Video Game Awards 2007

One could say that 2007 has been one of the best years for video gamers. Or, more accurately: it’s been a great coulpe of months.

Most of the great video games this year, regardless of the platform, have been introduced during the fall quarter. Nearly every gaming platform has had at least one hotly-anticipated title, and the games have been so good that some gamers are now owners of multiple platforms.

Since there were so many great games this year, we have broken them down by platform. We analyzed each game for its innovations, how they utilized the platform, playability, and other factors that make a game great. It will be difficult to come up with an absolute winner that is head-and-shoulders above the rest not only because of the plethora of great games, but that each brings its own set of innovations. Some offer innovative new gameplay, others pushed the graphics and auditory envelope, and some are just simply addictive for reasons we can’t explain.

Every next-gen console has been out for over a year, which has given developers the time to figure out the new systems and what makes a truly great game. Many of the “mediocre” titles that don’t appear on this list are better than most of the games on each console’s launch lineup; which is very good for gamers.  Some of the games listed have been released on more than one platform, but instead of creating a “multiplatform” category we let these games duke it out with the exclusives on the console to see if they truly are one of the best games to be had.

This list not only serves as our aknowledgement of a job well done, but it serves as a holiday buyer’s guide. If you have a gamer in your life, then nearly any game on this list will make a perfect gift. We now present the candidates for [OC]ModShop’s 2007 Video Game Awards.

Life has not been kind to Sony’s black box. It has had one of the most overpromised and underwhelming starts in recent gaming history. Out of the dozen or so launch titles, only one caught the eyes of critics, which wasn’t enough to justify a purchase of the most expensive consoles on the planet. Additionally, BluRay and other new technologies hadn’t been proven yet, and many gamers were skeptical. Sony also lost many of its former exclusive titles to other platforms, which makes it even harder to justify.

Thankfully, the PS3 is starting to get some momentum in the way of some innovative games, and the console has seen a huge price drop. Here are some games that make the Playstation 3 almost worth having.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (read our review here)
Release Date: Nov 16, 2007

Uncharted is pretty much another Tomb Raider / Indiana Jones clone, but uses all of the PS3’s horsepower to deliver great graphics, and is one of the few must-play games on the system.

The game opens with Nathan Drake recovering the coffin of the explorer and an ancestor of Nathan Sir Francis Drake from the ocean floor, using coordinates inscribed on a ring in Nathan’s possession. The effort is paid for through journalist Elena Fisher (Emily Rose)’s company, who is there to record the events for a potential blockbuster documentary. The coffin only contains a diary written by Sir Francis Drake, but points to the location of El Dorado, the fabled city of gold. With the assistance of Nathan’s friend, Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Richard McGonagle), they fly to the island without Elena and find clues that El Dorado is not actually a city, but a large statue of gold, and that the statue was removed long ago from where it was kept. However, Nathan and Sully discover a long-abandoned U-boat nearby, with the dead crew’s pockets full of gold coins and a missing page from the Drake diary that points to a southern tropic island where the statue was likely taken.

The Orange Box
Release Date: Dec 11, 2007

The Orange Box is a video game compilation produced and published by Valve, which contains Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. The Windows version was released on October 10, 2007 as both retail boxed copy, and as a download available through Valve’s Steam service.

Valve planned on releasing an additional compilation entitled The Black Box, which would have contained only the new material (Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2), exclusively for the PC, but was later canceled for retail, and will only be available through Steam to owners of the ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics card. These owners receive a voucher for a free copy of The Black Box through Steam which can only be transferred along with the graphics card.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Release Date: Oct 23, 2007

Tools of Destruction retains much of the basic gameplay found in previous Ratchet & Clank games, the game being primarily a shooter-platformer. The player controls Ratchet most of the time, with some sections using Clank, as they explore various worlds to complete missions, using Ratchet’s wrench and other exotic weapons gained during the course of the game. At times, Ratchet may enter free-fall, or with an upgrade to Clank, will be able to fly; during these periods, the player uses the tilt functionality of the SIXAXIS controller to maneuver Ratchet. The tilt-sensing abilities of the SIXAXIS are also used to control some weapons and gadgets, such as steering the path of a mini-tornado, outlining a path for a laser-cutting tool, or using a marble to complete circuitry.

