PS Fanboy Best of 2007 award winners
The votes have been tabulated. It's time to find out which PS3 games reigned supreme in the PS3's first full year of games. There were a number of great candidates for most of the categories this year (::cough:: Strategy -- maybe you'll fare better next year). Check out what the writers and readers of PS3 Fanboy thought were the best games of the year.
Game of the Year
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4 accomplishes so much, on so many different levels. Although a multiplatform title, the team at Infinity Ward did an incredible job to ensure that the PS3 version performed just as well as, if not better than, the Xbox 360 version. Visually, the game is almost unsurpassed. There is an incredible amount of variety in the levels, and each one is meticulously designed with beautiful textures, lighting and special effects. Gunning enemies down from a copter may be one of the most visually realistic sections in gaming so far. The single player campaign may be brief, but features intelligently designed level designs and beautiful set pieces that put other FPS games this year to shame. The story is filled with surprises, and your jaw will drop more than once throughout the emotional campaign.
Not only does Call of Duty 4 succeed at providing one of the most compelling single player adventures this year, it also has an incredible multiplayer community. No matter what type of gameplay you prefer, chances are you'll find it in CoD. Prefer a fast, arcadey deathmatch? Or, do you want an ultra-realistic mode that turns off the HUD and makes each shot as lethal as it should be? The number of customizations available make the experience unique to each player. Add Perks and real-times skills changing, and you have an accessible multiplayer game that's as deep as you'd like to make it.
Don't miss out on Call of Duty 4 just because it's a multiplatform game. Infinity Ward's stellar job on the PS3 must be commended, and the excellent multiplayer support shows that the free PSN can offer an experience just as compelling and worthwhile as XBL. Call of Duty 4 is a game that will have you coming back for more, and more -- and we can't wait for Infinity Ward's next game.
Reader's Choice: Game of the Year
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (31% of votes)
Uncharted stole the hearts of PS3 Fanboy readers, and for good reason! It's an incredible game that features the best graphics of the generation so far, fantastic gameplay, and a surprising story that features some of the most lovable characters of the year. The gunplay takes cues from Gears of War, but adds its own unique take on platforming and adventuring, making it an adventure that'll engross you from beginning to end. Kudos to Naughty Dog for showing the world what the PS3 is capable of, and hiding one of the scariest levels in gaming this year.
Runner-up: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (22%)
Best Graphics
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Uncharted is the best looking game of the console generation so far, and easily demonstrates the superior graphical power of the PS3. Everything about the game is so incredibly detailed, from the varied and realistic character animation and movement, to the lush, living environments. The engine somehow manages to render a realistic landscape, with dense jungles, crumbling fortresses, and rushing water without a single hitch to the framerate. It might not beat Crysis, but it gets damn close -- and you don't have to spend $2k for the graphics card to run the game.
Reader's Choice: Best Graphics
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (46% of votes)
There really was no competition for Naughty Dog's incredible technical showcase. PS3 Fanboy readers overwhelmingly agreed that Uncharted topped other stunning PS3 games. Of course, runner-ups like Ratchet & Clank and Heavenly Sword are no slouches in the visual department. The real winner? Your eyes.
Runner-up: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (17%)
Best Multiplayer
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Did we mention the incredible depth of Infinity Ward's latest shooter? Just in case you missed our rant, the multiplayer of Call of Duty 4 is stellar. The variety of weapons, grenades and special abilities (like airstrikes) make each battle challenging and fun. There's nothing more satisfying than flashbanging an enemy, getting close and knifing them in the back. Okay, there's one thing better -- being on the ground, life nearly at zero, as you fire at your enemies and take down a few before you bite the dust.
Reader's Choice: Best Multiplayer
Warhawk (41% of votes)
Hope you have a lot of friends, because our favorite thing to do in Warhawk is grab three other controllers, and team up split-screen against the online community. The jump-in jump-out functionality of Warhawk makes it one of the most fun online experiences we've had, and the online community just gets more intense by the day. The sense of scale is what makes each battle so unique: levels can be massive, and battles can happen on a variety of fronts. Whether you love to take it to the sky, or fight on the ground, there's so much to see and do in Warhawk.
