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31 out of 32 people found the following review useful: Behold... Rapture!, 4 April 2008 Author: MetaGame from Portugal
"Bioshock", like most art, is shaped from an idea, a message, a concept; in this case, it's Rapture, an underwater dystopia molded by objectivist ideals. In this Jules Verne scenario, 20.000 leagues under the sea, Andrew Ryan (a captain Nemo politician), after being fed up with government oppression, decides to build an entire underwater nation, where every "man is entitled to the sweat of his brow". In his own private utopia, justice, religion, ethics and any social considerations are absent, in favor of free commerce and free will as Law. The result, as you can guess, is nothing but disastrous. Though at first, the lack of ethical boundaries makes science, commerce and art bloom, after some time, everything goes haywire. The result is an underwater ghost city, filled with the monsters of Andrew Ryan's dreams: a plastic surgeon that makes Picasso paintings out of women, a sculptor that makes art by molding human flesh, and a capitalist entrepreneur that is willing destroy an entire society, if only to be entitled "to the sweat of his brow". Rapture is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most intelligent universes ever to grace a video game. Written by none other than Ken Levine ("Thief, the Dark Project", "System Shock 2"), this metaphor of modern capitalism and nightmare of ideological proportions, rightfully belongs in the same pantheon of dystopian masterpieces such as "1984", "Farenheit 451" "Brave New World", "Gattaca", "V for Vendetta"...The plot itself revolves around the discovery of Rapture by an unknown man, after his plane crashed in the middle of the Ocean. Controlled by the player, he will uncover Rapture's dark past, by listening to the audio-logs of its inhabitants and by facing Andrew Ryan's objectivist monstrosities. In the end, his quest will decide the fate of Rapture, according to the moral choices of the player. And though they are binary, if they're taken seriously, they can add a level of dramatic impact to the plot, making it much more meaningful. The narrative tends to move slowly and tries to establish certain moods, allowing the player to immerse in the chaotic nature of Rapture, while at the same time, learning about its convoluted history. Curiously, few cut-scenes are used, which ends up being both a blessing and a curse. On one side, you aren't obliged to sit through important plot details, but on the other side, much of the dramatic potential of the plot feels wasted.What manages to counterweight the absence of cut-scenes, is the sheer amount of detail and information that lies hidden in the art and music of the game. Posters, sculptures, flyer's, songs, all have something to say about the world of Rapture, and whether you want to or not, you'll apprehend a lot of information that might be otherwise hard to convey. Of course, this wouldn't be that interesting if the Art Design or Music weren't as good as they are. The fact is that "Bioshock", besides featuring one of the best narratives to grace a game, also features one of the best art designs ever to appear in one. The virtuous art deco transforms every corridor, wall and painting into marvelous works of art. The contrast between the cold, stark colors of the ocean and the flashy neon of Rapture's buildings is the perfect testament to the designers' capability of creating interactive paintings. Accompanying the visuals, a an erudite soundtrack by Garry Schyman fills in the immersion gap, with moody piano ballads and claustrophobic cacophonies establishing the player's mood perfectly.Usually, in my reviews of artistic games, every compliment has been said by the time I get to the game-play section, which is where I commonly start "bashing". Guess what? "Bioshock" is also grand on that regard. It takes the first person shooter / rpg hybrid mechanics of "System Shock 2", removes the unneeded complications, and empowers certain abilities, creating the perfect blend of open-ended first person shooter. The player has at his disposal a great number of weapons and abilities (which he can level up), each with a particular context of use, allowing the player to choose his particular fighting style. It's nothing that hasn't been done before, but in "Bioshock", everything feels tweaked and balanced, to the point of making complex mechanics inherently fun to use, while most games, either simplify them too much, thus discarding the tactical nature of choices ("Crysis"), or complicate them to the point of being too obtuse to be fun ("Deus Ex"). Furthermore, special abilities, which range from fireballs to electric shocks, have special uses when the environment's context is right, thanks to a physics engine that defines water as electric-conducting and oil as inflammable, making special abilities all the more amusing. Perhaps the only (minor) flaw I can find in this game (that can't be regarded as nitpicking) is the sometimes overly hectic nature of the action; for the most part of the game, there is someone (or something) trying to kill you. The reason this comes out as a flaw is simple: "Bioshock" is beautiful, immersive, and mysterious, warranting exploration and attention to detail in order to sink in all the wonders of the game, but it is hard to do so, when you're constantly fighting for your life. A more paced game-play would definitely emphasize the more interesting aspects of the game, even if it would end up losing some appeal for more trigger-happy players.It's not hard to understand why someone who looks upon games as an art form, would love "Bioshock" in every possible way. It's one of the few games that actually wants, from the get go, to be regarded as much more than just a toy, or just a "game". Its aesthetics are beautiful, its message is strong, intelligent and emotionally provocative, and it is an entertaining game. It is, by my definition, the perfect example of a perfect game, and one of the best works of art I've seen in the past year.
