A Change of Clothes: “BioShock” (Xbox 360)

Late in the much-praised first-person shooter “BioShock,” the player is required to don the outfit of another character in the game. Saying much more about this moment would ruin the effect. But rest assured, this transformative sequence changes the way every character in the world reacts to the player’s presence. Plus, it might just give a “BioShock” player some pause about what they had been doing for the dozen hours that preceded the moment. Saying anything more would be a spoiler.

Defense for the Wicked?: “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All” (Nintendo DS)

Phoenix Wright is a video game hero who practices law, defending people accused of murder. In his first DS game, released in 2005, it was clear that the people he defended were innocent. In his second game, 2007’s “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All,” that same assumption is safe — until the game’s final case. That’s when Phoenix, and therefore the player, is given reason to think his client is actually a killer, but Phoenix still needs to get him off the hook. The jury starts jeering. But Phoenix can’t abandon his client. He has rules to follow — and a possible hostage situation — in the way. So, for once, a video game explicitly makes the player feel like they are doing the wrong thing, that they are not on the path of the righteous. Does it last? Is the client really guilty? That would be telling. The moment when it all goes haywire is worth experiencing, regardless of how it turns out.

Continue Reading HERE