As we find ourselves close to the end of 2007 I can’t help but take a look back at what could honestly have been one of the best gaming years ever. I know, I know some of you might disagree with me, which is fine, but I’m going to break down some of the games that really made this year special. Can any of you remember another time when so many “must have” games hit store shelves week after week?

   As I sat down to write this article I found myself constantly remembering other titles that I found a pleasure to play, so it was really hard to decide which ones would make this list. The games I decided to include were games that really pushed the video gaming market to new heights on a number of levels, not just sales. So let’s get on with the list and I hope all gamers truly enjoyed 2007 as much as I did. My list is in no particular order…

The Orange Box – PC – Xbox 360

   One can only say that The Orange Box is Valve’s masterpiece of 2007. No one can deny that for the relatively small price of $49.99 you received 4 major games which really could command full retail price on their own. Games like Half Life 2, Episode 2, Team Fortress and Portal all could have been separate tiles but the guys at Valve decided to put them all in one spectacular (Orange) box and we love them for it. The most surprising game of the bunch was portal. Portal is an innovative puzzle game that really can get addictive. The game involves a gun which creates wormholes to allow you’re character to teleport all over the map and if anyone is looking for a fun game to mess with your brain portal is where it’s at.

BioShock – Xbox 360

   Taking home Spike Tv’s award for “Game of Year” BioShock is one that can’t be forgotten. The first thing that comes to mind when someone says BioShock, has to be amazing graphics. BioShock could very well be one of the best looking games to date, or at the very least in the top 3. Along with its beautiful graphics the story was wonderfully written, putting the player in an underwater metropolis that is ruled by a madman and your job is to assassinate him. This brilliant FPS (First Person Shooter) really made the combat system interesting and fun allowing you to modify your characters own DNA in order to give you an arsenal of superpowers. BioShock is one game that everyone should have played.

God of War II – PSII

   For those of you living under a rock and not yet having played any of the games in the God of War series you’re really missing out. Kratos is an ex-Spartan and truly is the ultimate bad ass. Honestly, he’s enough of a bad ass that I would wonder who would win, Kratos or Wolverine? God of War II is a 3rd person video game which some people could say is a button masher, but you would be doing an incredible injustice to the developers by saying so. It has an unbelievable story and yes I’m going on record to say that: God of War or GOW II could go down in history being one of the best overall video games ever. From the soundtrack to the story, even the graphics were all top notch. Especially given that fact it was on the playstation 2. Yes I know playstation fanboys are going to flame me, but come on people, we all know the Playstation 2 doesn’t have the best graphics… get over it. In closing, God of War II really pushed the limits of game making from its gameplay to soundtrack are all first class it’s just too bad more developers don’t follow suit.

Super Mario Galaxy – Wii

   Look we all know how the story goes right? Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and Mario must rescue the damsel in distress. Yep, its true that the overall story is really nothing new, but the game itself brings a whole new twist into the Mario world. Jumping and zipping your way through outer space while collecting stars always seems to bring joy to Mario fans. Winner of Spike Tv’s Best Wii Game of 2007 Super Mario Galaxy is Wii player’s wet dream. Yep, that’s right, I said it.

Call of Duty 4 – PC, Xbox 360

   Here at Down in Front™ I'm going to be honest, we can’t get enough of Call of Duty 4. I have to send out big props to the developer Infinity Ward. They have finally broken the spell of World War 2 video games ruling first person shooters and I'm going to say THANK GOD. Call of Duty 4 may very well be the best video game of 2007; top notch in all categories, gameplay, graphics and playability. It very well might be the perfect game due to its online capabilities and the at times jaw dropping single player campaign. Call of Duty 4 should be in everyone’s game cabinet and if it’s not your nuts.

Assassin’s Creed – PS3 – Xbox 360

   Ubisoft’s technical achievements alone merit Assassin’s Creed being on this list. With its vast open environments and breath taking animations Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed took game design to a whole new level. The developers went as far as to bring historical facts into Assassin’s creed including the characters, the cities, and the landscapes and because of their attention to detail Assassin’s Creed feels like no other video game. The easiest way I would describe Assassin’s Creed would be, think of Splinter cell and Grand Theft Auto (with a little crackdown thrown in) turned up a notch but without all the guns. While some people complain that the game feels a little redundant, I found the game to be what you make of it. If you just run around killing people I can understand their argument on a small level but if you take your time and plan your attacks like a true assassin would this game can be a truly fantastic game. Which is why it’s on my list of the best of 2007…

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars – Xbox 360

   I know people are going to flame me because of this one but hear me out. The reason I added Command & Conquer 3 was based on a few things. Successful real time strategy video games on consoles are almost nonexistent in today’s market due to the fact that it's always easier to play them using a keyboard and mouse but this is were Command & Conquer 3 comes into play. The guys and girls at EA were able to bring a successful control scheme to the Xbox 360 and because of their hard work, developers all over the world found that it was possible to play real time strategy’s on the more popular consoles. Another reason would have to be the use of the Vision Camera inside the game, being able to see and watch your friends face as you launch a nuke destroying all of the armies he spent hours building up can really be a good time. Overall C&C3 is solid game which brought the world hope for the future of real time strategies.

Guitar Hero III – Xbox 360

   I’m sure some people are going to ask if Guitar Hero III made the list why not Rock Band? Well I don’t have a definitive answer on that one but I will go on to say that Guitar Hero III was released first and its predecessors set the stage for Rock Band. Plus Rock Band is a $200.00 dollar video game which is a little much for most people to dish out, so my pick was Guitar Hero III. As dumb as you might think you’re going to look playing this game the overall fun you will have during gameplay will greatly out weigh how nerdy you look holding a plastic guitar. Guitar Hero III brings a slew of new features including new music and great online multiplayer gameplay. I found the biggest advancement for me over Guitar Hero II was the use of master recordings instead of using a coverbands for the music. I'm sure it cost them a lot more money to produce but it was worth it in the end. Guitar Hero III is nothing but unbelievable fun for anyone or at any party which is why I’m putting it on the Best of 2007.

   As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I really could go on forever regarding this topic. There were tons of other great games in 2007 but the ones that made my list I thought made 2007 a special year for gamers. One of the other things I would like to point out. I'm sure people have noticed that I had no Playstation 3 games listed, that’s not because I'm a Playstation 3 basher or anything I just can't think of one title this year that really was mind blowing or inventive for the Playstation 3 console. I'm sure it would have been different if Killzone 2 or maybe Medial Gear Soild hit their release dates but due to delays it looks like their going to have to wait until 2008. So in closing I'm going to list a few others which titles that while good can only be called Honorable mentions:

Mass Effect – xbox 360 - (Not enough time to play game thoroughly)
Paper Mario – Wii

I hope you enjoyed my look at 2007's top video games and I look forward to see what 2008's year of gaming has to offer. Have a Happy New Year's everyone.

Jason Fleck

Did you agree or disagree with my picks? You can post your comments regarding
this article in the forums located here Also keep in mind joining the forums makes you eligible of winning a free video games.