By Stevie Smith Dec 26, 2007, 8:54 GMT
BioShock may have already amassed more than one notable ‘Game of the Year’ award and a myriad of 90+ review scores since it was released at the end of summer 2007, but that doesn’t mean that publisher 2K Games is above a little shameless self-congratulation.
2K Games congratulates itself on the success of BioShock. Credit: 2K
In a move likely designed to bolster seasonal sales and fend of the award attentions of rival software titles such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mass Effect, and Super Mario Galaxy, 2K Games has this week oiled and flexed its bulging BioShock muscle for all to see via a recap of the game’s current achievements.
Specifically, the "genetically enhanced" first-person shooter set in a ravaged underwater city "is a must-have gift for the holidays," and comes armed with "extensive year-end accolades" to prove its worth.
2K proudly outlines that a "wide range of publications" have already awarded BioShock the much-coveted ‘Game of the Year’ gong, with the likes of The Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV, G4’s X-Play, and Amazon.com weighing in prominently on the growing list. The game also ranks in the top-ten lists published by The New York Times, Maxim, and TIME.
Beyond the lure offered by its bulging awards shelf, BioShock is "one of the highest-scoring games" of 2007 on leading review aggregator Metacritic.com (96% over 78 reviews) and is also "being championed as a top pick for the holidays," through respected online magazines such as IGN, 1UP, GamePro, Games Radar, and GameSpy.
"The winter holiday season is the most important time of the year for game companies, so we are excited to have BioShock selected by many of the largest media outlets as the best game of the year and a top pick for gift guides," enthused Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K Games. "The media have been supportive of the game ever since it launched, so it’s great to see that praise carry on, especially among such a diverse group of publications."
Set beneath the sea within the devastated city of Rapture, which has been torn apart from the inside through the effects of a genetically-enhanced civil war, the player’s survival hangs on the decision to embrace the same destructive Gene Tonics and Plasmid powers that have left Rapture’s inhabitants as mindless killers.
Boasting pseudo-RPG elements, beautiful visuals, genuinely emotive gameplay, and a compelling choice-led storyline, BioShock is appearing on the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows... and is available now.
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