> The way it plays with the time dynamics and weaves it into it's story is brilliant.
This deserves expanding upon. Where most games interweave interactive game sections with non-interactive storytelling sections that mostly use the tools of movies to tell stories, Braid and the first Bioshock are my two go-to examples for games that effectively use the game as a narrative medium distinct from film, where the story is told in a way that actively benefits from being built as a game.
I would add another often forgotten game: Spec Ops: the Line.
My go to example when I want to convince people games are art, and furthermore that games are a medium that offers unique possibilities. It's a reimagining of Apocalypse Now, but the interactivity adds a whole new layer of meaning and opportunity for reflection. You're not on the outside, watching characters do horrible things, you are the character, and you did those horrible things. It absolutely shows, in a way understandable even to someone who hasn't ever played a game, that the medium affords completely new possibilities.
Then the absolutely sublime way in which this this title -- from its marketing to its presentation to its first hours -- creates an expectation of being yet another utterly generic "modern military buddy-soldier shooter" to then shatter those expectations and deliver a deep and thought provoking story to tell... Well I could write pages about it. It just adds layers to your interpretation of the story, and more to reflect on.
Bioshock is one of those "BRB, reinstalling" games along with STALKER and and Deus Ex. I wonder how many people will be starting it again this weekend thanks to your comment? I'm certainly seriously thinking about it...
This deserves expanding upon. Where most games interweave interactive game sections with non-interactive storytelling sections that mostly use the tools of movies to tell stories, Braid and the first Bioshock are my two go-to examples for games that effectively use the game as a narrative medium distinct from film, where the story is told in a way that actively benefits from being built as a game.