BioShock Review

            “Happy we'll be beyond the sea, And never again I'll go sailing.”

            Oh Bioshock. What is there I can’t say about it? Arguably one of the greatest games and narratives of the twenty-first century, the game merges all there is that exemplifies the first person shooter, but also mixes in aspects of grandiose utopian-turned-dystopian society with its own unique culture you discover on your own. Because of all of these elements, it’s no question that Bioshock could be easily, and is, considered a modern masterpiece.

            Developed and produced by 2K Games, BioShock was released in the summer of 2007 and caused a stir in the industry. Up until that point, first person shooters were a primarily guilty-pleasure game about going online and just shooting people for the heck of it. BioShock, however, changed this system by doing away with multiplayer aspects (until BioShock 2, of course) and instead focused on the player’s environment and the experiences this environment yielded, which were innumerable by the conclusion. By featuring an extensive pseudo-open world environment that slowly explained itself through plot elements and self-discovery, Rapture enraptured you (pun intended) with its beautiful natural surroundings in stark contrast to its crippled ruins of a once great society.

From lightning bolts (as shown) to fire and even
bees, Plasmids dynamically change combat.

            Your character, solely named “Jack”, wakes in the ocean after a plane crash that left him as the sole survivor. After swimming around and out of the debris, you come across a mysterious lighthouse, into which you proceed. You then enter a miniature submarine, which in turn takes you deep below the sea and finally to Rapture. A once grand society that was built upon the dreams of the 1940’s business tycoon Andrew Ryan in order to escape the dangers and restrictions of the Cold War, Rapture is found to be overrun by mutated men and women that kill anything that moves (a result of genetic “splicing”), bandits and thieves, and Big Daddy’s accompanied by their Little Sisters, whom in turn once provided the society with its fueling for genetic experiments. Through twists and turns, fights and discovery, and arguably one of the greatest plot twists of gaming history, Jack discovers himself as a person, his mysterious past, and the dark secrets that lead to Rapture’s inevitable demise. With memorable characters that describe the city and its populous through their actions, BioShock provides lasting memories and thoughts for anyone that cares to explore it.

Big Daddy's are the most powerful figures you will come into
combat with, and come in all shapes, sizes, and weapon load-outs.

            As for the game itself, the action is consistently entertaining and serves to keep you busy at all times. Through its addicting combat and evolving story one can easily dunk a good four hours into a single sitting and even still not find themselves halfway through the narrative. With several weapons, the action can be dynamically changed with a single button press and create a more diverse combat scenario. Likewise, with a countless supply of genetic powers named Plasmids the player can fully manipulate themselves, the environment, and even their enemies. The Plasmid system itself was revolutionary of the genre, by producing a sense of combat that doesn’t just revolve around blasting people to bits with shotguns and rockets, but instead using your own body to do the same thing, but in a flashier way.

Splicer (the general term for the mutants of Rapture, products
of extensive genetic splicing) combat can be bone-chilling at
points, but never to an uncomfortable extent.

            Regarding technicalities and faults, I only have really minor complaints about the game as a whole. First off, the hacking system (in which the player hacks into devices and provides access to machines) is the most commonly addressed flaw in this game. By forcing the player into taking themselves out of the combat and playing a simplistically boring puzzle game the game breaks its greatest strength: immersion into the environment. My only other real complaint is the mission system, where it almost feels repetitive. Go grab this, kill these people first, take pictures of these, kill these people first, etc. While still fun and well executed, the game can slowly get repetitive, but right when it becomes noticeable the story changes once again and restarts this cycle, cleaning the slate and making it fun once again.

The Rundown

            Overall, BioShock is by no means a perfect game, but essentially there is no such thing. What one finds amazing, another can find boring, however BioShock provides an experience that anyone, even those that don’t enjoy shooters, should give a shot (yes, pun intended again) due to its grotesquely beautiful environment, contemptibly loved characters, and immoral wonders that serve a testament to the human race even now that reigns supreme as my favorite game to this day.

Pros:

-Amazing story and environment

-Wide variety of combat scenarios

-Vivid and complex linear/pseudo-open world

Cons:

-Slowly repetitive aspects

-Them hacking games though

                                                                                                       
Overall Rate:

9.5/10 - Definitely check this game out!