I'll begin by mentioning that I'm reviewing this collection for the Xbox one. All versions of the collection seem to be the same, without any real extras to set the different versions apart. The collection includes all three Bioshock games (including Bioshock 2, which the team behind the original and Infinite did not work on), all related add-ons and downloadable content, plus a few extra goodies like commentary from Ken Levine, the mastermind behind the series. The refreshed coat of paint plus the extra commentary are enough for me (or anyone else who has already paid for and played the trilogy) to merit buying this collection in my opinion. If you haven't had the chance to play these games yet, I implore you to just click "Add to Cart" and be on your way.
Gameplay wise, all the games still play the same, which is to say they are extremely enjoyable and rewarding to actually play through. If you've been used to modern shooters, you may think that the control scheme and mechanics of the original Bioshock feel a little dated. However, it's easy to get back into naturally and won't ruin the experience; I just wish they could have adjusted BS2's and Infinite's smoother controls for the first game. At the very least, plasmids and guns in BS1 are mapped to different triggers, but you still have to awkwardly switch between "equipped" hands to use them, unlike in later games. Otherwise, all the games are still as fun as you remember them.
The weapons and plasmids are all satisfying to use. Every gunshot FEELS solid in these games. The effect is hard to describe, but when you use a weapon or power in these games several elements come together to just make it genuinely satisfying- the shock feedback of the controller, the recoil of the gun firing, the subtle visual feedback that your hit connected, etc. Some games do this sloppily, but every Bioshock is adept at making you feel powerful and like you're doing real damage. Combining different weapons and powers in various ways for great effect is still fun, from the simple "old one-two punch" you first learn in the opening stages of BS1 to the more complex vigor combinations you can play with in Columbia.
Each game builds upon the last in terms of the options you're given to dispatch enemies. While Bioshock 1 is fully featured in terms of weapons and abilities, BS2 builds upon the original arsenal with Big Daddy-specific capabilities. And while juggling conventional weapons and plasmids provides more than enough gameplay variety, Elizabeth's helpful abilities in Infinite add yet another dimension to the multitude of choices the series grants you to tackle foes, not to mention how she always seems to toss you the exact items you most desperately need, or the amazing way she is written into Infinite's story.
Enemies throughout the series are still mostly comprised of splicer / human types, with some "big bads" thrown in (though interestingly without many true level-ending "boss fights"), but their variety of abilities, weapons, and specific weaknesses makes them a satisfying menagerie of foes to shoot, shock, and blast through. Regular difficulty may be too easy for gamers who play shooters frequently, but hard (and Infinite's 1999 mode) offer a good challenge. Furthermore, the environments, while cohesive enough to make it feel like you're in a real city and not just some shooting gallery funhouse, are varied enough to make killing all these enemies feel fresh for every new level you encounter.
Rapture is still an incredibly eerie and mystical place to explore and fight through, while Columbia has an unmatched splendor all its own. The graphics are overall good in all games, with amazing art direction and true vision behind the design, but there are a few instances BS1 and 2 give their last-gen roots away. Still, Rapture will wow you whether or not you've never seen it before just due to how well conceived it is. Lighting and particle effects are brought up to current standards. The textures are improved, and there are more objects and details to fill out the world and make it feel real, but some things still look a little "blocky" having been originally intended for last-generation polygon counts ... but you just don't care. You're too busy soaking up the atmosphere, creeping along watching for the next crazed lunatic to jump you from the shadows.
Same with Columbia. For all versions of the game, the version of Infinite we get is basically unchanged from the original PC version. This isn't necessarily bad if you're buying on console, since when Infinite originally came out, PC processing had already surpassed what the 360 and ps3 could do, so the console versions of these games were never truly "optimized" like the PC version was. For being a few years old, this game has aged particularly well due to its art design, and if you've never had a powerful enough computer to play Infinite on max settings before, playing this version on your Xbox one or PS4 will be a real treat. Either way, the sheer brilliance of the land of Columbia is enough to make all but the most stuck up players forgive any graphical niggles (of which there are few, anyway).
If you already have a PC version of Infinite, its addition is a little redundant since it's unchanged for you, but from my understanding if you own one or all of the games on Steam there's some sort of monetary compensation in place. I can't comment on that though, since I bought the Xbox version.
