'get bio-shocked !'
 Developer:2K Boston/Australia (Irrational)
Publisher: 2K Games
Category: : FPS
Multiplayer: None
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: /
Date posted: 26 October 2007
Written By: Ian
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Bioshocked!
"Bioshock" is finally out AND patched, but does it live up to the incredible hype that has surrounded it?
Many hoped for an amazing FPS, many others hoped for a 'Deus-Ex style FPSRPG', others just hoped it would be the next 'System Shock', developed by the same team, which is still a huge underground hit despite it being nearly ten years old.
Bioshock's Gameplay
The gameplay of "Bioshock" is fantastic. The story (which I shall not spoil for you) is one of the best you will ever play in a game, and is a real step up over the generic rubbish that you find in the average title.
It really drags you in, never lets you go, and demands that you keep playing on and on until you reach firstly the twist, then the action-packed conclusion (which could have been better, because the average big daddy fight is harder).
You also have to make moral choices throughout the game, and whilst the choices are quite polarised and result in the possible endings, of which you have to be consistent to get one, this is still a good idea.
  
The gunplay also works well, all the weapons feel meaty, and the different types of ammunition make a visible difference too.
The highlight have to be the fights against the big daddies, the huge, roving creatures in giant diving suits that protect the little sisters, small children warped by life undersea and the genetic 'improvements' offered by Rapture.
These tonics and plasmids that you collect also enhance the gameplay. See a stuck door, try zapping it with electricity to open it. See a door behind some ice, try melting it. Why not freeze an enemy, or turn their turret against it with a security plasmid, or even EMP it then hack it for a more permanent solution?
Whilst this theoretically gives a huge amount of choice, the limited number of plasmids you can use at one time, coupled with the number of enemies often restricts your choices.
The plentiful supplies of ammo and invention machines also restrict the amount you will actually uses your abilities, which is a shame, because they do offer real variety.
There were some gameplay bugs too. At least twice I had to reset my console due to bugs which would not let me progress in the story; there are also some graphical issues which get worse as the game progresses, such as textures which are very slow to load, stuttering framerates and other minor graphical issues.
Now with the patch out it definitely is a lot better, no more resetting the console and the graphical issues such as slow textures are pretty much gone.
Some of the achievements are also hard-to-get. Some of the research is very hard to carry out and requires a lot of back-tracking late in the game, which is pointless.
Some of them also seem to involve arbitrary numbers. It is very easy to hack 50 items through the game, but very difficult to invent 100 items, these numbers should be swapped. And somehow, all these niggles seem worse due to the perfectionist nature of the game otherwise.
  
Stunning Graphics & Sound(effects)
Graphically, Bioshock is pretty stunning.
It probably won't 'wow' you in the same way that "Gears of War" did, but once again the 'Unreal 3 engine' has been used to great effect.
The water effects in particular are stunning, closely followed by the wonderful fire and ice effects. In fact, in no other game have so many particle effects been used so effectively, so lovingly, and so perfectly.
The game, whilst not an amazing technical achievement, does create a wonderful atmosphere. The use of lighting is another high point, creating moments of tension and emotion.
The sound is also amazing. The epic soundtrack, fabulous voice acting, and great sound effects really help add to the atmosphere again. Whilst some of the more generic enemies can be heard to utter the same things over and over, this happens generally not frequently enough to spoil things.
Conclusion
While "Bioshock" will probably be awarded with "Game of the Year" it definitely deserves it. It does have its flaws like no multiplayer, a few graphical niggles and perhaps the game could be a bit longer too but will you regret playing the game? No. Will you love playing through? Yes. Is it worth the money? Absolutely !
Bioshock is the closest a game has come to high art and that's something we love !
-Ian
Ratings
Manual:
88 % |
Graphics:
93% |
Music & Sfx:
91% |
GamePlay:
89% |
|
This game scores
 
on our 5-point Rating System
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