The Best Games of 2007

We pick our best games for the year. How many of them did you play, and what's our overall game of the year?

Page: 1  2  3  4 

Page 4

2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, 360, PS3)

- Read our full review of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Games dealing with armed conflict have been around as long as there have been games but none of them has quite managed to do what Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare does so well: put you on the battlefield. Developer Infinity Ward deftly sidestepped the nonsense that afflicts so many war games and actually allowed players to feel for a few hours what the hell of combat is like.

The game is short, but there is nothing wasted. Mission types vary at every step and the sheer technical expertise on the screen and in your hands makes you realize that you're playing something special. Skills learned on the battlefield can be put to good use on the expansive multiplayer modes, where thousands of gamers from around the world vie for bragging rights and virtual rewards. In short, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the must-play shooter of the year.

1. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

- Read our full review of Super Mario Galaxy

After Super Mario Sunshine on the GameCube, Nintendo fans had to wait five long years to play another Mario platforming game. Was Super Mario Galaxy worth it? Without question.

An often heard word used by critics to describe this Wii debut for the plumber is "pure". There's a certain authenticity about the way the game is designed, with pure fun being the crucial element. The worlds go from flat to spherical with gravity pulling you every which way, but, once you're used to the way the camera works, you never feel like the game is out of your control. Add to this the addictive quality of collecting the Stars, which let you unlock new worlds to explore, the diversity of the level design, and the spot-on pacing that introduces something new at each step, and you've got what is not just the best game of 2007 but one of the best games of any year.