20 Best Video Games Of The Last 20 Years

9. Bioshock

Speaking of games that changed everything, Bioshock provided the last piece of the framework necessary to fully analyse video game narratives, paving the way for the medium to be recognised as art.

How? By introducing the notion of purpose.

Why do we listen to text prompts or narrators telling us to do things onscreen? Why does a character like Sonic collect rings? Does someone in GTA ever think about what they're doing? And is it okay to throw all these things out the window and just have fun with a premise as its written?

Bioshock's monumentally well-written story forced us to come to terms with all of the above in one of the most visceral, three word-fuelled sequences of all time. If you know it, you know it. If you don't, go play.

Say what you will about its fairly simplistic combat, when concept and execution are so deftly fulfilled, there's no denying Bioshock's place in gaming history.