2007 Nodie Awards: GamerNode’s Top 10 games of 2007

Published on January 1, 2008, by GamerNode Staff - Posted in Features 0

2007 was a big year for gaming. Tons of games scored well, tons sold well regardless of their score, and even more provided hours of fun. Was it hard coming up with a list for the top 10 of 2007? You bet. How did it work? Each person at GamerNode came up with their own top 10 list of overall games, and the console-specific lists were limited to the people who actually focussed on those consoles. That’s why you’ll see some games higher on one list than another, or missing from one completely.

Either way, we’re all well aware people have different opinions; even our own editorial staff was completely split on why some games made the list and some didn’t. (Just ask Chris.) If you’d like to check out the lists for the console specific top 10 games, check them out here. In the meantime, take a look below for the 2007 Nodies, and find out which game came home with the award for Best Game of 2007.

-Brendon

The Nodies: Top 10 Games of 2007

10. Peggle (PC)

Critically acclaimed, widely accessible, and oftentimes ridiculously irreverent, Peggle is one of the biggest surprises of 2007. At its most basic, it’s Pachinko, but everyone who has played it will tell you that it is so much more. Like a lot of games, there isn’t one aspect that stands out as being the hook. Peggle’s charm is evident from the moment you boot it up and witness the colorful characters who are actually the level sets, to the seventeenth time you hear “Ode to Joy” when you finish a level, and best of all, it never runs thin.

9. Halo 3 (Xbox 360) (review)

The end of Master Chief’s saga? Only time (and the desire for money) will tell. While the game originally stood above others for its multiplayer offering, it’s the community involvement with Forge and the future possibilities that put it on the list. Things like puzzle maps take Halo where no one thought it would ever go, and if you aren’t taking advantage of user content, you’re missing out.

8. Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) (review)

Call of Duty 4 did a masterful job of blending in non-stop action with two intertwining stories full of characters you actually care about. That’s right: characters you care about in an FPS. Yes, it’s as linear as can be, but like I said, it’s non-stop action. Throw in a multiplayer with a great variety of weapons and a rewarding leveling system, and it’s no wonder why it was such a great year for the genre and why this game is so popular.

7. God of War 2 (PS2) (review)

God of War II picked up right where God of War left off, both in terms of its stellar story and excellent, enjoyable gameplay. It may have been the swan song of the Playstation 2, but what a song it was. Kratos was as vicious as ever, and came equipped with plenty of new ways to mow down his enemies. This translated to a game that satisfied the most basic need of any third-person action gamer: to kick ass.

6. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3) (review)

Sure, plenty of people didn’t like the combat, and the twist near the end brought the story down a notch for some. Despite that, there’s no questioning that Uncharted was the finest game on the PS3 last year, and featured a character sure to be a next-gen favorite. The voice acting, the dialog, the graphics… Uncharted has presentation up the wazoo, and when you factor in some fun gameplay, you have a winner.

5. Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3) (review)

Guitar Hero showed us how fun it can be to shred on plastic controllers to our favorite tunes, Rock Band has taught us how much more fun it can be playing locally with multiple people in your very own plastic (Ono?) band. The old adage of “the more the merrier” fits like a glove here since playing alone is a far different experience than playing with a full group, in fact, it seems almost archaic. Rock Band has also delivered on the DLC front with new content from varying genres being offered each week and much more yet to come. Guitar Hero what?

4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) (review)

In 2007, Mario came back to show the gaming community that old dogs can most certainly learn new tricks. Super Mario Galaxy has restored faith in the mustachioed plumber (astronaut?) by wowing gamers and easily capturing the #1 spot on the Wii this year, and #3 overall. Unique new gameplay mechanics are custom-fitted to the console, and the gravity-based exploration is such great fun that this game even managed to topple The Ocarina of Time on the all-time metareview lists for a while. For that to happen, the game MUST be incredible.

3. Mass Effect (Xbox 360) (review)

One of the most anticipated games in quite a while, BioWare’s greatest shows why they’re still one of the elite teams out there. It’s not quite as free when it comes to exploring and dialog as we all hoped, but it’s still damn good. One of the best stories in years, some of the best animations in years, great characters, and great music? Sign me up. The only bad thing about Mass Effect (other than a few visual hiccups here and there) is that we’ll have to wait to see how the story ends.

2. Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC) (review)

Few games have managed to combine intense, action-packed gameplay, intriguing storyline, progressive character customization, and engrossing exploration the way that 2K Boston’s Bioshock has. The game’s depth can only be appreciated after a fair bit of play, but it will captivate you from the first two minutes and won’t let go until the very end of the journey. No single element in Bioshock outweighs the others, and just about everything that makes a great game is included in this amazing experience.

1. Portal (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) (review)

Like the legendary 300 at Thermopalye, Portal is surrounded by sequels and shovelware that are ready to suffocate it with their obscene numbers. But unlike the 300, Portal won this battle by defying conventional game design with a confident smirk on its face and a weighted companion cube in its hand. Portal isn’t just the best game of the year, it’s a landmark title for the industry whose influence will run as deep as our desire for change, and gives the best proof yet that games don’t need to be long to be great. Embrace the revolution. Embrace Portal.

Honorable mention: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Team Fortress 2, Puzzle Quest, Zack & Wiki, Persona 3