4. Bioshock Infinite
Another epic third installment to an already amazing franchise. Bioshock Infinite delivered exactly what it was promising. In the time I'd been following it, the hype around the game grew and grew and it did not disappoint. Its ties to the first game are little to none; the only resemblance that the two share is that the cities mirror each other in location, and the powers the protagonists gain along the way. Before you ask, no, I'm not acknowledging Bioshock 2 anymore than I have to. It was by far the weakest of the series. Back to the better game now. Infinite differed from the first Bioshock in that the protagonist actually talked in this one. Booker DeWitt was characterised well by Troy Baker, who created a cynical and realistic depiction of a man with a shady past. While the archetype has been done thousands of times before, Booker DeWitt bought something new to the table. Perhaps it was his ability to shoot flaming balls of death from his hands, but who knows. The most amazing thing about Infinite, for me, was the atmosphere. The sky city of Columbia felt like a brilliant backdrop for the game, the likes of which I'd not experienced since Rapture. Appropriately enough, the introduction sequence was just as breathtaking, soaring up through the thundering clouds before breaking through into the idyllic representation of what a Victorian man once thought heaven would look like. It just blew me away. The only thing I found a little disappointing with Infinite was Father Comstock. The main villain of the franchise just didn't feel fit to wipe the boots of such a classy gentlemen like Andrew Ryan. He made for a villain who didn't know how to handle the situation, which made him look inept, and your desire to remove him even stronger. Columbia's environment was fully utilised as well, with the sky-rails being a fun feature to get around, rather than just walking everywhere. I'll stop my praise now, because most of you probably know why this game is on here; if you don't then shame on you, and go play it.