Video Games From 2007 That Are Now Modern Classics 19 Years Later

2007 was such a transformative year for video games. PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii were all settling in and starting to define themselves, and consumers were beginning to take sides. The seventh console generation had arrived and, as with every one prior, would have its own distinct influence on the industry.

2007 would mark the release of some of the greatest games of all time, a fantastic variety from across genres. There was even a legendary collaboration between two gaming stars we never expected to appear together. Let’s take a look at some of the year’s very best.

10

Super Mario Galaxy

Platforming Perfection

Even the menu music for this one is perfect. Subtle, dreamlike notes, evoking the peaceful nature of Rosalina’s observatory while also hinting towards an epic tale ahead. Nothing quite has the power of orchestral music, and it was a perfect choice for Mario’s intergalactic adventure, which was by far his most ambitious yet at the time.

The gravity mechanics were an innovative way of making the space theme feel like an integral part of gameplay, and after getting to grips with them, it was possible to leap from the underside of a smaller celestial body to the top, performing maneuvers that Mario had never been capable of before. The game offered a great mix of smaller, unique challenge galaxies and larger main ones offering a wealth of Power Stars, as a means of appealing to fans’ differing tastes in level design. Gameplay is smooth, satisfying and creative, just like the sequel, which was of an even grander scope.

9

Halo 3

An All-Timer FPS

Every genre has its iconic titles, the ones that wormed their way into popular culture years ago and are now firmly embedded there. Halo 3 is absolutely one of those, perhaps the greatest offering in the Xbox 360’s library and one of those multiplayer experiences that fans still fondly share stories of. It’s a classic that even newcomers today can are sure to appreciate the gravity of.

Halo 3’s story centers around Master Chief and two unlikely allies: 343 Guilty Spark from the very first game and the Arbiter, of the Convenant. Between them, they battle to prevent the High Prophet of Truth from utilizing a Ring in construction, ultimately destroying it and again preventing the Flood from spreading. Where most players spent the majority of their time, though, was in the multiplayer, which was refined and offered the classic modes that FPS games still deliver today.

8

BioShock

A Stellar Atmosphere

The furor surrounding Judas demonstrates that, however much time has passed, fans will never quite be able to let go of the BioShock series. It’s quite understandable, too, as it offers such a unique blend of action, atmosphere, and darkly tragic lore. The decaying, once-proud Rapture reflects a ‘villain,’ creator Andrew Ryan, who developed the city with positive intentions, in a sense, but conflicting viewpoints led to a civil war that would destroy it. The very nature of ADAM use, as well as the development of the Big Daddies and Little Sisters, would receive closer scrutiny in the sequel, emphasizing that there’s so much more here than a creepy shooter (though having Splicers leap out at you in a dark corridor is always unnerving).

The setting allowed for some creativity in the gunplay, with the rather conventional firearm arsenal bolstered by the varied effects of different Plasmids. There are a lot of intensely emotional moments too: the ADAM harvesting mechanic really makes the player feel like a killer if they engage in it, but leaving them struggling to level up if they do not. As innovative as it is thought-provoking, the FPS genre is richer today for BioShock‘s influence.

7

Assassin’s Creed

The Beginning Of A Time-Hopping Adventure

The Assassin’s Creed series has taken players all the way through history, from Ancient Egypt to the French Revolution and the famously foggy streets of Victorian London. The present day is also prominently featured, of course, because all this delving through time is powered by the Animus. A lot of the games, then, have juggled the intriguing premise of events in the present day and the way they influence the memories the player is experiencing (and vice versa). The original game tackles Altair’s actions in the late twelfth century, introducing then-stunning recreations of cities like Jerusalem as well as the overarching tale of the conflict between Templars and Assassins.

Failing to retrieve the artifact known as the Apple of Eden, Altair is commanded to assassinate high-profile targets in order to regain some of his former prestige as an assassin. It’s an action-packed and fast-moving plot, and though the parkour mechanics would greatly benefit from refinement later in the series, the original Assassin’s Creed served as an excellent statement of intent about the scale of the worlds the series would deliver and the stories it would tell.

6

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

Two Rivals Working Together At Last

It’s a common trope, but when two long-time rivals decide to put aside their differences and attempt to cooperate, wonderful things can happen. In the early days of Nintendo’s Wii, Wiimote-waving minigame compilations weren’t exactly a rarity, but some were excellent. One of the very best was Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, created by Sega Sports R&D. The Mushroom Kingdom gang and Sonic and his friends and foes were united in friendly competition, as though all those years of Sega doing what Nintendon’t had never happened.

A range of Olympic events are available to play in solo and multiplayer modes, utilizing the controller in some creative ways. The package also offered Mission mode, a singleplayer option that challenged each playable character in different ways. Further entries in the series would introduce more events, as the successful collaboration led to others.

