BioShock

10 Review to this product

• 

  N. Durham
  August 21st, 2007 on 2:46 pm

  Rating

  Having a bit of hype surrounding it before it’s release, BioShock does not disappoint one bit. In fact, as far as first person shooters go, games rarely get any better than this. BioShock takes the FPS to new levels thanks to it’s brilliantly realized atmosphere and setting, and a story that is so engaging you’ll think that you were playing an RPG. Taking place in a secret underwater city called Rapture, you get put right in the middle as things go very, very wrong quite quickly, and it’s up to you to save the day using a barrage of traditional weapons, and some newfound abilities as well. What makes BioShock so great besides the atmosphere and storyline are the character customization options which really allow the gamer to get into the game and tinker around to your advantage. The overall presentation, from the sound design to the wonderful voice acting to the grimy atmosphere, make BioShock one of the best games to hit the XBox 360 yet, and definitely one of the best FPS’ to come out in quite some time. If there’s any downsides to BioShock, it’s that the game has a lack of enemy variety and that it is a little too forgiving to the gamer. Despite that though, BioShock is a masterpiece of modern gaming, and any and every 360 owner should consider this an essential pick up.
• 

  Nite
  August 21st, 2007 on 3:20 pm

  Rating

  Bioshock, without a doubt, is one of the video game events of the year. A first person shooter that is more than just a first person shooter. Not only is this game fun, but the storyline is thought-provoking and philosophical. This is more than just a game. This an interactive storybook of epic proportions.

  After being the only survivor of a plane crash in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, your only chance of survival is to seek refuge in the nearby lighthouse. The moment you step inside you’re greeted by a banner which states: “No Gods or Kings. Only Man.” Going further into the lighthouse you’re soon taken to the underwater city of Rapture. A place where religion and morality do not rule the decisions of mankind. Where every man does what he chooses for his own selfish gain. The city is run by a man named Andrew Ryan. When you arrive in the city, however, its quite clear that Andrew Ryan’s perfect world wasn’t so perfect. The city lies in ruins and chaos runs rampant as a form of genetically mutated people called splicers roam the streets. With the help of a man named Atlas who guides you through the twisted city of Rapture, you’ll have to survive long enough to get out.

  Throughout your adventure there are plenty of things you can do to advance the story. You’ll find radio diaries that give hints to the downfall of Rapture. You’ll meet people who will tell you things about Rapture. Some of these things, such as the radio diaries, are optional, but if you don’t listen to radio diaries you’ll not only miss out on some of the complex and absorbing storyline, but you’ll also miss out on some of the game’s better features. The voice acting contained within each radio diary is fantastic. You’ll learn not only about Rapture, but Andrew Ryan and other characters who play a major role in the story. There are other things that move the story along as well, like running into ghosts who will give you more insight. Some of the mutated denizens give you hints (before you have to do away with them). There’s a lot to piece together here. If story and character development are your thing: Bioshock delivers.

  As far as gameplay goes, Bioshock is a game that presents some complex things, but it’s easy to play overall. Splicers are the most common types of enemies encountered in Rapture. You’ll need an arsenal of weapons to take them on. As you progress through the game you’ll have splicers that simply attack melee style, others that shoot at you and even some that throw explosives. When you first begin you only have access to a wrench. But along the way you’ll pick additional weapons like a pistol, shotgun, machine gun and a few others that you can use to decimate your enemies with.

  Despite how difficult things might be, Bioshock doesn’t penalize you much should you die. If the worst should happen you’ll respawn from a Vita Chamber (basically a checkpoint) with some health and everything you had at the time of your death. The enemy also keeps the same amount of health lost. So even if you die over and over again, you’ll eventually be able to kill whatever it is that’s giving you trouble. Despite the challenge of the game, the simple fact that you can’t die permanently does take away some of the challenge.

