Product Description

There aren't many games which list a critique of objectivity as one of its selling points, but then Bioshock isn't like other games.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6178 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Take 2
• Released on: 2007-08-24
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• ESRB Rating: Adults Only
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Dimensions: .48 pounds

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There aren’t many games which list a critique of objectivism as one of its selling points, but then Bioshock isn’t like other games. Indeed the only titles it can easily be compared to are System Shock and its sequel, to which this is a spiritual successor. Instead of being set in a derelict space ship though the game’s story involves you exploring a mysterious underwater city after a plane crash. The city had been created as an art deco paradise for the intellectual elite but is now in ruins and populated only by grotesque mutants – both physically and mentally.

Although at first sight the game appears to be a first person shoot ‘em-up it is not primarily an action game. Your goal is survival, not extermination, with ammunition limited and many enemies far more powerful than yourself. You are able to upgrade your abilities though, both physical and psychic, by collecting Adam – the mutagen which was the cause of the disaster in the first place. Even so the best way to defend yourself is to play the creatures and environments against themselves, tricking one group into fighting against another or taking control of security robots and devices.

The game gives you full freedom to play the game exactly as you want, while at the same time creating a living world which carries on with or without you – with many creatures not even bothering to acknowledge you unless you attack them. With stunning graphics, especially the water effects, and an extremely disturbing atmosphere this could well be the most intelligently macabre video game ever made.
HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description
BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first person shooter that lets you do things never before possible in the genre: turn everything into a weapon, biologically mod your body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade your weapons and craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques in an incredible and unique underwater city.

You are a cast-away in Rapture, an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces, and hunted down by genetically modified splicers and deadly security systems, you have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no two gamers will play the game the same way.

BioShock is loaded with some of greatest, most modifiable weapons to ever blast their way into a shooter. But guns alone won't be enough to defeat the devious AIs of Rapture. There are literally hundreds of other strategies players can use to take out his enemies.

Customer Reviews

Game Of The Year
The best FPS since Half Life 2, and one of the most original and innovative games Ive ever played.
The location is Rapture, an underwater city, which you stumble across after a plane crash. The game is very freeform, thanks largely to plasmids that become available. These are powers that can improve combat and abilities such as hacking. The context in which these abilities can be acquired make it more believeable than games such as Deus Ex. The depth of abilites is staggering and would require several playthroughs to master all. New ones can also be invented and purchased. Many can turn the environment against your enemies, providing genuine choice when approaching a firefight, rather than a tacked on afterthought.
These powers give Bioshock the depth of an RPG but the accessibility of any other shooter available.

The game never feels linear as you can travel at your own pace and between levels at any time. This leaves you free to explore the truly magnificent surroundings. Impressively, there are no times where it isnt clear what to do next, as hints are available if stuck. As Rapture was built around the 1950s, the decor has a recognisable look but a unique feel for an FPS. The graphics give the game a huge level of immersion, there were numerous times where I stopped playing and just admired the surroundings.
However its the atmosphere and depth of plot that really make Bioshock stand out. This quality holds throughout and the combat is equally meaty. Simply superb.

Pure genius
Absolutely excellant game. Very, very clever plotline and absolutly stunning graphics and design. Some of the best animations I have ever seen, and a real sense of desperately wanting to know what happens next. You can quite easily just follow the objective arrow and complete the game within 4 or 5 days. But most people will get a lot more out of it by taking their time to explore and find all the sometimes charming, often gruesome but always fascinating little side stories and easter eggs in the game.

Overall, one of the best shooters in a long time, and one of the best storylines I have ever witnessed in a game.

Atmospheric action at it's very best.
If this just a normal FPS set in a decaying urban environment, then it's graphics alone would make it brilliant. When I first played it, I kept waiting for the FMV cutscene to end, before I suddenly realised I was looking at in-game graphics!

But it's not just a normal FPS. The designers have added layer after layer of additional good stuff that make's it so much greater than the sum of it's parts. Here's a few:

The setting and story - the jaunty but decayed art deco city of Rapture is a beautiful thing to behold and, much like the classic 'Resident Evil' games, clues you can collect throughout the game allow you to piece together the city's short and troubled history. There's a great twist in the story with a 'Usual Suspects'-style reveal which will leave you thinking "How come I didn't notice that before?".

Weapon upgrades - As well as the usual rack of weapons, you are given the chance to create a customised arsenal by using the limited number upgrade machines to increase the killing power of your weapons, be it reducing the recoil of the Thompson or adding a 24-round autoloader to your six-shooter.

Plasmids - these are the genetic power-ups discovered by Rapture's scientists. Some you will have to pick up, but others can only be aquired by entering secret areas or by using your camera to research your enemies. There are different types of plasmid too, ranging from offensive ones such as Incinerate to passive ones such as the one which makes you invisible when standing still (great for sneaking up on enemies). The Adam used to buy plasmids also leads to the game's important moral decision for the player - to save or damn the Little Sisters.

Hacking - Rapture is littered with autodefenses such as security cameras (which unleash security bots), machine gun turrets and rocket turrets. The game allows you to use a puzzle-based system to hack into these elements and turn them into your allies. So, whilst you're all alone in Rapture, you don't necessarily have to be without backup. The hacking system can also be used to reduce the cost of supplies and unlock new ones.

Atmosphere - the makers of 'Bioshock' have gone to great lengths to increase the fear factor of the game. They've done this through intelligent use of light and sound; meaning that you'll see the shadow of some terrifying new enemy before you see the enemy itself or you'll hear there footsteps or demented singing (I never knew how scary the words "Jesus loves me, this I know..." could be).

Taken separately, all these elements would be good. Put together they make one of the best games I've played in a long time.