15 Best Years In Video Game History

Notable Releases - Portal, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect

Although 2007 wasn't the peak of gaming, it probably spawned more successful franchises than any other year. Think about it. This was the first time we performed parkour around cities in Assassin's Creed, warped around test chambers in Portal, jammed like there was no tomorrow in Rock Band, tossed a coin for The Witcher, waged war against the Reapers in Mass Effect, hunted for treasure in Uncharted, and faced a Big Daddy in BioShock.

Even though 2007 was defined by brand-new IPs, that doesn't means recognised series weren't give their all. Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 were showered with praise, especially for their multiplayer. Team Fortress 2 didn't put a foot wrong, in terms of matchmaking, level design, and graphics. The free-player shooter was such a hit, it still receives server support from Valve, even after 16 years.

Since Nintendo had released the Wii the previous year, gamers knew a new Mario instalment was inevitable. Although the previous entry, Super Mario Sunshine, was disappointing to some, Super Mario Galaxy was literally out-of-this-world, due to its exquisite controls, breath-taking soundtrack, and jaw-dropping gravity mechanics. Not only did Galaxy receive universal acclaim, it remained the highest rated game on GameRankings, until its foreclosure in 2019.