The GameGeist Crew’s Top 20 picks of 2007:  ShredMeister Edition, Part 1

By ShredMeister

January 2008

 

 

Boiling down one of the best years in gaming down to a Top 20 list is a harrowing task.  However, the New Year is once again upon us and the time has come to do the difficult deed.  My list in particular may be considered controversial to some; 3 of the games were packaged together in a single SKU, one of the games originally came out in 1992, and a highly-touted “sure-fire” blockbuster just barely made the list at all.

 

2007 was without a doubt one hell of a year for gaming.  Amidst the fervor of controversy and political pressure that gamers like myself are now conditioned to endure, 2007 was without a doubt in my mind the best year for gaming yet.  I say that every year to tell you the truth, but each time I say it, I’m not lying.  The video game industry is still considered in it’s infancy to many, yet its inevitable growth couldn’t be any more prominent.  Grossing more than the music and movie industry combined, gaming has come a very long way since the days of the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System.  Graphical powerhouses such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 vie for the diehard gamer’s dollar, while the Nintendo Wii has perused a far more low-tech / mainstream approach, which has paid off for them in spades.  The PC continues to cater to the enthusiast elite, and the hand-held and mobile markets continue to spread like wild fire.  There’s no doubt gaming is here to stay, and all trends show that it just keeps getting better with every passing year.

 

SHRED'S TOP 20

 

20. Halo 3

            Platform:  Xbox 360

            Publisher:  Microsoft Game Studios

            Developer:  Bungie Studios

            ESRB Rating:  M for Mature

 

Time Magazine’s top choice for gaming in 2007 just barely makes my list.  Why?  Despite the countless game tweaks, the ground-breaking Forge (create-a-map) and Theater Modes (something all games should have from now on), you can only shine a highly polished shoe so much.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with Halo 3…except for the fact that it’s Halo 3.  No matter how much you add, at its core its still Halo.  We’ve essentially been playing this game for almost 8 years now.  Bungie’s says it’s the last one.  Let’s just hope their marketing department doesn’t convince them to go another round, because I think this is literally as good as it possibly can get.

 

19. Streets of Rage 2 XBL

            Platform:  Xbox 360 Live Arcade

            Publisher:  Sega

            Developer: Ancient

            ESRB Rating:  T for Teen

 

I can’t say this one is on many people’s list…primarily because it originally came out in 1992, secondly its 2D.  But I can say that the generation of gamers that I belong to have a special place in their heart for Streets of Rage 2.  Widely considered the pinnacle of the beat’m up gaming era, SOR2 was also released for the Wii’s Virtual Console, but you won’t find online co-op or Xbox Achievements like you will in the 360’s version.  Throw in an extremely difficult yet satisfyingly challenging ‘Hardcore Mode’, and you’ll be wondering why this genre ever fell from grace (I’ll never forgive you, Fighting Force).

 

18. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

            Platform:  PlayStation 3

            Publisher:  Sony Computer Entertainment

            Developer:  Insomniac Games

            ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

 

I must admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of this franchise.  I’m still not, but this game captured me.  Maybe it was the bang-whiz graphics or the zany squash/stretch animation, but all in all, RCF:ToD was one of the first PS3 games I actually enjoyed this year.  The platforming element suffers slightly from the congested amount of items (more is not always better), and the frame rate hiccups were surprising to me, considering previous versions were always butter smooth. But man-oh-man, is this game just plain fun.  If I had to sum this one up with only two words, all I’d have to say is, “Disco Ball”.  ‘Nuff said.

 

17. Ninja Gaiden Sigma

            Platform:  PlayStation 3

            Publisher:  Tecmo Ltd.

            Developer:  Team Ninja

            ESRB Rating:  M for Mature

 

Unlike Halo 3, this game truly deserves it’s ‘M’ rating.  This game is NOT for the queasy, in both rapid movement and gore.  But far beyond the strangely alluring gratuity is easily some of the most satisfying gameplay ever to be experienced in a game.  Once you master the controls, there’s simply no comparison in terms of sheer maneuverability and execution over your virtual ninja.  I’ve honestly never felt more “plugged in” to my controller.  Other comparable action games may have the graphical pizzazz that NGS may lack, but when it comes to control, all the other comparable games…simply don’t.  If it weren’t for the fact that this game essentially came out in 2004 (on the original Xbox), this game would have placed much higher.  But, with the addition of new weapons, added story elements and (finally!) Rachel as a playable character, NGS is an easily warranted reiteration.  To date, no God of War, Heavenly Sword or Prince of Persia can touch this game’s controllability.  They just can’t.

 

16. Forza Motorsport 2

            Platform:  Xbox 360

            Publisher:  Microsoft Game Studios

            Developer:  Turn 10

            ESRB Rating:  E for Everyone

 

Coming back with better looks, a doubled frame rate and an unrivaled online community, this is an easy choice for any car buff.  Real racing pros play this game on their off-season to stay sharp.  Literally adjust almost anything on your road machine, throw it on the virtual dyno to see what you over-tuned, start your own online race team and even import your own images from the net and paste them on your ride to add that special flair that no other racing game can currently offer.  For the truly hardcore, buy 5 Xbox 360s, 5 HDTVs, 5 copies of the game and experience the ultimate ‘wrap-around’ panoramic experience.  Gran Turismo has officially been dethroned.

