I consider myself, with all ego aside, a considerably well-experienced gamer. From the days of owning an Intellivision in the late 70’s back at my parents to currently pounding buttons on my PS3.
I submit, for your consideration, the greatest video game i’ve ever played as of mid-2009: Bioshock.
It works and exceeds on so many levels. From the graphics, to the efficient use of the Unreal Engine, to the INCREDIBLE movie-like story (side note: Gore Verbinski, director of all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies and The Ring, is making a Bioshock movie…. which makes sense because its a horror movie underwater).
Bioshock is a thinking man’s game. You don’t have to play the same way through twice. It forces you to consider your moral compass and make choices that effect the outcome of gameplay.
The premise is this: You are an unknown man, whose plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic. You are the only survivor, and arrive at a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean that takes you down deep underwater to Rapture, a “utopian” city that was initially created by an ambitious man to escape all political, religious and artistic persecution in the outside world. The discovery of an ability-enhancing product called ADAM (which you use in the game) caused the inhabitants to become addicted, morally and physically altering them forever (called Splicers). You show up after the downfall of this society and have to find out the mystery of Rapture, while figuring out who’s pulling the strings and why you are ultimately there in the first place. It has some big fucking twists, and will make an incredible movie.
More importantly than the story, the gameplay backs it ALL UP. It’s the best shooter i’ve ever played. And i’ve played half-life 2, i’ve played halo, i’ve played Call of Fucking Duty. The control scheme is easy to learn, difficult to master, and infinite in the combination possibilities. While using conventional weapons (your pistols, guns and chemical throwers), you have Plasmids: abilities to alter your DNA (the ADAM) and use attacks such as elemental or manipulative attacks. The characters are amazing, the story is amazing and the gameplay and options are amazing.
I knew that this was my all-time favorite game over a year ago….. but i had to play through it three more times to completely exhaust the reasons why it’s better than Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy Whatever.
Do yourself a favor: if you have a 360 or a PS3, go buy it for under 30 bucks. It’s a steal. For PS3 owners, there are downloadable ‘challenge rooms’ that enhance the gameplay for ten bucks.
Oh, and by the way: Bioshock 2 comes out this October….. and all the blood in my body rushes to my penis when i say that (yes i have one, no matter what Coons believes).
