34. Bioshock Infinite (PC, also on PS3, 360)
In the original Bioshock, I was amazed by the deathly dystopian beauty of Rapture, the immersive setting and the involving story. I thought that Irrational games would have a tough time topping it, but top it they did. Instead of taking the safe route of recreating a story in Rapture as Bioshock 2 did, they bravely turned the franchise upside down and created a new steampunk environment in the floating city of Columbia.
Whilst still quintessentially a Bioshock game, its differences meant it stood head and shoulders above the previous two iterations. Whereas Bioshock had tight claustrophobic corridors, Infinite opened them up into open, sky-rail covered, explosion-filled playgrounds. Whereas Rapture was a wasted city left in ruin, Columbia was filled with a bustling (often xenophobic) populace going about their daily business. And where Bioshock had you running through Rapture on your own, Infinite introduced a near perfect partner for Booker in Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was not only a useful aide in combat situations (and not a liability as often occurs with AI allies), but also provided motivation and effectively formed an emotional bond with the player. As the relationship develops, her role as the centerpiece of the storyline becomes clear and the game goes on to give one of the most memorable endings to grace the industry. A great new entry.
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