 

15. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

            Platform:  Nintendo Wii

            Publisher:  Nintendo

            Developer:  Retro Studios

            ESRB Rating:  T for Teen

 

Now THIS is how you make a first person shooter on the Wii.  The finale of the ‘Prime’ trilogy remedies the minor issues plaguing the prequels and gets it right in nearly every way possible.  It was as if Retro Studios had this game planned for the Wii back when the first one came out on the Gamecube.  Being that the original Metroid Prime received universal praise, Corruption easily surpasses.  As if MP3:C wasn’t as graceful and a joy to control with the Wiimote and Nunchuck as it it, the gesture system works amazingly.  Grab a corridor hatch and literally twist and pull the Wiimote in real 3D space to open the virtual door, or latch onto an object or enemy with your ‘energy whip’, and jerk back the controller to fling an enemy or remove obtrusive debris.  Couple the pin-point accuracy with unforgettable boss battles and gripping level exploration and the Prime trilogy just couldn’t have ended any better.

 

14. Hotel Dusk: Room 215

            Platform:  Nintendo DS

            Publisher:  Nintendo

            Developer:  Cing

            ESRB Rating:  T for Teen

 

Story-based games like this are, unfortunately, a dying breed.  I’m a sucker for film noir themes to begin with, so this game was well on its way onto my list before it even came out.  Just like an enthralling book, Hotel Dusk will easily grip any gamer who seeks a damn good story.  The game is even designed to be held sideways to capture that book-reading feeling.  Excellent hand-drawn artwork, unforgettable characters, challenging puzzles, branching conversations, and one seriously mysterious room that grants your wishes, Hotel Dusk is the epitome of the game’s genre.  The world would be a better place if more games like this were made.

 

13.  Guitar Hero 3

            Platform:  Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

            Publisher:  Activision

            Developer:  Neversoft

            ESRB Rating:  T for Teen

 

The official replacement to the air guitar, the third installment of Guitar Hero somehow finds a way to crank it up past 11.  A bitter divorce between original publisher/developer RedOctane/Harmonix initially left me wondering if the new team (Activision/Neversoft) were able to handle the heat.  The fact that GH3 is sitting on the list should be evidence enough of that.  The tried-and-true formula once again receives some good tweaks (in-game lefty-flip has never been easier), and in my opinion, boasts a better song list since the first GH.  The only way a music game could get any better is if Harmonix got back in the saddle, started back from the ground-up, created a new experience and called it…

 

12.  Rockband

            Platform:  Xbox 360

            Publisher/Distributor:  MTV Games/Electronic Arts Partners

            Developer:  Harmonix Music Systems

            ESRB Rating:  T for Teen

 

Wow, these guys read my mind.  Rock Band is unequivocally the pinnacle in music gaming experiences…at least until Rock Band 2 comes around.  Pick up the guitar, drums or even the mic (which are packaged all together) and either jam alone in Career Mode, together in a garage with your buds, or possibly the best music game advancement of all: online.  The fathers of GH and GH2 have graduated to synthesizing all main elements of what makes a real rock band cool, and the feeling you get out of it can actually convince you that you are.  But don’t get too ambitious if you have yet to wet your feet.  If you’re the true musical would-be, and you have the cash, skip Guitar Hero 3 and pick yourself up some Rock Band.  But just a small note:  I cannot recommend the PS3 version since the Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars are not inter-compatible (as of this writing). And do NOT buy the PS2 version unless that’s all you have.  It may be 10 bucks less, but with no online mode and no downloadable content, it is undoubtedly a distant 3rd choice of all the versions.  Trust me, that’s reason enough.

 

11. Bioshock

            Platform:  Xbox 360, PS3, PC

            Publisher: 2K Games

            Developer:  2K Boston/2K Australia

 

Widely heralded as game of the year amongst many publications and institutions, Bioshock deserves nearly every praise given.  Set in a 20’s-inspired underwater city dubbed Rapture, you play a character named (none other than) Jack who finds himself nearing the 40 year old dystopia after a near-fatal plane wreck.  Having no restrictions on stem cell research, the citizens of Rapture have “spliced” themselves with specially-injected power-ups derived from rare breeds of sea slugs that grant the user elemental powers.  You are forced to even the playing field by juicing yourself up to survive the dark and tormented game world and get to the bottom of who is helping you survive, and determine if they should even be trusted.  Use over 70 separate powers, and use them in conjunction with one another to create devastatingly-satisfying results.  ‘Dark’, ‘moody’, ‘unpredictable’ and ‘unforgettable’ are just a few adjectives that spring to mind when contemplating this wonder of a game.  Being the exception to the rule, Bioshock has turned the first person shooter genre on its ear by containing not a single moment of online playability.  As crowded and as unremarkable as this genre has become over the years, Bioshock is far and beyond a textbook example on how to keep FPS games feeling fresh in a sea of mediocrity.

 

Be sure to check in next time for the second and final installment of my personal GameGeist Top 20 games of 2007.