Spring Break
A Look At The Year's Top Video Games
Fernando Dutra
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Focus
Although a deluge of titles normally see release during November in order to capitalize on the Black Friday market rush, this year has had a notable amount of titles that are sure to be on most gamers' holiday wish list. Personally, I believe the holiday season began in August with the release of 2K's "Bioshock," a high-minded first-person shooter (FPS) about an Ayn Rand-inspired utopian underwater colony called Rapture gone terribly wrong. Publisher Electronic Arts (EA) and Microsoft would like to believe that it began a few weeks prior to "Bioshock" due to the release of "Madden 08" - Microsoft even scheduled the price drop for the Xbox 360 with the release of the popular football title. A week later, "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" was released for the Nintendo Wii, completing the first person adventure three-story arc of bounty hunter Samus Aran which began on the Nintendo GameCube.
September's release schedule was overshadowed by the looming release of "Halo 3," which was also the last chapter in a three-game story arc. I still managed to pick up "Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trails And Tribulations" for the Nintendo DS though. There's nothing like an interactive courtroom point and click game to accentuate long periods of FPS gaming. "Heavenly Sword" was released for the Playstation 3 during September and is likened to the feminine version of the Playstation series "God of War."
October began with the release of "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" for the Nintendo DS. A direct sequel to the Nintendo GameCube's "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker," this portable entry into the series simplifies controls by relying on the touch screen while also keeping the cel-shaded cartoonish look of its predecessor.
A collection of games were also released in that month in the form of "Half-Life 2: Orange Box," which included "Half-Life 2," "Episode One," "Episode Two," "Team Fortress 2," and "Portal." This must-have collection ($60 for five games isn't terrible if you're a fan of FPSs) was released for the PC and Xbox 360, though a Playstation 3 version will be released in December. A word of warning, however: the Playstation 3 version appears to be having frame rate issues, according to 1up.com. This was confirmed by other gaming sites as well.
September's release schedule was overshadowed by the looming release of "Halo 3," which was also the last chapter in a three-game story arc. I still managed to pick up "Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trails And Tribulations" for the Nintendo DS though. There's nothing like an interactive courtroom point and click game to accentuate long periods of FPS gaming. "Heavenly Sword" was released for the Playstation 3 during September and is likened to the feminine version of the Playstation series "God of War."
October began with the release of "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" for the Nintendo DS. A direct sequel to the Nintendo GameCube's "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker," this portable entry into the series simplifies controls by relying on the touch screen while also keeping the cel-shaded cartoonish look of its predecessor.
A collection of games were also released in that month in the form of "Half-Life 2: Orange Box," which included "Half-Life 2," "Episode One," "Episode Two," "Team Fortress 2," and "Portal." This must-have collection ($60 for five games isn't terrible if you're a fan of FPSs) was released for the PC and Xbox 360, though a Playstation 3 version will be released in December. A word of warning, however: the Playstation 3 version appears to be having frame rate issues, according to 1up.com. This was confirmed by other gaming sites as well.
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