My Year End Review

So, the year 2007 has finally come to an end. It was a fun ride, I must say. Thanks for the memories 07' as you'll be missed. I'm looking forward to 08', but I'll be fond of 07' more than 06' and 05'.

This year, I've played many games. Here's the rundown list of the games covered in this review.

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Call of Duty 3
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Pokémon Fire Red Version
Forza Motorsport 2
Crackdown
Pokémon Diamond
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion: The Shivering Isles
Spider - Man 3
Halo 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Bioshock
Assassin's Creed
Mass Effect

Uno
Aegis Wing

Yes, I have many new memories with these games. Some of them were bad, but most of them were good. I'll remember 07' because of these titles. One of them is even my GOTY choice. But, before I hand out awards, let me tell you about my year, and how these games were part of it.

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 started me off suplexing, kicking, punching, chair swinging, throwing people off of cages, quite well. I'll remember winning that world title for the first time against Kurt Angle. I made that prick tap.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas is probably the game I've logged the most hours on. Yes, here I started my own clan with my brothers and various people we've met online. We're an exclusive group, so you can't join us. We kick ass like America kicks ass baby. We'll spank you while you're still in the womb. Of course, as the story goes, we're still a team; however I'm no longer the clan leader. Luckily I called parlay.

Call of Duty 3: I've played every single one of them. This was the first one I played on the console. Yes, it felt stale winning WW2 again. It was fun though. Being on the last magazine, hundreds of enemies to shoot just had me on the edge of my seat.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: The only Wii game I played this year. I bought my Wii thinking that this was a new, great way to play games. After beating this game twice, and believe me, that was no easy task due to the length of the game; my sword swinging arms were tired. Thanks for the memory, but the Wii isn't for me. I traded the system in a few months later.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance: Yes, this game, and 3 other buddies were great. Kicking but with friends is just astounding. I'll remember the choices I made, the ones that let certain characters die, and certain characters kill other characters. I'll remember the team of Iron Man, Wolverine, Johnny Storm, and Spider Man as we went from SHIELD HQ, to outer space, and finished it all off in Doctor Dooms castle. Yes, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be dearly missed.

Pokémon Fire Red Version: Pokémon has always been one of my favorite franchises. I loved reliving my childhood with this game. It was in full color, and had a crap load of new monsters. It compliments my Pokémon Emerald version well. Hell, it was even useful when I got my hands on Pokémon Diamond.

Forza Motorsport 2: I call this game Gran Turismo on the XBOX 360. The only thing is that it's way ahead of Gran Turismo. In fact, it's about to lap it. Forza 2 has something the best racing imaginable. Every aspect of this game is great. Of course, it wouldn't be so memorable if it wasn't for all the naked ladies painted on the cars of the Auction House. In the words of Duff Man, "Oh Yeah!"

Crackdown: Yes, this game wasn't Crack. It took the GTA formula and applied to law enforcement. I loved it. Wasn't the best game, but it wasn't a busted game. I just got tired of searching for the Agility Orbs just so I could complete the game. I stopped playing after cleaning up only one city, but having the game packaged with the Halo 3 multiplayer beta made it all worthwhile.

Pokémon Diamond: Yes, this game was so great. I've always wanted to play Pokémon online. It just felt a little too late. It was still fun though. A lot of new monsters to mix and match teams with. Including my old monsters made it even better. The breeding, the battling, the catching, and the journeying, all made thisold schoolRPG worthwhile.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion: The Shivering Isle: This expansion pack brought new life to by copy of Oblivion. Yes, I remember meeting the god of Madness Sheogorath. He's possibly one of the coolest characters ever written. I won't spoil what happens between you and him, you'll just have to take my word and play it.

Spiderman 3: This game is the black sheep of my list. It received my lowest score this year. Based on the crap film which was hit, it sucked beyond sucking. I regret even playing this mess of filth. I shall say no more of it.

Halo 3: Yes. It came. It didn't exactly satisfy, but it didn't disappoint. It felt great to finally put closure on such a long and epic tale. MC ended the journey by taking a well deserved nap. So did the XBOX 360 he took that journey on. After finishing this game, my 1st XBOX 360 met its end. Now I own Elite.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: I'll remember this game for a long time. One Sot, One Kill, has to be the best levels ever designed. Escaping Chernobyl will be something I'll truly remember. I'll also have fond memories of Sergeant Jackson, who died on his mission to save the world from tyranny. COD4: MW - You rule!

