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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
Online Sale Price: $21.79
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More User Submitted BioShock Reviews
Date: 2008-08-04
postmodernist fantasy and gameplay
i'm a mature gamer who bought a dozen or so videogames along with a new xbox to see how the technology had evolved. (the digital animation in most recent films had piqued my interest.) i opened and started many games but bioshock was the one i played through first. this game has the unique attribute of putting videogaming on the psychoanalyst's couch: without spoiling the plot twists, i'll say it basically takes all the "external control" features of traditional "first person" videogames, which are always left unquestioned as narrative premises, and uses them instead to motivate major plot twists -- things you must confront explicitly through your role in the game. (control is someone or something who tells you that you are going to do a mission and why, as well as the social control of authority figures, the physical control of built infrastructure and surveillance devices, the threat control of monsters and risks, the ability control of which weapons you have and how you can use them, etc.) most games just pick one version or another of "control" and weave a plot inside that, but bioshock puts you through different versions or pretexts of control that make you question control rather than submit to it. but all that comes up only if you bother to think about it. if not, then the fantasy realm of an underwater city, genetic mutants, children who collect corpse juice, mad scientists and a very retro visual design are entertainment enough. the visual design is very good and the gameplay was flawless, no glitches that i could find. the game is both gory and gruesome and is not for kids. the missions and tasks flow from one to the other in a way that keeps the narrative arc ambiguous and also does not let you anticipate when the "boss battle" will come -- at least, not until the game is near the very end. the weapons are quite novel, although the best ones resemble the "gravity gun" and crossbow in half life 2. you are explicitly required to manage them by purchasing abilities or ability slots at vending machines -- a sardonic comment on consumer culture. however the game does not end in a way that says "you adopted a role and you perfomed it well as instructed" but rather "you did many things in this game because you were told to, but who are you really?" i found that the most interesting thing about this very interesting, enjoyable and engrossing game is that it opens up many narrative possibilities that the mission oriented first person shooter games have not been able to explore.
Date: 2008-08-02
You HAVE to play this game
This game is fantastic, the story is awesome and it's very engaging and polished. I would certainly buy it again!!
Date: 2008-08-02
A Must Buy!
Using an enhanced version of the Unreal Engine 2.5 this game turned out to look great and play even better. You can choose from dozens of ways to eliminate your foes by using plasmids, or just pick up one of the many weapons in the game and blast your away. With so many ways to take out your enemy and multiple story endings, its no wonder you are going to play the story more than once. Even with many great titles still to come, Bioshock has made its mark on the 360, with an unforgettable story and unbelievable graphics. Its just a must buy.
Date: 2008-08-02
Bioshock is a good investment!
Just be warned! If it was a book (instead of a game) it would be a page turner. You'll get stuck playing when you should be doing something productive.
Date: 2008-07-25
Not typically a FPS fan but...
Generally I shy away from FPS because of their lack of story, character development, customization and interesting, detailed, environments. After reading some articles when the title was first announced, I became intrigued and preordered my copy.
I had reasonably high expectations, but the fact that it was a FPS still had me wary... Until I played it. This game delivers on every aspect you could hope for. Customization, BEAUTIFUL diverse environments, nice selection of weaponry, customization of your characters abilities, VAST world to explore, creepy and frantic gameplay, GREAT Story. It seems like I could go on, but you get the point. This game has given me hope that the FPS is coming back and doing it right this time. One of the most compelling games that I've played in a long time. Seriously, buy the game.
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