Videogame box art is there to grab the eyeballs of the less knowledgeable and lure them into parting with their money. However, that does not mean that the dedicated among us cannot stand back and appreciate (or ridicule) what some marketing bloke thinks looks good on the front of a box. We have of course seen a huge number of high profile launches in 2007. Some have matched the hype, others haven't. But a big marketing budget doesn't necessarily equate to a stunning (even collectable) piece of art gracing the box. We can prove it too!
In the name of fun, we decided to pick our best and worst pieces of box art from the year.
Speaking of big-budget games with duff box art, enter Crysis. For such a massive game, the box art's so boring we've been using it to send ourselves off the sleep. And Halo 3? It's just like someone thought, "Hell, all we need to do is slap a picture of Master Chief on it and we'll be fine". Actually, they're probably right. But it's still dull, dull, dull.
Joining Crysis and Halo 3 in our 'Worst box art of 2007' list are Supreme Commander, The Orange Box (box art plopiness in its prime) and Shadowrun, which for once proved that you CAN judge a game by its cover.
Finally, deserving an honorary mention, is the box art for Cheggers Party Quiz, which we immediately want to hold a blow torch to every time we clap eyes on it.
One the other side of the fence, meanwhile, there has been box art that has had our eyes singing with joy, our favourite probably being Resident Evil 4 on Wii. But we also tip our hat to Bioshock, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3) and Heavenly Sword for zapping us with jolts of happiness.
So now, let's look at the box art...
THE WORST OF 2007
Shadowrun: Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear
The Orange Box: Or is it a Tesco's Economy brand reject?
Halo 3: Jeez Master Chief, at least pull an interesting pose
Crysis: More like an advert for a futuristic fetish convention
Supreme Commander: Clearly NOT a silver dream machine
Cheggers Party Quiz: No. Just no!
Deal or No Deal: Only more boring if it had TWO pictures of Noel Edmonds on it
Fire Pro Wrestling: So bad, it almost made it into the best of 2007
A darts game: Truly we have hit close to rock bottom
Legend of Camelot: The shock has rendered us speechless
Metroid Prime 3: Let's see how many times we can get Samus on the cover, and STILL make it dull
THE BEST OF 2007
Heavenly Sword: Beautiful, beautiful. If she were real, we'd offer her a sweety
Bioshock: Big, stomping metal death with a dash of spooky. Nice
Call of Duty 4: Mean and green, it shouts testosterone
Resident Evil 4: Probably our favourite. It's got Texas Chainsaw Massacre written all over it
Uncharted: Big shotgun, big skull, big thumbs-up
Forza 2: One of this year's most stylish bits of box art
WarioWare Smooth Moves: Proof that often less is more
Ninja Gaiden Sigma: Stylish and, of course, ninja
Umbrella Chronicles: It's got zombies in it. Nuff said
Now you've reached the bottom of the page, have your say on your personal best and worst box art of the year in the comments below. (You can see more on Neo Gaf).
The Orange Box is by far the worst, especially for such a high profile game. In fact, I've held off buying it because it would look so repulsive on my shelf.
The Orange Box is by far the worst, especially for such a high profile game. In fact, I've held off buying it because it would look so repulsive on my shelf.
What's wrong with the Orange Box? It was always going to be tough to depict three games on a single box and I thought they did pretty well. Certainly better than the original boxes, which were rightly ridiculed.
As for the Bioshock box being one of the best of 2007, I completely disagree. Doesn't reflect style of game at all. With a game that has such a fantastic setting it would have been easy to select a piece of Rapture to show of the wonder and horror of the underwater city. Instead they go for mass appeal and say "Look!!! We have stomping robots!!!"
The Orange Box is by far the worst, especially for such a high profile game. In fact, I've held off buying it because it would look so repulsive on my shelf.
Don't be an bottom.
Yeah I could always turn it around. Seriously though, I haven't bought it because I'm waiting for episode 3, I've already played Half Life 2 on the PC but that's packed in and I have a Mac and a 360 now. Mind you I fancy playing Portal, does anyone know if the 360 version is any good?
Best, probably god of war 2 (there's loads of diffrent ones but this the best of a great bunch http://www.gamejonez.com/godfowar2box.jpg/godfowar2box-full.jpg ) or maybe Rainbow Six Vegas (the look a guy with a big gun and after getting to run around las vegas in GTA: San Andreas, you almost water at the mouth at the illusion of the place in flames http://www.jucaushii.ro/images/boxshot/upload/Tom_Clancys_Rainbow_Six_Vegas_pc.jpg )
The worst is a hard one, mmmmmmmm, it pains me to say it but probably Sonic for the PS3. I love sonic but ive just never wanted this one, it looks cheap, wheres the action, its just a picture of sonic running.......and a tree, wheres robotnick and the other wee baddies. Just crap. http://www.gameset**tch.com/sonicnex.jpg )
Jesus, I agree with you on some of the bad ones, but heavenly sword (uwe boll promo poster) and COD4 (airport paperback)? Bioshock's twisted sister tribute? A picture of a bloody ninja? It's like watching the muppets critique music.
I am missing the World in Conflict cover here I dont know how it is in the rest of the world (I'm from Czech Rep.) but I like the idea of 3D cover (logo, statue and the tank are a little bit exserted) that I've never seen on any cover before.
Just a quick comment on the quality of this article and the comments being made about it but if someone asked me to knock up an article the day before my crimbo break just to fill the gap between the start of crimbo break and coming back to the office in January it would be a lot, lot worse.
I'm sorry but this has to be one one the worst articles I've read this year....maybe CVG should do an article on the best and worst articles of 2007 instead?! And excuse me but what is the 'Call of Duty 4 (PS3)' comment supposed to mean? The box art is identical for the PC and 360 versions! Was this article sponsored by Sony?! And how come none of the special edition box art covers didn't make it into the article? The Halo 3 special edition cover for example was fantastic, and what about the Oblivion Shivering Isles cover for PC? subtle yet eye catching, much better than that terrible heavenly sword cover.....yeah its great if a. your japanese, b. 15 or c. don't have a girlfriend. Come on CVG get a grip and don't waste our time with this utter effluent.
The Orange box has got to be the worst cover I hate half life anyway portal what a lot of crap make a hole in the wall walk through make another hole in another wall walk through boring.
Noel Edmonds did a video game. Im off to drink some form a sulphuric acid, just so i can forget about it. Hes boring in real life, imagine a game where he probs has about 3 phrases he says!
dude, he's right. orange box design is awful. would be much better to make the whole thing shiny orange metal with the half life 2 logo embossed in the middle. and a removable sticker listing all the games. or a xbox halo 2/xbox doom 3 style removable plastic shell
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Don't be an bottom.
Yeah I could always turn it around.
I dont know how it is in the rest of the world (I'm from Czech Rep.) but I like the idea of 3D cover (logo, statue and the tank are a little bit exserted) that I've never seen on any cover before.