Rock Band (read our review here)
Release Date: Nov 20, 2007

Rock Band allows players to perform in virtual “bands” by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different instrument-based peripherals (a guitar peripheral for guitar and bass guitar sequences, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). These instruments are used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen. Players using the Xbox 360 both online and offline multiplayer capabilities.

Heavenly Sword
Release Date: Sep 12, 2007

The gaming industry has been really good to Microsoft.  They were first out the door with a next-gen system and have had some hardware troubles (some of which are still on-going), but the quality of games has matured with the system.  It took several years, but one of the most anticipated games for the Xbox 360 was also Microsoft’s only gaming franchise, Halo 3.

Alot has changed since the 360 was first introduced: you can now walk into any store and pick up the flavor of Xbox 360 of your choice, and there are a ton of great games to choose from.  Even though some of the games on this list are available on other platforms, the Xbox 360 offers one of the most robust online experiences because of the sheer amount of subscribers on Xbox Live.

Assassin’s Creed (read our walkthrough here)
Release Date: Nov 13, 2007

Assassin’s Creed is a third-person stealth game, in which the player primarily controls the assassin Altaïr through computer-rendered memories experienced by Desmond. The primary goal of the game is to use stealth and other tactics to complete nine assassinations, though prior to strike out for the target, the player must perform a minimum number of intelligence missions, whether by eavesdropping, interrogation, or pickpocketing information from a given target. Additionally, the player may be made aware of other opportunities to use the assassin’s skill, from climbing tall towers to map out the city, or to save citizens from being threatened by others. Many of the acrobatic skills mimic those found in Ubisoft Montreal’s previous Prince of Persia games.

Halo 3 (read our walkthrough here)
Release Date: Sep 25, 2007

Halo 3’s story centers on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity, assisted by human Marines as well as allied alien Elites led by the Arbiter. The game features vehicles, weapons, and gameplay not present in previous titles of the series, as well as the additions of saved gameplay films, the Forge map editor (which allows the player to perform limited modifications to levels), and file sharing. Overall, the game was well-received by critics, with the Forge and multiplayer offerings singled out as strong features.

Mass Effect (read our walkthrough here)
Release Date: Nov 20, 2007

Mass Effect is the first in a planned trilogy of games created by BioWare,  award winning developer of such RPGs as Knights of the Old Republic and  Baldur’s Gate.  It takes place in the year 2183, as humanity begins to take  its first steps on the galactic stage, interacting with new alien races and  settling uncharted worlds.  You play as Commander Shepard, a promising young  officer in the Systems Alliance Navy who has just been assigned to the SSV  Normandy–the most advanced starship humans have ever created.

The year is 2183, and the SSV Normandy–the most advanced starship ever  created by the Alliance–is being put through its paces.  Aboard is Commander  Shepard, a talented young officer who will soon embark on a galaxy-spanning  adventure with the fate of the known universe hanging in the balance…

The Orange Box
Release Date: Oct 10, 2007

This is the first Xbox 360 product to have 99 Achievements, exceeding the 50 Achievement limit that Microsoft maintains (up to 60 through downloadable content), though the Achievement points still add up to 1000 Gamerscore, which is the typical maximum for an Xbox 360 retail game. The achievements are focused on Half-Life 2 but are spread through all five games.

BioShock (read our walkthrough here)
Release Date: Aug 21, 2007

This “genetically enhanced” first-person shooter lets you do things never before possible in the genre: turn everything into a weapon, biologically mod your body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade your weapons and craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques in an incredibly unique underwater city.

The game focuses on a secret underwater city named Rapture, created by a rich philanthropist by the name of Andrew Ryan.  Andrew has the goal of creating a utopian society where the great and powerful would not be constrained by the poor, and where the world’s elite could live without being bound by morality, government, or religion.

The player takes the role of Jack, who aims to fight his way through Rapture, using weapons and plasmids that give him special powers such as telekinesis or the ability to electrify foes. Security cameras and foes can be evaded by stealth; alternatively, security cameras and turrets can be destroyed using weapons, or hacked to use them to the player’s advantage.Hacking, which is based on the Pipe Dream game concept, can also be used on health dispensers and vending machines to gain extra benefits, and on locks and safes to gain access to the secured contents.

Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
Release Date: Oct 28, 2007

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game and the third full installment in the Guitar Hero series.  As with the previous Guitar Hero games, the player uses a guitar-shaped controller to simulate the playing of varying genres of music by playing notes as they scroll in-time with the music. Gameplay from the previous installments of the series has remained mainly intact, except for the addition of a new cooperative mode.

The game features over 60 total songs, many of which, in contrast to previous games, are master tracks. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is available both individually and in bundles packaged with wireless controllers. Previous Guitar Hero controllers are compatible with this title. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is the first game in the series to feature online play, in addition to existing game modes.

Rock Band (read our review here)
Release Date: Nov 20, 2007

Rock Band allows players to perform in virtual “bands” by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different instrument-based peripherals (a guitar peripheral for guitar and bass guitar sequences, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). These instruments are used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen. Players using the Xbox 360 both online and offline multiplayer capabilities.

PC gamers are always on the bleeding edge of technology.  When the next-gen consoles were released they were producing visuals that a high-end PC could generate.  It didn’t take long for PC games to catch up, as new graphics hardware from nVidia and ATI have infiltrated the market and Microsoft has released DirectX10.  DX10 games are now starting to become available, which generates visual effects beyond today’s most capable console.

PC games are also very tightly wound into multiplay via the Internet, so no special accounts or subscriptions are needed to experience the carnage… well, for the most part that’s true.  Microsoft wants you to have an Xbox Live account to get the full experience from some of their “Games for Windows” titles.  The games on our list of PC candidates have the most mind-blowing graphics ever developed, and usually require several thousands of dollars in hardware as a cover charge.

BioShock
Release Date Aug 21, 2007

Bioshock was one of the first “next-gen” games to come out this year, and was one of the reasons many PC gamers upgraded to DirectX 10-capable video cards.  Bioshock is essentially a technology demo of just how realistic water can look running on a DirectX 10 engine.  The storyline is innovative and satisfying, and the introduction of “Plasmids” added a whole new combination of ways to dispatch the crazed & mutated citizens of Rapture.

Crysis
Release Date: Nov 13, 2007

If Bioshock was the reason you upgraded your video card, then you’ll be cursing CryTek’s followup of Far Cry.  The graphics engine is so advanced that you must have thousands of dollards of absolutely the latest hardware to get smooth framerates out of it.  Unless you’re willing to upgrade to an SLI solution, then you’ll have to wait until next year when nVidia and ATI release their next-generation hardware to get good gameplay with all effects turned on.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Nov 5, 2007

The game industry has finally opened my angry letters and heeded my advice:  You don’t have to live in the WWII universe to experience a great war game.  The story mode is just as good as the other CoD games, complete with unexpected twists and turns.  New online support adds a great multiplayer experience, and the graphics and audio are top notch.

The Orange Box
Release Date: Oct 10, 2007

The Orange Box is a video game compilation produced and published by Valve, which contains Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. The Windows version was released on October 10, 2007 as both retail boxed copy, and as a download available through Valve’s Steam service.

Valve planned on releasing an additional compilation entitled The Black Box, which would have contained only the new material (Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2), exclusively for the PC, but was later canceled for retail, and will only be available through Steam to owners of the ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics card. These owners receive a voucher for a free copy of The Black Box through Steam which can only be transferred along with the graphics card.

World in Conflict
Release Date: Sep 18, 2007

Back when I was a kid, I was certain that there were only two ways that I would die.  Quicksand or Nuclear Holocaust.

While there is no quicksand to be found, World in Conflict allows you to reminisce on the ADD-spawned daydreams you had during “Study Period” about the end of the world. This real-time strategy game has a great new approach, and makes multplayer gaming awesome.  The storyline is strong, and the voice acting is Hollywood-quality.  The graphics are great, especially for a strategy game.

Unreal Tournament 3
Release Date: Nov 19, 2007

It seems like tons of games were using the Unreal Engine 3 way before this game came out.

Many people who were excited about UT3 have been fans of Unreal Tournament since the beggining, and were expecting the same type of Super-Fragalistic gibbing.  The third installment of Unreal Tournament feels entirely new, even though not alot has been changed (except for the graphics engine).  This game is meant for hard-core multiplayer gamers, and it delivers.  The graphics look phenominal and aren’t nearly as demanding as you might expect.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Release Date: Oct 2, 1007

Of all the consoles, the Nintendo Wii can boast the greatest success.  Nintendo was the absolute last company to release a next-generation system, which quickly took the top spot.  Even over a year after its release, the Wii is still in high demand and there are shortages for the second straight Holiday season.

