This is why you’re hearing about it now. Why you’re most likely going to continue to hear about it is because there is a very good chance that Bioshock really is going to be Game of the (Motherfucking) Year in a year where there is no shortage of contenders for the crown. What’s my evidence? Read on, and weep that 2K didn’t push up the release date to this week.

As of right now (to my knowledge) 11 reviews for Bioshock have been released/published, and the current average of these reviews is around 98%. This is a higher average ranking (though with admittedly fewer reviews so far) than the current highest aggregated review score in the history of gaming, according to Gamerankings.com. While some may scoff at this trend so far, I’ve got news for you: There are more 10s coming today, now that the embargo on reviews is almost up. Here’s what some reviewers are saying:

via Eurogamer
“…to have any shred of doubt surrounding BioShock comprehensively swept away within the first ten minutes, well, you feel like dancing. You want to tell people about this game who you know won’t even care, just because it makes you so giddy inside. Before we get into the nitty gritty, here’s the deal: Bioshock doesn’t just meet your expectations, but completely redefines them forever in ways you never even expected – in ways that games used to in the past, routinely.”

I’d like to dispute the excessive nostalgia in that last sentence, but that’s a discussion for another day. I would like to point out that this is the same site who gave Gears of War an 8, largely because they didn’t feel that it lived up to expectations. Moving on, we next have Games Radar’s review:

As for what’s going to happen to Rapture, that story is the propulsive force of the game, and it comes to you over the wireless. Irrational don’t like to let you meet sane people in person – they can’t be simulated realistically – so don’t expect any Black Mesa East chapters. But there is one moment, in dealing with the few still-vaguely-cogent people of Rapture, that’s simply staggering to experience.

BioShock had already made us physically gape several times by this stage, but here our mouths fell open and stayed open, only widening further as the scene became more extraordinary with every passing second.

Getting aroused yet? Next up is Game Informer:

You stand over a genetically mutated corpse with a camera in hand, taking a picture of its final, twisted expression to appease a cruel puppet master. A haunting rendition of “Bei mir bist du schön” plays from a radio, over which you hear the low, whale-like cry of a Big Daddy as it ambles into sight. You freeze, but the hulking creature trips one of your proximity mines and fixes a glowing red eye on you in fury. Heart-stopping moments like these are what set BioShock apart as one of the most intelligent and daring masterpieces in gaming.

I don’t really see a need to go on with these. The point is, the praise thus far is consisteint, glowing, and unanimous. This will be, hands down, the best reviewed game of the year, and very likely THE game of the year. Why? What about the competition? Well, it’s kind of a short list for game of the year this year, even amidst the tidal wave of fantastic releases in the next few months. Assassin’s Creed will have good reviews, but the controls are going to turn some people off in their complexity. Call of Duty 4 is a military shooter, which is enough to make some people hate it arbitrarily. Rock Band is a niche title, and so is Guitar Hero III. Super Smash Bros is a series you either love or loathe, Metroid Prime 3 is going to get 7s and 9s (call it a hunch), and Drake’s Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank are going to be good but not ridiculously awesome titles for the PS3 this fall. Haze is another military shooter, and Unreal 3 is a largely multiplayer shooter.

This basically leaves us with two huge games, which are Halo 3 and Super Mario Galaxy. Both will win some GOTY awards here and there, but neither will win the universal praise that Bioshock is getting right now. Here’s why: Halo 3 has the word “Halo” in the title. I love Halo, and a lot of people think it’s a great series, but there is a vocal Halo Hater Squad, and the favoritism Bungie has played with pre-release coverage of their title has managed to piss off a specific, big name gaming network of sites. It could be the greatest game of this generation, and there would still be a not-negligible contingent of people who used the words “mediocre” and “uninspired” to describe it.

Mario Galaxy has similar issues from the Mario-Hater squad, and while that group isn’t nearly as large as those who despise Halo, it also has the challenges associated with Wii-control. While there are a number of people who love the Wii-mote, there seems to be a growing number of apostates, and that number alone will prevent the game from taking the crown. Because of all of these factors, politically and conceptually, Bioshock will very probably come out on top when the dust has cleared in January. But we’re the ones who really win.

Or I would be if I hadn’t gotten boned by Toys ‘R Us yesterday. Sigh.

-Aegies

INDEPENDENT GAMES FESTIVAL WINNERS

Best Mod (awarded 5,000$):
Weekday Warrior (Mod for Half-Life 2)

This game was an interesting third peson Half-Life 2 Mod that put you in an office solving problems. Though I was not that impressed I also did not get much time to really play it.

Best Student Game (Awarded 2,500$):
Toblo, developed by students from the Digipen Institute of Technology.

This game won over ….And Yet It Moves. This really disappointed me because after trying ….And Yet It Moves I was extremely impressed with him addictive it was. If you can find it, you should try it. The cool thing about this team winning the awared was that one of the Toblo makers proposed to his girlfriend on stage. It was touching.

Excellence in Audio (awarded 2,500$):
Everyday Shooter

This game was like Geometry Wars in a lot of respects.

Excellence in Visual Art (awarded 2,500$):
Castle Crashers

The artist was really touched to have won. Although I felt numerous other contestants in this field were also great artists, Castle Crashers has such an unforgettable art style that it was no contest.