  The enemy AI is also pretty good. While they never stop attacking once they’ve found you, they do act the way you expect them to. If they’re firing at you and suddenly run out of ammo, they’ll run away from you to reload. If they hear your footsteps, they’ll investigate. Your adversaries are no dummies in this game.

  There are also machines like gun turrets and security cameras around. You can keep out of the way of security cameras easily, but sometimes turrets can be a pain. However, despite how tough gun turrets and rocket launchers can be, the game allows you to short circuit them and hack them. Hacking is a little mini-game in which you must lead a fluid through a series of pipes to the exit. Most of the hacking mini-games aren’t hard. Successfully hacking a gun turret or rocket launcher turns them on your enemies.

  There’s more to Bioshock than simply killing your enemy, though. You’ll also want to search the dead bodies of those you kill. Usually enemies carry ammo, money, first aid kits, EVE Hypos and some will even drop weapons. You can also search more than dead bodies. You can search any containers scattered throughout the game. Trashcans, cabinets, virtually anything that sits idly by. Sometimes you’ll find money, ammo etc.

  Aside from searching corpses and containers you can also pilfer any food or drinks that are lying around. Food often restores health, while drinks will restore health yet take away a bit of EVE. Most of the drinks you come across are alcoholic drinks, and if you drink too much alcohol it will register and your vision will actually be impaired and you’ll start to stumble around.

  In addition to all that searching, there are also vending machines scattered throughout the game where you can buy healing items, drinks, ammo and more. It’ll cost you money. Like some of the machines you’ll encounter, you can also hack into a vending machine, and you’ll want to do so. Doing so lowers the prices on the items and makes more available.

  As you go through the game you’ll also come across Plasmids. Plasmids give you powers. At first all you get is electricity, but later on you’ll be able to command fire or even use telekinesis. There are several plasmids in the game, with their own little benefits. Electricity, for example, will let you activate switches and short circuit machines. You cannot use Plasmids limitlessly, though. Plasmids consume EVE and once you run out of EVE, you can’t use Plasmids.

  In addition to Plasmids you’ll also find tonics which grant you everlasting effects so long as you have it equipped. There are tonics which improve your physical attributes, engineering skills to make hacking easier, and your combat abilities.

  Throughout the game you’re also given chances to upgrade your weapons. You can also shoot off stronger ammo as you get further, and at some point you’ll have to. Some enemies are immune to standard shots but can easily be taken down with armor piercing rounds.

  The game doesn’t just put most of these things there for your benefit, but actually expects you to use them effectively. For example, if there are a bunch of enemies standing in water, you’re encouraged to electrocute the water. If there’s an oil spill you’re encouraged to set it on fire. You can put together lots of great strategies when it comes to your Plasmids and Weapons. Even better is that you can switch between them on the fly. Your plasmids occupy your left hand and your weapons occupy your right. You can’t use them both at the same time but the game allows you to switch between them rapidly enough to the point where it doesn’t matter.

  Finally, the game allows you to invent and construct items for you to use a long the way. You’ll need to find components to invent items, though, and that’s easily done through searching all those basic containers.

  As far as the game looks it is by far one of the most detailed and beautiful games out there. Everything about the game is given a fantastic look to it. From what your enemies look like to the vast city itself. The walls are detailed, the water is detailed all the flames and vending machines are detailed. Even better, the physics and other mechanics in this game work divinely. For example, if you bump into a trashcan, it falls over. If you’re stepping over something, you’ll find yourself walking a bit slower and stumbling over it.

  Bioshock is a stunning game. The long wait was well worth it. Tight controls, lots of variety in the gameplay and an absorbing storyline is what keeps this game afloat and makes it fun. It is without a doubt one of the best games of 2007.

