Bits bit-tech's Top 10 Games of 2007

Too many FPSs on the list for me - over half the list & I'm one of the "lucky" ones that gets motion sickness from FPS. But, I just might pick up Mass Effect. Is BioShock played from 1st person or 3rd person view? (When remember when I tried Oblivion it allowed either but the 3rd person view was not effective).

 

BioShock is an FPS.

 

Generally a very good list! Whilst I can't comment about the gameplay of the Orange Box in full (only just got it, thanks Joe!) if you count it as one game (as you have) it's value alone puts it right up there.

Bioshock is, to be honest, a damn, damn good game. Really, it is, I don't know how anyone can pick much fault with it, it plays beautifully, looks gorgeous, and is one of those games that stays with you long after you turn off the PC, which IMO is a sign of a truely world class game.

I think it's for that reason Stalker is up there. Regardless of the flaws of the game (and there are many) I've not played a game so dripping in atmosphere as Stalker is ages. The world of the Zone was so brilliantly realised, the art direction was nigh on unbeatable. From the moody sky to the colour pallete down to the underground bunkers it worked perfectly and sucked you right in, I was gutted when I finished it just because I was enjoying wandering around so much. If Fallout 3 can come close to capturing the atmosphere we'll have a real winner on our hands.

 

Well, as for me i would put STALKER higher on this list. It's massive, well paced and it's VERY replayable. It's plot is very intriguing, and its end are surprising. It makes u want more.

As for HL2: epsode 2 i think it's considered for the whole package, The Orange Box. Because of portal an Team fortress. I never liked HL much.

As i don't have any consoles, i cant comment ont the console based games.

Looking forward 2008 for Fallout 3. I really have high hopes on it....

 

Welll I have sometimes this VERY WEIRD (not comparable to any other kind of sickness) kind of sickness too. Sickness that if i insist in playing is VERY unconfortable and can take a whole day to worn off. But only in some games. Portal is one. The problem seems to be because of small places. I had no problems playing Dark Messiah, Oblivion, Stalker and some other games...

Very strange...

 

Good rundown of this bumper packed year of releases.

 

I got severe motion sickness with COD4 but nothing in BIOSHOCK. Same hardware though :O...

Honestly, i hoping to try Assassin's Creed next, but it wasn't in the list.. ?!

 

I dont think orange box should be there or mario. I played through Half Life 2 and Episode one and basicly got bored. I see now why I never touched my PC version of Half Life 2 when I got it day of release for CSS.

I have not been tempted to play episode 2 yet and cant see that I will for some time until im really bored. Portal was great but short and thats done with now, TF2 doesnt run well over live and I end up back on Halo3.

Mario is just wrong anyway.

I didnt think COD4 was all that good but then Im playing on 360 and not PC, maybe its better on PC.

 

Faffing-About Creed you mean!

 

Probably because it's one of the most repeatative games ever released.

 

I'm also happy to see STALKER on the list - although with my poor memory when I first saw on the list my first thought was "Didn't that come out last year?"

Nice to see the list, guys. A little predictable, but this will help with the Christmas presents!

 

great list, totally agree with all of it!

only thing i can't get used to is Mario Galexy, i keep getting a bit sick after playing it........ but Portal is great, and don't get any sicky feelings.

for the best story, i'd say Bioshock and followed by World in Conflict (haven't played Mass Effect) i even cried in WiC in the cut scene after the nuke in cascade falls.

i, for one, wasn't surprised to see STALKER in it, it's an amazing game, and with great visuals, superb gameplay, although the story is a bit weak.

UT3 is a bit of a disappointment, but i sure will buy it when Epic has re-think its menu system. it's a great game non-the-less

 

Glad to see WiC getting some praise, it's an astonishing game.

Orange box deserves the first place: both ep2 & portal were on the short side, but both delivered and were awesome, making them plenty better than many other games. TF2 is fun, chaotic multiplayer mayhem. These three, bundled with HL2 & Ep1 just makes the bundle a total must-have for any gamer that remotely likes FPS. I'd say Orange Box is the best bang for your bucks of this year, literally.

