This was the year computer games burst out of the geek’s bedroom and into the
living room – thanks largely to the near universal appeal of the Wii
console. However, there were signs of this trend last year with the
popularity of Nintendo’s DS handheld games machine, which has gone on to
account for one-fifth of all games sold in the UK during 2007 so far,
according to Chart-Track/ELSPA, the retail researchers.
Most consoles have had family-friendly titles released for them but it has
been the Wii – with its clever motion-sensitive controller, which lets users
play virtual sports in their living room – that has converted all ages and
both genders to the pleasures of gaming. To get an idea of Nintendo’s
dominance, the latest figures show that of the big three consoles (the Wii,
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3), the Wii accounted for half
of all units sold in 2007. The total value of UK sales of the three big
consoles so far in 2007 is £722m. Meanwhile the Wii has sold out in many
shops as buyers rush to secure one for Christmas.
The reason for its success is simple: while Sony and Microsoft battled to
produce ever more powerful machines (the PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively) to
create more realistic images – largely of men with guns – Nintendo swiped
the market from under their noses by creating games with broader appeal and
a big slice of fun. Yes, the Wii has more basic graphics than its peers but
the motion-sensitive controller has had the nation swiping imaginary tennis
rackets or pretending to hurl bowling balls at their television in an
entirely novel way.
Games publishers have also tried to cash in on this new-found sense of fun,
and big sales of titles such as Guitar Hero III (where gamers emulate
playing a guitar) and High School Musical: Sing It! (a gaming version of
karaoke) proved it was possible to sire a blockbuster without forcing gamers
to wield deadly weapons.
Another key trend this year has been swankier high-definition (HD) games. Of
course PCs have offered HD thrills for eons and the Xbox 360 delivered them
in 2005, but this year has seen a wider tranche of more sophisticated HD
games, at least partially because of the launch here of the PS3. Many have
proven to be merely visually polished versions of previous games, such as
the phenomenally successful Halo 3 (which made more money in its first two
days than Spider-Man 3, the biggest grossing movie of 2007, took in its
opening weekend). But the hottest titles delivered better gameplay too, with
larger worlds to explore and more believable experiences. Here’s our roll
call of the games that have surprised, excited and entertained us all this
year.
INGEAR'S GAME OF THE YEAR
Crysis
(PC) Age 16+
This was probably the most hotly awaited title of the year and for once it
lived up to expectations. You play as a US Delta Force soldier sent to an
island in the South China Sea who discovers hostile aliens. Serious gamers
know a PC can outgun any console in terms of graphics and this sci-fi
shooter delivers huge photo-realistic jungles to explore.
It features innovative weapons aplenty and even a super-powered combat suit
that provides your character with temporary physical advantages – or partial
invisibility – to liven matters further. Best of all, though, is that your
alien enemies are no dummies; just as you think you have mastered how to
take them down, things take on a whole new twist. It’s a classic, but needs
a beefy PC to do it justice. Real class.
FAMILY
It was the stream of family friendly games that truly established the Wii this
year. Though some lacked longevity, Super Mario Galaxy was packed with
innovation and quirky gameplay, proving that Nintendo’s oldest star could
still bring a smile to all ages.
Other consoles had fewer family high points, but Ratchet and Clank: Tools of
Destruction (PS3) was an epic action-packed 3-D platform game with
outstanding graphics. And the ever popular Guitar Hero III (multi-format)
upped the ante on its predecessors with better tracks and a wireless axe.
Winner: Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii) Age 7+
Mario’s evil cousin Wario is the star of this collection of simple, silly,
small games. It’s a limited challenge but there are grins aplenty as you
waggle that remote.
SPORT AND DRIVING
Once again, the two leading footie titles – Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
(multi-format) and Football Manager 2008 (PC) – showed a clean pair of heels
to their rivals. The former delivered genuine advances in gameplay while the
latter finessed its already excellent formula. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
(multi-format) remained atop the golfing leader board, with the PS3 and Xbox
360 versions finally providing a wider range of courses to match their
classy graphics. Meanwhile, the pick-up-and-play phenomenon of Virtua Tennis
3 (multi-format) served us a deeply addictive feast of on-court action.
Driving games found a new gear as well, with off-road tracks that churned up
as you sprayed realistic-looking earth around. The innovative MotorStorm
(PS3) pitted cars, bikes or monster trucks against one another in a heady
blend of heart-stopping carnage. Serious car fans preferred the more gritty
delights of Colin McRae: DiRT (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) and this edition of the
popular rally-based series delivered a variety of off-road motor sports for
the first time. An epic long-term challenge.
Winner: Project
Gotham Racing 4 (Xbox 360) Age 3+
Previous instalments of this game gave tantalising tastes of the joys of
blazing through the streets of ultra-realistic cities such as London in a
millionaire’s supercar, but PGR4 nailed it. The year’s most visceral thrill
ride.
ACTION
The 3-D run-and-gun genre has had its finest ever year. For example, Crackdown
(Xbox 360), with its combination of comic-book capers and a city-sized
sandpit to roam in, was a game whose charms grew on you the more time you
spent on it.
Another title that became better with repeated play was Call of Duty 4
(multi-format). At first it felt like a mistake to reset this classic second
world war series in the modern era. However, it eventually proved to be the
most accomplished shoot ’em up released this year and the online mode was
simply unmissable.
Winner: Half-Life
2: The Orange Box (multi-format) Age 15+
For sheer value alone the Orange Box anthology was unrivalled. It gave console
owners a first taste of the awesome Half-Life 2 saga (which had previously
been purely PC-based) and also included a wickedly enjoyable online-only
shooter and a clever 3-D puzzle game.
ADVENTURE AND STRATEGY
In adventure games, you must explore complex fantasy worlds while slowly
acquiring skills or powers. Many titles are online only and the best known
of this genre is World of Warcraft, which released a brilliant expansion
pack called The Burning Crusade (PC) in 2007. This added yet more depth to
the most popular online role-playing game in the world.
That said, The Lord of the Rings Online (PC) proved easier to embrace, looked
more polished, and brought the charms of Tolkien’s world to newcomers and
hardened veterans alike. A deeply satisfying offline fantasy adventure was
Okami (PS2), which delivered gorgeous hand-painted visuals to the old Sony
warhorse.
Strategy titles rely on a player’s decision-making to create new civilisations
or command armies and have traditionally forgone snazzy graphics. In recent
years, the genre has grown complex and arcane but Command & Conquer 3
(PC) stripped out all the confusion to return this popular series to its
action-packed roots.
Winner: World in Conflict (PC) Age 16+
Fiendishly addictive strategy war game, set in the 1980s, that offers a clever
“Russia invades America” plot along with classy graphics and gameplay that’s
accessible yet sophisticated.
HANDHELD
Despite a cosmetic redesign, Sony’s PSP console suffered a dearth of titles
that transferred well from a full-sized television screen or PC monitor to
the more compact handheld format. An exception was Ratchet and Clank: Size
Matters (PSP), which was as playable as on a full-sized console.
Meanwhile, Nintendo continued to release a series of mainstream classics that
felt tailor-made for its low-powered DS machine. The cerebral could continue
developing mental prowess with More Brain Training (DS) – a further dose of
puzzles from Dr Kawashima. Or you could help the quirky Elite Beat Agents
(DS) save the world by dancing to a range of poptastic hits as you tapped
the screen in time to the music. A guilty pleasure.
Winner: The
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) Age 7+
Hours of the epic adventure series squeezed onto a handheld without the loss
of any soul. The graphics are modest but the controls are a lesson in
playability. The DS’s finest hour.
