My Quarterly Report
Though those on the East coast would never know it, it's April already, which means it's time to present the best and worst in video games for the first quarter of the year.
Listed by genre, here are my best (and worst) video game releases of 2007's first quarter.
Shooters
Best: Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 (Xbox360)
*The single player campaign is a bit short, but the visuals are top notch and the gameplay, especially multiplayer, is what every other tactical shooter should aspire to.
Honorable Mention: Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Xbox360), Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC)
Worst: Bullet Witch (Xbox360)
*Decidedly last-gen graphics and an awkward control scheme make it not worth it to get to the few enjoyable moments this game has to offer.
Action Games
Best: God of War II (PS2)
*Kratos' second bloody romp through Olympus is the perfect send off to one of the greatest consoles ever. If you haven't played it yet, you should do so now.
Honorable Mention: Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (PSP), TMNT (GBA)
Worst: TMNT (DS)
*TMNT on the DS is by far the worst of the eight versions (yes eight versions) of this game. The dual screen control scheme is just awful, and there are only about 20 opportunities for combat through the whole game.
Sports games
Best: Wii: Sports (Wii)
*Nintendo's Wii has changed the way people think about and play video games, and Wii Sports is the best showcase so far for the system's unique control scheme.
Honorable Mention: World Soccer: Winning Eleven 9 (PC), Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox360)
Worst: Major League Baseball 2K7 (DS)
*Admittedly, the DS isn't a great platform for sports games in general, but MLB 2K7 manages to fail on every conceivable level. It?s ugly, there are almost no options, and the gameplay is almost bad enough to be called broken.
Strategy Games
Best: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (PC)
*A streamlined and balanced RTS with spectacular graphics, an interesting storyline and some of the best cinematics around. A worthy addition to the venerable Command & Conquer series.
Honorable Mention: Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar (PC), Supreme Commander (PC)
Worst: Maelstrom (PC)
*It's visually decent, but the controls are baffling, the soundtrack is obnoxious, and the AI is downright insulting. A disappointing effort from the makers of 2004's innovative surprise hit Perimeter.
Rhythm Games
Best: Guitar Hero 2 (Xbox 360)
*The gameplay is still pure joy, and the slight additions to its predecessor make it a must own for wannabe rockers.
Honorable Mention: Dance Dance Revolution Universe (Xbox360), SingStar Pop (PS2)
Worst: Boom Boom Rocket (Xbox Live Arcade)
*Fun for about 5 minutes, there is no reason to go beyond the demo version of this repetitive Fantavision knockoff.
Fighting Games
Best: Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3)
*Far from a button-masher, VF5 is a masterpiece of complex, nuanced combat. It also happens to be undeniably gorgeous.
Honorable Mention: Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (PS3), Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PSP)
Worst: Def Jam: Icon (PS3/Xbox 360)
*EA turned the visceral Def Jam series into a bland fighter with lots of bells and whistles and no real substance. The story's cool, though.
Racing Games
Best: MotorStorm (PS3)
*Visually stunning and flat out fun to play. The blistering sense of speed more than makes up for the lack of tracks and options.
Honorable Mention: Burnout: Dominator (PS2), Test Drive Unlimited (PSP)
Worst: Micro Machines V4 (DS)
*Sure it's got 750 unlockable cars, but the combination of a maddening camera and a punishing level of difficulty make Micro MachinesV4 one of the most frustrating racers in recent memory.
Adventure Games
Best: Sam & Max Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die! (PC)
*It's short, it's silly and it recycles a lot of environments from the first 3 episodes, but it's also very well structured and legitimately funny. It's also cheap.
Honorable Mention: Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game (PC), Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (PC)
Worst: The Sacred Rings (PC)
*The voice acting is outstanding and it plays just like Myst, but its puzzles and clues are way too vague to decipher. An exercise in frustration with very little payoff or motivation.
Rereleases
Best: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Wii Virtual Console)
*Rereleases are only as good as the original game, and the Wii Virtual Console offers a dead solid perfect emulation of the classic N64 title. No changes needed.
Honorable Mention: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Xbox Live Arcade), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Wii Virtual Console)
Worst: Legend of Kage (Wii Virtual Console)
*It sucked in 1985 and it still sucks today. Can someone tell me who decided to rerelease this thing? (And it's pronounced "Kah-gay", not "Cage". Don't ask why I know that.)
Expansions
Best: The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles (Xbox 360)
*Shivering Isles adds an entirely new otherworldly country to the already massive world of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The insane and often hilarious ramblings of Sheogorath, evil god of madness, make the $30 price tag worthwhile.
Honorable Mention: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
Worst: Sims 2: Seasons (PC)
*Now your Sim can make snowmen and go fishing! Are we done with this Sims thing yet?
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