Best year for video games

[RubyT]

This has probably been done a couple of times before, but I just happened on a website discussing it and felt like talking.
So, best year for video games? For me it's 2007, followed by 1998. No others need apply.

2007:
Half-Life - Ep2
Portal
Mass Effect
The Witcher
BioShock
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Call of Duty 4
Crysis
Assassin's Creed
Halo 3
Unreal Tournament 3

1998:
Half-Life
Baldur's Gate
StarCraft
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Thief: Dark Project
Fallout II
Grim Fandango
Unreal

.
.
.
So, how about you?

 

[Pink Gregory]

Bioshock was in 2007.

Seven years ago.

Eaaaaaaaaargh.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I know the PS2's best year was 2005.

Shadow of the Colossus
Resident Evil 4
God of War
Kingdom Hearts 2
Psychonauts
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (edit: turns out it's from 2004)
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Killer7
Fahrenheit
Rogue Galaxy
Haunting Ground
Tales of the Abyss
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I will say 2010 just because Bayonetta and Vanquish both came out that year; one being the best hack and slash ever and the other being probably the best single player shooter ever.

 

[MysticSlayer]

For me, it would have to be 2007:

BioShock
Super Mario Galaxy
The Witcher
Mass Effect
Assassin's Creed
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Crysis
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

I'm sure there are more great games that I've played from that year that I'm forgetting right now. In any case, I can't think of a single year that had anywhere near as many games of the same quality as those are.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I know the PS2's best year was 2005.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

I think GTA SA was 2004: The year I would pick.
Between GTA San Andreas, Burnout 3, and Katamari Damacy I would say that's a peak year for gaming.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I know the PS2's best year was 2005.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

I think GTA SA was 2004: The year I would pick.
Between GTA San Andreas, Burnout 3, and Katamari Damacy I would say that's a peak year for gaming.

Damn you're right.
I was sure it was 2005 cause that's the year I made the trip to Berlin and I remember San Andreas was stapled all over the city. I could've sworn it was released on that year.

 

[Neverhoodian]

I agree that 2007 was a pretty awesome year for games. The release of The Orange Box alone would make it notable in my book. The number of hours I've logged in TF2 is insane and frankly more than a little embarrassing.

However, I would also say 1994 was a pretty strong contender:

Tie Fighter (the best damn Star Wars game ever made IMO)
Donkey Kong Country
Super Metroid
Doom II
Warcraft: Orcs and Humans
Earthworm Jim
Final Fantasy VI
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Marathon
Tekken
Mother 2 (released in the States a year later as Earthbound)
Wing Commander III
System Shock

Also, a little console called the PlayStation made its debut in Japan that year. That's kind of a big deal, I guess.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I know the PS2's best year was 2005.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

I think GTA SA was 2004: The year I would pick.
Between GTA San Andreas, Burnout 3, and Katamari Damacy I would say that's a peak year for gaming.

Damn you're right.
I was sure it was 2005 cause that's the year I made the trip to Berlin and I remember San Andreas was stapled all over the city. I could've sworn it was released on that year.

Germany has some pretty strict rules for games don't they? Maybe it was delayed there.
2005 wasn't too bad either. Besides the others you mentioned we also got Burnout Revenge, perhaps the greatest driving game ever.
But 2004 was the year I sort of got back into console gaming. The ps2 just couldn't be ignored; I saw Crash Junctions, Katamari balls rolling up cats, children, and buildings, and I saw a whole state made available to explore & shoot up. Games were doing a lot of new and interesting things that year.

 

[the_great_cessation]

My favorite is probably 2005:

Shadow of the Colossus
Psychonauts
Jade Empire
God of War
Resident Evil 4
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Dragon Quest VIII
Timesplitters: Future Perfect
Indigo Prophecy
Rogue Galaxy
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Killer 7
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (I know this one is divisive...but I love it)

...but the best is probably 1998, if we are ranking in regards to sheer influence:
Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Half Life
Grim Fandango
Starcrat
Fallout 2
Spyro
Banjo Kazooie
Resident Evil 2
Baldur's Gate
Thief
Oddworld: Abe's Exodus
Parasite Eve


I was also personally a big fan of 2013. It didn't have huge number of amazing titles but the level of quality of the titles that were released was astounding and easily some of the best games of this console generation (ie; The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, Rayman Legends, Brothers, A Link Between Worlds, The Wolf Among Us Ep.1, etc).

 

[sanquin]

In terms of games that I personally enjoyed the most:

2012
Tales of the Abyss - 3DS
Mass Effect 3 - Hey, I still loved and massively enjoyed the game discounting the ending
Tales of Graces f - PS3
The Witcher 2
The walking Dead episode 1
Dust: An Elysian Tail - Great 2D platformer/hack'n'slash game. Especially considering it was made by just 1 person with a dream.
Dark Souls - PC
Guild Wars 2 - Yes it's not nearly a game for everyone and has it's flaws. But it was a very good step forward in the mmorpg genre, imo. I also got more bang for my buck with this game than with most.
Planetside 2

 

[Axmak]

This is going to be very highly opinionated, and most people would love to disagree. Saving the best year for last:

1997 because of (and in no particular order)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Mario Kart 64
Final Fantasy VII
Fallout
Dungeon Keeper
Tekken 3
and The Curse of Monkey Island

2003 because of
Xenosaga Episode One
WarioWare
Soul Calibur 2
Beyond Good and Evil
Dark Cloud 2
F-Zero GX
And the best handheld console of all time, the Game Boy Advance SP


2004 because of
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Tales of Symphonia
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Tribes: Vengeance
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
Metroid Zero Mission
Fable
Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Pikmin 2
The Sims 2
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Def Jam: Fight for New York
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes


Also my favorite game of all time was released in 2011, so there's that.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I'm not good with years, but I personally think 2013 and 2012 was pretty good. I mean in 2012 you got Far Cry 3 and others, and 2013 had the Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, and a fuckton of other great games.

 

[L. Declis]

Honestly? It's probably going to be this year.

Games are getting better, looking nicer, playing better. I don't know what I'll end up remembering, but there is going to be an Assassin's Creed, a Final Fantasy, a Metal Gear Solid, Watchdogs, the new series of Walking Dead, and god knows what else is going to arrive or pop out of the indie scene.

I look forward to this year's amazing surprise hit, like Bioshock Infinite or the Last of Us, which came out of nowhere and was utterly amazing.

Whenever you go back, you find things aren't as good as they are now. I mean, automatic quick-saving for example. I don't know how I lived without that before, but I can't do so now.