GameClub - pick our first game! (Patreon)

So, as promised (ages ago, sorry for the delay!) I'm going to be running a game club on Patreon. It's like a book club, but with fewer paper cuts. 

Obviously, this is entirely voluntary. If you don't want to take part it should only add a few extra emails/notifications, but I do apologise for the spam. Please note that Patreon offers lots of options for this stuff, and I'll also use the word "GameClub" in the post titles if you wish to filter them out!

First, we need to pick what game we're going to play. That's what this poll is for. 

Once the winner has been picked, we'll go away and play the game. I'll give us a whole month, as I'm sure we're all busy and need to find time to actually play the darn thing. 

Then I'll put up another post and we can come back and talk about the game! Whether we liked it, if it had any interesting design stuff, how it impacted the industry, and so on. 

So, I've picked 5 options to get us started. These are all games that are critically acclaimed, but also may have passed you by - so this should hopefully give us a chance to fill in some blanks in our gaming knowledge. 

I've played some of them, but have never even tried others. But just pick the one that you would like to play the most. Don't worry, the 4 that don't win will wind up on polls in the future. 

Here's what we're starting with:

SWAT 4

A tactical shooter where you apprehend dangerous subjects and solve hostage situations. Non-lethal force and arrests are encouraged over killing enemies and players must follow proper police protocol.

It was released in 2005, and developed by Bioshock studio Irrational. SWAT 4 is praised for its realism, and offers gameplay not often seen in modern FPS games.

Available on Windows via GOG

Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines

A cult classic RPG, set in a Los Angeles that is crawling with vampires. You'll embark on quests, develop your character, and also shoot a whole bunch of dudes with guns. 

The game is praised for its ambition and variety, and is generally considered to be very well written. This 2004 game, by Troika, was released as a bit of a buggy mess and requires a few fan-made patches to get running. 

Available on Windows via Steam 

Bully (Canis Canem Edit)

In 2006, Rockstar (Vancouver) took its GTA formula and applied it to the school yard, for this funny game full of bullies, chemistry lessons, rubber bands, and patrolling teachers. 

The game's tiny scale - especially after San Andreas two years prior - allowed for more intimate knowledge of your surroundings, persistent pupils with names and schedules, and a very different feeling for an open world game. 

Available on Windows via Steam, PS4 via PlayStation Store, iOS and Android, and legacy copies are on Xbox 360 (backwards compatible with Xbox One), Wii, and PS2. 

Ninja Gaiden

A brutally difficult action game, that changed Ninja Gaiden from a side-scrolling NES romp into a much-loved hack and slash 'em up. 

You'll turn goons into geysers of blood through a combat system that's supposedly deeper than Devil May Cry. And then you'll wander around for a bit and solve puzzles. 

Available on Xbox, on Xbox 360 as Ninja Gaiden Black, and on PS3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma.

Psychonauts 

A goofy platform adventure from the mind of Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend). As Raz, you'll dive into the brains of various characters, and play levels that represent their thoughts and feelings. 

Each is more imaginative than the last, and I don't want to spoil any of them! It came out in 2005 and is getting a PSVR spin-off and a sequel soon.

Available on Windows and Mac via Steam, PS4 via PlayStation Store, and legacy copies available on PS2 and Xbox (backwards compatible on Xbox 360).

Right, pick your poison. And if you have any questions, ideas, or requests for future GameClub polls, let me know in the comments. 

(Please only vote for one game!)