Bioshock (Xbox 360)
Once in a while there comes the type of game that stands out from the crowd. Bioshock is one such example, although it's perhaps not quite as original as some are claiming, but it's how Irrational Games have combined all the separate elements, and created one of the most immersive games to date. It's literally dripping with atmosphere (not only by the fact that it's set in an underwater city), and the attention to detail is breath-taking. Something about the visual and gameplay style of Bioshock reminded me of a combination of System Shock and Fallout, which is no bad thing.
From the very start of the game, you're convincingly thrown into a vividly portrayed alternative world with its own eco-system, and your actions have knock-on effects on the dynamics of the world there. One of the elements of this game that's already become somewhat controversial is the inclusion of a creature called the "Little Sister". Looking like a helpless girl, this genetically engineered creature can extract a substance called "Eve" from bodies of the recently deceased. Eve is one of the staple items for survival in the game, and you're quickly thrown into some quite troubling moral questions: do you kill this creature, and take the Eve (and save yourself), or do you save her and put yourself at risk (as well as the pivotal role that you have in the game).
As mentioned before, the game is set in an underworld city, which was supposed to have been created for the worlds elite as a Utopia. When you get there though, it's become corrupted to the extreme, and most of those that you meet are mutated to the point of not being human anymore, and everyone is scavenging for anything that can be used as currency or as a weapon (you can also create and upgrade weapons). The whole environment is also styled around 50s art deco, and music is piped through in a lot of areas that adds to the atmosphere, which leads me to one point: this is one game that you should spend a little time looking at every nook and cranny for all the bits and pieces that you can get a hold of that might help you as resources can be quite tight. There are also a number of hardware enhancements and personal augmentations that you can pick up to keep things interesting such as pyromania, telekinesis, hacking tools, etc. Later on in the game, there is also the option to create your own weapons and ammo from what's available. All of this, plus multiple endings, adds replayability to the most impressive game of this year.