  The Good

  +Enticing storyline full of philosophy and intrigue
  
  +Fantastic voice acting brings the already fantastic story to life
  
  +Lots of variety in the gameplay
  
  +Great sound effects
  
  +Great music score
  
  +All around beautiful game
  
  +The atmosphere of the game never settles

  The Bad

  -While it’s nice that you don’t get penalized or ever have to reload when you die, it brings down the difficulty of this game a bit. However, as I said, it’s a good and bad thing
• 

  Juicy Melon
  August 21st, 2007 on 3:24 pm

  Rating

  This is by far the most interesting, fun, adventurous game since last years Zelda for the Wii. There is so much to do in this game, you can hack into safes, invent items, shock someone in the water, use a crowbar to knock someone out, anything you want to do, you can. I didn’t hear about this game until last week when Microsoft released a demo of it last week. I played the demo and immediately got hooked. I went out early this morning “21 Aug 07″ and purchased this game. I have played it for roughly five hours and it has been so much fun. It’s not super confusing and it’s like a choose your own adventure game. The classical eery music is an added plus. If you own an XBOX 360 and you are looking for the “Next Big Game”, or you just want a Phenomenal gaming experience, purchase this game, I guarantee you will not be disapointed. The only negative for me is that this game really makes other games look really bad. But that’s a negative that I will just have to deal with. Now I am going to shut off the laptop and get back to playing.
• 

  Robert Hudock
  August 21st, 2007 on 7:53 pm

  Rating

  I thought Gears of War was a good game, but I believe Bioshock outdoes Gears of War on multiple levels. First, the storyline is solid, I feel like I am participating in a self-directed movie, opposed to the typical experience of a weak storyline combining together sequences of violence. Second, Bioshock is not about who has the biggest gun, there is an element of strategy not found in previous FPS games with the exception maybe of Gears of War. Finally, the game is intuitive, easy to pickup. I am not a big fan of FPS games, typically enjoying games like Civilization IV, however, this game is one big exception.
• 

  eternal now
  August 21st, 2007 on 8:27 pm

  Rating

  When rating a game like Bioshock that has been hyped up for over a year, one has to consider these 4 important questions.

  1) Does it live up to the hype?
  
  2) Is it fun to play?
  
  3) Does it distinguish itself from other FPS?
  
  4) Is it a true next gen game?

  The answer to all four of these questions is a resounding YES!

  Bioshock brings you to the underwater city of Rapture, a dystopian world that is falling apart rapidly. Based on paper thin ideals and materialistic beliefs, the civilization of Rapture has fallen into insanity and sheer madness.
  
  A chemical called ADAM has tainted and distorted the minds, and bodies, of the citizens, turning everyone literally c-r-a-z-y!

  Psychotic, mutated and twisted citizens lurk around every corner of this destroyed beauty called Rapture. And it IS beautiful. Bioshock boasts some really amazing and beautiful graphics, fulfilling part of question 4.
  
  The architecture of Rapture is firmly planted in the 1960′s and really adds bucket loads of flavor to the overall story and feel of the game. From posters to furniture, you really do get the sense that you are IN the 1960′s.
  
  On the graphical note, the water, and there is plenty of it, is probably the best looking, flowing and most realistic water to ever grace a video game. I was simply amazed at the water. I hear that the Bioshock developers had a whole team working on the water effects/graphics alone. Well, it has certainly paid off.
  
  Bioshock also uses the Unreal 3 engine (think Gears of War), so the graphics are phenomenal and character movements are fluid and realistic.
  
  Details are abound. Weapons are detailed down to the most minute detail (ribbed design on the shotgun pump, cracks in the walls/floors). The lighting/shadows are stunning, and the character models are some of the most detailed in the video game world.

  Bioshock is a First Person Shooter. We all know that the video game shelves of our local stores are chalk full of First Person Shooters (FPS). Stores are literally teeming with them.
  
  One of the biggest arguments against the Xbox 360 was the fact that there was a lack of variety in terms of games, with the majority being FPS.
  
  I can safely say that Bioshock, though it may be a FPS, is FAR from your typical, standard FPS fare.

  While you will run into your typical FPS weapons (Shotgun, Handguns, Machine guns, explosives, wrench for a melee weapon and a few more standard weapons), you will also have access to something called Plasmids.
  
