Review: Bioshock (360*)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 10/10
Overall- 10/10

Bioshock carries some heavy weight on its shoulders as it follows in the foot steps of System Shock 2, but since many gamers (mainly console gamers) missed out on System Shock 2, they didn't know what to expect. I must admit, I was one of those gamers. But, I must say, after playing Bioshock, I can assure you that it is a game that refreshes the shooter genre. Bioshock boasts wonderfully detailed visuals and superbly fun game play, as well, it is obvious that Bioshock has a very powerful, high quality design to it. With such strengths, Bioshock is a strong contender for game of the year.

As I plopped Bioshock in for the first time, I was rather excited. Quite thankfully, I can say my excitement was for good reason as my high expectations were surpassed. The graphics were certainly one of the most polished parts of the game. Everything is in superb detail with a wonderful and realistic use of color and light. As well, the over all visuals are surprisingly clear and crisp, making it very easy to be immersed into the game's dark world. The design of the game itself is very original and very pleasing. The splicers, your main enemies, truly look like raving, murderous monsters that once used to be a part of human civilization. The Big Daddies and the Rosies (a different kind of Big Daddy) are one of my favorite character designs in Bioshock. Their armor-like, old-school underwater suits portray a very powerful and prominent creature in Bioshock. Quite basically, the designs are so successful that you know a fight between you, a Big Daddy, and a group of raving Splicers defines disaster.

The sound is another refined part of Bioshock's environment. The developers really hit the bulls eye of realistic sound with deafening gun shots, horrifying shrieks, and mushy-mashy bludgeoning sound effects. As well, the music and truly superb voicing of Bioshock over comes many of the best movies to date. The soundtrack is a wonderful composition of songs that define and push the game's stressful and insane mood, all the while fitting the era in which the game takes place. The voice acting, as well, is of just plain superb quality. Colorful wording that fits the vocabulary of people of the 50's/60's combined with lines that successfully echo each character's personality make for very entertaining and attention holding conversations.

When I started Bioshock, I didn't know what to expect. I knew it was in first person, but many people talked of a shooter/adventure/role playing game combo. It is quite true that Bioshock is a FPS game unlike any other. The firefights are of amazing realistic quality. It isn't an all out shoot out in Bioshock, oh no, it's much wilder than that. Splicers will jump left and right, dodging your shots, while you scurry for cover of your own. The kick back of your guns will throw your aim wildly around as you fire off each shot at the menacing splicers, who themselves desperately hurry to get their shots into you. The fights are wild and frenzied, with fear over coming both sides. But the wonderful action is just a small piece of the fun. All the fire arms you gather or loot are completely customizable; various add-ons include more damage, better aim, even completely custom bullets, and beyond. As well, one of the most important features is changing your genes to gain powers, called plasmids, is an amazingly fun part of the game. Powers range from freezing your enemies or shocking them to marking your enemies so security guns will shoot only them and making Big Daddies fight for you. But the developers took this already great feature even farther; in one part of the game you'll be going through a part of Rapture (where Bioshock is set) where ice has covered most of the area, by using your fire plasmid, you can melt away the ice and find hidden items and passage ways. Another fun trick is to shoot a puddle in which several enemies are standing to shock them all at once; or, another favorite of mine, you can catch a bomb or grenade thrown at you with telepathy and through it right back. You really have to think out of the box and get creative to fully utilize the potential of plasmids, which seems nearly endless. But, in the end, the truly most important part of Bioshock is deciding what to do with the Little Sisters. The Little Sisters are little girls who have been changed into mutants who gather Adam, a key component in the creation of plasmids. The catch: deciding what to do with them; you can either harvest them getting all the possible Adam out of them but kill them, or you can save them, releasing them from their mutant, hypnotized state but getting less Adam. Making the choice to harvest or save will affect the game immensely, so choose carefully.

All in all, Bioshock is an immense game that encourages exploration and creativity in a wild, dark, and very original setting. The ability to customize weaponry, freely explore, and making the decision to save or harvest the Little Sisters multiplies the replay value. With such high quality design, exciting game play, and so much play and replay value, Bioshock is one of the few perfect games out there.


Pros: Great visuals and sound, wonderful game play, tons to do and many reasons to play through multiple times.
Cons: None, that's right, nothing.

Review: Vedran

* Review for 360 version only, available on PC as well.