Stunning, Stunning , Stunning! Bioshock is incredibly beautiful. The plot is thick and heavy with secrets and pathos. The gameplay is diverse and allows for so much choice in terms of how you battle through your environment. All of these things play a part in why I adore this game. What really raises it above and beyond though is a choice, a plot twist and a gameplay element all rolled into one supremely intriguing facet of the game. To harvest or not to harvest?

Without giving away any of the actual tory, you will have to either harvest the “ADAM”, a type of mana, from the little sisters – creepy looking little girls. Or you can ‘save’ them from their slavery but in turn not reap enough of the powerful substance they hold and wind up struggling through the game weakened and with fewer powers to defend yourself. It’s an interesting choice. Yes other games have given you the ‘shoot or save the boss at the end’ type option usually with equal achievement points no matter what and a save point right before so you get to see both endings this is different though. With such a deep plot and no idea what you are really doing when you must make your first choice you look into the face of the frightened little girl and must choose between your gamers desire to play with all the power ups and your other desire to see the better plot line and get arguably the ‘good’ ending. Of course it’s all guess work. Whether saving the little sisters is really the right thing to do and whether you really end up less powerful by not harvesting them is still in question.

I, of course, will not be killing off any little girls as I’m a renowned goody two shoes when it comes to these kinds of choices. No matter what you do though, you really must play Bioshock for one of the greatest gaming experiences of the year.