Top ten games of 2007

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By Dave Stevenson

Posted on 21 Dec 2007 at 16:31

2007 was supposed to be the year of photo-realism and true-to-life physics thanks to the industry-changing release of DirectX 10. In reality, most of the top-ten games of this year are DirectX 9-only. Even so, it's been a cracker for entertainment: these are the ten games you need to see you through your turkey-induced paralysis.

10. The Lord of the Rings Online Shadows of Angmar
Given that even the very genre of MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) gives us the shivers, the appearance of one in the top ten is something of a surprise. But it's difficult to play The Lord of the Rings Online Shadows of Angmar without being totally converted. Unusually for a MMORPG, the storyline is incredibly strong, and the atmospherics keep drawing you back.

9. Supreme Commander
We defy you to name a more enjoyable way to pass a weekend than building an army of robot tanks, planes, submarines and artillery units and then blowing an enemy force to pieces. Supreme Commander's predecessor set the standard for RTS (real-time strategy) games a decade ago, and this is one of the best examples of the genre. The graphics are superb and the action is unremittingly intense.

8. Splinter Cell: Double Agent
A controversial choice, given the overriding theme of the Splinter Cell series hasn't changed since its inception. But Double Agent is still an absolute blast to play. Its almost perfect mix of creeping and action makes it great fun to play, and the graphics are revolutionary. The branching storyline ticks along at a stunning pace, and the voice acting is world class. The single drawback is the relatively short lifespan - with a bit of dedication, you'll have saved the world in under a week. But we only want it to last longer because it's such fun to play.

7. Tomb Raider: Anniversary
This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the intermittently excellent Tomb Raider series. And what better way to mark the occasion that by remastering the best of the series so far: the first one. If you've played the first Tomb Raider through to its conclusion there's not much to surprise, but given the lapse of time, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is much like revisiting an old friend and discovering a better sense of humour and deeper pockets when it comes to the pub. Recommended; even for fans of the original.

6. World in Conflict
Strategy games are supposed to be thundering bores. You spend hours resource gathering and base building, only for a well placed enemy strikes to take it all away. And, because you've saved every five minutes for the past two hours, you have to start the whole thing again. WiC takes the approach that life's too short for anything not involving explosions, and so you're given a supply of tanks, infantry, fighters and the occasional nuke. The result is tactical action that would make Patton spill his tea. You can zoom all the way into direct individual infantry units, or control the carnage from above. The graphics are fabulously detailed and, at times, horrifyingly realistic.

5. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars