Best PC Games Of 2014: Our Top Picks Of The Year

It’s once again time to look back at some of our favorite PC games from the past twelve months. 2014 was an awesome year for PC gaming, and a number of standout titles captured our attention. Here are our favorites, in no particular order.

"Child Of Light"

Platforming role-playing game “Child of Light” quietly launched for the PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in April, but its simple battle system, elegant artistic style, character designs and dynamic multiplayer experience steadily gained attention. The game went on to top Japanese sales charts in May for its PS3 and PS4 versions, but “Child of Light’s” beautiful 2D visuals really shine on the PC.

The game follows main protagonist Aurora, a young girl from Austria who contracts an illness that kills her in 1895. She wakes up in the mythical land of Lemuria, where she must rescue the sun, moon and stars from the Dark Queen.

"Valiant Hearts: The Great War"

Despite its cartoonish appearance, “Valiant Hearts: The Great War” deals with some seriously dark subject matter. The concept behind the puzzle adventure game is certainly original. The title is inspired by actual letters written during World War I, which took place from 1914-1918. The story revolves around three strangers who come together on the battlefield to help a young German soldier find his love, creating a story about “survival, sacrifice and friendship.”

The title’s three main characters are Freddie, an American who enlisted in the French Foreign Legion; Anna, a medic who fled Paris to help injured soldiers; Karl, a German ex-patriot deported from his home in France at the start of the war and Emile, Karl’s father-in-law. Karl enlisted early in the war.

“Valiant Hearts” is surprisingly touching, and it’s also available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android and PlayStation 4.

'Dragon Age: Inquisition'

You’re probably aware that there’s so much to like about “Dragon Age: Inquisition.” We like the billions of character combinations. We also like the ability to control the leader of the Inquisition, which allows us to choose quests that affect in-game play. But what we like most about BioWare’s action role-playing game is the array of dragons – massive, lumbering, destructive creatures modeled after the real-life movements of giant, predatory cats. There are 10 dragons in the game, with players sometimes taking on more than one at a time. Besides that, the game is beautiful, with luscious green plant life and majestic scenery.

'Valkyria Chronicles'

“Valkyria Chronicles” launched for the PlayStation 3 Nov. 4, 2008, in North America, but didn't arrive on the PC until November of this year. The game is set in Europa, an area loosely based on Europe during the early years of World War II. Due to its abundance of a substance called Ragnite, which represents petroleum in the game, the neutral area of Gallia comes under attack from the East European Imperial Alliance, an organization engaged in a war with the Atlantic Federation. Players control the Gallian Militia, which must stop the invasion.

The game’s artistic appearance is one of its best features. The background and characters look similar to a moving watercolor painting, with comic book-like elements. Despite lackluster sales during its 2008 launch, the game developed a cult following, topping Steam sales charts the day of its release.

'World of Warcraft: Warlords Of Draenor'

Yes, we know it had some technical issues at its launch, but "Warlords of Draenor" is a fun and entertaining addition to the popular "World of Warcraft" MMO. "Warlords" launched for the PC on Nov. 13, and undoubtedly helped bolster the number of players in the game, which is currently at more than 10 million.

“Warlords of Draenor” introduced eight new dungeons for users to play in. Half of these are spread between levels 90 to 99, with the remaining four set at level 100. “Warlords” offers a slew of formidable enemies, from killer plants to an entire dungeon set on a moving train.

What was your favorite PC game of 2014? Let us know in the comments below.