1. BIOSHOCK
(2K Games, Xbox 360, Mature)

We spent many an uneasy hour exploring Rapture, the damp and decaying underwater city where retro architecture and '50s-era torch songs provide the spooky backdrop to this genre-busting first-person shooter. We loved the game for its immersive sound and graphics, its deep (and philosophically rich) story, and for introducing some truly iconic characters in the form of armored brutes called ''Big Daddies'' and the powerful ''Little Sisters.''— GEW