Instead of high-definition graphics and a strong online community, Nintendo has focused their efforts on great and innovative gameplay.  Nearly every multiplatform game is almost always more fun to play on the Wii just because of the new control scheme.  Of course it doesn’t hurt that Nintendo can pull their beloved franchise characters out of their butt at any time, for a sure-fire increase in game sales.  Nintendo has returned to the top spot as the console juggernaught, and they did it with pure know-how.

Super Mario Galaxy (read our walkthrough here)
Release Date: Nov 12, 2007

When some creature escapes into space with Princess Peach, Mario gives chase, exploring bizarre planets all across the galaxy.

Players run, jump and battle enemies as they explore all the planets in the galaxy. Since this game makes full use of all the features of the Wii Remote, players have to do all kinds of things to succeed: pressing buttons, swinging the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and even pointing at and dragging things with the pointer.

Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
Release Date: Oct 28, 2007

The Wii version of the game has several exclusive features, since a Wii Remote must be inserted into the guitar controller. The game utilizes the Wii Remote’s wireless capabilities and accelerometer, as well as making use of the rumble feature and the internal speaker: The internal speaker on the Wii Remote is used to emit an effect when incorrect notes are hit; and the Wii Remote’s rumble feature is utilized when Star Power mode is activated.

While the Wii version has online play utilizing game-specific friend codes, downloadable content was not available at launch, although it may be available in the future.The Wii and PS2 versions also use slightly different graphics and sounds from those on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, such as a different typeset, loading screen, and the Wii version featuring “screw up sounds” more akin to Guitar Hero I and II.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Release Date: Nov 13, 2007

Umbrella Chronicles takes place from a first-person perspective as characters move through a fully 3d mansion.  This shooter reveals teh back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from many of the previous Resident Evil games, in addition to some news ones.  Aiming is alot easier with the Wiimote, similar to using a light gun, so this experience translates perfectly on the Wii.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (read our walkthrough here)
Release Date: Aug 27, 2007

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the tenth game in the Metroid series and is the third (and final) installment in the Metroid Prime trilogy (exclusing the spin-off titles).  The game takes place six months after the events in the second installment, Echoes.  The new title follows bounty hunter Samus Aran as she assist the Galactic Federation in their fight against the Space Pirates, despite being slowly corrupted by mutagenic Phazon.

Paper Mario
Release Date: Jul 16, 2007

A distinguishing characteristic of Paper Mario is that, while the game features a 3D environment similar to that used in Super Mario 64, the characters are designed as flat two-dimensional sprites reminiscent of 16-bit Mario titles, creating the impression of the characters being paper figurines.

Another departure from previous Mario games and from RPGs in general is the game’s narration. The story is divided into eight chapters and a prologue. The beginning of a new chapter is announced with a cutscene and a scene with a curtain opening, similar to a theatrical production. When the chapter is completed, another cutscene is shown with the curtain closing. In between these chapters, interludes showing dialogue between other characters take place, advancing the story. These interludes are also times when the player takes control of Princess Peach and attempts to navigate the castle while avoiding being seen by Bowser’s guards.

Here are our picks for “Game of the Year”, broken down by platform.  Since there were several great games released this year on several different consoles, we also awarded a badge to the best multiplatform game of the year… no matter which console you own you should pick them up.

Any serious gamer owes it to him (or her)self to get all of these great games.  If you have a gamer in your life, then any of these games are a no-brainer.  If they don’t have the particular console, then why not pick that up along with the game?  Belive me, Sony needs to feel the love.

Finally, we present [OC]ModShop’s Game of the Year Awards!

Xbox 360 Game of the Year 2007:
Halo 3 (read our walkthrough here)

This was a really tough one to call.  Nearly every one of the games on this year’s Xbox 360 list deserve a 5-star rating, so we had to analyze what made each game great.  Bioshock has one of the most compelling storylines and innovative gameplay in a First Person Shooter, but the lack of multiplayer effectively kills this game’s longevity.  Mass Effect has one of the best stories and great gameplay, but the hybrid RPG/FPS may turn off hard-core fans of each.

