BioShock

"This Is Why You Play Video Games"

I love it when a game lives up to the hype, and very few games have ever received the great reviews that Bioshock has. So, is it as good as they say it is? While it's not without its issues, I can safely say yes. It is as good as they say it is.

Story:
By now you know the premise behind Bioshock. It's safe to say that the story is fantastic, the plot twists are jaw dropping, and the way the story is advanced is extremely clever. The game does end abruptly, and at around 17 hours I found the game a little bit short.

Story score: 9/10

Graphics:
This is the best looking game to date, in my view. It's, quite frankly, beautiful and haunting. The art deco style that permeates through the game is never spared any detail. The texture work is unmatched. the lighting is perfect. It all comes together into a perfect package that sets the mood and the atmosphere of the game. Plus, the game is optimized very well and plays smoothly on midrange systems.

Graphics score: 30/30

Sound:
In full surround sound, Bioshock sounds just massive. From the constant sound of leaking water, to the booming sound of combat, the effect is incredibly immersive. It isn't perfect, however. The game allowed me to hear enemies on the other sides of thick walls as if they were in the same room. It got confusing at times. And the voice scripting for the enemies is surprisingly unvarying. You will hear the same thing too many times, I'm afraid. The voicework done for the main characters throughout the game is done very well, though.

Sound score: 8/10

Gameplay:
I played the PC version of Bioshock because I prefer the mouse and keyboard controls for a fps game over a gamepad. That's just a personal preference. In Bioshock the controls are done very well, and enhance the gameplay. You're never fighting with the controls. The PC version allows you to press shift to pause the game and change weapons, ammo types and plasmids. This is convenient, but also makes the game a little too easy on medium difficulty. The game is too easy on the easiest level, and exceptionally challenging on the hard setting. Also, the game presents a minigame that allows you to hack safes, security camera and bots. There is simply too much of this in the game. It got boring, and I eventually just found ways to avoid it altogether.

Gameplay score: 40/50

Once the game was finished and I watched the final cutscene, I had the genuine pang of sadness that it was over. That's special feeling. This is indeed a special game. I will definitely play it through again several times in the coming years.

Overall score: 87/100, rounded up to 9/10 on Gamefaqs

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/26/07