  Plasmids give you powers (i.e Telekenesis, the ability to shoot flames and electricity out of your hands, and even the ability to shoot wasps from your veins!)
  
  These powers really change the FPS dynamic in a very profound way. Will you shock your enemy, then beat the tar out of them while they are stunned?, or will you incinerate them? Or, better yet, will you unleash a horde of wasps at them and watch them freak out? Your Plasmid powers even interact with the environment. You can use the shock ability to jump start faulty door switches, and if you spot an enemy in a pool of water you can shoot them with the electricity and watch them convulse.

  If you spot an enemy in a pool of oil (yeah you will run into rooms that have oil spills) you can unleash Incinerate and watch them burn and spread the fire around.

  An enemy throwing explosives at you, or is your way blocked by debris? No problem, with Telekenesis you can grab those pesky explosives in mid air and fling them back at the thrower or at debris blocking your advancement.

  Also, you will find tonics along the way that will enhance other abilities, such as melee strength, hacking and even a tonic that will emit a shock to any enemy that attacks you with a melee attack, a sort of high voltage retribution.

  On a side note, there are different types of bullets for each gun ranging from electrified ammo, armor piercing ammo and anti-personnel ammo. And if that’s not enough, later on in the game you will be able to create your own ammo!

  Yes, I did mention hacking earlier. Rapture has its share of vending machines (where you can buy ammo, health kits and plasmid refills), ammo machines, health stations, security bots, gun turrents and security cameras.
  
  If you get in close to one of these machines, you will be given the opportunity to hack the machine. In an ingenious design, if you decide to hack a machine you will engage in a small mini game.
  
  Does anyone remember an ancient game called Pipe Dream? The hacking mini game requires you to connect the “entrance” to the “exit” via two different types of pipes. There is a time limit however because fluid flows from the “entrance” and you need to get the fluid to the “exit”. If you fail, the machine will overload and you will take damage, however you can retry as long as you have health left.

  Later on you will find hacking tools that will give you the option to auto hack, though its not always successful. You can also opt to pay a rather large amount to buy a guaranteed auto hack – but that would be boring!

  There is quite a bit of collecting involved in Bioshock as well. There are the plasmids, tonics, ammo and even money all scattered about the city of rapture.
  
  With all of that in mind, it is easy to see that Bioshock does in fact distinguish itself from all other FPS on the market, fulfilling question 3.

  Gameplay, well that is another story. 2k games boasts that no two romps through Bioshock will be the same. And I can see why they make this claim. You have options, I mean lots and lots of options on how you want to go about your killing. This basically fulfills the second part of question 4, Bioshock IS a true Next Generation title.

  With every said so far, it is safe to say that Bioshock is VERY fun to play. First of all, the controls are rather easy and follow the standard FPS controls that Halo popularized.
  
  There are three difficulties, allowing you to ease into the game, and easy to use menus and interfaces.
  
  The story line is very immerse, original and interesting. I can say that I have NEVER played a game with the same story line.
  
  Also, Raptures history is revealed via tape recordings and diaries that you collect along the way, adding even more flavor to an already over flowing flavor pot.
  
  Basically Bioshock is equal parts an action game, survival horror game and a stripped down Role Playing Game in the vein of Deus Ex. And its mixed really well. Nothing ever feels over done or boring.

  Also, following in the vein of “choose your own adventure” type games, Bioshock presents you with situations in which you will have to choose, morally, which way to go. This adds even more to an already amazing game. And, unlike other games that offer this, your choices and actions WILL affect the game.

  Overall, Bioshock lives up to the hype and is a must own for all Xbox 360 owners. I will warn that there is a lot of blood, gore and violence, not to mention a wide array of mature themes involved.
  
  If you are into these things, and of age, you MUST pick this game up. Do not pass up on this, even if you are sick of the First Person Shooter genre, I guarantee that Bioshock is a unique and engaging experience that you will not regret paying $60 plus for.