In the end, we had to bow our heads to Microsoft and Bungie for delivering one of the best games of the year (read about Halo 3’s launch).  The graphics take full advantage of the Xbox 360’s hardware, and while the gamplay isn’t anything new, is still one of the most satisfying and fun experiences on Microsoft’s console.  The incredible multiplayer support is what clinches this game as one of the best on the Xbox 360.

Playstation 3 Game of the Year 2007:
Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction

Ratchet & Clank is one of the last few remaining Playstation-exclusive titles, and they have crafted a large following of fans.  The game’s storyline is rather epic, and the core platforming gameplay is solid and innovative.  A few minigames have also been thrown in to add some diversity to the mix, as well as new gameplay mechanics influenced by other genres (rolling around a la Super Monkey Ball, performing a minigame to unlock a door, etc.).  While it may not be one of the best platformers of all time, R&C:ToD it is one of the best PS3-exclusives.

PC Game of the Year:
The Orange Box

Again, this is another one that was difficult to judge.  PC gamers love First Person Shooters and love online play, and to really even be considered as a Game of the Year it must have strong multiplayer support, which unfortunately knocks BioShock right out.  Crysis pushes the graphical envelope as the only game to require hardware that hasn’t been invented yet to truly get the most out of it, but the gameplay is almost exactly like Far Cry and isn’t very interesting in the end.

Valve’s “The Orange Box” combines several 5-star-worthy games into one package that offer different aspects of gameplay.  Half-Life 2 (including episodes One and Two) combines a compelling story with a satisfying FPS experience.  Team Fortress 2 is an online game that delivers a majorly frenzied experience that twitch-gamers will love that is also whimsical.  Last, but not least, Portal is one of the most unique single-player experiences to be had on any platform (read our review here).  Portal inventively requires players to abandon “two-dimensional” thinking and use the game’s physics engine to solve puzzles and stay alive.  The “spin-off” storyline ties in nicely with the Half-Life universe and is the icing on the cake (pun intended).

Multiplatform Game of the Year:
Rock Band (read our review here)

Of all the games available for every platform, the ones that stood out from the crowd were the two new rhythm games that came out this year.  Both Rock Band and Guitar Hero 3 offer a new satisfying way of playing, making it actually “feel” like you’re playing a guitar.  If Guitar Hero 3 is the natrual evolution of Guitar Hero 2 (which came out in the spring of this year), then Rock Band is the freak mutation that forces extinction on the others.

Rock Band combines the gameplay of Guitar Hero 3 with Singstar (an addictive kareoke game), and adds drums into the mix.  The guitar controllers have been upgraded to include “solo buttons”, which adds more thrill to the whole Rock-n-Roll-Air-Guitar fantasy.  Thanks to MTV’s marketing muscle, Rock Band also trumps GH3’s impressive lineup of songs, which appeals to the younger crowd playing these games.

Guitar Hero 3 would have been the clear winner this year if Rock Band hadn’t come around and smacked dat bitch up.

Nintendo Wii Game of the Year:
Super Mario Galaxy (read our walkthrough here)

This should be no surprise to any Nintendo fan.  Mario games have constantly delivered solid platform gameplay (Nintendo practically invented the genre).  Super Mario 64 was the first game to present Mario in three dimensions, and every game since then has been a huge success (with the exception of Super Mario Sunshine).

Super Mario Galaxy uses three dimensions to the extreme, as you can quickly become disoriented in the topsy-turvy world of space.  Many gamers herald Galaxy as one of the best platformers since Super Mario 64, which is saying quite a bit as player are still playing this 10-year-old game despite its primative graphics.  Super Mario Galaxy is certain to be one of the all-time classic games, and one of Wii’s legacy.

Nintendo DS Game of the Year:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (read our walkthrough here)

We didn’t have to go through a lengthy analysis for this one, as there was only one worthy contendor for “DS Game of the Year”.  None of the other games released this year for the Nintendo DS have impressed us as much as this new Zelda game, which offers a great storyline, great graphics (by DS standards), and solid RPG gameplay that fans of the series will find satisfying.

Some game descriptions used in this guide courtesy of Wikipedia.