Runner-up: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (38%)
Best Original Soundtrack
Everyday Shooter
We love the orchestral scores of Lair and Heavenly Sword, but one game had us humming all year long. That game is Jon Mak's Everyday Shooter. The colorful mix of fantastic guitar tunes was augmented with a truly synesthetic presentation that makes your gameplay actions truly affect the music. It's fun to play with music in games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band -- but playing and making music in Everyday Shooter takes it to a while new level.
Best Story
Folklore
Folklore stands out amongst the candidates for daring something new and different from other games. The murder mystery of Doolin may have a slow start, but once its intricacies start unraveling, you'll find yourself utterly compelled to the very end. The twists and turns add a very sinister flair to an otherwise colorful world, and the shocking mid-game twist will have you thinking for days.
Best Action/Adventure Game
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
It got Game of the Year from readers for good reason. No other action game this year offered a balanced amount of challenge for gamers of all types -- casual and hardcore. Multiple difficulties and intelligent enemy AI makes every battle one to remember.
Best Downloadable Game
Everyday Shooter
Sony did a fantastic job of making this category very difficult to vote for. So many great games are available on the PSN, but one squeaked by the rest. Everyday Shooter takes top honors for its challenging gameplay, beautiful presentation, and unique chaining system that changes in each of the game's nine levels. The sense of exploration and discovery in Jon Mak's shooter is unparalleled for the genre.
Best Driving Game
Motorstorm
There's a reason why Sony bundled Motorostorm with every 80GB system. It's fun. It's fast. It's pretty. The lack of split-screen multiplayer is a total bummer, but the intensity of each arcadey race is what separates this from the pack. We're really looking forward to next year's awards when Wipeout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will go face-to-face.
Best Fighting Game
Virtua Fighter 5
Honestly, this category is a tough one to decide in. We love the precision fighting of Virtua Fighter and its sleek next-gen presentation. But, on the other hand, at least Tekken gives us online play. Shame on you Sega for not patching the PS3 version to meet the standards of the Xbox 360 version of the game. We award you Best Fighting Game for having a great fighter ... but we're doing it angrily.
Best Shooter
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
You got the point by now, right?
Best Puzzle Game
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD
What makes Super Puzzle Fighter stand out in such a crowded category is its inclusion of great multiplayer support. Go grab another controller and fight against a friend -- or connect to PSN and (attempt to) play online.
Best Downlodable Content
Rock Band
Rock Band is a pretty awesome game. And EA has done an incredible job of ensuring that there's a steady stream of downloadable content for the game. We like having choice in a music game, and Rock Band has done exactly that.
Best Music Game
Rock Band
Grab three of your friends, because Rock Band is the greatest music game ever. Drums, guitars and vocals -- what more can you ask for? A terrific campaign mode, with fun character and band creation tools make the experience of being in a band that much more real. Terrific cooperative gameplay and a fantastic graphics engine puts Guitar Hero to shame. A steady stream of DLC makes Rock Band the music game to get ... provided you have musically inclined friends.
Best RPG
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Don't let its tardy arrival on PS3 fool you into forgetting about Oblivion. The massive world of Elder Scrolls is ready to engross you. The PS3 version integrated new content, and improved the graphics and loading quite considerably from its Xbox 360 counterpart. This earned Game of the Year nods when it was released on Xbox 360 -- and it remains a great game.
Best Strategy Game
Bladestorm
Trust us. This category was a lot better on PSP Fanboy.
Disappointment of the Year
Lair
The PS3 had a few upsets this year, but none were as devastating as Lair. For PS3 haters, the game exemplified everything wrong with the system. The graphics underwhelmed due to its shoddy framerate, and the SIXAXIS controls seemed "tacked on" by many. If the mistakes of E3 2006 were manifested into a game, Lair would be the result. As one of the first high-profile PS3 exclusives after a long drought of games, PS3 owners and haters alike agreed that Factor 5's dragon game just didn't deliver. And thanks to its subpar performance, other PS3 exclusives got tarnished by its shadow.
And so concludes PS3 Fanboy's Best of awards for 2007. And remember this: if you thought our choices were bad this year, wait until next year. The PS3's upcoming 2008 library looks like it'll bring out the devilish flamebaiters in all of us. See you in the comments section!