Bioshock: I'll always remember Rapture. Rapture is my dream city. I've envisioned what scientists can do without government, and religious restraint. If Rapture is the end result, I'll not long dream it. I'll remain a scientist though. Rapture failed me, but Bioshock didn't.

Assassin's Creed: I've watched this game since it was announced. I've pondered it. I've played it. I loved it. Assassin's Creed has to be the best stealth-action game ever made. It's easy to play. It's fun to play. Playing it will be remembered.

Mass Effect: I haven't had so many memories from one game since KOTOR. This game has so many options it is ridiculous. Apart from all that though, the best part about this game is the story. The amount of symbolism in this game can't be matched by anything else. The characters, the factions, the locales, are all amazingly spectacular. This is the RPG you must play for this year.

So, those are the games I've played this year. Many memories, many tears, many hours, all accumulated because of these games.

So this year is over. What else happened revolving around my gaming experiences? Well let's see. I purchased my 2nd XBOX 360, my 2nd PSP and my 3rd DS. Both handhelds broke once again. My new 360 is working fine, so let's hope that at least last until this console generation is over.

On to the Awards

These citations are my opinions and not anyone else's. Should you disagree, feel free to leave your comments as to why. Please refrain from using insults. Thank you!

Best FPS: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - This game has the best shooting experience you can find in 2007. Halo 3 came close, however COD4 just felt fresh and new. Multiplayer is solid as well.

Best Action Game: Assassin's Creed - This game is so approachable and fun. Playing it is like eating the last piece of cake ever to be made,

Best Role Playing Game: Mass Effect - Yes, the game may have ****cal flaws. However, you don't go to level 50 if the story wasn't worth it.

Best Graphics: Halo 3 - Halo 3's graphical presentation is amazing. The scale is daunting compared to other games.

Best use of a License: Marvel Ultimate Alliance - I'm certainly not awarding Spider Man 3 anything simply out of spite. Besides, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is like a comic book orgy.

Best new IP: Portal. Portal maybe running on an old game engine, but the concept behind the portal gun is unparallel to anything else.

Best Sound Design: This is a Tie -
Halo 3 and Mass Effect
both games have spectacular voice acting. Halo 3 has impressive sound effects, but the amount voice work used in Mass Effect matches all of that.

Best Driving Game: Forza Motorsport 2 - I didn't play any other driving game.

Best Value: This is a tie between
Halo 3
Mass Effect
Call of Duty 4
Rainbow Six Vegas
The Orange Box

These games all have excellent value. Halo 3 puts closure to the epic battle between Master Chief, The Covenant, and the Flood. It also has what is arguably one of the best multiplayer experiences available. Mass Effect is an amazing RPG with an extremely high replay value. COD 4 puts together a solid single player campaign, albeit short, still fun, and then backs it up with an impressive multiplayer. Rainbow Six Vegas has an interesting campaign, most of all though its cover system is truly dynamic. Multiplayer is great, but it does have a few falls. You simply can't overlook the package though. The Orange Box is what it is. Half Life 2 is Half Life 2. It comes with two expansion packs, Team Fortress, and Portal, which possibly the best thing in the entire box. The over price for this is well worth it without question.

Game of the Year: The one award you two or three avid readers are biting for. Yes it's time I present this prestigious award to my choice game. The one game that shines above all else in 2007 will receive this award. Yes, we know why this game deserves it. It stands alone as the truly the best game of the year. Nothing else released this year can match it. What is game of the year? Are you waiting? Do you want to know?

Nominees:

Bioshock

The Orange Box

Mass Effect

Assassin's Creed

Forza Motorsport 2

Pokémon Diamond

The Runner Up: Pokémon Diamond - Yes, this game was so close. I'll always have fond childhood memories of playing Pokémon. However, I'll always remember that my dreams were fulfilled when this series made it online. While it was just enough, it was too late. Pokémon Diamond will always have a special place my heart.

Now: My 2007 game of the year is: Mass Effect - This is one of those games that just have so many things to remember. It has the story, the game play, and the characters. The universe in this game is just that, the universe. I'll be playing this game four years from now, like I've played through KOTOR twice this year. Mass Effect is that awe inspiring, ethics and moral code questioning game. It goes there, without going there. Yes, Mass Effect is my 2007 game of the year.

Thank you all for reading. Enjoy the New Year, and Happy Gaming.

NOTE: This year end review is consisted of games I played this year, not what was released this year.