Top 25 Games of the Decade
(2000-2009) – #17
GameZone celebrates the end of a
glorious decade of gaming
The end of
the decade is upon us and it’s time to revisit the landscape of gaming that
began in 2000 with the launching of the PlayStation 2 and is now ending in 2009
with three viable console platforms in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
Over the
next 25 days, GameZone will be bringing our readers the “Top 25 Games of the
Decade.” Considering how many games released in the past ten years, it was an
exhausting process to narrow down our initial list of more than 200 games to the
top 25.
Factors that
played a large part for titles that made the cut included: initial impact,
lasting impact, longevity, “standing the test of time”, popularity, advancements
in the genre, and much more. It wasn’t easy picking and choosing between our
favorite children, but we feel the games that made our list are representative
of the decade that was.
#17
Bioshock (2007)
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: 2K Boston/2K Australia (2K Marin for PS3)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3 (2008)
GameZone Review: 9.5
“I am Andrew Ryan and I am here to
ask you a question:
Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?
No, says the man in Washington; it belongs to the poor.
No, says the man in the Vatican; it belongs to God.
No, says the man in Moscow; it belongs to everyone.
I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the
impossible. I chose…Rapture.” — Andrew Ryan
Rapture was a fantastic and
thrilling place to embark through. BioShock came out of nowhere in 2007 and
stole the thunder from Microsoft’s Halo series and Activision’s Call of Duty
series by winning a lot of Game of the Year awards.
The storyline was out of this world
and the gameplay was to die for. Ken Levine, the writer and designer on the
title, helped create a masterful world that provided memorable moments around
every corner.
As a spiritual successor to the
System Shock series, BioShock introduced gamers to the unforgettable Little
Sisters and Big Daddies. It could be said that without the Little Sisters and
Big Daddies, BioShock would have a huge hole in its soul. They literally brought
Rapture alive.
Using a modified Unreal Engine 2.5
engine, BioShock is a title that will stand the test of time for its technical
standards. The first time gamers had the opportunity to see the gorgeous water
implemented in BioShock was the first time they should’ve realized they were in
for a rollercoaster of a ride.
BioShock is one of the most
atmospheric video games from the past 10 years and is not to be missed for any
reason.
“A tour de force from start to
finish, BioShock weaves an exciting plot with excellent gameplay and gorgeous
graphics” Steven Hopper,
GameZone.
Previously announced …
#25 –
Shenmue II. Find
the story
here.
#24 –
Counter-Strike. Find the story
here.
#23 – Gears of
War. Find the story
here.
#22 – Guitar
Hero. Find the story
here.
#21 – The Elder
Scrolls III: Morrowind. Find the story
here.
#20 – Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. Find the story
here.
#19 – Final Fantasy X. See the story
here.
#18 – Ico. See the story
here.
* * *
Come back tomorrow as we will be
revealing a title that opened up the casual gaming market to a whole level.
