Existing comment:
Microsoft XBox 360
Action: Bioshock
Bioshock demonstrates the incredible power for narrative that video games have today. Creator Ken Levine took inspiration from the writings of Ayn Rand, and particularly her depictions of strong, principled heroes without flaws.
In Bioshock, Levine wanted to imagine what would happen if the "hero" did have flaws, and was allowed to proceed uninhibited by conventional society.
The story revolves around a dystopian, underwater city, founded by the idealistic businessman Andrew Ryan. Ryan wanted to create a world in which man and science would not be bound by law or ethics. Unrestricted genetic engineering ultimately resulted in a devastated world, filled with mutated humans and haunting memories.
Beautiful, isolated, cold, and sad, Bioshock forces the player into uncomfortable situations, in which their decisions ultimately affect the outcome of the story.
Dialogue
"Man has a choice. I chose the impossible. I built a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality. I chose to build... Rapture."
"... hold on, and everything will be fine."
Target: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 has no narrative and instead, focuses on bold, abstract graphics and intuitive controls. Set on a grid floating in space, the player destroys attacking geometric shapes in order to achieve the highest score possible. Each group of shapes presents a unique visual pattern of color and form, which the player must understand in order to eliminate each one and progress through the game.
The designers took a traditional target game and turned it into a dazzling cosmic abstraction. Players interact directly with the artwork... their actions generating complex patterns and explosions of color that glow against the black background.
Adventure: MassEffect 2
Mass Effect 2 represents an outstanding amalgam of technology and art. After forty years of game development, artists are now able to create visual experiences that boast realistic interactions, highly detailed environments, photorealistic characters, and atmospheric use of color and light.
Director Casey Hudson and his team added several mechanics to strengthen the relationship between the player and the game's narrative. At the beginning, players customize the main character's gender, race, appearance, and skill set.
Once in the game, key decisions directly influence how the story develops, from the hero's relationships with allies and enemies, to whether he -- or she -- ultimately survives. This, combined with the believable and extensive world, give players the sense that they are part of the story.
Dialogue:
"What are you doing here? I thought you were still a work in progress."
"I just woke up. You probably know more than I do."
Tactics: Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II thrusts the player into the deep, fantasy world created by author J.R.R. Tolkien. The game's artwork draws heavily on descriptions in the books as well as the recent film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, but presents a unique narrative within the established plot.
Battle for Middle Earth II gave players the opportunity to interact with familiar characters in a beloved fictional world.
The powerful graphics system allowed for highly detailed environments and large numbers of characters on screen at one time. As a result, players could re-create and participate in the epic battles that are critical to the story, whether they are fighting for good... or for evil. |