  Price is one of the biggest factors that can scare away potential consumers, since next generation games cost so much, consumers want to be sure that the game they are spending their hard earned money on is actually worth it. I can honestly say that Bioshock is worth it.
  
• 

  S. Saviola
  August 22nd, 2007 on 5:04 am

  Rating

  Very simply put right now this game is easily the best shooter to come out for the 360 in a long time.
  
  Not only does it have some very tense and fun gameplay.

  The lighting and graphical displays shown within are pretty much second to none as of this moment.

  I bought the game on midnight of the 20th/21st and immediately went home to play it. The experience of just how good the graphics are was 10 fold when I was playing with the lights off. I dont even have a HDTV and I was purely impressed by just how good everything looked.

  The game also goes a long way to genuinely disturb and creep you out.
  
  Its not the typical BOO factor like games like the Resident Evil series and maybe even FEAR. Not that that is a bad thing.
  
  But this game tends to be creepy on a psychological level only truly experienced by playing first hand.
  
  The idea of this underwater utopian city gone completely wrong may not be the most original idea but it is definitely executed well.

  The sounds are easily the number one thing that makes the game so creepy at times. If you do get to play it, find a spot to just stand still for a moment and take it all in. You hear everything from steam pipes creaking to soft whispers of one of 2k’s delightfully twisted characters coming from somewhere up ahead. And the sounds you hear aren’t always necessarily right around the corner. Which is whats so great, the voices you hear may be coming from the other side of a wall or a room down the pathway.

  The AI is also really impressive. They do things like run and jump into water when set on fire, they take off running when they get low on health. They attack in numbers at times making for some very frantic and fast paced combat. The number of weapons and plasmid modifications is truly something to behold. The ability to aim your electric shock at water and fry your opponents may not seem like a big deal, but when you can do that instead of wasting numerous rounds of ammunition believe me you will appreciate it much more. The weapon combos are great. You can shock and stun opponents, set them on fire, freeze them, tag them so that security drones will attack them instead of you. All the while still being able to do something as simple as a shotgun blast to the face.

  I do wish cycling weapons was a bit quicker at times. Your right hand weapons are bound to the RB button and you have to cycle thru them in order to find the right one which can be annoying in times of a fast firefight. But you can easily overcome this.

  Bottom line is, this one definitely has my vote for Game of the Year, or maybe Assassins Creed but that one is still yet to be seen.

  Go out and buy this one if you can, it is definitely worth the price of admission.
• 

  H. Crosland
  August 22nd, 2007 on 2:08 pm

  Rating

  You don’t get into Bioshock….it gets into you.

  My very first impression of playing this game was that someone watched enough episodes of Lost and translated it into a very good game.

  Elements:

  - you are on a trip in a plane presumably to see your parents when the plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic…..check

  - you wind up on a mysterious lighthouse which transports you to a mysterious city…..check

  - you communicate with mysterious people who may or may not have ulterior motives…..check

  - wierd medical experiments are taking place affecting people of that city…..check

  - some of those same people want to kill you…..check

  - you must choose whose side you on and how it affects your survival…..check

  Good enough?

  I am trying ot mkae my review short enough without giving spoilers away or be redundant to the official reviews and long enough to tell you that what you read is true!

  Bioshock is definently a step to redefining first person shooter. This is not your balls to the wall shoot em up, but rather a thinking person’s game where the point is to interact and enjoy the story, creatively think your way past enemies and make decisions that will affect your game play.

  All of you have probably heard about the creative elements of the game play…others who reviewed it have covered it, so I really don’t want to get into that…if you have read enough about it I would say you have to see for yourself.

  What is more important to me is how much this game creeps up on you and scares you into playing a little bit more. This game IMO revolutionizes the FPS because of the content. It’s pretty much doing things storywise what Resident Evil and Doom has been trying to do for years.

