Los Angeles Times: Best and Worst of the Year

What makes a good video game? Strong visuals are important. Good controls are essential. A well-crafted concept helps too. These days, most games can boast at least two-thirds of that criteria.

So, then what makes a game great? Feeling. Emotion. Surprise. Interaction. Even addiction. It's a magical feeling when a game offers all these elements.

Here are the titles L.A. Times deemed the best experiences of 2007. Admittedly, they didn't play everything (because that would probably be impossible), but of the titles that did cross their paths, these are the ones that resonated most. Their favorites in order:

Best of the Year:
• BioShock
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Assassin's Creed
• Super Mario Galaxy
• The Orange Box

Honorable Mention:
• Halo 3
• Rock Band
• Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
• Cooking Mama: Cook Off
• Lost Planet

Worst of the Year:
• Lair

Dishonorable Mention:
• Fusion Frenzy 2
• 300: March to Glory
• Tenchu Z

[ By Pete Metzger, December 21, 2007 ]