'BioShock' rules a record year

Ready. Aim. Fire!

First-person shooters consistently called the shots among video games in 2007. High-quality titles impressed in that genre more than in any other, so it's no surprise that the game of the year is a shooter.

The excellent "Halo 3" for the Xbox 360 largely lived up to its massive prerelease hype. Other first-person shooters deserved praise, too, including "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" for the Wii, "The Orange Box" for the 360 and PlayStation 3 and "Call of Duty 4" for all three home consoles and the portable Nintendo DS.

But none made waves like "BioShock," the best video game of the year.

Another exclusive title for the Xbox 360, "BioShock" placed players deep underwater in a rundown retro utopia whose walls are bursting at the seams. Besides using traditional weapons, players can fight the submerged city's demented denizens with supernatural attacks in which things such as electricity and even bees fly out of your fingers. At the same time, creepy little girls haunt the flooded corridors accompanied by lumbering protectors called Big Daddies, while clever clues lead you to a final showdown with a crazed mastermind.

"BioShock" boasts a brilliantly executed concept, a thoroughly engaging story and highly intuitive controls. It is an essential game for any Xbox 360 owner and worth buying that system just to experience it.

Games on pace for record year

Also worth noting:

DS rules: While the Wii grabbed headlines for selling more units than the other two home consoles, the 360 and PS3, Nintendo's handheld DS continued to outsell them all.

Music matters: "Guitar Hero" created more ax-god wannabes with its wildly popular second and third installments. But it also got into a battle of the bands with the equally addictive "Rock Band," which was hindered only by its higher price and limited supply.

Mischief maker: Ultra-violent scenes in "Manhunt 2" were unlocked by PlayStation Portable hackers. Although the Entertainment Software Ratings Board determined that the modification didn't change the game's Mature rating, the news -- fueled by outraged opponents -- drew more attention than the middling title ever merited.

Beyond gaming: Is it more significant that a few hundred thousand Xbox 360 users bought an add-on specifically to play HD DVDs on their machines, or that a few million PlayStation 3 owners might eventually watch a Blu-ray Disc using the built-in player on their system? No one knows, but that didn't stop the rival game systems from becoming part of the war between the high-def disc formats.

Best Wii-only game: "Super Mario Galaxy," which seemed to find new, exciting ways to play with every level.

Second-best Xbox 360-only game: "Mass Effect," which rivaled "BioShock" in its ability to spin a story.

Best PlayStation 3-only game: "Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction," which delivered a one-two punch with its equally compelling PSP counterpart, "Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters."

Best DS-only game: "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass," which took Nintendo's venerable adventure series to new places.

Best PSP-only game: "Jeanne D'Arc," which gave Sony's portable system a role-playing game with an interesting historical angle.

Best cross-platform game: "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" (for the 360, PS3, PC and DS), which provided a visceral foray into military battle for single- and multiplayer gaming.

Best deal: "The Orange Box" (for the 360, PS3 and PC), which contained the totally mesmerizing "Half-Life 2" and four expansive follow-ups for the price of one regular game.