20 out of 29 people found the following review useful: Welcome to Rapture., 17 September 2007 Author: Lethal_Dosage from United States
Without a doubt the most hyped original game of 2007 is Bioshock. Why is it so hyped though? What is it about Bioshock that makes it so intriguing? Why are so many people dying to get their hands on it? I'll put it simply- originality. We, the gamers are sick to death of seeing the same over and over which is exactly what made such an impression on us when Bioshock first surfaced. But does it live up to the hype? No...it well beyond exceeds it. I can truly say I've never played anything like Bioshock before. Never have I been through such a unique and emotional gaming experience. When the game starts out you meet this Ayn Rand wannabe Andrew Ryan and he basically introduces you too this, underwater utopia gone wrong, Rapture. About 2 minutes into the game you realize something has happened and Rapture isn't as perfect as Ryan claims it is. One of the most interesting game elements is the morality choice's. You have to make there choices by getting ahold of a little sister and deciding to harvest her for her Atom (which will give you much faster access to plasmids and upgrades) or save her and get very limited atom and makes the game more difficult. But getting to these little sisters is no easy task because to get to them you have to deal with the big Daddies. Big Daddies are the super tough protectors of the little sisters and are near invulnerable to most attacks. Another satisfying element is the voice acting and phenomenal storyline, you can get lost for hours in Rapture just searching secret rooms for audio diaries to add one more little piece to the puzzle of Bioshock. (Which leads up to a very surprising twist in the storyline I might add.) The only thing that really bothered me about Bioshock is the hacking, at first I thought it was a very fun way to deal with something that can get tedious, but it happens SO often that it will begin to drive you crazy by the end of the game. But even with that said Bioshock offers one of the most flawless gaming experiences out there (at least in my book) and it's not something any 360 owner should miss.
8 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Perfect...well, for me!, 9 September 2007 Author: bluethunder35 (bluethunder35@hotmail.com) from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I've never been a big fan of many of the GOTY games that have come out in recent years. Didn't care for Halo, World Of Warcraft, Resident Evil 4 or Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Many of these games didn't do it for me or were games I was apathetic to.In 2007, I thoroughly enjoyed a potential GOTY for the first time in years. BioShock is one of the best games I've played in 2007 or any year for that matter. No game in recent memory has meshed graphics, gameplay, ambiance and sheer fun as well as BioShock does.The graphics in this game are spectacular. Irrational Games (I'm not calling them 2KBoston) paints a gorgeous picture of a futuristic 1960 underwater megalopolis. The Art Deco buildings, the posters for various events, the attention to detail and the proper weapons all fit in perfectly.The gameplay is a joy. It's a FPS with excellent controls. It's easy to get into. At first, it can be a bit tricky to get the right weapons or plasmids on the fly but eventually you can change them without any problems. The camera is perfect, the 360 rotation on the gamepad is perfect as well. You'll have no problems playing this one.The ambiance is tremendous. The acting in this game is superb and effective. The soundtrack of licensed songs include Bobby Darin, the Ink Spots and various novelty songs like "How Much Is That Little Doggie In The Window?" along with the original, foreboding soundtrack. You'll play around with 1960's style slot machines and machinery, hack talking vending machines and face off against crazy, crude-looking security cameras. There are many little digs to the setting, such as the pep bars and cream-filled cakes.Best of all, the game is absolutely a lot of fun. The game is dark and foreboding but the game also packs a lot of humor. The little cutscenes that appear for buying a new plasmid, the sometimes hilarious audio diaries, listening to "If I Didn't Care" by the Ink Spots while the splicers downstairs in the bathroom are talking crazy and hearing the Little Sisters talk to their Big Daddies and calling them "Mr. Bubbles" are some of the great stuff you'll hear and see.Yes, the game might be a little too easy with the Vita-Chambers and the fact that enemies retain