5. BioShock
An underwater dystopia. Psychotic mutants. A dream undone. BioShock has been remembered for its narrative more than its gameplay, which itself was stellar enough. But no game had married imaginative shooter mechanics with such a darkly subversive narrative. BioShock ripped the door off the hinges to reveal that agency in gaming was largely a lie. As the game's narrative revealed its protagonist to be nothing but a slave, it unveiled a larger, meta-critique of game narratives; they were largely shallow, driven by commands more than the player. BioShock made us think differently
And in doing so, it elevated the conversation. Philosophical discussions about the artistry of gaming has become more prevalent since 2007 partly because of BioShock's critique of narrative conventions. Arguments sprung up about the famous twist, with one side arguing its merit and the other its contrivance. People started asking for more from not just shooters, but games in general. And the medium followed suit. Spec Ops: The Line, The Stanley Parable, and of course, BioShock Infinite definitely take cues from this 2007 classic.
