2007 Video Game Holiday Buyer's Guide

Dear Santa,

Bring cash - lots and lots of cash. Yes, there’s still three months until Christmas, but I’m afraid that funds will be short if I don’t tell you what I want right this instant. Here’s the thing: it’s time for gamers to move on from Metroid Prime 3, BioShock, and Guitar Hero II – the sheer number of triple-A video game titles being released for major game consoles this holiday season demands it.

This holiday season promises to have the strongest video game release schedule since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron double-teamed an unsuspecting public for the Nintendo 64 back in 1998, and after paying $130 for the Legendary edition of Halo 3 funds are still a bit short.

From Nintendo’s famous mushroom stomping plumber to the newest epic Sci-Fi Role Playing Game from the developer responsible for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the software release schedule from the first of November through the last of December is fat and demands sacrifice in the form of legal tender – lots and lots of legal tender.

Thus, I’m asking you, begging even, to dig down into your bag o’ toys and pull me out enough cash to buy every title worthy of a fifty or sixty dollar price tag. However, just in case your not convinced, just in case you’re wondering where exactly your hard-earned cash is going, I’ve included the following list which details my top five video game releases of this upcoming 2008 holiday season.

5: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Release Date: November 5
Developer: Infinity Ward
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (COD 4) is the only first-person shooter coming this year that may give Halo 3 a run for its money in terms of both offline and online play.

For the first time in the popular series, developer Infinity Ward is taking the player out of World War II and placing them smack dab in the middle of a fictitious 21st century war. The game pits players against an army of Russian Nationalists whose only aim is to bring back Communism in a big bad way. Unfortunately, outside of a bare-bones plot outline and a short, non-playable video demonstration shown at E3, very little is known about COD 4’s single-player campaign.

The reason that Modern Warfare has so many people so excited is found on the multiplayer side of things. For the better part of three weeks, a select few die-hard Call of Duty fans have been given the opportunity to preview the multiplayer aspect of COD 4 during a limited-time Beta test. Reactions to the game have been extremely positive to say the least.

Cited as the game’s most unique online feature is the experience system that tracks your progress from game to game. As player's grenade, knife, and snipe opponents during matches, they gain “experience points.” When a certain level of experience is earned, the player earns a promotion in rank (and self-esteem). Each new rank earned by the player opens up more multiplayer options, more weapons, and more weapon attachments. It’s a pretty big deal.

Article Author: Ben Wood

Ben is a junior at the University of Oklahoma. He is majoring in Journalism with a minor in Film and Video Studies, but that's probably not what it's going to say on his degree certificate when he graduates.

Visit Ben Wood's author page — Ben Wood's Blog