Bioshock-this was one of the earlier games of this generation, and having just recently played through it a second time, I can say that it's still one of the best games out there. Here's my review (SPOILER-FREE!):
Story: 5/5
Your plane crashes into the ocean, resulting in your discovery of the underwater city of Rapture. What first is an attempt at escape from this utopia gone awry soon becomes quite a different tale. Be ready for a wild plot twist (somewhat overrated, in my opinion). This is the plot you play through, but the magic of Bioshock is that there are audio diaries you can collect that give you further insight to this city. These are actually very interesting to listen to, so they're worth your while to find. The characters are also fascinating, featuring highly unique personalities and top-notch voice acting.
Combat: 5/5
This is some of the best gameplay you'll find. There are a vast number of options you can utilize in combat. Hacking healing stations, turrets, and security cameras makes your fights easier in different ways, saving you ammo and reducing the number of resources you consume. Your 7 weapons all have their uses, and each has 3 ammo types for specific opponents and situations. Also at your disposal are Plasmids, powers you equip that can significantly aid in combat. For example, you might find yourself overwhelmed by enemies and blow everyone away with Sonic Boom, or use Enrage to turn one enemy against another. Tonics are passive enhancements that provide various effects, including making your wrench attacks stronger, or making Hacking easier. Lastly, there are usually environmental hazards you can use to your advantage. Oil slicks can be lit up, water can be electrocuted, and explosive tanks/barrels are quick ways to dole out damage. What this all amounts to is a lot of player choice. Assigning the right Tonics and Plasmids, choosing the appropriate weapons and ammo types, and utilizing what's in the environment are what smart players will do, and the game rewards you for it since you end up saving resources.
Objectives: 4.5/5
This is how games should handle their main objectives. In Bioshock, you'll enter open levels that have multiple paths that you'll explore in order to complete your mission. In one level, you'll assemble a bomb, whose components are scattered in each of the paths. In another level, you'll help an artist complete his masterpiece by taking photos in different places. It never feels like the game's giving you a lame reason to explore the levels because it's all so natural. But the truly explorative player will search every nook and cranny of every place they visit. Doing so will yield more resources, making surviving easier. BUT, what I found was that playing this game the "right" way (being smart in combat and searching thoroughly) makes the game almost TOO easy. Playing on the hardest difficulty, my wallet was always full, my ammo was always maxed out, and I always had the maximum number of first aid kits and hypos. Nothing's more frustrating than being rewarded for exploration...but not being rewarded because I couldn't pick up any more resources. This invincible feeling really detracts from the survival aspect of the game (this is coming from a casual FPS player, not a prodigy). One more thing: most levels feature Big Daddies and Little Sisters. Encounters with these enemies are huge undertakings. Defeating the Big Daddy (no small feat) will allow you to obtain Adam from his Little Sister, which you can use to purchase monumental upgrades. The problem is, there are only 3 Little Sisters at most per level, and once you've dealt with them all, Big Daddies roam around by themselves, harmless unless provoked. The game throws Little Sisters at you too closely together, so you might quickly deal with them all and just be left with Big Daddies you'll surely avoid.
Setting: 5/5
The city of Rapture is amazing. This is one of the most immersive game worlds you'll ever find. Don't assume that everything will be underwater-themed. You'll visit a Medical Pavilion, a power core, apartment suites, and a performance venue, just to name a few. Small details are abundant, and you'll never shake the feeling that you're in a place full of citizens gone insane. Congratulations to the developers for crafting a setting this magnificent.
Overall: 4.9/5
Aside from the gripes I had about poorly regulated Little Sister encounters and the game potentially being too easy, there are also small bugs like objects disappearing into one another, textures looking ugly for a few seconds after loading, and the Telekineses Plasmid not picking up what you want it to sometimes. But in the grand scheme of things, these are very minor complaints. Bioshock is one of the best games of this generation. The storytelling is unique and incredible, the world is as immersive as it gets, the combat is full of choices, and the level and objective designing should be the template for many future games. Simply put, this is one deep, unforgettable experience.
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Customer reviews
"This shooter's got soul, so give it a shot."