The graphic upgrades do a lot to make the games look as good as you remember them looking; even though they won't be knocking any true next gen games out of the park, the games still look contemporary. Believe me, if you booted the original console BS1, you'd be a bit disappointed by how it aged graphically. And, yes, running each game at 60 frames per second gives the animation a lifelike fluidity that you don't see with lower framerates.
The real magic, though, is that the environments in all 3 games don't feel like they've been made for you. They're not your personal arenas to slog through. Every location is so meticulously created, down to the last detail, that you feel like you're a guest in these two actual, real (albeit fantastical) cities that have been there all along. The world feels lived in, not personally tailored for your adventure like it does in so many other games. Little details which are easy to miss often come up later, and it's so satisfying when you notice these consistencies. There was some real thought put into the creation of these cities.
Sound-wise, all three games are great. The background sounds and music are high fidelity. The original games supported surround sound but it seems like some people are having issues with it in the collection. The weapons and plasmids/vigors sound appropriately powerful. The voice acting is top notch all around. Who can forget Andrew Ryan's monologues or Comstock's sermonizing? To me the sound effects sound remastered, and if they are in fact not, it just means the original sounds were sufficiently hi-fi to begin with. If you have a system that can take advantage of the audio quality, prepare to have your bones chilled with every little noise you hear exploring Rapture's depths, or have your ears be given a treat while taking in all of Columbia's sounds as well as its sights. The background music also does a great job of waxing and waning in each game to build up and dissipate tension, or to perfectly complement the visual atmosphere you're experiencing.
So, I've thoroughly approved of the graphics, sounds, gameplay in this collection. All that's left to discuss is the story and the value. If you've already played the games, you know about the stories. If you haven't even played a minute of any Bioshock, you already might even know how what a wild ride these games take you on just based on their popularity. Despite the great gameplay and engaging atmosphere in each game, the story is the real star here.
These games are very cerebral. Every single story told is worthy of a novel or a great movie. Even BS2, which is often considered the weakest of the series, is still great. And honestly, its only handicap is that it doesn't offer a fresh location to explore, though it is still full of new ideas, and the places you visit in Rapture on your second go are a contrast to those seen in the first game. The unique thing about every Bioshock game is that the presentation and exposition of these incredible stories couldn't be told through any medium other than a video game due to your unique perspective as the main character in the game. You will get sucked in and emotionally attached in some way each game. You CAN fly through them without even thinking about what's going on in the game, but you won't want to. There are philosophical ideas grounded at the core of each adventure. Through each story there are multiple quandaries thrown at you: concerning the nature of humanity, about political agendas and greed, ethics, religion, racism, classism, ultra-nationalism, and even the nature of the universe itself. All these lofty ideas aren't forced down your throat, but rather presented in such a way that makes thinking about them interesting, rather than a chore, even if you don't normally have the slightest bit of interest in ruminating over ideas like morality and fate while you've mowing down waves of rabid enemies. Ignoring these philosophical musings, every game still has a unique "angle" to its story, each with its own "Oh sh*t!" moments that will completely surprise you and throw you for a loop.
And finally, what about value? If you haven't played any (or even just one) of these games yet, I'd say the full price of admission is worth it. Every single game you get here is a masterpiece, and you get three of them, plus their (mostly) acclaimed DLC. Even BS2 would be considered a masterpiece by more critics if it didn't have its own prequel and sequel to compare to.
If you've already played all three (plus the add-ons, etc), it may be worth it to wait for a price drop unless you're as crazy about Bioshock as I am. Though a lot of content is packed into this collection, BS2 multiplayer is missing, and the only truly "new" bonus content included is the commentary/"making of." Something to think about is that as of the time of me writing this review, Prime members get 20% off new game purchases, making the price a bit easier to swallow- $48 vs $60.
Still, whether or not you've experienced what Bioshock has to offer before, this package is the real deal. Three games, two of which were upgraded enough to look like they truly fit in with current generation games, all DLC, plus commentary. Additionally, for console players this version of Infinite is a graphical upgrade from the 360/ps3 release. For me, this has so far been $48 well spent. If you're not new to Bioshock and want to wait for the inevitable price drop, I don't fault you. I'm usually a "patient gamer" in that sense too, taking full advantage of the price of a game falling after the initial hype dies. However, any gamer owes it to his or herself to pick this collection up at some point, either to reexperience the magic, or if they're new to the series, to finally take the plunge and see what it means to experience a series crafted well enough to be called "art" by many critics.
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