Oh man, where to start. This is my all time favorite game. It's the game that dragged me head and heels into the world of PC gaming, away from my Gameboy and SNES. All it took was a demo that came with the very first issue of PC Gamer back in December 1993 (the second PC games magazine I had bought at the time) and I was sold. MORE than sold - I completed the demo at least 100 times, sucking up every thing it had to offer many times over.
What appealed so much to me was the brilliant mix of a dark and brooding futuristic setting with a less than serious cast. A cynical little robot as side kick that insults you whenever it gets the chance, a pompous 'nouveau-riche' plant owner, a doctor addicted to Helium, a zealous insurance salesman, a worked in love with his clipboard, etc. etc. etc. It was a match made in heaven. Dark humour fits this game so well and the aid of very talented artist Dave Gibbons gave the game its very special style (be sure to read the brilliantly drawn comic).
While BASS is not terribly long, it's still a truly brilliant game. You'll be hard pressed to find a better looking game that old - combine it with great puzzles, a wonderful story and you got yourself a winner. I just hope there will ever be a proper BASS2.
And remember folks, be vigilant.