their damage, making even the Big Daddies easy to defeat after you respawn. Yes, the game might be a bit too short, Yes, there's no multi-player. And yes, you'll have so much money that you will be able to auto-hack everything. Still, there is plenty to do. You can photograph enemies for extra powers, beef up your character, invent stuff and you can try to find every single item for Achievement Points. There's another 3-5 hours here.The game has Autosave and allows you to save anywhere. The load times are not intruding and only occur between sections of Rapture. The game runs smooth as silk.The minor quibbles didn't affect my score. This game is absolutely perfect. If you have an Xbox 360, you must BUY this game. 10/10 and my choice for GOTY 2007. Congratulations, Irrational Games!
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Once You Enter Rapture.....You Never Leave, 26 September 2008 Author: (tyranid_slayer) from United Kingdom
At the time i kept hearing about BioShock, a game i really wanted yet i didn't have an xbox. But i bought an xbox for several reasons: Halo, Gears of War and BioShock.So, if i'm being perfectly honest, i really liked the look of the game and it's gameplay and stuff but i never truly understood its critical success, i didn't think it was going to be THAT good.But.....would you kindly read on.BioShock....is honestly one of my all time favourite games now. It's just fantastic. It has great atmosphere and interesting characters with a good story which unfolds as you pick up diaries and you slowly learn the disturbing truth the hell under the sea.A place crash survivor ends up in the god forsaken under-water city of Rapture and it's inhabitants of drugged up psychos and drill and rivet gun wielding juggernauts.pros first. The Level design is excellent obviously it was a difficult undertaking in an undersea city but water graphics are amazing and the whole setting is just incredibly immersive and feels real and eerie. They really have excelled themselves by making some truly twisted characters in Rapture. The two scariest ones were Dr. Steillman and Sander Cohen, these characters were well created and written to show just HOW INSANE they are, these guys are so insane it's scary. The scary characters adds to the atmosphere and its gorgeous graphics. BioShock broke a genre it made a first person shooter with RPG elements and while some developers under-develop and idea like this, 2K have perfected it and made it work well for the game. Big Daddies, while they may be easy to beat, they are an essential part of your BioShock experience.Cons. They weapon selection system is a little off and you find yourself using the radial selection and sometimes all your plasmids and power ups can becoming slightly overwhelming.thats it. Honestly thats the worst i can say about this game. WOULD YOU KINDLY BUY THIS GAME NOW it's one of my all time favourites and is one of they few games i consider art.and like i said once you enter rapture....you never leave. Rapture will stay with you for the rest of your gaming life.would you kindly ;D
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Enter the enigmatic, obscure, and violent world of Rapture., 23 November 2008 Author: insomniac_rod from Noctropolis
So you think you are a Big Daddy?.One of the best video games ever made is still waiting for you. "Bio-Shock" overpasses expectations and proves again that a solid and dark plot may get your attention, but extremely detailed graphics, creepy and atmospheric atmospheric music, and the best f/x you will ever see are the perfect elements to make a memorable video game.The plot is extremely intriguing and dark; it involves a City in the likes of the myth of Atlantis, the Lost City but taken further to the point that evil alien-type creatures are invading the city and the political system.Talking about politics, this video game has a sub-plot involving political strategies and an ancient political system accused of being corrupt and cruel for a futuristic City.To make this better, we have futuristic and spectacular weapons that will let you eyed open. You won't see more complex and impressive weapons in any other game. Most of them are deadly and deliver extremely impressive and violent results.Overall this is the most atmospheric game created for xbox 360. Don't look further and buy this game. I won't recommend it for a specific audience; it's a game for everyone.Hands down to last year's best game.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: The Best Game I've Ever Played, 7 September 2008 Author: The_Welshman from Wales, UK
