Canned Geek: Australia's Guide to all things Geeky.

2007 was been a year dominated by first person shooters, Bioshock, The Orange Box, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, The Darkness, Shadowrun and Crysis were all released this year and for the most part they were all very good. But so many FPS’ left me wanting to play something, anything, where I could actually see my character.

2007 was also a year dominated by hype. Many gamers were left disappointed by promises made by developers and I was no exception. Assassin’s Creed was the big one for a lot of gamers but I was disappointed by just about every game I played this year with the exception of the Orange Box, The Witcher and Call of Duty 4.

And this is why Call of Duty 4 is my personal game of the year. Do I think it was the best? Probably not. But it was a game that I had very average expectations for that ended up surprising me greatly. The multiplayer beta had me hooked like I never had been with an online FPS, and I played it until my download limit filled.

The single player is where this game really shines though. The developers have created what I would call a nearly perfect example of totally linear level design, packing the game with so many incredible set pieces but without ever letting the player feel that they are being led by the nose through the levels. It also features some surprisingly powerful story which highlight the horror of modern warfare and serve to make sure that you never feel invincible, a problem that plagues every war shooter.

Side Note: I chose not to put Half Life 2: Episode Two here because of the episodic nature of the series. If all of the episodes had been released this year it would have won hands down.

Also awesome:Half-Life 2: Episode 2, The Witcher, Bioshock, Portal, Eternal Sonata, Ace Attorney 3: Trials and Tribulations, Sam and Max: Season 1.

BEST FILM OF 2007

Kyle: Hot Fuzz
On the 23rd of March this year I attended the midnight PlayStation 3 launch. It was a massive non-event, but seeing Hot Fuzz just before made up for it. This film is just so intensely fantastic I don’t know where to start. The style of humour and mix of genres blew me away. I didn’t expect it at all, even from the creators of Shaun of the Dead. No other film I’ve seen has made me laugh more or been more thoroughly entertaining.

Will: Hot Fuzz
I’ve pretty much given up on movies. Very little has caught my attention in the last couple of years and as a result I’ve only seen about 6 or 7 movies this year. Of which I think only 4 have been new releases.

Transformers was the real nail in the coffin of Hollywood for me. It was one of the worst made films I’ve ever seen in my life and the writing was so bad that almost 90% of the film can be explained away by a simple plot-hole. But still people lapped it up, despite the fact that the probably only like the 20 minutes where the robots (ie. The point of the film) were on screen. I have had so many people come up to me after seeing my Autobots belt and try to talk to me about that movie I almost feel bad when I tell them what I think of it. What does this have to do with Hot Fuzz? Nothing at all. I just couldn’t pass up another opportunity to hate on that shitty film.

So back on topic, Hot Fuzz was awesome. Nailed my exact sense of humor and is now one of my top ten favorite films of all time.

Also awesome: Absolutely nothing. Plenty of movies were O.K, but I want new stories and experiences and there is absolutely nothing being produced that even remotely interests me. Mediocrity seems to be the word to best describe 2007, and that probably won’t be changing in 2008, or for a while.

 BEST ALBUM OF 2007

Kyle: I’ll Be Lighting by Liam Finn
This was tough to pick, as Scott Edgar and the Universe, Architecture in Helsinki and Beirut all brought out some staggeringly beautiful albums this year. But in the end, I’d have to say that Liam Finn’s I’ll Be Lighting felt the most complete as an album. There’s a great range in the music, but there’s also a consistent tone of introspection that ties it all together. The album just has a wonderfully beautiful sound and it was often the music playing in the background while I worked on my projects and my writing.

Also awesome: Architecture in Helsinki’s Places Like This, Beirut’s Lon Gisland EP, Scott Edgar and the Universe’s self titled album, Ween’s La Cucaracha, Mika’s Life In Cartoon Motion

I love rock, and it’s rare nowadays for a band to capture what made rock and metal (and all of their various sub-genres) so great in the times before iPods. Dragonforce captures that for me while still having a new and individual sound. Their sound also brings back memories of 16-bit era videogames so they get points for nostalgia.

Also awesome: I dunno, there was probably something. I haven’t listened to the radio since ’97.

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Will: The Armageddon Expo
Armageddon was possibly one of the coolest event’s I have ever been too. And it wasn’t the celebrities or the fact that it was the first event I ever went to as press that made it so much fun. It was simply the atmosphere of the event.

The event was truly a celebration of geek culture, and I have never seen so many diverse and truly individual people in my life. There was almost too much to do, but just walking around the show floor was fun, browsing the stores or having a chat with some random person about your favorite sci-fi show. It was actually a little depressing to walk out of the event and back into a world where geeks are the minority.

Also awesome: eGames & Entertainment Expo

BEST COMIC OF 2007

Kyle: Peter and Company by Jon Ponikvar
This was a tough one to pick as I’ve encountered so many awesome comics that were a lot of fun for very different reasons. But in the end, Peter and Company by Jon Ponikvar won me over. Telling the story of a young boy and his guardian angel, it struck a good balance between humour, sentimentality and the bizarre. Not to mention that Ponikvar’s other little comics throughout the year have been very entertaining.

Also awesome: Lackadaisy by Tracy Butler, The Perry Bible Fellowship by Nicholas Gurewitch, Under the Bed by Tim Molloy.

Will: Um, somehow I missed this.
By some freak of nature I have managed to not read a single comic book published in 2007. I don’t read many comics to begin with (too expensive after I buy games) but I did read Transformers: Hearts of Steel, Marvel Zombies and a few others in part. So uhm… I guess Transformers: Hearts of Steel takes it. Steampunk transformers FTW.

Also awesome: Probably lots of stuff I didn’t read.

BEST SHOW OF 2007

Kyle: Everything?
Um, I can’t pick anything. Seriously, there was too much awesome. This year was a brilliant year for live shows of all sorts, from bands to stage shows to concept shows that don’t really fit into any genre.

All awesome: Spamalot, Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds, Strangelove the musical, Roger Waters, Secret Chiefs 3, Napalm Death, Tripod’s How to Train an Attack Dog From Scratch and Puppet Up!

Will: Spamalot
The only thing I saw all year. I don’t usually like musical theatre, they generally all boil down to a similar format that I don’t really appreciate. But even if I had seen more shows Spamalot would still take it. The material taken from The Holy Grail falls a little flat, but the new material is priceless and the way that it simultaneously makes fun of the Broadway format while sill adhering to it is hilarious.

BEST TV SHOW OF 2007

Kyle: The Chaser’s War on Everything
This humorous political satire hosted by a bunch of geeks caused a bit of stir this year. Not only was it brilliant show, but the Chaser’s proved themselves indomitable despite being arrested and lame some attempts at insults by other channels. They’re sometimes crass, but like Monty Python, when they get their comedy right – it works really, really well.

Also awesome: Mythbusters, South Park

Will: Life on Mars
‘Life on Mars’ is a brilliantly written British show. One of those rare shows that effectively straddles comedy and drama at the same time. Nothing is overdone and the stories can have you laughing and punch you in the gut in a matter of minutes.

I am still working my way though the first season. The show has already ended in the UK as it was always meant to have a short run. This is a show that everybody should at least check out once because it really is that damn good. If you don’t have cable I suggest looking up the DVD or waiting for one of the commercial channels to pick it up. It could be on ABC but I could only find a brief mention of it on their website.
Also the main character is played by John Simm who you might know as the Master from Doctor Who. Which is awesome.

Also Awesome: Not much, Stargate: Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica continue to be awesome.