BioShock

"Cool, but WHOA!"

I can think of no proper genre category to stick it in, but here goes, it's a post-apocalypticish shooter horror action rpg. First of all, just so you know where I'm coming from, let me pause for a moment to say that this game is good. Great, in fact, but you have to wonder what they were drinking when they made the concept.

Let me put it this way: You find yourself underwater to begin with, but barely manage to surface. You find your way to a dilapidated city (also underwater) that has been transformed by a combination of pheromones, ADAM and EVE, and special drugs that will rewrite your genetic code that are available from your local vending machine. No offense meant, but, honestly, I have to ask:
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!?!?!

It makes me shiver how many kinds of drugs there are in this game. I won't lie, I HATE injections. But when you run out of EVE power, you have to keep taking it through EVE hypos. (No offense again, but really, is it so much to ask to be able to drink the stuff instead?)

You can affect the environment slightly with your weapons and powers (though glass and wood` won't break no matter how many bullets you pump into it)

Then there are the "Little Sisters". Children (all female, all look the same) turned nearly demonic that carry these humongous hypos. (Note the yellow eyes and the distorted voice) They are protected by their big brothers, called the Big Daddies. (did you notice that they look kind of like deep sea divers?). All that, I must say, is pretty darn FREAKY. These Big Daddies have names, apparently. Several of the “children” call them “Mister Bubbles”, and usually cry like regular little girls when you kill one.

Here you have a choice to make. You can either suck the ADAM out of these little girls (killing them), or you can exorcise whatever possesses them (saving their lives. You won't get as much ADAM, but you get little… rewards along the way).

By the way, I suggest getting extra plasmid slots as soon as you can


There are a few problems (like the subtitles not keeping up with the script), but other than that, this is a good game, a must play in my opinion. Besides it's few shortcomings, I don't have too many complaints about it. It is an intense game, and has a great atmosphere, and an… interesting “weapon” system.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/09

Game Release: BioShock (US, 08/21/07)