incredibly much with other games made it feel like I’d already played it before. So it never felt like a new and excitingly different experience. But it could just be me. I’d give it an award for the kill moves though. Easily.
Hammersteyn
December 19, 2014 at 15:50
Agreed, Destiny should have won. Best game ever!
KingKappie
December 19, 2014 at 15:52
Trololo?
Hammersteyn
December 19, 2014 at 16:05
yup XD
KingKappie
December 19, 2014 at 15:58
ION when will the Lazy crew be back.
Gavin Mannion
December 20, 2014 at 17:34
5th of January is the official opening… but expect random crap to be posted before then
Francois Knoetze
December 19, 2014 at 16:07
that game is on my shelf for the last 2 months and next on the playing list of major backlogs.
Axon1988
December 19, 2014 at 16:18
Except that I will probably not be able to play this game… any time soon at all. :'(
Ryanza
December 19, 2014 at 16:26
Shadow of Mordor is such a repetitive game. I guess it bests represents gaming in 2014.
Let’s hope The Witcher 3 represents gaming in 2015. And maybe Ctberpunk 2077 representing gaming in 2016.
Don’t Support DRM. The Witcher 3 is coming.
CAE9872
December 19, 2014 at 20:08
Well that is a surprise! Best I unwrap it and play it!
Tulipdame
December 21, 2014 at 08:07
This game was definitely worth the buy! It was fresh, interesting and gripping to say the least. I didn’t finish it though. About 50 hours in I got tired of challenges and branding captains and warchiefs. I stopped Far Cry 4 now too. It is nice to have plenty to do, but FC4 put in too much of the same things. Side missions are a drag due to having so many of each and towers amd outposts too. I’m letting it lie for a couple of months. Hoping to pick up GTAV on XOne soon.
vicky john
December 22, 2014 at 14:54
Great choice!! ..