BioShock
While not solely a horror game, BioShock’s disturbing and dark world can produce more than enough chills to even terrify horror veterans. Set in the failed utopian city of Rapture, this underwater paradise is full of psychopaths that are hopped up on a powerful chemical dubbed ADAM that infuses them with incredible powers. You control Jack, a seemingly normal person who crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean only to discover the hidden city and get wrapped up in huge civil war. What follows is a master class on character development, pacing, twists, and unique ideas that all culminate in one of the best video game narratives ever told.
Yet, the way it uses fear and the dark themes of the world truly allows BioShock to standout among its peers. As if you are walking through mini-horror vignettes, users will come across a sociopathic artist, insane doctor, and other denizens that have given into the chaos. This is supplemented by beautifully written and performed Audio Diaries that focus on the average citizens right before the collapse of the city. You may very well stumble upon a corpse, with the victim’s last words left on a tape recorder which is more than haunting.
Much of this is supplemented by haunting visuals that tell just as much about the characters and city as the people within it. BioShock manages to bring together almost every type of storytelling together in a neatly constructed package that can’t and should never be forgotten.