Where do I start with this masterpiece? As soon as the first scene rolls in, you know you're in for an action-packed, deeply atmospheric, intelligent gaming experience! To start off with - the Graphics. Truly breathtaking! The plane crash at the beginning wouldn't be as intense if it wasn't for the immersive fire and water effects. The lighting effects are also fantastic, shining through and on the surface. The graphics are the best I've seen in any game.Next - the Gameplay. The gameplay was solid, with character customisations to the roof! The splicing is excellent, and the combat system works effectively! My only criticism is the lack of a 'block' button. Like Condemned. That would have been excellent, as it is very difficult to survive on Hard mode.Next - the Story. It..is...remarkable! From the moment it begins, your trapped; spiralling into the world of Bioshock! Packed with twists and turns, this is one of the best stories ever created for a game! Or movie for that matter. And incredible, intelligent plot form start to finish.Next - the Sound. Without the implausible sound effects and the captivating music, the astounding atmosphere would be inconceivable! The soundtrack is unlike any other. 'Nuff said! And finally - the Atmosphere. Beyond words. Seriously, I cannot describe it. You actually feel like you are in Rapture, fearing for your life and fearful of the Splicing mutants that roam the abandoned halls of Rapture. The Big Daddy's are terrifying, and their connection with the Little Sisters is strong! They would lay down their life for them, which is unique to see something so massive protecting a tiny little girl. Like I said - beyond words.In conclusion, buy this game. Now. Right now. What the hell are you still doing here? Go buy it!
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Would you kindly..., 22 July 2009 Author: kirk-246 from United States
...buy this game and immediately put it into your Xbox 360 before it gets sold out? After surviving a terrible plane crash in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a lone survivor named Jack spots and swims over to a lighthouse and enters a bathysphere, which takes him through the stunning world of Rapture, a city that was once great before things went horribly wrong.Jack is now trapped in Rapture, and the only way to get out is fight through hundreds of crazed civilians called Splicers.Just how did they become so crazy? ADAM.It is the one of the things that keep the wheels of Rapture rolling.But the people of Rapture became very addicted to it and it led to horrible side effects.With the help of a friend named Atlas, Jack struggles to defeat the splicers and kill the one man who's in charge, Andrew Ryan.'Bioshock' is an outstanding game with state-of-the-art graphics and an interesting plot that will have you hooked into the game before you know it.But it gets even better in September, for that is the month in which 'Bioshock 2' is released.But before then, I suggest that you immediately buy the game and start playing if you haven't already.Your time and money will not go to waste.I promise you that you won't regret it.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: A gripping game, 5 April 2009 Author: h-rabbit from Singapore
BioShock was one of the games which I originally go "This looks OK...I'll just buy it for the sake of it" but then after a while I think "This game rocks, I'm glad I bought it in the first place". I think the gameplay is simply amazing with the numerous weapons and Plasmids, I enjoy whacking enemy Splicers with a wrench, downing them with armor-piercing revolver rounds, incinerating them with the power of a plasmid or firing electric bolts from your fingertips. The story and game simply just rocks to the best of it, I recommend this game to any who love standalone horror shooters. But I still don't get why the protagonist went down to Rapture in the first place anyway...Note - Big Daddies in the game may be difficult but are essential to the harvesting or rescuing of Little Sisters, which give you ADAM energy useful for the continuation of the game.By HowlingRabbit334
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Best PC game in recent years, 13 September 2007 Author: nightstrife from Bathurst, Australia
