2007 Game of the Year (GOTY) thread
 

I thought a compilation and discussion thread might be worthwhile. It looks like Super Mario Galaxy is getting some of the respect it deserves...which frankly surprises me a bit. Bioshock is making some noise as well.

Feel free to voice your pleasure/displeasure. Post anything new and I'll add it to the this post along with any embedded vids.

IGN: Super Mario Galaxy

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Spike TV: Bioshock

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Gamespot: Super Mario Galaxy

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Gametrailers.com: Super Mario Galaxy

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X-Play (G4TV): Bioshock

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Kotaku: Super Mario Galaxy

http://kotaku.com/assets/resources/2007/12/GOTY.jpg

Joystiq: Portal (Orange Box)

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.jo...al-goty-01.jpg

Destructiod: Bioshock

EDGE Magazine: Super Mario Galaxy

Next Generation Magazine: Super Mario Galaxy

Yahoo Games: Super Mario Galaxy

Amazon.com: Super Mario Galaxy

Gamespy: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

New York Times: Mass Effect

Time Magazine: Halo 3

British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA): Bioshock

Associated Press (AP): Bioshock

Game Informer: Bioshock

Gamasutra: Portal (Orange Box)

Onion AV Club: Portal (Orange Box)

I'm not even through with it yet but my vote goes to Bioshock. Is Super Mario Galaxy worth buying a Wii for?

Absolutely.

Added a few more above.

Golden Joystick Awards: Gears Of War

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/ge...ick-goty-2007/
http://www.goldenjoystick.com/

I'm switching this to a top 5:

1. Bioshock
2. Portal
3. Rock Band
4. Super Mario Galaxy
5. Puzzle Quest

Uhhh....OK.

Of course, I reserve the right to not move awards for games from last year to the first post...along with awards from single-console publications/websites.

Bioshock is my GOTY personally with Mario a very close second. Can't really argue with most of the voting though I would like to see Orange Box get a bit more love as it is right up there with Mario and Bioshock.

My top 5:
Bioshock
Super Mario Galaxy
Orange Box
Rock Band
God of War II

Ive only had Bioshock for 4 days but not only is it my GOTY its my GOAT(Game of all-time :D )

Bioshock is an excellent game and brought lots to the table in terms of a great storyline, beautiful graphics, and some nifty gameplay features. However, it doesn't have much, if any, replay value. This would put it way further down on any list of mine.

Rock Band is my GOTF (Game of the Forever).

My top 3 is Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy and Mass Effect. I think I will go with ME, and RB would win if more than 1 person playing. SMG is just so good too but platformers aren't my favorite genre, but still, it is an amazing game.

Rock Band, Carnival Games, and Halo (multi-player) are my choices.

Rock Band

Bioshock is superb, and so is Super Mario Galaxy... but I might give it to COD4. The first game I've gone through and played the crap out of, getting 1000/1000 for the first time on, and now playing a ton of MP.

I think Rock Band is a contender too, but I think the instrument issues almost singlehandedly knock it out of contention for me.

Also, Orange Box is probably the best $60 I spent this year, but it's a lot of old stuff (HL2, which was my 2004 GOTY), but Portal and TF2 are awesome.

For me, I'd say Rock Band or Mass Effect are my picks for GOTY. Mass Effect for getting me to love RPGs again and Rock Band for the greatest multiplayer experience ever.

I haven't played Bioshock...yet. Story aside, I assume the gameplay is amazing, given all the awards it's received?

Very much so. You acquire some very creative items and weapons.

My top three would be Bioshock, Super Mario Galaxy and Mass Effect.

God Of War 2, Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition and Call of Duty 4 are the only games I've played this year. Therefore, they're my top 3.

Since single-player and multi-player are two completely different experiences, I can't choose just one game of the year...I've got to do one for each style, so my choices are:
Single-player GOTY: Super Mario Galaxy
Multi-player GOTY: Rock Band

My Top 5: Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, Orange Box, Call of Duty 4

Seems most sites tend to agree, with Mass Effect added in.

I like the Top 5 idea - here are my Top 5 games I've played this year, all on the 360:

1. Bioshock
2. Call of Duty 4
3. Halo 3
4. The Orange Box (specifically Portal)
5. Rock Band

I received Mass Effect for Christmas, but I haven't started it yet.

Top 5?

I'd say errr...

1) COD4
2) Bioshock
3) Super Mario Galaxy
4) Orange Box
5) Rock Band

I only put COD4 ahead of Bioshock because I feel it has a lot more replayability, and a superbly fun multiplayer. I think the single-player, especially story and innovation, is much better in Bioshock.

In my opinion its a tie between Bioshock and Call of Duty 4. Second is Mass Effect. Halo 3 is ahead of Mario, but behind Rock Band. Mario is a joke to be awarded GOTY by so many different sources. Sure its creative to make plants and little Dip 'n Dots attack you, but come on!

1. Portal - I know it's part of a larger package, but I think Portal stands out on its own. I would much rather see innovative games like this that are shorter, than longer, repetitive or otherwise rehashed games with only a new storyline (what the game industry calls "new" IP). The Portal concept was so unique, and each puzzle was so brilliantly executed that the feeling of accomplishment when you solved a puzzle easily puts it above most other GOTY candidates for me. The humor and story were just icing on the cake. It's unfortunate that it is getting overlooked for GOTY because of the bundled package and because of its length.

2. Super Mario Galaxy - This kind of came out of nowhere, everyone expected just another Mario game, but nobody expected Nintendo to literally turn the plaforming genre upside down. The galaxies concept is brilliant because it throws out the traditional planar platformer and makes you utilize every 3d direction; this overall concept permeates into refined level design. This just adds to the amazing amount of variety provided by the motion controls, and varying level objectives. It shows why Mario is still relevant, and not just a rehashed game. It may still be Mario, but it has more new and innovative game design than most games that only bring a new story to the table.

3. Bioshock - This game really set the bar for atmosphere and story. It's rare that a developer strays from the "epic" sci-fi cliches, or typical realistic war setting and creates such a unique and compelling world in a game. I hope other developers take note, and step outside the usual video game storylines. While Bioshock had more atmosphere than most games combined, I think the plasmids could have been used in some more unique ways, I would have liked to see the plasmids used in some more complicated puzzles.

I'm still reserving the next couple spots. I have played

Halo 3 - great game, but nothing revolutionary, but I've never seen the appeal of the Halo series.
Half of Call of Duty 4 -they put together a great campaign from what I have played, with some great surprises, but it still is very much Call of Duty
A few hours of Assassin's Creed

I haven't played

Crysis
Mass Effect
God of War 2
Metroid Prime Corruption

I'm not going to play

Rock Band/ Guitar Hero 3

Top 5

1. Call of Duty 4
2. Mass Effect
3. Halo 3
4. God of War II
5. Bioshock

Great post...and other than switching 1 and 2, I completely agree.