Perfection is the only word that comes to mind when Bioshock is
mentioned. This game is rich with story, enemies, and environments for
you to explore. You start off as some unknown person sitting on a
plane, when suddenly it crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Fortunately for you there is an ominous lighthouse not too far away,
seeing as how that is your only option for shelter you enter and from
then on all hell will break loose. Bioshock is a gripping survival
experience that will have you guessing until the very end, as you would
expect from a game that has been hyped up for months, Bioshock
certainly delivers to all of those expectations and much, much more.
You play through the game in the underwater utopia called Rapture, and
as you would expect from first impressions not all is the way it should
be. Every person that you bump into is either mentally insane or
plainly wants to kill you. The levels in the game are fairly large and
allow you to explore the area to your heart's content, but still
reminds you of where you should be headed thanks to a little goal arrow
at the top of the screen. Every enemy in the game has a very
sophisticated A.I, and that really forces you to think about what you
have to do for everything because ammunition seems to run thin right
when you would need it the most. Overall, Bioshock is a very solid game
that will keep you coming back for more each time.
Graphics: Among the many things about Bioshock that stand out is its
stunning presentation. The city of rapture really immerses you into the
experience with an in-your-face, rundown, art deco look, and gives you
the feeling that you're right in the middle of the sinking underwater
city. The graphics of this game are simply unprecedented, the water
effects are virtually photo-realistic, and the dynamic lighting gives
the game that very eerie, creepy feel. As you progress through the
game, the visuals will keep grabbing you back in as each level deserves
its own praise on design and originality. From the underwater
fisheries, to the underwater forest, you will be continuously stunned
by all the intrinsic detail in the game. Though at some points
throughout the game those lovely details weren't loaded up and all that
was showing at some points were the pre-rendered models for some of the
walls and corpses. Other than those minor glitches the game suffered
from no slow-downs even when the on screen action was starting to get
really hectic.
Gameplay: The way that the game plays itself is nothing new; however it
is in the various ways that all the enemies react to your fighting
tactics in the game. The A.I, in Bioshock is definitely a force to be
reckoned with, especially with the tougher foes like the Big Daddy.
When facing them I often found myself setting all my traps before hand
and checking my ammo to make sure that I had the right type of ammo
ready to face them. The secondary weapons used in Bioshock are
Plasmids, which are the genetic modifications that you inject into your
character and he then gains the ability to shoot electricity out of his
fingers or turn foes against each other or even force the Big Daddies
to help him. The Plasmids are more of a support weapon more than
anything because they really help you when you're in a tight situation,
should you need to find a quick way to escape your enemies. They come
in four different categories: Plasmids, Combat, Engineering, and
Physical; where the last three are your passive abilities. There are
over 75 different Plasmids and Tonics that are scattered throughout the
game and you can use them in many different combinations that range
from making you invisible whenever you're not moving, to having
security cameras taking much longer to sound the alarm after they spot
you. The choices in this game are endless. The Primary weapons are the
basic assortment of rifles, shotguns, and BFG's that are standard to
any shooter, but what makes these unique is that they will utilize
about three different types of ammunition that are useful in certain
situations. Each will serve their own purpose; these weapons can also
be upgraded to further enhance their firepower, accuracy and range.
There really isn't a shortage of things to do when you're playing
through this game, it can keep you coming back for more each time.
Sound: The atmospheric sounds and voice work in Bioshock is of AAA
quality. Every sound happens when it should and adds just that much
more value to the game. The game plays on ambient and distant sounds
that will throw off the player's judgment, footsteps and desperately
psychotic voices give each foe a certain distinct individuality. If you
can remain unseen by an enemy splicer you can hear them either mumbling
to themselves about some horrible tragedy that may have taken place in
the past, or hear them scheming about something that they want to do.
The eerie footsteps of the characters, to the distant sound of water
coming trickling through the ceiling; the mixture of each of these
sounds will constantly keep you on the edge of you seat. A highly
original soundtrack further enhances the atmosphere of the game
reminding the player that this game is taking place in the 1960's
despite the fact that all of this heavily sophisticated technology in
your immediate surroundings. You could be roaming through a dilapidated
theater, defending yourself from a pack of tragic psychopaths while
having Mama Loves Mambo playing quite poorly in the background. All of
these little intricate elements combined together into one package will
take for the ride of your life in one of the greatest fictional worlds
ever conjured. Overall Bioshock should be at least a game of the year
nominee for the sheer vastness of its playability and longevity to come.