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2011
+ PROS:+ Beautiful, detailed world to explore in a first-person perspective+ Several upgradable weapons & superhuman abilities+ Morality-based game endings+ A completely justifiable purchase at Greatest Hits pricing- CONS:- Some areas are unmarked on the maps- Easily missed trophies can make the game frustratingPLOT:The year is 1960. The game starts with a plane crash and our main character (Jack) is the only survivor. After swimming to a lighthouse, we reach a bathysphere and descend into the underwater society of Rapture...a world created by Andrew Ryan. He was frustrated with the rules and regulations of the surface world, so he started an attempted utopia - which has fallen into a decidedly dystopian state.As we explore Rapture, we learn its inhabitants have undergone some horrifying changes. The scientists/geneticists of Rapture learned how to splice DNA so anyone could gain new abilities: telekinesis, pyrokinesis, cryokinesis...but repeated gene splicing proved to be as addictive as heroin. These de-gene-erates are shadows of their former selves, and will kill anyone who gets in the way of their lust for ADAM - the substance that makes Rapture go `round.GAMEPLAY:BioShock is presented in a first-person shooter view. Jack's right hand takes control of the various weaponry including guns, flamethrowers, grenade launchers, and so forth.His left hand is in control of the Plasmids - these include abilities such as throwing bolts of electricity, encasing enemies in ice, hurling fireballs, and much more. These abilities can be found, bought, or created throughout the game.The transition between plasmids and hand-to-hand weapons is very smooth - just a press of the L1 or R1 buttons.Jack also has the ability to hack machines like security cameras and gun turrets to turn the tables on his enemies, and he can hack safes and vending machines to get more goodies or buy items at a discounted price. You can also hack door codes to get into locked areas.Research photos can be taken of each enemy, which provides damage bonuses and other upgrades.A good portion of your time will be spent trying to upgrade Jack's abilities for the dangers that are surely to come as the game continues. The only way to purchase new abilities is with a substance called ADAM, and ADAM can only be obtained by taking it from small girls genetically altered into "Little Sisters". Each Little Sister has a protector - a "Big Daddy."Fighting a Big Daddy is akin to a mouse fighting a gorilla, but if you defeat him, you have the option to either Harvest or Rescue the Little Sister...and the choices you make will affect the game's ending, similar to the morality gameplay mechanic in Fallout 3.A FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER GAME? I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE THOSE?To be perfectly honest, I usually hate first-person shooter games because they rarely offer much in the way of storyline. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good story.BioShock is one of the only shooter games that made me forget I was playing a shooter game, if that makes any sense. The storyline compelled me to push further into Rapture, I found myself genuinely concerned for the plight of the Little Sisters, and I had a sense of true satisfaction when I finally finished the game and eventually earned the Platinum trophy.It was only afterwards that I realized I voluntarily played a shooter game all the way through, three times. And I consider that time well spent.TROPHIES:There are 54 trophies to earn and 12 more if you purchase the BioShock Challenge Rooms package.At times it feels like game designers throw in trophies for the sole purpose of making us insane...but this is one of the few games I've encountered where earning trophies actually makes you a better game player.For example: The first time through the game, you might rush through and not do the photo research, which in turn makes the game harder. While you earn the research photo trophies, you unlock damage bonuses and upgrades (such as automatic hacks for turrets). When you start playing the game on Survivor difficulty, since you know researching enemies will make the game easier, you'll be eager to play the paparazzi early on to make your battles less time-consuming.CONS:There are very few cons to this game, but I feel they are worth mentioning.Some of the levels branch into other areas, but they are not marked on the maps. If you're a trophy hound, you will definitely be backtracking a lot, and you'll get lost without a strategy guide. Thankfully, there are plenty to be found out there.Some of the trophies can be missed (such as Weapon Specialist) and you'll have no idea why or how you missed them until it's too late. Since the game autosaves, unless you had a backup at an earlier point, you have to start all over again. Again, this is preventable by checking a strategy guide.FINAL VERDICT?BioShock took me a while to love, but it grew on me and I consider it a worthwhile gaming experience. It's probably the only shooter game I've ever played that made me forget I was playing a shooter game, and that's not easy to do.To say that Ken Levine did a top-notch job creating BioShock sounds like I'm selling the game short. I would definitely recommend it.A special shout-out to my compadre AJ, who asked me "Would you kindly buy this before you leave the store? This shooter's got soul, so give it a shot."
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2011
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