  I am recommending that if you play this game, don’t do it on anything less than a home theater system.

  I am playing this on a 51″ HDTV, 7.1 surround sound with the lights on dim and my goodness it is IMMERSIVE. YOU WILL JUMP…you will laugh…you will be scared….the first time I faced off with a big daddy it was to be believed. It crept up behind me…I heard it coming and instead of turning with my joystick I literally truned around and luckily I didn’t already aggro it but it was up on me and walked byand my heart was in my throat. There is this one scene early on (and u get to see it in the demo) where you see a sillouette of a lady rambling to a baby in a carriage and it’s truly eeirie and there are SO many moments like this throughout the game. You can gather recordings to listen to the insanity that these people were into. And sometimes feel sorry for some of the people that you have to kill.

  And yes, there are even more mysteries in this game. again similar to Lost…and this is where I wrap up:

  - Is it a coincidence that your plane crashed here?

  - What is the story behind the tattoes?

  - What went wrong and made these people crazy?

  - Who or what are the Little Sisters and why must you choose?

  - Why would any seemingly sane person that wound up on this island willingly inject himself with gene altering material to get powers and what effects will they have on your character by the end of the game?

  If you are looking for a game that will keep you in the dark while you play it in the dark (best way to play) BUY…THIS…GAME. I have a feeling that this will be the bestseller of the year…Halo my sell the numbers due to the fan base but Bioshock will sell because of the immersive story alone
• 

  pattic
  August 23rd, 2007 on 8:21 am

  Rating

  I have been an avid PC and console gamer for…well, as long as there have been PC and console games, and have probably played hundreds of the darn things over the last two decades, and I can comfortably say, that Bioshock, is one of the top two or three games I have ever played, and absolutely the best console game.

  It’s one of those rare games, that has all of what you love about a great game, with none of what annoys you. I realized, after about 10 hours of play, that absolutley nothing was ticking me off. If there was ever a game that got everything right, it’s Bioshock.

  Normally, you hear much about a shooter having an “absorbing story”, and you’re just like: “yeah, yeah, just shut up and let me shoot you”. But Bioshock, actually does. The bleak, dystopian world scenario is hardly new in gaming, but Bioshock puts a great twist on things; and the art-deco 1940′s sci-fi world is very refreshing and incredibly rendered. If you are as sick as I am of endless hallways filled with crates, you are in for a helluva treat. Not only does this game look amazing, but the design is so good, and so original, that it really does “absorb” you.

  The biggest suprise to me, was level of literacy, and period detail. This game wasn’t really designed for modern kids, and certainly wasn’t designed by one. The villian, an obvious nod to conceptual novelist Ayn Rand, ends up being more complex than the average “evil rich corporate Republican” guy we’re all so sick of by now, and not only is the voice acting a-list quality, but they even speak pretty authentic 1940′s dialogue, with accurate period inflection. If you watch an old movie from the 40′s you’ll notice that not only was the slang and colloquial language different, but so was the actual style of speech. The characters in Bioshock don’t sound like modern mallrats in seersucker suits, they sound like people from the 40′s. The sense of period is very accurate, moreso than most Hollywood films (although a “German” lady character has a very obiously Russian accent lol).

  Even the shooting, was fabulously fun. When I first started playing, I thought “oh no..shooting old revolvers isn’t fun.” But don’t forget, even though Bioshock takes place in the 40′s, it’s still a sci-fi what-if adventure, and the assortment of weapons are a gas to use. And “adventure” is really accurate. Even though it’s an FPS with a fair amount of bloody shooting, it really feels and plays more like an old Sierra adventure game than a Quake-style shooter. The plot matters in this game, unlike many others, and you spend more time exploring the amazing world and solving puzzles than actually shooting, so consider that a mild warning if you are a shooting “rivethead”.

  Bioshock is a very long game, but it was so addicting, that I played it almost non-stop for 4 days and finished it. I actually just rented it, because normally games that are centered on plot don’t have a lot of replay value for me, but this one I can imagine playing over and over, so the lack of multi-player doesnt really matter to me here. I’ll be buying this sucker as soon as payday hits.

