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BioShock Review (continued)
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Manufacturer: 2K Games
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ESRB Rating: Mature
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Release Date: August 21, 2007
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
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Retail Price: $29.99
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More User Submitted BioShock Reviews
Date: 2008-12-18
Simply Awesome
This is a fantastic game. If you do not have this in your collection you are missing out.
Date: 2008-11-19
Everything came together
Future classic.
It's just great when I game brings everything together. Some new innovations without "forcing" novelties. An interesting and interactive storyline. And incredible world building. I'd even find myself just checking out the fish outside the windows, and looked forward to the diaries, while getting freaked out by some of the set-ups.
Date: 2008-11-19
Pretty much, hands down, the greatest video game ever
Anyone who knows me knows that I loathe, with an unhealthy passion, First Person Shooter games; well, to be more fair, the Army FPS, the Call of Duty series is so dull it's put me to sleep, not a fan of the Halo series either, as it seems to polished and over the top; BioShock is the anti-Halo, it's a murky, dark, disturbing, creepy and absolutely brilliant game.
Long has it been, actually since the first Fable game was released, that I was in such overwhelming awe of a game, but oddly enough, like with some of my favorite things it took some initial warming up to. I had bought a 360 with Dead Rising (disappointment) Overlord (waste of money) and this game, based solely on my cousin's comment of "you can kill little kids." I laughed and said "Alright, sold."
What I got, my word, was so much more than a mindless sandbox game like the GTA series or something boring and predictable like the Call of Duty games, I got a game that was dangerous to a degree because although it was interesting at first it became absolutely enticing eventually, mainly because to quote Videodrome "it has a philosophy".
I'm a sucker for dark science fiction; dystopian worlds, strong positive ideals turned to complete trash by the inherent evil in man; that is what BioShock is; a world completely torn to shred by ideals gone horribly, horrible wrong.
Science has failed, Ayn Rand's philosophy has failed; it's an underwater world of dismay, disgust, failure, anger and bitterness, where all are trying to coax or demand you into following what they want; it's up to you, in the end, how you go about it.
I could go on and on about details already covered in previous reviews; how absolutely beautiful the game is, how intelligent the story is, how much of a great replay value this game possesses, but you already know that, I simply wanted to profess my admiration for the greatest video game of all time.
I CANNOT wait for BioShock 2; a prequel.
However, I'm peeved beyond belief that Hollywood has found fit to turn this into a movie.
Date: 2008-11-18
Brilliant
When my non-gamer friends and family ask my how it is that video games have overtaken Hollywood, this is what I point them too. I'm not a big FPS type, but this game is perfect. Completely absorbing plot, spectacular graphics, haunting audio.
My suggestion is not to read too much about the game, find a dark night when you'll have plenty of time by yourself and just turn it on. Unlike a Halo or Call of Duty, the beauty of this game is that you just don't know what you're getting into. What is the plot? What is the goal? How do you go about it? You don't know when you turn it on and you literally have to discover how to play the game. Again, brilliant.
I literally cannot wait for the sequal.
Date: 2008-11-08
Not quite a "masterpiece," but certainly an evolution in gaming...
4.5 Stars
Well, I finally gave in and purchased an Xbox 360, after the recent price drop made it affordable (and the 65 nm process-CPU became available); let me tell you that I've been waiting anxiously to play games on this system (though, admittedly, the graphics are far outdone now by even an average graphics card), and with Resident Evil 5 being released (tentatively, of course) in March, I simply couldn't wait any longer.
Having read the reviews of "Bioshock" on sites such as IGN and Gamespot, I knew that it would likely be my first purchase; that said, it became my second, after the boneheaded-but-beautiful "Gears of War." Was "Bioshock" worth the $25 I spent on a used copy? Absolutely; here's why:
First, the game is simply one of the best-looking I've ever seen, on any format; the attention to detail, along with the incredible artistry, make for a formidable combination that very few games can currently rival (but yes, "Gears of War" is still the champion in this department). With that in mind, there is something important that you must do before playing the game (at least on Xbox 360); set "Unlock Framerate" to "On." This disables v-sync and allows the game to run at the limit of the system (which, as far as I can tell, is beyond 60 fps at least 95% of the time (vs. 30 fps with it set to "off")). The difference is, quite simply, feeling like you're in the world on your screen vs. feeling like you're watching a comic book/cartoon. So long as you can stand some "tearing" (which you won't even notice after a few minutes), it makes all the difference in the world regarding the "experience" of this game.
Beyond the graphics lies the incredible sound; make sure you've got a 5.1 system up and running before playing this game. Sounds are accurately placed throughout the entire soundfield, and it makes a difference when you're playing the game, as you know exactly where your enemies are (especially when they're shooting at you).
Thirdly, and probably most importantly, is the incredible story behind all the visual and audial magic; most mentioned, of course, is the "moral dilemma" one must face when choosing to "harvest" the little girls or save them. I personally could never bring myself to "harvest" (kill) one, and by the end of the game, I realized that I hadn't needed to, as the gifts of Adam (upgrade dollars) compensate (mostly, if my math is correct) for the lessened amounts received via saving the girls. Furthermore, the amounts of Adam provided if you play savior are well more than enough to purchase every worthwhile upgrade in the game (there are quite a few plasmids that are simply multiplied in strength with additional Adam, and it's mostly unnecessary). I'm sure many other reviews have gone into the allusions to Ayn Rand's philosophy, which are blantantly obvious thoughout the game, but let me state that this game does this highly effectively.
However, the game isn't perfect; for one, I personally believe that much of the voice acting, which has widely been lauded by video game critics all over the internet, is at times far over-the-top and highly melodramatic (especially the yelling, screaming, and tone (when not yelling and screaming) of the splicers). Without diving into a commentary of each character, most of the main characters are voiced well ("Fontaine" is a bit excessive), and certainly better than the average sci-fi video game (most are hilarious). All things considered, it's good, but not "great."
Additionally, there was a great deal of hype regarding the aforementioned "moral sophistication" involved in this title; personally speaking, the only moral debate in the game that I noticed revolved around the little sisters, and for me, knowing that I would be rewarded for saving them, I simply didn't see the need to be their executioner. If the situation meant that they had to be executed in order to have any use of plasmids, then the choice would surely have been different and a true "dilemma" indeed.
Finally, the game is simply too linear, especially if you use the "quest arrow" (which I strongly suggest that you turn off to make the game more interesting). At no time in this game, even with the arrow turned off, did I not know exactly where I needed to head and what to accomplish. While the world of Rapture is laid out well, and as it's enclosed (leading to the use of tunnels/walkways, etc.), this probably couldn't be avoided, I found that there simply wasn't enough of a "discovery" process of this world, and that it was simply laid out in front of me too often.
Ultimately, however, the game does succeed, often fantastically, at sucking you into the world of "Rapture," and this game is a must-own for any console/gaming PC owner, without "debate." I am currently on my second go-round, having played it through the first time with the framerate locked (it really does make for a different feel altogether), and it's even more fun this time due, again, to being able to be drawn deeper into the game as a result of changing this one setting (thank God they included it; hopefully future games will follow suit). In any event, if you haven't played this game yet, you simply need to pick it up now. Here's to "Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams" being less linear, having a v-synced framerate of 60 fps (though this probably won't happen as the game will need to be created to run smoothly on the PS3 (which has half the polygon capability, if you weren't aware)), and slightly more challenging to boot (we don't need the "quest arrow").
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