Best Of 2007: Top Ten Games Of The Year - Part II

Working as a writer of something you love, a task that is the sole reason to dedicate yourself to the craft, is a rewarding experience. Nights are spent in front of a glowing screen, words spilling out with excitement, and the satisfaction that at some point in those thousands of half-witted comments there’s a true gem. A critic, or “journo” as some like to call themselves, places himself at odds with the task of writing. Playing a video game, watching a movie or television show is the distraction that can keep the good writer from the page. Yet we spend our free time with a control pad in hand doing exactly what our editors are uninterested in, playing Call of Duty 4. We toil away late into the night to meet deadlines. And what we hope for is the chance to squeeze something that has real merit.

I mention this because I am not a game developer, but my imagination lends me to believe that things aren’t so different on that side of the page. Just as I am constantly struggling to find a balance of life and the written word, thousands of people (most who go unnamed and unknown) work late into the night to ensure we get our copy of Ratchet & Clank or Super Mario Galaxy when it’s expected. There’s a lot of hard work put in to developing a game, and while everyone can say that BioShock is a great accomplishment, precious few know why. Stephen King once said in an interview when asked how he writes, “One word at a time.” Like any work of art – and yes, video games are works of art – the video game comes to be one small step at a time.

Now we get to the moment in the year that I dread most, the “Best Of” listing. Look around at other lists and you’ll notice that critics are often short sighted. Whether it’s movies, television, or video games we often cite the experiences that are freshest in our minds. This is a damn good reason to be wary of such lists where a group, even a fine one like that at Blend Games, determines what the best thing to come out in the previous year was. It is my firm belief that there is no such thing as the “best” game of the year. After all these things are for our entertainment, and who am I to tell you that Wii Play isn’t the best thing to come out? The sales numbers indicate that a great number of people love the game, and the convenient Wii remote that comes with.

With that said we do have a list of the ten games released in 2007 that were exceptionally fun. Are these the best video games that were put out amidst the thousands released? I believe they just might be. Each one brought me great joy, and no matter where a game falls on the list it deserves to be recognized.

The time has come to unveil the best game of 2007 according to a bunch of guys who couldn’t agree on whether to serve steak and blue cheese or pigs in a blanket at our New Years Eve party. We compromised and just drank even more cheap beer to forget our troubles. And now we’re ready to present the Top 5 games of 2007.

5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC


Infinity Ward returned to the Call of Duty franchise with style and passion. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was a whirlwind experience that never let up during its short run. Add on a multiplayer system that is second only to Halo 3 and you have something truly special. After the abortion that was COD3 it’s nice to see the series back on top of the shooter pile. Players were treated to some of the best moments in gaming for 2007 when playing through COD4. It’ll be a long time before we forget crawling out of the helicopter to a horrific sight, or the pitch perfect pace of the sniper level.

4. Portal/Orange Box
Xbox 360, PC, Playstation 3


Initially our intention was to place the entire Orange Box onto the list as a single entity. As the votes came in it came to be clear that while that would be fine, as the entire collection deserves its place on the list, the real gem is Portal. Therefore the surprisingly addictive, innovative and story driven puzzler earns the prominent place on our Best of 2007 list. Yes, both Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2 sit by Portal’s side. After all, Ep. 2 proved that Valve is ready to continually redefine gameplay. Despite some major issues with the Xbox 360 version, Team Fortress 2 continued the caliber of balanced class based team games the original was known for. Portal is a game that transcends our preconceived notion of gameplay and story. For that reason (among many others), it sits squarely in our number four slot.

3. Mass Effect
Xbox 360


For those who are going to complain about the placement of Mass Effect on this list, just remember that despite the multitude of technical flaws the game is still a wonderful experience. BioWare still has trouble getting over some minor technical hurdles, and it admittedly tarnishes the overall experience. But no game this year revitalized epic storytelling with immersive gameplay.

Mass Effect unfolds its story through a dialogue system that makes talking as much fun as throwing a Geth in the air like a clay pigeon. The expansive story begins an epic tale, and by the end you realize that this is just the first act of a larger opus. That’s right, story matters enough to garner Mass Effect a high place on our list.

Easily one of the most epic games in recent memory, BioWare’s magnum opus gave players weeks of gameplay wrapped in one of the most cinematic and engrossing sci-fi worlds ever put to disc…and all without the Star Wars license.

2. BioShock
Xbox 360, PC


If you played System Shock 2 then things were a bit familiar as you played through BioShock. Ken Levine took something that was already brilliant and refined it, making it a near perfect experience. More than a shooter, BioShock enthralled players with atmosphere and gameplay.

Players were also offered multiple choices on how they would experience the City of Rapture. You could choose to kill or save the creepy Little Sisters found accompanying the lumbering and vicious Big Daddy characters. Possibly more interesting was the placement of audio diaries throughout the underwater city that provided the back-story. It was up to the player to delve deeper into the narrative, and this is what gaming is all about. While story drove Mass Effect, it was a part of the gameplay experience in BioShock. Or it wasn't, you were never forced to "endure" story exposition.

There was little else released in 2007 that could compete with BioShock’s storytelling magic. The nerfed VitaChamber system took much of the challenge and suspense out of the game. Otherwise this is an example of what it takes to formulate a near perfect interactive story.

1. Super Mario Galaxy
Nintendo Wii


Over the last year the hardcore gaming crowd has been perplexed by the success of Nintendo’s Wii. There was nothing spectacular coming to store shelves for the waggle system, and yet it sold in droves. Those who doubted Nintendo’s dedication to tried and true gaming must have forgotten the name Shigeru Miyamoto. The creator of gaming’s most iconic franchises returned to center stage with a platformer ready to redefine not just a genre, but games in general.

Super Mario Galaxy is a marvel of game design and precision platforming. At first glance it would be easy to write off the gravity puzzles and challenge as more gimmicky programming by the Big N. That is until you put your hands on the controls. Moving Mario around the planetoids feels exactly like it did back in the Super Mario Bros 3 days. But this is not a rehash of any past Mario titles, Galaxy is a whole new experience based upon the rock solid gameplay Miyamoto is known for.

We at Blend Games have been vocal over recent months about the importance of story, so it may seem ironic that one of the oldest (and simplest) stories in video games would take our top spot for 2007. The problem is that we’re still seeing developers like Ken Levine working out a way to incorporate complex story into a game. Even though there has been great success on that front, no one can compare with the sheer fun that is playing as Mario in Galaxy. Issues with the game are minute enough to be almost non-existent. A camera glitch here and there just lends reinforcement to how well designed 99% of the game is.

There is no other game in 2007 that was as much fun to play, or as innovative in it’s gameplay. Other titles pulled off one of those feats, but only Galaxy perfected both in one game.