  In short, the hype around Bioshock is no hype. This game even killed Half-life and Halo for me, and that’s saying a lot. Halo3 is going to have a helluva climb to even get near Bioshock, and i never thought I’d say that.

  To wrap-up, even though much of Bioshock’s conceptual nods and references will probably sail over the heads of most modern teen gamers, it won’t matter a darn. They’ll be to busy being knocked out by the best visual world and gameplay mechanics I’ve ever seen.
• 

  Jon
  August 27th, 2007 on 12:21 am

  Rating

  Deciding if this game was worth 5 out of 5 was really a no-brainer. Having played lots of computer games and valued them for things like: atmosphere, intelligence, ability to create suspension of disbelief, graphics, intuitive gameplay, maturity, attention to detail, addictiveness, voice-acting, sound, action, scariness, soundtrack and style it scores at the highest level for each. How many other games can claim that?

  Basically there are so many things to recommend Bioshock that it’s hard to know where to begin. Do you start with the fact that it’s one of the best FPS on the market or just talk about the sheer amount of creativity fuelling the whole experience? In this game you pump the buttons like any good shooter while having to think and even make limited ethical choices. Plus there is a dialogue (if you’re up for it) between yourself and a story that references everything from Ayn Rand and eugenics through to militant strikes and elitist propaganda. Shoving in the near RPG level micromanagement of your character’s abilities you really should be in clover here. Bioshock tries to please everyone and pretty much manages to do so.

  The story has you plunging into the city of Rapture–a decaying, undersea 40′s style vision of the future–following a plane crash. Once in you are initially led around via a radio link to one of its disillusioned inhabitants as you discover genetically altered `splicers’ and a technology that seems culled from a lunatic meeting of H.G. Wells, J.G. Ballard and Phillip K. Dick. Going further you also mutate and increasingly depend on bizarre chemicals to survive. Soon it is becomes entirely commonplace to incinerate, freeze or telekinetically slaughter your enemies with a flick of your wrist. Then of course there are the `Little Sisters’ leeching from the corpses you’ve left behind, who you in turn need to leech from, while deciding if its right to kill them or save them.

  So is this the perfect game? Unfortunately the answer is no. Rather than becoming more interesting (i.e., more creatively challenging) at the crucial pinch-points it runs back to dully launching large numbers of enemies at you and forgetting its IQ. This soon gets to be irritating when you’ve been fully lost in the world and then frequently thrown out of it by crass stupidity. It tends to leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

  Similarly the game lacks any element of stealth, there are very few puzzles worth a mention, the respawn points are silly, the environments are often just background (indestructible light fixtures, etc), the AI can be uneven and the whole thing has quite openly begged, borrowed and stolen from other games. If you’ve played a lot of shooters then you may be taking a tour down memory lane.

  The final recommendation is that you should buy this gorgeous release even if it is flawed. When playing through Rapture the problems that would sink an average title become niggles and minor complaints in an otherwise rewarding and completely entertaining experience.

  Bioshock is undoubtedly one of the finest games ever made and it has set the benchmark that other companies will either meet, exceed or get nowhere near when releasing their own product. It is an evolution in gaming such as befits the content that rightfully put it there.
• 

  Steven
  October 16th, 2007 on 5:15 am

  Rating

  It’s rare these days for games to really blow me away. I’ve been playing games for years and in the last few years it seems that no matter which game I play, it seems as though I’ve been there – done that. In rare occasions games will break new ground, but more often then not it seems as though games use rehashed formulas that have been tried and true, albeit boring at times.

  Really, when it comes down to it Bioshock doesn’t really break new ground per-se, it just does everything right. It features a rich story line, great play mechanics, amazing voice acting and mind-blowing graphics. Lets talk about each of these subjects.