I don't totally understand the position of Crysis, CoD and UT3 though.
The story of Crysis isn't all that fantastic, the gameplay is kinda fun (although it's not totally my thing), but the strongpoint of the entire game are the graphics, and mainly just that. You also need a more than decent system, if not a top-rig to play this game as it was intended: graphics to melt your face. Sure, you can play it at a respectable framerate on a somewhat older system, but that's defeating the selling-point on Crysis. And that's why it shouldn't be this high in the ranking.
Unreal Tournament 3 seems to get more praise than Crysis too, except when there is talk of graphics. I find it weird. UT3 has superior gameplay over Crysis and it still looks gorgeous. Doesn't look as gorgeous as Crysis - sure, when you can run Crysis as well as you can UT3. My rig, which will get replaced soon enough, can still run UT3 smooth with a lot of graphical goodies on, while i can't say the same for Crysis. Also, when i read the short explanation that is the exact impression i get: Crysis is [start interpretation] a sandbox mode set in heavy graphical context[/end interpretation]. While i read UT3 as a lot more positive, delivering on more fronts than just graphics.
Even so, both Crysis and UT3 are sort of 'next-gen' games. Many are afraid of the steep hardware requirements and so these games aren't selling that well at the moment.
How different it is for Call of Duty. While i read the comments it seems people are just hammering on the single player angle. Agreed, it IS short. But. It was good. The story was fun, it felt like you were taking a role in a movie. But why hammer on the short SP so dramatically, it is just one side of CoD4. To me, the strength of cod lies with it's multiplayer, and the thousands of online players would agree i believe. The MP deserves more spotlight than it has. The ranking system which is briefly mentioned compels you to play longer and more, and rewards you consistently, making it even more compelling. By the time you unlocked everything you're absolutely hooked. I keep returning to play some matches online every evening, and i keep having fun.
And while the graphics may not be on par with UT3 or Crysis, they're still beautifull, and it -will- run good on a not-so-new system with decent prowess.
This is why i'd go with: CoD > UT3 > Crysis, and while a nice line-up, i can't agree on some places of the games in this otherwise well-picked top-ten.
Those are my experiences though, just wanted to contribute my €0.02.

 

What about Test Drive Unlimited - too many FPS's i think

 

Very happy to see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. making your list, a truly breakthrough game. You really need to give it time to get going, and once you let yourself get immersed it can be a really incredible experience.

I woulda put COD 4 higher though, and I think the orange box is riding the bizarre wave of HL2 hysteria, similar to how HL1 was on the top of every top 10 for about 4 years. Both are obviously good games, but so ridiculously over-loved by industry for some reason. Orange box is only good value for newcomers, for the rest of us that bought HL2, then bought ep1, and now have to buy ep2, it's not that great.

As for Mario Galaxy? Seriously?

Heh, merry christmas!

 

I think the list was well done, though I am in agreement that there were some "personal oversights." For instance, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction was, IMHO, just as good as (if not better than) Super Mario Galaxy. I think it deserved a mention. Unfortunately, I don't think we ever even got around to doing a review. But, there's only so much time in the day.

 

My list :
1. Mario Galaxy
2. Mass effect
3. Civ 4 beyond sword
4. Company of heroes opposing front
5. Orange Box
6. Bioshock
7. Stalker
8. COD 4
9. Forza
10. Puzzle Quest

Reason :
Crysis : because all it had the best looking graphic , its ending was terrible and had the most shocking stupid story a game could have
UT3 : game was a complete screw , no new mods , content was same as UT2004 , had few good maps but the gameplay is too fast for its own good. Also i ain't alone as the game has only sold 35K+ . The game too much for the sake of it and they should have cut down on content and tried to create a good experience that people get with TF2/QuakeWar/BF2.
World in conflict : rts was decent but no where as fun as Company of heroes , Dawn of war , Civ 4..

Also i didn't like the fact mass effect was listed 10th , what do you guys at bit-tech care more about ? Graphic or story ?

 

The list is a compromise between Rich, Tim and I. There were several games we each wanted that didn't make the cut - Rich had Stalker in number 1 originally, and I dropped Mass Effect in favour of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, edging Guitar Hero 3 in too. Tim wanted Forza 2 and SupCom.

M'eh, thems the breaks.

 

Ah c'mon Guitar Hero is only fun for about 3 days...

 

Yeah, but because of Tim hogging it all the time I've only played it for three days.