2007 'Game of the Year'.

I know this is a little late but university work comes first and I had bucket loads of it. Wait, did I just say that? Anyway, I’m updating this at least every weekday from this day forth as I need something to keep me sane while I work on my dissertation. I also seriously need to start thinking about my future and I want writing to play a large part in it. Updating this blog can only help in that sense.

I’d like to say that doing this was easy, partly because I’ve played so few games this year, but it really wasn't. With that said from the few games I have managed to play through I’ve played some cracking ones because, often, I’ve only had time to play the best (or what I was told was the best) of what’s been a stunning year. It’s easier to choose from a group of sub-standard games that only include one or two amazing standouts but it’s almost impossible to choose a winner from a bunch of A-listers. I’m still going to try though, and you can see below that I really couldn’t decide. So, this year (and for the first time on this blog) my game of the year goes to:

Bioshock (Xbox 360)
Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
The Orange Box (PC)

‘Three games? Three????’

I know, it kind of defeats the object of ‘Game of the Year’ but I went over and over this in my head and I really couldn’t decide. Yes, each of them has their own problems but this is what balances the three out. This means that there’s really nothing that puts one below the other. Basically these three games are the most fun I’ve had in the video game world in 2007.



When I see a game get 10/10 or 100% I’m more than a bit sceptical. However, Bioshock may be one of the only games I’ve played that received these awards that really deserved it. From the moment the game begins – when your plane crashes into the freezing Atlantic Ocean – I was stunned. The world of Rapture is so believable, and so beautiful; that every step I take through it grabs my senses and assaults them with the feeling you get when you eat ice cream too fast. There’s a difference between playing Bioshock and eating ice cream too fast however. You don’t rush through Bioshock because you don’t want it to end. I spend ages on each area because I want to see everything; I want to take in every little detail, read everything on the walls, and listen to every sound you can hear in the distance. The moral implications the game presents aren’t as rampant as it may have first been presented but I found myself saving every Little Sister in the game – even when I was incredibly low on Adam! I just couldn’t bring myself to kill them. Bioshock is, without a doubt, one of the finest FPS games I’ve ever played. Not the finest game, but nearing that goal.


I’m never going to deny that the RPG is my favourite genre. I love a good story and if you put that in video game form then I’m probably in heaven. I’m going to come right out and say this first, Mass Effect is not the best RPG I’ve ever played but it’s one of the most enjoyable. There’s RPG’s out there with far better stories and there’s others out there with far better gameplay. Mass Effect, for me, strikes a balance between the two. I don’t care what people say about the active combat battle system. Yes, it wasn’t perfect, but I never expected it to be. While I do love a good turn-based RPG or a hack and slash romp they have got a little boring and Mass Effect provides a refreshing new perspective on the genre. It’s not perfect but I never expected it to be, hopefully it will have been refined in the next installment (Mass Effect is supposed to be a trilogy). The story, and the sense that you have some input in creating it, is what really makes this game one of my best of 2007. Like Bioshock I just couldn’t be the ‘bad guy’ in Mass Effect. I felt bad if I did something that made me a ‘renegade’ and the fact that video games now make you feel genuine emotion makes you wonder how people can’t consider it an art form. All this is portrayed with some of the best graphics you can see on the Xbox 360, it's just a shame they've often not loaded properly in order to cut loading times. I’m looking forward to the next installment of Mass Effect more than any other game at the moment.


I’ve already covered Half-Life: Episode Two but The Orange Box wouldn’t be complete without the other two (new) amazing games. Both Episode Two and Portal give new meaning to the saying ‘short but sweet’. Portal’s big idea executes flawlessly and the short span of the game means you never get bored, especially since the portal gun is used in increasingly more novel ways. I’ve not tried any of the user created maps yet but I’m sure they offer more frustrating and brain racking experiences. The ending? Absolutely brilliant! Team Fortress 2 is probably the most balanced multiplayer FPS available at the moment. Every single class is useful and they all play a part in the ongoing battles. Of course, they all have their strengths and weaknesses but – at least to me – these all seem equal (although the spy is bloody annoying!) It’s visual style offers something different and unique compared to the drab or futuristic settings that plague some online FPS games. It also brings amazing character to the game, something that is lacking in the online FPS arena. I don’t play it as much anymore but I have played a lot of multiplayer FPS games last year and Team Fortress 2 (even Halo 3) is by far my favourite. Three great games (and two great old games) for such a low price. You really can't beat a package that contains such class.

2007 was a great year and there’s a number of other games that could of made the grade. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gets a mention because it was incredible fun. However, I didn’t feel it surpassed the other FPS games I had on the list. It did, for me, beat Halo 3. Halo 3 is overrated in my opinion and while I still enjoy it and play it online it’s not a ‘Game of the Year’ entrant. On the 360 side I have missed out on a few of the A-list (or just highly rated) games, because I’ve only just bought one, so I do feel like some of the great games of the year have passed me by. Thankfully I’ve managed to at least try a few of them, even if it only includes the PC and 360. Here’s hoping that 2008 will be just as great.