Bioshock
Verdict: Sign me up for the boat to Rapture!
In a Nutshell: This is a story driven FPS set in the city of Rapture deep under the ocean. You use genetically enhanced abilities, good old fashioned firearms, and ingenuity to battle the disturbed citizens of the city.
(from the game’s website)
“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..”
- Fun Rating:Really Fun
- ESRB: Mature
- Players/Mode: Single-player/Campaign
- Game Duration: Aproximately 20 hours
- System: PC, Xbox360, PS3 (soon)
- Developer: 2k Games
- Website: http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/
- Cost: $37.99 for XBox 360, $28.99 for PC at Amazon.com
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Would I play this again? | X | |
| Would I recommend this game? | X | |
| Was the story good? | X | |
| Was the music good? | X | |
| Were the graphics good? | X | |
| Was this game difficult? | X | |
| Was this game frustrating? | X | |
| Was this game worth your time/money? | X |
What the game gets right
This is not your daddy’s first person shooter. The plot and design elevates the game to an art. I felt fully immersed and completely captivated while exploring the City of Rapture. The level design is unique and varied and provides a welcome change from the overused high-tech / post-apocalyptic / evil hellmouth aesthetics that are common in FPS games. The rendering of water is the best of any game I’ve seen to date. You really get the feeling you are thousands of feet under a very very cold ocean. Exploring the varied environments reminded me of Cyan’s Myst series with the added bonus of psychotic genetically enhanced freaks waiting in the shadows.
I also appreciated that, for the most part, the player has control over where they go and when. Though the story does have semi-linear arc, you have control over what areas of Rapture you go to first.
As first person shooters go this game has a great deal of depth. The voice acting is superb adding a layer of authenticity to the story. Enemies are sufficiently intelligent and well armed to make your victory quite challenging. Upgradeable weapons, various genetic tonics and abilities provide a myriad of methods to dispatch your enemies. Automated bots and cameras can be hacked and made to do your bidding. Battling your foes can be extremely fast paced but there are many situations where intellect rules over simple run and gun tactics. You must combine plasmids (genetically enhanced superpowers) and conventional guns in order to succeed.
What the game gets wrong
There isn’t a lot that Bioshock does wrong. What I can say is that Bioshock is definitely an adult game. There is significant amounts of blood and gore, adult language, and it paints a very dark portrait of human nature. I can’t say this is a failure of the game, but it does limit its audience quite a bit. Depending on the difficulty level you set, it can also be a very difficult game. At certain points you will seem stuck with insufficient ammo or supplies and may have to backtrack significantly so you can get through a room full of enemies.
Sum it up
Bioshock truly ups the standard for narrative in gaming. However I think perhaps too much has been made of the effects of decision making in the game. There are a hand full of situations where the player is forced to make an ethically charged decision. While I appreciate adding an element of consequence into games, and this element does add to the game, I feel this is just the beginning of the trend.
That being said, Bioshock will no doubt challenge future FPS designers to craft more engaging and immersive experiences. I look forward to future sequels and have no doubt I’ll be playing through the game seeing what different paths I might take.
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