The year was 2014. Smartphones were getting bigger, selfie sticks were a thing, and the UK video game charts had just witnessed a resurrection nobody really expected. Grand Theft Auto V, the reigning monarch of open-world chaos, decided it wasn't done ruling. After lounging at a sleepy 32nd place the previous week—clearly enjoying a mid-life retirement on old-gen consoles—the game suddenly strutted right back onto the throne. What happened? Two words: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The enhanced remaster dropped, and just like that, Los Santos reclaimed its crown.

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But here's the cheeky twist that had retailers scratching their heads. Even though GTA V climbed from the depths of the top 40 to number one, the combined first-week sales of the PS4 and Xbox One versions couldn’t touch the original PS3 and Xbox 360 launch numbers. It was like watching a legendary rock band sell out stadiums again, but somehow not match the frenzy of their very first tour. The old guard still had a few tricks, sure, but the sheer madness of September 2013 remained untouchable. A little humbling, perhaps, but a win is a win.

Meanwhile, a certain first-person shooter with a penchant for exotic locales was sharpening its machete. Far Cry 4, Ubisoft's newest open-world rebellion, sauntered into second place with all the swagger of a game that could've been top dog any other week. If Grand Theft Auto V hadn't decided to throw a second launch party, Far Cry 4 would have been the one toasting with champagne. As it stood, Pagan Min’s fabulous pink suit had to settle for silver. Talk about terrible timing, right? You could almost hear the game muttering, "After all that work setting up Kyrat, this is the thanks I get?"

Not to be forgotten, Dragon Age: Inquisition made its debut in fifth place. For a sprawling fantasy epic from EA, landing in the top five while facing off against the twin titans of GTA and Far Cry wasn't too shabby. Sure, it wasn't the most explosive opening for a holiday blockbuster—maybe the Inquisitor needed a bigger marketing dragon—but it planted its flag respectably. That fifth slot was a testament to the fact that there's always an audience for bantering companions and closing rifts, even when crime lords and warlords are hogging the spotlight.

Now, eagle-eyed readers back in 2014 would have noticed a few names missing from the list. Where were LittleBigPlanet 3, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire? All three had already launched in North America, but the UK had to wait until November 28. The chart that week was essentially a holding pattern, a calm before the storm of plush craft-worlds, amiibo chaos, and Hoenn nostalgia. The games industry in late 2014 was a delightful mess of release schedules, a game of musical chairs where the music stopped differently on each side of the Atlantic.

Taking a broader look at the top 20, the landscape was a battlefield of familiar faces and surprise comebacks. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare slipped from first to third, its exoskeleton-powered sprint finally running out of steam. FIFA 15 clung to fourth, forever dependable. Assassin’s Creed: Unity, despite its infamous glitchy start, held on at sixth, while its slightly more polished sibling, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue, loitered at twelfth. The LEGO Batman franchise proved its immortality at eighth, and Minecraft... well, Minecraft appeared twice, because one version was never enough for the block-building behemoth. Even WWE 2K15 suplexed its way from twentieth to seventh, a proper comeback story in spandex.

Looking back from 2026, it's almost charming to revisit that week. Grand Theft Auto V has since become a cross-generation juggernaut, still popping up in charts whenever someone breathes on a new console. Far Cry 4 is remembered fondly as the entry that perfected the formula before it went a little wild with future sequels. Dragon Age: Inquisition picked up Game of the Year accolades and a fanbase that still debates over which romance is canon. And those Nintendo titles that were absent? They arrived a week later and promptly brought their own brand of adorable anarchy.

Funny how time flies. Back then, nobody could have predicted that GTA V would outlive three presidential elections, a global pandemic, and the birth of AI-generated loading screens. But in that chilly November week of 2014, it was just another story of a game refusing to fade away—and everyone else arguing over who got to stand next to the king.