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  Well I guess it's that time of year when everyone starts showing off their gaming muscles. Picking Game of The Year and posting it can land you in some sticky situations as I've seen in the past. This issue creates quite the debate and is surrounded by comments like "I can't believe you picked that game as Game of The Year, are you a NOOB?"  On this note I will say that I will not put any of my picks in any numerical order, rather I will just compile a short list of games that left a definite impression on me this year. I will also give some honorable mentions at the end for some of the games I wished I had the opportunity to play, but didn't get the chance to yet.



  Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360 did just this. Though I'm not a huge fan of the days of knights and wenches, I really enjoyed the game. This stealthy assassin game took the World by storm showing gamers everywhere what it would be like to be a hitman in the period of the Crusades. Well sort of, the sci-fi twist sent most of us through a ringer when we heard the story actually took place in the future. None the less most of the actual story of the game takes place in the past, and has you running around taking the lives of various warmongers who fuel the evil, known as war. The assassinations only take place after you get the scoop so to speak on your target. This in my opinion gave the game a more realistic feel, you actually had to research your targets before you were given permission to go in for the kill. The other reason that this game stood apart from all the rest was the graphics. The day I first played this game was the day I must have looked like Homer Simpson drooling over a donut. From various towers and perches you could really get a good feel for the outstanding architecture of the cities, and appreciate how much time was spent in creating it. Everything you could see could be accessed by foot or by rooftop. Some of the most invigorating moments of the game were spent fleeing from guards that were trying to kill me. Though some of the in- game fighting controls were a little quirky, I believe they were meant to be this way. As an assassin you were meant to be invisible, thus rarely seen, and had little reason to run around swinging your sword around in everyones face. Rooftops and shadows sometimes were your only means of escape from the pursuers around you. Scaling walls and jumping from rooftop to rooftop were some of the most enjoyable things I occupied my time with while playing this game. This game was just simply amazing and that's all I can say.

  Call of Duty 4 also gained my respect this year. When I first played the beta version  I wasn't really that impressed with the game. I am currently eating my words. Taking a step back from their traditional eighty year old World War 2 fan base, COD 4 time-travelled to the present time, thank God. This game was like being wiped down with nitroglycerin, strapped to a rocket and told to hold a match. I was scared, shocked and amazed all at the same time with this brilliantly executed title that left me yearning for more.The attention paid to recoil on weapons and character movement made this game one of the most realistic first person shooters I have ever played. Gritty environments accompanied by vast buildings to duck and weave through made the maps feel more like a war-zone than a level in a video game. Story Mode sends you off playing as two separate elite special forces squads battling terrorism around the globe. This mode keeps you mentally and physically challenged from beginning to end . Try playing for seven hours straight on Veteran, you'll know what I'm talking about. One of the best reasons I can think of to buy this game is the for the Multiplayer Mode(just watch out for the grenades). If you enjoy blasting away at enemies while ranking up and hanging with your buddies, than this game is right up your alley.

  Derived from a game that was made by a college student and adapted for our playing pleasure. Portal made its debut in the Orange Box this year. Portal was a short puzzle shooter tucked safely inside a bigger game. Even though Portal only lasted two hours, it filled my heart with just as much excitement and wonder as any other GOTY title would. I ask you, who wouldn't want a Portal Gun for a hand? The object of the game was simply to progress through the levels. All the while you are guided by a computer voice who seems to want to see you fail just as much as  it wants to see you succeed. Many times while playing this game I felt more like a lab rat than a human being, and if this is what Valve was shooting for, they nailed it. The levels were clean looking and felt just like some mad scientists' lab should. Levels were simple yet believable and were pleasing to the eye. One thing that this game brought to the table this year was a mental challenge. All of the levels in the game weren't challenging, but some definitely left me scratching my head, saying "what the hell am I supposed to do now." In the end the risk of buying this title was well worth the reward, even if it's just to hear the song at the credits.

  Bioshock,yes of course Bioshock definitely made my "Nice" list for the year. I said this before and I'll say it again "If HG Wells would've made a first person shooter, this would've been it" and I stand by my words. Bioshock took you 20,000 leagues under the sea to a little unknown city by the name of Rapture. For a city under the sea I'll tell you this was no picnic. Run by what you are told is a madman, you are sent to assassinate him and restore order to the little city under the sea. Plagued by numerous enemies, who look like you interrupted their costume party, you wrench, shoot, electrocute, and snapshot your way through the game. Along the way you also have the option to battle Big Daddies in hopes of defeating them and either saving or harvesting their adolescent companions. Be for warned though, the Big Daddies aren't the cuddly companions it sounds like they should be. The story was the main attraction to this game for many. Bioshock delivered a Sci-Fi story that others only dream of, and that is exactly what set this game apart from all the other hum drum games out there. The graphics were dark and dreary and gave the game a horror type of feel to it that will give me nightmares for years to come.

  The third, and so called final edition of Halo made its way to our Xbox 360 this year. Master Chief has been fighting his way through our hearts since the arrival of the first Xbox console system, and we've loved every minute of it. Well, maybe almost every minute, for me the second addition of Halo was a complete waste of time, and made me almost not want to buy the third one. I had great expectations for the rumored last chapter of Halo, and as I watched my money being separated from my wallet for the reservation fee, I hoped it was all going to be worth it. It was, of course, I knew Bungie wouldn't let me down a second time. The release of Halo 3 should have been a national holiday with all the people who were taking off work the day after. Personally I played from around 12:30am to something like 6:00am or so the morning it came out. I was so tired, yet so satisfied with my new purchase. The graphics were everything you should expect from a company like Bungie. Rich colorful maps, gorgeous backgrounds that seemed to go on forever and fine attention paid to detail on the characters, weapons, and vehicles made Halo 3, a game not so easy for us to forget this year. Even though the Campaign Mode was relatively short due to the fact you could co-op it with your friends, it was still a solid campaign to say the least. A few new vehicles made their way into the game this round, the Mongoose that was supposed to be in Halo 2, the Scarab, Brute Chopper and Hornet were just some of the new toys you were given to galavant around with. The weapons were revamped for 07 and felt more polished and destructive than before, and they even brought back the Spartan Pistol, just to show you they cared. Plain and simple, if you enjoyed the first Halo title, this one is a must have, period.



  Honorable Mentions:

  Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PS3

  Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction for the PS3

  Mass Effect for the Xbox 360

  Rock Band for either system

  Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii

  Hellgate London for the PC

  These were just some of the titles I wish I had a chance to take a wack at.

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