Elf Bowling: Hawaiian Vacation is the groundbreaking game that served as the predecessor for the famed Viscera Cleanup Detail: Santa’s Rampage. Ambitiously mixing genres such as FPS, strategy, and puzzle, EB:HV is a game like none other. You play as Yule Froststockings, leader of the radicalist group known as Chimney’s Fire - a secret organization aimed at bringing down Santa’s reign of tyranny. When the mission becomes compromised, Yule and Chimney’s Fire are forced to escape the workshop and set base elsewhere. With Santa hot on their heels, the gang sneak aboard a cruise ship in the hopes of gaining some brief respite from Santa’s ever growing rage. The plan was simple: Regroup, recuperate, retaliate. Trouble doesn’t evade them for long, however, as they soon find themselves in a hostage situation with only one means of freedom: Prove your worth. Forced to slaughter members of Chimney’s Fire through grotesque bowling matches where Elves are the pins, Yule’s life becomes a terrifying fight for survival. What follows is an action packed adventure with many twists and turns along the way. Establish your dominance on the maddening trip to Hawaii, make new allies, and gather your forces for the fight of a lifetime.

Truly living up to it’s GOTY title, this game is a must play for any real gamer. Through use of heavy symbolism, intense storytelling, and astounding visuals, EB:HV isn’t an experience you’re likely to forget. EB:HV paved the way for games to become a new artistic medium, and I, for one, can only hope to see many more games follow in its footsteps.