  The Story Line
  
  I never like to give away too much in my reviews, so I’ll just say what you probably already read about if you read anything about this game. The game starts out with you stranded in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. You don’t know much of what happened, except that you were involved in a plane crash. You spot a lighthouse in the distance, next thing you know you’re being sucked into the city of Rapture. At first sight it seems like Rapture is a great place to be. You hear stories of how the city doesn’t let religion interfere with science and that the city of Rapture offers true freedom. You quickly realize Rapture isn’t as perfect as it seems at first (go figure). You quickly learn of a man named Andrew Ryan, the main bad guy involved in the rise and fall of Rapture. Immediately you feel as though you must find out what exactly is going on here. The story sucks you in and doesn’t let go, one of the reasons this game is so great. You will come across many diaries in the game that you must listen to, so you can fully understand the somewhat complex story line. Don’t worry, each diary is spoken and can be listened to while you play.

  Gameplay Mechanics
  
  Bioshock is an FPS, with a few RPG-ish elements. The game is based in the 1960s, so you wield weapons of that period. What’s really cool is that you come across what’s called Plasmids that alter your DNA and allow you to perform incredible feats such as throw fire, throw electricity, and throw just about any other object through telekinesis. There are quite a few plasmids available, the only trick is deciding which ones you want to keep. You only have a few slots for plasmids, so you must choose carefully. More slots will become available as you play.

  To obtain plasmids you must gather a substance called Adam. The way you obtain Adam is through little girls called little sisters, which harvest Adam from dead bodies. You have to defeat “Big Daddies” in order to get to the little sisters and harvest the Adam. Once you beat the big daddy you have a choice. You can free the little sister of her parasite and gain a little bit of Adam, or you can sacrifice her to gain the maximum amount of Adam. This decision can be tough. You are promised that if you free them you will be rewarded, however if you free them you only get 1/2 the Adam. Also, your decision will alter the storyline a bit. Also, you can purchase tonics with Adam. Tonics are passive in that they don’t really give you any new attacks, instead they offer abilities such as walking faster, or taking less damage from attacks.

  One other cool feature is that you can hack machines such as cameras and vending machines. In order to hack a machine you have to beat a little fun mini-game, which will vary in difficulty depending on the machine you’re hacking. Typically if you hack machines such as vending machines you will be offered more goods and lower prices. If you hack cameras and guns then they will turn on your enemies. There are many more gameplay elements, but I don’t want to make this review much longer then it already is. Trust me, there is plenty here to have fun with.

  Graphics and Sound
  
  The sound effects and voice acting in this game is way above average. Every line is spoken so convincingly that it really does help draw you into the game. The music in this game fits the theme perfectly.

  The graphics in this game are nothing short of amazing. In fact, these are some of the best graphics I’ve ever seen in my life – on any platform. The dynamic lighting is amazing, the fog effects are incredible, the water effects are some of the best I’ve ever seen. This is the first time I’ve been truly blown away by graphics on the XBox 360. I can’t believe how amazing this game looks. Everyone was all excited about the graphics on Gears of War. I never really understood why. The visuals on GOW are good, but the color palate grew boring – everything seemed to be some sort of gray hue. Bioshock however has a very large color palate, from very dark and Doom-esque to very bright and vivid. The textures are very realistic. If Bioshock was a 10 for graphics, then Gears of War would be a 4 just because Bioshock is much more beautiful and very dynamic. The first time you see a spotlight shining along the wall you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a graphics snob, but when graphics are this good it really does help draw you in. You always hear people say “Graphics don’t make the game”. Although there is truth to that, visuals like this really do make the game more immersive. It’s like the difference between standard and HDTV… it’s just better.

  To conclude I would like to say that this is a must own single player game. This game does just about everything right. Although each element in this game in itself isn’t really ground-breaking, the way everything is tied together so perfectly is. I didn’t explore everything in this review, that job is up to you. Go buy this game and find out what makes Bioshock such an epic experience.