5

Mass Effect

The Debut Of A Sci-Fi Legend

Sometimes, you just get that feeling that a game is going to spawn a successful series. It arrives fully-formed and just so solid. BioWare’s Mass Effect did just that, introducing Shepard and the threat of the fearsome Reapers, relentless devourers of life. The treacherous Saren Arterius seeks to utilize the Conduit, a powerful structure that is actually a relay that may enable the Reapers’ assault. Saren’s forces are defeated and the possible invasion foiled, but it’s clear that the 22nd century is a very hostile time period for Shepard and co.

The first Mass Effect boasts so many of the qualities that would come to define the series, with some devastating choices to make that can change the course of the narrative. Not only could we lead a favorite NPC to be killed there and then, but decisions such as these could (though we didn’t know it yet at the time) significantly impact later games too. The gunplay would evolve as the series progressed, as would the dialogue system that makes it far more engaging to interact with Mass Effect‘s characters than those of a lot of other RPGs. BioWare established a lot of the ground rules that would set its games apart here, and did it with style. It told a great story (though some other sci-fi titles may top it).

4

​​​​​​​Odin Sphere

An Early 2D Triumph From Vanillaware

At the time of writing, these celebrated titles are approaching their twentieth anniversaries. As a result, it’s no surprise that some of them have been remastered, revised, or re-released since. As such, you may be more familiar with 2016’s Odin Sphere Leifthrasir than the original. It was certainly a refinement, removing stamina concerns during combat as well as newly improved visuals and other tweaks. Nonetheless, the game was still an early defining release for Vanillaware in its original form.

It’s the tale of a harrowing war and the battle over possession of the Crystallization Cauldron, a great destructive force. A prophecy of destruction hands over the heads of the residents of the land of Erion, and the main quintet of playable characters each tell their own part of the story as the narrative unfolds. It’s accompanied by fast and flashy combo-centric combat and glorious 2D visuals, both of which would become characteristic of Vanillaware’s output. A true classic that, thanks to Leifthrasir, feels better than ever to play.

3

​​​​​​​Portal

The Cake Wasn’t A Lie After All

The wonderfully meme-worthy Portal showed the world just how far the inventive use of physics can take a game. This ingenious puzzler stars Chell, who must traverse areas of the Aperture Science Laboratories Computer-Aided Enrichment Center to test the effectiveness of the center’s colloquially named Portal Gun. The stages are, effectively, arenas of differing verticality, and platforms that would be impossible to reach using standard platforming techniques. What the gun is able to do, though, is change the properties of targets and create different types of portal, through which Chell can pass.

The true fiendishness of the design becomes apparent later on as the difficulty ramps up, but there’s more to Portal’s legend. Namely, GLaDOS, the artificial intelligence. Sublimely sarcastic voice-overs from this ever-present annoyance (think Borderlands‘ Claptrap, but with a little less charm) are a primary impetus behind the game’s appeal, and almost every line it speaks has become the stuff of legend. It’s the blend of excellent, endlessly creative stage design and a well-pitched sense of humor that makes Portal, and the wider series, the treat that it is.

2

Tekken 6

A Fully-Featured Fighter

Going into its sixth iteration, a fighting game really needs to prove that it can continue to move the series forward and innovate while continuing to deliver a lot of content for both singleplayer and multiplayer modes. Street Fighter 6 added its broad World Tour mode to that end, but Tekken 6 arrived much earlier. Fortunately, it, too, proved to be a worthy addition.

Crucially, new characters were added to the roster. They included the engimatic and unpredictable Zafina and Lars Alexandersson, adding some new fighting styles to get to grips with. Scenario Campaign added boss battles and more cinematic action, but the standard battles themselves were also subject to some new twists. It’s never a bad thing for a fighter to add a mechanic that helps out a player who’s falling behind, but the tuning of the new Rage mechanic seemed to leave something to be desired. Still, solid online play and quite a compelling story mode helped elevate the experience. As did the wide suite of character outfit customization options for those who like to tweak such things. One of the best mainline Tekken releases to date.

1

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

The Series Would Go On To Make A Fortune

Lastly, we have yet another debut from what would become a much-acclaimed series. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is our first encounter with Nathan Drake, an explorer who is seeking the famed treasure of El Dorado. The adventure is very much reminiscent of a classic Tomb Raider, down to the ledge-climbing, occasional firefights, and dramatic setpieces, making it much more cinematic than a lot of titles of its time.

Though its action is fast-paced and varied, it was a bold first attempt at combat mechanics such as the use of cover and picking targets, which are a little awkward. These would be issues that it would take a sequel or two to rectify. Nonetheless, this was a very different type of game indeed for Naughty Dog’s developers, and they pulled it off with such style that fans couldn’t want to get even more of Nathan Drake’s adventures. They had created a PlayStation icon. He’s not quite Indiana Jones, but maybe that’s a good thing.