Best of “The Best Ofs”

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and the first 36+ hours of 2008 so far. We’re back to business as usual here at SCEA, meaning a PLAYSTATION Store update tomorrow, and regular postings resuming here on the ol’ PlayStation.Blog.

While the last couple of weeks have been kinda slow video game-news-wise, there’s still been plenty of fine reading. Everyone with a Web site or blog seems to have written up a Best Games of 2007 feature, and here are some highlights and emergent themes:

IGN may have put together the most in-depth “Best of” series, with separate listings for PSP and PS3. Lot to read there.

Gamasutra went beyond just the Top 10 Games of the Year for various systems (though Persona 3 and Ratchet & Clank Future: ToD were both honored), the site also highlighted its Top 5 Trends (#2 “Indies Going Major” – “two of the most significant games released to the console download market this year: Everyday Shooter and flOw.”), and God of War II‘s Kratos checking in as one of the “Top 5 Most Affecting Characters.”

Another nod to Persona 3, and another somewhat-lower-profile gem (Folklore) made Susan’s Top 10 on Wired’s Game|Life blog.

I found myself nodding vigorously in agreement with MTV Multiplayer writer Stephen Totilo’s “Great Gaming Moments of 2007.” Sniping soldiers on the bridge with Heavenly Sword‘s Kai and God of War II’s opening battle with the Colossus of Rhodes are two of my favorite gaming moments of 2007, and probably of all time.

Yet more love for Kratos, who not only ran away with multiple PlayStation 2 Game of the Year awards, but also received a number of cross-platform nods in GoW II.

For a more PlayStation-centric view (nothing wrong with that!), the PS3 Fanboy/PSP Fanboy sites dug really deep into every category that you could probably imagine.

And while New Years is traditionally a time to look back, I love the way Game Informer looked forward on this list. Plenty to get excited about, no?

OK, back to work on what will be an exciting 2008 for you PlayStation fans! I hope your holidays were somewhere near as exciting as it was for these kids!