Have you ever wondered what would happen If the best and brightest of mankind lived away from the rest of society? To make a utopia unlike which the world has never seen? This is Rapture. A utopia made for only the best artists, scientists, philosophers, etc. But when you're plane crashes into the middle of the Atlantic and you find Rapture, you discover something has gone horribly wrong the instant you walk through. BioShock's story is told via audio recordings which you will find throughout the game. These recordings are like puzzle-pieces of the story of what Rapture once was, and how it fell. Other characters will also interact with you and I have to say BioShock's story is one of the best I have ever seen.
BioShock is not a run-of-the-mill shooter. Sure you will find the pistol, machine gun, shotgun, grenade launcher, etc. But you can also upgrade them in various ways that will fit your play style. The main attraction though are Plasmids. In Rapture, scientists have figured out how to alter your DNA so you can do things like shooting lightning from your hands. There are many other plasmids out there. Want to have someone burst into flames at the snap of your fingers? Freeze an enemy then shatter them? Send an army of bees to attack your enemies? All this can be done, and it's just as fun as it sounds. The environment is also your weapon. Say you set fire to an enemy, that enemy will run to find a source of water and jump in to rid themselves of the flames. You can then shoot lightning at the water, electrocuting them. You also have tonics which allow you to customize your character into a tank that shocks whoever touches him, or a stealth character that can move swiftly and smack your enemies with your wrench. The game allows you to create a fighting style which you want and you can easily change it if it doesn't work out for you. The enemies are also varied with splicers (inhabitants of Rapture who have over dosed on ADAM (the substance used to change your DNA) and have become insane making their sole purpose finding more of that precious ADAM. You will also come across enemies known as Big Daddies, hulking behemoths in scuba suit outfits which will send a shiver down your spine when you hear them moan about the halls.
BioShock is nothing less than a masterful piece of art. Every single nook and cranny of rapture evokes a sense of haunting beauty that you will come to admire. Water will leak down onto the cracked stone and glowing neon signs displaying advertisements such as becoming more perfect. The water in this game is also worth noting since it is some of the prettiest water I have ever seen in a video game. Everything in the game seems to tell a story and weaves it so beautifully that you can't help but feel like you are a part of that world.