Home Games Bioshock

Bioshock (PC)

First Person Shooter
Releases: 08.21.07
2K Boston
2K Games
ESRB: Mature

Bioshock

A game that will drag you into the deep and point you in the direction of intrigue you'll want to drown in.

by Jessi Prouse

Bioshock (for the PC) throws the player immediately into the action, beauty, and ‘50s horror that defines the city of Rapture. A quick cut-scene gives you all the background you’ll need to know – it’s 1960 and your plane has crashed in the Mid-Atlantic. The graphics of Bioshock are immediately enthralling, so much so that it took me a few moments to realize the cut-scene was over and I was now in control of the stranded passenger.

Oil fires burning across the surface of the water (complete with water drops on the screen) encourage you toward a dark lighthouse. The whole game oozes with mystery and plot that only thickens as the game progresses. The first glimpse of Rapture’s creator, Andrew Ryan (a clever play on author Ayn Rand), is a looming torso statue above a dark red banner that reads “No Gods or Kings. Only Man.” Indeed. The game is rich with plot detail that as a player you may choose to explore or just run screaming past in hopes of exploring later when you’re not about to die. You’ll find diary recordings that slowly reveal the inner workings of Rapture and the major players within it. The walls are filled with markers offering quotes from the Andrew Ryan, posters advertising the three themes the city was built on – Industry, Science, and Art.

Stepping into a bathysphere you’re taken 18 fathoms under the sea and straight into the heart of the city of Rapture. Granted, this heart has gone post-apocalyptic. Debris covers the floors and it’s not uncommon to have flaming couches thrown at you or for a wall to collapse here and there. It’s a modern day city of Atlantis, except all the mermaids are horribly insane. As you descend, you’ll be treated to a mini-introduction film by Andrew Ryan himself. “A city where the artistic would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality. Where the great would not be constrained by the small. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well.” Yeah, who wouldn’t want to live there?

Underwater tunnels connect the ocean bound sky scrapers of Rapture and your first look at the city screams 1950’s New York Times Square – you know, if it were run by rabidly insane people. The British voice of Atlas (the Ayn Rand references just keep coming) via radio will give you the low down. The city may seem confusing, but luckily for those less spatially inclined to follow a map, Bioshock provides a directional arrow that will help you find your way to the next goal.

Splicers rule the city, deranged humans who’ve had one too many genetic enhancements. Take one part H.P. Lovecraft crazed fisherman and one part mad scientist. Mix, and enjoy. Add wall crawling, jumping, and a variant of weapons and powers and you’ve got quite the group of pests to deal with.

As the game progresses you’ll want to gather ADAM – a Rapture scientific breakthrough that will allow you to imbue yourself with Plasmids, allowing you to shoot lightening, fire, and a myriad of other abilities from your hand. You’ll need EVE (a.k.a. mana). to use them, but syringes are aplenty.

There’s only one way to get more ADAM though - Big Daddies and their little girls. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Really. Imagine a diving suit designed for extreme water pressure. Now make it much larger, much angrier, and give it weapons. They guard cute little girls that giggle and call their guardians “Mr. Bubbles” and it’s these little bits of sugar and spice that you’re really after. Bioshock offers players a moral decision here – kill the girl and get more ADAM (and thus upgrade even faster) or save them and get half as much. I wanted to be a good person when I played, I really did, but I found my desire to upgrade overcome my gaming morality. Each path has its benefits and consequences and it’ll be up to you to decide how to play.

A real charm underlies the horrific atmosphere of Rapture and it’ll bring you back again and again to the city below the sea. Every time you gain a new Plasmid you’ll be greeted by a quick humorous black and white tutorial that explains your new found ability. These comical moments really set Bioshock apart from the usual horror first-person shooters.

Bioshock encourages creativity that first-person shooter’s are often devoid of. You can use any combination of techniques to lure your enemies into traps, or just blow them away with a grenade launcher. There is no right way to do things and experimenting is half the fun. One of my favorite moments came in luring an enemy into the water, and then using my lightening Plasmid to shoot the water, effectively electrocuting the splicer. Using telekinesis to whip flammable oxygen tanks or launching a swarm of bees at a splicer also has its perks. This open-endedness makes Bioshock infinitely repayable, allowing the player to challenge themselves by inventing new strategies.

It’s not all perfection, however. Some users may experience some graphical hiccups as Bioshock can be a bit demanding on aging systems. All users, however, will find themselves watching the clock as the minutes tick by during load screens. Luckily, these are far and few between and, looking on the bright side, give you a chance to grab another drink. None the less Bioshock may be an oldie (in gamer years) but it’s still a refreshing way to blow a summer indoors.

Atmosphere and gameplay worthy of the name Rapture

Slow load times

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