A 'shocking' list

Ken Levine has always been a talented game designer, but it wasn't until the blockbuster release of BioShock that the founder of Irrational Games (now 2K Boston) really experienced the spotlight. Over the years, besides BioShock, he's also brought us fine games like Thief: The Dark Project, System Shock 2, Tribes: Vengeance, Freedom Force, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich, and SWAT 4. 

Ken's not working on BioShock 2 (that's being handled by 2K Marin), but he was nice enough to take some time away from his currently unannounced project - which is apparently much more ambitious than BioShock - to share his list of all-time favorite games. 

Ken's got a pretty interesting list, and you can definitely see how some of these amazing titles influenced his own design approach. He also demonstrates a great sense of humor.

Take a look at his favorite games on the following pages, and don't forget to check out previous Playing Favorites articles.