cod4 shoulbe on there. the last scene where you lose all your friends, the first time i watched it i shouted GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZ! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! then i started crying. (anyone think price should have been killed in gazs place?)

Ha, Bioshock: Stem cell research. Funny

yo i agree with this article 100%.

Nice read, I can really appreciate the idea of games tackling hard-to-swallow issues. I <3 shades of gray. =)

You're right when you say these games are mature. They tackle MATURE subjects. When I first saw the title I thought it was gonna be telling everyone why our kids shouldn't play these, but after reading this I realize you meant that the subject is adult. I (being but of the lowest of the teenage years) understand what you mean. Most of these I have seen or heard of (don't have any money, sucks I know), and reading this I see the symbolism behind the gameplay. I've played all the GTA games except Vice City & the 2-D games. The difference between the earlier games and GTA4 is the character himself. In all the other games the character seemed so, so fake. They didn't have human emotions, but when they added the emotions of a human being the game changed dramatically. Claude was just your average hitman, he did what he was told. CJ was a former gang-banger who was forced back into crime by crooked cops, but he did what he was told. He didn't think for himself. In games like Bioshock (and all other FPS's for that matter), the character has no mind of their own they blindly follow orders without thinking first. They rush into battle blindly to complete a suicide mission, which no human being would ever attempt by themselves. I probably just trailed off and forgot the whole point of what I was saying, but this is long enough and whatever I said hopefully gets a point across. Great article Charlie, keep 'em coming.

I think some people didnt get the concept of this article but i thought it was amazing all these games are pretty deep I think Kayne & Lynch should have been on there (Remorse,Regret,Self preservation or Redeeming yourself) Also starcraft should be up there you have to play every races campaign to get the whole story it has (Betrayal,Sympathy,Regret and Corruption) Also I think that that new game, Mirrors Edge? will be a deep intricate game but i guess well find out.

I have about four levels of maturity according to this article. GTA IV, God of War, Braid, and BioShock.

Didn't finish reading the article yet, but I noticed you failed to mention one part of Braid that should be mentioned.

SPOILERS

It's also about the Manhattan Project, which seems a bit mature imo.

"southern tempt"

Despite the average fanbase, I'd defintely put the Halo campaign back in there. It's a clever adaptation of Noah's Ark and a great cautionary tale about religious fanaticism.

Seriously: Look each of these is a secret project of Alpha Centauri with a typical remark from each of the 7 philosophical leaders:
Lady Deirdre Skye, from Gaia's Stepdaughters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ-OoNp3LwQ&feature=related
Academician Prokhor Zakharov, from University of Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDgXQPxzY8E&feature=related
Chairman Sheng-ji Yang, from the Human Hive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO_xh7xIabk&feature=related
Col. Corazon Santiago, from Spartan Federation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGCaACqy1Ro&feature=related
Sister Miriam Godwinson, from The Lord's Believers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwqN3Ur-wP0&feature=related
Commissioner Pravin Lal, from Peacekeeping Forces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY57ErBkFFE&feature=related
CEO Nwabudike Morgan, from Morgan Industries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez7AFPX9RYE&feature=related

And that's just a tip of what you'll hear and read in Alpha Centauri, no immature mind can grasp the essence of the discussion.

Really great article. When you actually think about it, there are a lot of games that could have been included on this list.

COD4 deals with the realities of war and the possibilities of a nuclear holocaust. How did it miss this list? Madness I tell you. Simply madness.

I see tactics but i definately thing Final Fantasy VII needs mentioned as well, its themes are the reason its one of my favorite games

Cloning, corporate control above government, human experimenting, environmental destruction

FFVII had so many parallels to real world issues

one of the best articles so far good work

oh and shadow of the colossus should have been there

Great article. It really shows that games can actually send a serious message, and aren't just all about run n' gun action.

All my favorites in one article. I recommend everyone check out a game called The white Chamber. Its freeware and would suit the theme of this article.

I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream looks horrifying. I must play it. Great article.

This article proves that games are the best thing ever. Nuff' said.

I would have put Grim Fandango in there somewhere, for exploring a really wide range of themes and issues, and also being an exceptionally well-told story.

Great article, i am always trying to find games with deeper more mature storytelling and this is the exact sort of thing I mean.

In the almost list you mention soul reaver but really it needs to be viewed as part of a whole. It i the whole series of legacy of Kain games that explore a whole range of mature topics.