BioShock

Prepare to take the plunge!

Posted 4 years ago By - Nelson Hum

BioShock was one of the most heralded games of 2007 and finally, a year later, PS3 owners get to enjoy the city of Rapture. The game is great but what makes it even more incredible is its brilliant approach to making you emotionally invested in the game.

BioShock is all about immersion. The game thrusts you into its world immediately and violently as your plane crashes into the ocean and you stumble into the underwater world of Rapture. Questions immediately flood into your mind: who am I? What is this place? Who is Rapture’s enigmatic leader Andrew Ryan? All of these questions pique your curiosity from the beginning and it absolutely compels you to dig deeper into game – all without even firing shot!


Gameplay

BioShock is a first person shooter but you do much more than simply run and gun your way throughout the underwater “utopia.” Like most games, you start off with a trusty melee weapon, in this case a wrench, but soon enough you’ll pick up your standard monster bashing fare: machine gun, shotgun, mines, rocket launcher, etc. One of the more unique weapons is a chemical thrower which is fun to use. However, BioShock takes it a step further by allowing you to upgrade your weapons throughout the game. Each weapon (sans wrench) can be upgraded twice – less recoil, better range, etc. You can also eventually craft your own ammo as well. Say hello to explosive shotgun shells and anti-personal rounds. Both features are a wonderful touch that adds some extra depth to the weapons.

There are also the plasmid powers. In the world of Rapture, stem cells (called ADAM) harvested from sea slugs were being used for genetic modification. The modifications granted extraordinary abilities like telekinesis and elemental control. Eventually, a market emerged for ADAM and your character partakes in the genetic funnies in order to survive. You gain access to powers such as electricity, fire, bug swarms, and telekinesis. Each power is unique and can be used in several way, which makes combat absolutely thrilling. Some bad guy standing in a pool of water? Give him a few extra volts by blasting it with your electro-bolt. Some jerk firing off rockets at your face? Give him a receipt with your telekinesis. The powers make you feel powerful with being over-powered as well as bringing a nice strategic element to the game. You can even combine weapons and powers together for a brilliant assault (sticky mines + telekinesis = pwnage.) There are also latent abilities that you can get, such as a faster melee attack and damage resistance. The pseudo RPG elements are a nice touch.


However, there is a catch to your abilities, and this catch is one of the best and defining features of the game. You see, in order to get new abilities, you need ADAM. And what’s the best way to get ADAM? By harvesting it from Little Sisters. The Little Sisters are genetically modified children who have vast quantities of ADAM in their body. So the choice is yours: do you kill them in order to gain more power or do you take the high road and fight through with less resources. We all know we’re playing a video game but this moral choice is absolutely compelling and tugs at your conscience. Your choice is also made more difficult by the fact that each Little Sister is being protected by a Big Daddy – a giant, diving-suit juggernaut that will go berserk if you try to harm their girls. So prepare yourself for a scary and intense boss battle if you want that mutagen.

With all of these abilities and weapons at your disposal, combat is an absolute blast. The common enemies, called Splicers, are wily and predictable. They don’t seem to have combat scripts and will react accordingly to what you’re doing. Given the fact that they’re twisted freaks shouting all sorts of nonsense and profanities at you, run-of-the-mill combat has a chaotic but fun air to it.

The only real miss that I have is the hacking mini-game you have play in order to hack into machines. It’s basically like a puzzle where you connect tile pieces to make a pipe. It’s cool at first but I found it kind of annoying and repetitive after awhile. Thankfully, you eventually create auto-hacks to make life easier.

Graphics & Sounds

A destroyed underwater utopia never looked so wonderful. BioShock is definitely a feast for the eyes. On the outside it looks like Gotham City underwater – once inside you’re treated to an art deco retro vibe. The lighting and water affects are absolutely stunning, especially in the opening cinema where you’re afloat in the ocean as the flaming wreckage of your plane burns into the night sky. The recurring Splicers are creepy and disfigured while the Big Daddy is one of the most refreshing and iconic characters to come around in a long time. The colours are rich and vibrant but the overall look can be a bit cartoony. It’s not a real problem given the fantastical nature of the game but those looking for a gritty, realistic look may be a little disappointed.


The audio is a rich for the ears as the graphics are on the eyes. The soundtrack is great as the popping’ and jiving’ 40’s and 50’s tune contrast starkly with the failed utopian setting. The voice acting is spot-on, everything from the cool, calculating tone of Andrew Ryan to the moans and groans of Big Daddy. The ambient sound effects are also truly striking – the dripping of water, the creaking of structures – it’s all the little sounds that BioShock produces so well that truly breath a sense of life and texture to Rapture.

Value

The game is such a unique and organic experience that the single player campaign is worth the price of admission alone. Replay is enhanced because of the moral choice you have to make when faced with harvesting the Little Sisters. Depending on what you decide to do, the storyline plays out a bit differently. If you’ve played the 360 version then you know exactly what you’re getting. If you’re new to the franchise, prepare yourself for one of the most satisfying and immersive first person shooter out on the market today. The long awaited PS3-exclusive "Challenge Rooms" and other cool extras will hit the Playstation Store later this month so replay value will sure increase here.

Conclusion

Gamers who only own a Playstation 3 should be thanking the gaming gods because BioShock is one of the most well crafted games out on the market today. It’s superb narrative, engrossing and unique environment, and “sandbox” combat makes it a wonderful achievement in video gaming. The replay value is a bit low and the game is a little short on additional features. However, playing the game is akin to reading a really good novel. Once you’re done, you can’t wait to go back and read it again despite the fact you know the ending -- the experience is just that good. You don’t play BioShock – you immerse yourself in it.

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