Design Innovation Award (awarded 2,500$):
Everyday Shooter

Granted I have not played this game…but I was a little distraught that Armadillo Run did not win.

Technical Excellence (awarded 2,500$):
Bang! Howdy

I did not get a chance to play this game but all the entries were extremely impressive.

Best Web Browser Game (awarded 2,500$):
Samorost 2

Though I have not played this title I have to say it is extremely visually impressive for a web browser game. The art is truly impressive. It was my runner up to Castle Crashers for Excellence in Visual Art.

GameTap Indie Awards (awarded 5,000$ and a distribution deal through GameTap):

Everyday Shooter, RoboBlitz, and Blast Miner

A rep. for Tuner Broadcasting came out and gave these three games awards which to me felt really out of place. Have a Turner rep. there felt like some part of the Indie spirit was stolen, even after the rep. tried to convince the audience that Turner is like an Indie company. I hope GameTap really is trying to help out the Indie game companies and not just turn a profit and fuck them. The good news of this is that I can try these games out soon since I do have a subscription.

Audience Award (awarded 2,500$):
Castle Crashers

I was really pleased to see Castle Crashers win this title because to me, it was the most telling. This game was chosen by people who played the games and voted online. The people spoke, and Castle Crashers walked away as the most loved game (and rightfully so).

Seumas McNally Grand Prize (awarded 20,000$):
Aquaria

I wish I could say more about this game but I did not play it at all. The game certainly looks beautiful and was made by two only two kids. I would look out for future releases from their studio BitBlot.

GAME DEVELOPER’S CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS

Innovation:
Okami, Wii Sports, and Line Rider

It’s good to see all these games, especially Okami, recognized for their achievement in innovation. The most exciting news about this though was that Line Rider is coming to Wii and DS.

New Studio:
Iron Lore Entertainment

Best Writing:
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

In my opinion this was the most misplaced award of the whole show. Twilight Princess won over Bully, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Sam & Max Episode 1, and Oblivion. Now I am not a Zelda naysayer, but Twilight Princess’ writing pales in comparison to either Dreamfall or Oblivion. I even feel Sam & Max had much better writing than Twilight Princess. What do you guys think? I was extremely disappointed.

Game Design:
Wii Sports

Again I felt this was a misplaced award, but not as much as the previous. While Wii Sports is truly a game with amazing and unique game design, I felt that titles such as Okami or Viva Pinata deserved much more recognition in this category. Poor Viva, you never had a chance in that crowd.

Maverick Award:
Greg Costikyan

This developer has helped produce far too many games to name but was recognized for his independence in thought and action.

Audio:
Guitar Hero II

This award hardly seemed fair. I mean Guitar Hero II does have awesome sound, but it is a game based on music. I was slightly disappointed that LocoRoco did not pick up this category.

Character Design:
Okami

While I was really impressed that Okami won an award, I was again disappointed that Viva Pinata had to share a category with such an esteemed title. With competition like Okami and FFXII it was like it never had a chance. I still love you VIVA!

First Penguin:
Alexey Pajitnov

The First Penguin award goes to someone who tested the waters for the rest of the world. Alexy was certainly a deserving winner. Even if you do not think you know who this man is, I can almost guarantee that if you read this site you have played his game. Heck, your mother has probably even played his most famous title, Tetris. I am glad he is finally getting more and more credit for his early achievement.

Technology:
Gears of War

Although Gears is certainly an excellent game I was not sure if this warranted it enough to win over other titles such as Wii Sports or Company of Heroes. Graphicallly I can understand the award going to Gears over Wii Sports, but I thought Wii Sports pushed the technological envelope a little more.

Visual Arts:
Gears of War

Again Gears took home an award. This time I felt it was truly justified. Gears is the most beautiful next-gen title I have yet to see. I was disappointed that Okami or Viva Pinata did not win, but that is because I wanted the underdog to win, not because I felt that they were truly deserving. Don’t get me wrong, those titles are fucking gorgeous, but Gears has some of the best Art we’ve seen in years.

Community Contribution:
George “The Fatman” Sanger

This man has helped make sound and music in so many games that you have played that my fingers would start to bleed if I typed them all here. He has helped compose music for any number of venues and hopefully will continue to make beautiful game music for years to come.

Lifetime Achievement:
Shigeru Miyamoto

He spoke in Japanese with a translator for those of us who speak English, because he wanted to say so much more than his english would allow. He received a standing ovation and appeared quite moved. My favorite line though was when he said something to the effect that he was sucking the life force out of young people in order to keep going in gaming. Oh vampiric Miyamoto, how I can see you now.

Game of the Year:
Gears of War

Gears took the award over Okami, Oblivion, Twilight Princess, and Wii Sports. I could tell from murmurs that many people were displeased with the victory of Gears over the likes of Twilight Princess. Though Twilight Princess is a great game I feel that Gears was the most deserving. It really brings out all the best elements of shooters and combines them with great art, dialogue, and plot. Say what you will, but Gears is not winning awards from the Game Developer’s because of fanboyism.

So there you have it. We’re still working on our full report from our first day at the GDC but we wanted to at least drop you the winners for the awards shows that we attended. Stay tuned to this weeks podcast for full discussion over the GDC, the awards, and all the other crazy things that have been announced during this week in march.

Chufmoney