Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Fight For The Top 50 2014 – Monument Valley
When we put together our list of the top 50 games of the year, we don't distinguish between retail, downloadable, and mobile titles. A great game is a great game, regardless of its platform. The result of putting all games on one master list is that many smaller titles – and mobile games especially – don't have what it takes to crack the top 50. I think Monument Valley stands out as a shining exception.
Learn about Game Informer's Fight for the Top 50 Challenge 2014, happening today and tomorrow.
Several indie games like Antichamber and The Bridge have tested players with puzzles based on optical illusions, but Monument Valley does so with production values that rival the biggest and best 2D games on the market. It's not just the crisp visuals and silky animations that make this point-and-click puzzle game stand out; the art style is wholly unique, and each lush, sprawling level is worthy of being printed out, framed, and hung on your wall. Monument Valley is a beautiful intersection of art and game design – I don't think there's another game this year that made me frequently pause to soak in and enjoy the visuals.
Monument Valley isn't a perfect game. The puzzles aren't particularly challenging, and the narrative is a mystery. I'm still not sure what my pointy-hatted princess was trying to accomplish; while I enjoy stories that are open to interpretation, Monument Valley is so minimal and vague that speculating on its true meaning feels like a fool's errand. However, that didn't stop me from playing every minute of the game with a dopey (albeit periodically confused) smile on my face.
My biggest criticism of Monument Valley is that for all its style and beauty, the experience is all too brief; just when the puzzles hit their stride, the credits roll. However, the fact that the worst thing I can say about Monument Valley is that I didn't want it to end is a good sign for its overall quality.
Lots of expansive open-world games and triple-A shooters are guaranteed to make our Top 50 list this year, and while Monument Valley may not be as long or as deep of an experience, I think it would be a valuable addition to our list. It's a reminder that video games are capable of providing a vast array of unique experiences that other creative mediums can't.
The Top 50 Challenge
I'm a bit of a sucker for interesting indie titles, and I
love puzzle games as well, so Monument Valley was an easy sell for me. That's
why I'm eager to get another perspective to see if the game deserves a spot on
our list. Despite probably being best known for doing sports and racing game
reviews, Kato plays a little of everything and isn't afraid to give his honest
opinion about the games he plays. I'll be interested in hearing his final
thoughts after he's had a chance to play it.
Matt Kato was given one day to play Monument Valley. Come back tomorrow at 6:00PM to read his impressions and see if it'll get his support for Game Informer's Top 50 Games of the Year.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
