E3 2006 Best of Show:BioShock
Runner-up:Gears of War When the dust cleared at this year's E3, there were two titles that, in the minds of everyone here at GameSpy HQ, stood above all others in the class of 2006: Irrational's
BioShock and Epic's
Gears of War. These were arguably the two biggest breakout titles of the expo, and when it came time to decide our top game of the show, it was
BioShock that got the nod. However, we were excited enough about both titles that we rounded up our editors to talk about why we can't wait to get our hands on both games.
Winner:Bioshock; Runner-up:Gears of War
I should kick this off by saying that, even though I'm technically the "PC guy," I also consider myself a student of the shooter genre, and was extremely impressed with what
Gears of War is trying to do. Shooters these days are more than just whack-a-mole:
Halo's rechargeable armor suit provided a natural ebb and flow to combat;
Far Cry,
Call of Duty 2 and
F.E.A.R. experimented with nonlinear settings, and
Gears of War looks like it's being based around the entire concept of cover: pick a path, advance, cover and fire. Rather than most shooters, which are paced like sprints, what I saw of
Gears felt like a game of ground acquisition, using all the tools at your disposal to push the enemy back a few steps at a time. I'm not sure I've ever seen a shooter like it, and I can't wait to play it (can I ask for mouse support?).
That said, I was completely captivated with
BioShock like no other game at E3 2006. Is it an RPG? Is it an action games Is it an adventure?
BioShock looks like it has a little of everything: a captivating story, beautiful environments to explore, gorgeous graphics, gameplay that crosses multiple genres... it's hard for me to imagine anyone not seeing the haunting images of a protector escorting that little girl through the unique underwater setting of Rapture and not being immediately hooked. Considering Irrational's history with Looking Glass and the System Shock titles, what I saw of the game at E3 this year vaulted it to the top of my wish list.
Best of Show Runner-UpGears of War
The two stand-out titles of E3 2006 were pretty much voted on here at GameSpy unanimously. I loved and adored what I saw and played of
Gears of War for the 360, and even though the gameplay doesn't really revolutionize the action genre, it's still the most promising title I can think of coming to a console.
BioShock, on the other hand, is a very different beast. I believe that
BioShock will change the way other developers approach adventure/RPG design in the future. Irrational looks like it's going to be able to craft such a deep, immersive gameworld that will make for a completely new level of believability in video games. Both games were impressive in their own rights, and both games deserve the props we're giving them.
Li Kuo, News Editor: I was lucky enough to play
Gears of War during E3 and I had a blast doing it. It's a game that has made me glad I own an Xbox 360, but as much as that game impressed me,
BioShock impressed me more. I'm a sucker for a good mystery, and storylines don't get much more mysterious than the setting for
BioShock. I'm also a sucker for atmosphere, and the underwater ruin of Rapture is a locale unlike any I've seen before in a video game. Topping it all off are graphics that scream "next-generation" and a group of designers that know their stuff (these guys brought us the unforgettable
System Shock 2).
