The 10 best games of 2014

Alien Isolation
As far as licensed movie games go, Alien Isolation must be the most faithful of all time. Recreating the world of Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror classic in exacting detail, it pits gamers against just one of HR Giger's xenomorph creatures. With barely a weapon to wield, it's a game of cat and mouse as you sneak away from the terrifying alien stalking you. Perfect for washing away memories of Colonial Marines.
Platforms : PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Titanfall
Take the best bits of Call Of Duty's competitive multiplayer, throw in towering mech robots, jetpacks and parkour-like wall running, and you've got the Xbox One's first must-have game. Rumour has it the sequel will be going multi-platform, so PS4 players will also get to see what all the fuss is about
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Destiny
If you just play through Destiny’s campaign solo from start to finish, you miss the big deal. Hidden behind the baffling space-faring story is an intensely satisfying shooter, built on the most addictive looting feedback loop this side of a Borderlands game. A first-person MMO disguised as a Halo alternative, once you’re hooked there’s no looking back.
Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Forza Horizon 2
Serious racing fans needed to look no further than the Xbox One in 2014.
Whereas the PS4's Drive Club faltered, Forza Horizon 2's open-world driving challenges excelled, with excellent online multiplayer races and meticulously rendered real-world cars to tear about in.
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360
Mario Kart 8
No one bottles fun like Nintendo, and Mario Kart 8 is easily the best game 
of a vintage bunch from the veteran developer. The first HD Mario Kart game, it introduces zero-gravity tracks for the first time, and has the best balance of racers, power-ups and courses that the series has seen for some time. The Wii U still has terrible online multiplayer systems, but the option of taking on players elsewhere in the world is still a welcome one.
Platforms: Nintendo Wii U
Dragon Age Inquisition
Mixing the best bits of Skyrim with its own Mass Effect series and rich role-playing heritage, Dragon Age Inquisition was a truly epic adventure. Sweeping vistas, dark, dank dungeons and dive-bombing dragons came together in a quest that really makes you feel as though you are influencing what is happening in the swords and sorcery world.
Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC6
Monument Valley
Escher-like landscape architectural puzzles and an enigmatic fairytale story make for this year’s most beautifully realised mobile game. Although its brevity leaves us wanting more, its 
physics-defying geometric brainteasers make Monument Valley the most innovative game on this list.
Platforms : iOS, Android
Super Smash Bros
Pitting classic gaming characters against each other, the Smash Bros series is always a banker, and this year's entry is no different. Introducing eight-player bouts for the first time, there's nothing quite like seeing Super Mario beat the cherries out of Pac Man.
Platforms: Nintendo Wii U
Far Cry 4
From the lush jungles of Far Cry 3 to the icy steppes of the Himalayas in Far Cry 4, this sequel once again shows the open-world first person series at its best when revelling in its advanced AI and emergent gameplay. With plenty of options as to how to approach every enemy outpost, taking on an armoured jeep on the back of a tusk-charging elephant is always a thrill. The PlayStation 4 version's Keys to Kyrat feature, allowing 10 pals to jump in on the game's cooperative action for two hours without owning the disc, is a great bonus too.
Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Sunset Overdrive
The Xbox One played second fiddle to the PS4 for most of this year, but its exclusive games were arguably better and Sunset Overdrive is the most boisterously fun of the bunch. It’s a colourful comic book-like third person shooter that has you blasting away at gloopy mutant foes while grinding along railways and handrails like a gun-toting Tony Hawk. It's incessant in-your-face attitude is an acquired taste, however.
Platforms: Xbox One