**Possible SPOILERS** Bioshock is far and away my pick for best PC game of the past 5 or 6 years. I've played a LOT of games over the years, but none have managed the deft touch that Irrational have put on this masterpiece.From the moment you step into Rapture, you are unwittingly forced into the decaying underwater dystopia, and must splice to survive.By splicing, I mean genetically splicing your DNA with "enhancements" - what this does for your humanity is up to you, indeed, the choices we make - make us.The greatest thing about Bioshock is that it's all about the journey. The destination is arbitrary - FMV endings are seen as being a waste of money, and after playing through this game I agree totally. I am glad that the endings were short and to the point, because the majority of the budget was put to much better use - namely in game design. I compare this to games which have very shiny and pretty endings, just pick one.The aesthetics are second-to-none. It's rare that a game can make you feel so attached to the world when all you see is misery and chaos. I really felt for the people of rapture who'd sacrificed so much for personal power. Even listening to them gibbering away their lingering humanity or squabbling amongst one another was a perverse treat prior to their inevitable annihilation at my hand.Everything in the gameworld has meaning. Wonder why they're Vita Chambers everywhere and what purpose they serve (other than regeneration) - well, that's answered in the second last Act of the game. While such design features are regarded by many to make the game too easy - again, I ask is it really the destination or the journey that matters when it comes to a masterpiece of game design? The ending will always be the same, but no fight in the game will be the same, unlike other shooters (Half-Life 2, I'm looking squarely at you). Even the scripted parts of Bioshock don't regard the player as an on-rails observer, and you will soon wrench control back, so be patient.This is all about action. At the end of the day, that's what the design has achieved. By allowing you to rejoin the fight without having to revert to a quicksave allows the pacing to stay in top-gear 100% of the time, though if you play like me, you'll go through first aid kits like cotton candy anyways, instead of just dying over-and-over-and-over like people say you can do... It may even be possible to finish the game with just a wrench in this fashion... Yes, you probably can, but that's not what I'd call fun.The dynamic random spawn points for enemies also means you have to keep on your toes, as the Gatherers, Protectors and Splicers wander the corridors of Rapture and can be found pretty much anywhere you are...What makes this game so brilliant is that no two gunfights are the same, and there is no motivation to try one strategy more than another, as the game is so well-balanced that you can adjust on the fly and make each strategy work for you. Though action-focused, it remains very tactical - if you want it to be.Although this review is convoluted, all I can say was that Rapture was so enthralling, that I went back again and again after I'd finished and played through completely differently.Keep in mind that the difficulty jump from Medium to Hard is like going from walking up a hill to climbing Mount Everest.The great thing is, whether you choose to let it be hard is up to you...That's what this game is about - choice."A man chooses..."
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: This little fish looks like he got his cherry popped, wonder if he still got some ADAM on him.., 2 March 2009 Author: omgheisretartedlol from Belgium
Hehe, Bioshock, I can still remember buying it and beating it in one time, what an experience ! First of all to explain the story, You are a man on a plain going to a destination, unlike everything plane crashes and you swim to the nearest platform, this platform is 'Rapture' A utopia under the Atlantic ocean. Very quickly you can see what kind of thoughts they put in this game. From politics, to Graphics, A city where no man must not bow under the means of: Chatolism, presidents, MAN. other then that it shows yet again the conflicts of man with power. Power results to the need of more power, hence the massacre in Rapture. I don't understand why this game deserves a 18+ rating it isn't that scary.. It has great gameplay and atmosphere but please, it isn't SAW IV you know.. As you advance in the game you will get to a point where you will have to depend at you're moral abilities. eg. Little Sisters, They carry ADAM, ADAM, will give you powers, (Cool powers... Like shooting wasps and Ice cold helium or Fire) But the girl will Die, if you let her choose to live, you will get half of the ADAM hence you will have to survive with less powers. (I didn't choose to kill the girls, I'm happy i didn't ;D) I could tell a helluva lot more but i need to rush to bed. Read other comments you will only see positive comments.9/10
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