BioShock (PC Games, 2007)

This review can be seen in its entirety @ http://gnadegames.blogspot.com

I had no intention of buying Bioshock. Yeah the graphics looked great and it was getting some buzz, but it had no multiplayer and Halo 3 is coming out in a month or so. Then I played the (painfully short) demo and wanted more, and when the first stellar reviews started coming in, I was sold. Bioshock is a great single player experience, probably the best FPS single player experience I have ever had. Yes, it's that good.

Gameplay: 10/10
Pros: A perfect blend of RPG elements into a FPS. Extreme flexibility in the way the game is played...you can strategize and set traps, use plasmids (magic attacks), hack machines to do your dirty work, research every creature as a photographer, specialize in weapons, or just go guns blazing and focus on twitch gameplay. It is absolutely fantastic. Add in amazing enemy AI, a fantastic story, and stat building and you have an incredibly addictive and fun game.

Graphics: 10/10
Gears of What? Bioshock is a gorgeous game...simply play the demo and by the time the tail of the plane crashes into the tube spraying water everywhere (see video above) you should be convinced. It uses the same Unreal engine that every graphic gem seems to use on the 360, but has so many effects, subtleties and touches that it just outshines them all. The art style is truly one of a kind and the futuristic underwater city is both futuristic, yet horrifyingly familiar and historic as well since the game is brilliantly set in 1960.

Sound/Music: 10/10
The Voicework is top-notch and film quality. In fact the music, score, and voicework is so excellent that you cannot help but think Bioshock film. Like all other aspects of the game, the polish and detail is just exceptional...even the piano notes played when you cycle the start menu, capture the tone and immersion of this game.

Lasting Appeal: 9/10
Pros: The single player experience is a long and investing one. The world encourages you to explore and learn more about it. The gameplay is great and it encourages more play throughs just playing around in the world. The game is never frustrating...even when you die against a tough boss, you're instantly revived at a chamber nearby and your enemies are as hurt as they were when you left them...unless they heal at a health station...this aspect makes you lose yourself in the game and literally lose hours immersed in the city of Rapture.
Cons: There is no multiplayer experience and while this is understandable due to the depth of the single player experience, one can't help but wish that multiplayer was included. I imagine the multiplayer would have been reminiscent of shadowrun...or how shadowrun should've been executed. This game is so good that any end to it is a con.

Average: 97.5%
Tilt: +2.00%

When all is said and done, this game is a work of art. Every aspect is cohesive, immersive, intriguing, and ultimately satisfying. This game is like a fantastic book that you curl up with, get immersed in, and then go to bed with nightmares about. A definitive gaming moment in the era of next gen gaming.

Verdict: 99.5%

Bioshock is a outstanding game, the details and graphics are far and away the best yet produced by any manufactuer.It is fun to play yet at the same time it is extremely challenging for both beginer and advanced players (depending on how you adjust the game play levels) I highly recomend this game for any player who likes nonstop action and at the same time high quality of graphics!!

BioShock is an amazing award winning game with fantastic graphics, especially if you have a system strong enough to turn them up all the way. Add in directx 10 effects if you have the graphics card and Vista and you're in for a real treat. The game has what so many others lack, atmosphere. You feel immersed in the game because your decisions and actions do in many ways alter the game. I can't recommend the game enough because of these things!

On the other hand. 2k Games copyright protection is possibly the most annoying thing I have ever come across. If you are not buying this game new, you may want to think again. Riddled with problems from the beginning, they have slowly been easing up on their intensely strict copyright restrictions. Supposedly they have now changed the registration of the game so that it may be installed more then 2 times, to 5 times, now to unlimited times...

So in some ways, you're taking a gamble. A gamble that it will work on your system, a gamble that it will even install, a gamble that it will like your drivers, etc... but, if you do get it installed and working, you are in for one extraordinary gaming experience!

The game itself might be good. I don't know because I couldn't play it on my computer which has Nvidia geforce 8400m GS graphic card. This game has a problem with the graphic card and there was no way I could get this information before I make my decision to buy this game.

BioShock could easy be seen to as an unofficially squeal the System Shock 2. After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere. a spherical deep-sea diving submersible which is lowered into bodies of water with a cable. You then descend into Rapture, a city hidden city beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists. The idealism is no more most of the people are dead or change in to some genetic altered creature. The once great city is now the city of the dead. BioShock is a unique game that mixes a spine chilling sound and music. Sounds of or random half crazy former Rapture citizen chanting, or footsteps of something approaching can be heard ad over all realism effect to a city that is nearly dead. The well design architecture levels are free for you to explore. But most of the time your to busy try to survive as you repeatedly slice your DNA to become more a powerful killing machine to stay alive. A sci-fi theme of biogenetic mutation and self-modification, along with a deep storyline with open-choice along with the freedom to interact with the world as you choose. This unique first-person action shooter requires you to think every time you pull the trigger similar to System Shock 2 which is still hail by many as one of the greatest game of all time. Bioshock holds many similar to System Shock 2 as varies types effect for each weapon, spooky atmosphere, hacking system and superior story line. System shock 2 was a master piece and that not a statement to take lightly. BioShock can also easily be seen as a master piece as well. Bioshock is like a quest of self discovery as you can choose to kill or not to kill little girls for unlimited power. Work against the moral consequences to obtain power or rescue the little girls know as sisters. The implications of the decision to intentionally murdering a ten-year-old girl for your own personal gain cannot be overstated, and BioShock will never let you forget what you've become whether it be savior or heartless super human bastard. Forced to survive in a a hidden city littered with corpses of the dead. Powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn. Be warned, this game contains game contains Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language. I recommend for Mature audience. Besides it may scary some kids to death.

Buy this game and love it, undoubtedly playing through it at least two or four times. There is a huge variety of choices you can make coupled with the genuine consequences that follow require numerous play throughs just so you can see what happens if you try something different. The game is rather short. It takes around 25 hours to complete more or less depending what you do. You may just be looking around being amazed by the art, sea life, under water effects and detail and all it's haunting artistic glory.

Put simply, BioShock is an unparalleled achievement. No other game comes even remotely close to it in terms of raw emotional connection. If you still want more after playing this I recommend System Shock and System Shock 2

This game is the kind of game that shows what the next generation is all about. The graphics and physics of this game are absolutely incredible. The game play of this game is nice and fast, the AI is perfect, the weapons are even better. The fact that you can use everything as a weapon is sweet. The characters in this game are sweet. They are zombie looking characters that come out of dark areas and they really surprise you and scare you sometimes. This game is an absolutely must have for the xbox 360 and PC.

Bio shock is an extremely disturbing, yet somehow entertaining piece of gaming history. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys delightful first person shooters filled with zombies, machines, and little girls who want your blood. Enjoy!

this is a great game that every one should own and have on all 3 systems. Xbox360 PC and PS3. Best game ever and i don't care what every one says

This game reminds me a lot of Half Life 2, but isn't quite as good. The atmosphere of the game is really good and creepy. It gave me chills. But as far as the action goes it just wasn't all that exciting or challenging.

I have not tried to install this game. It was in excellent condition. No marks on the disc. You Have to connect with the internet to install the game.

The game is narrated in a way that it's almost believable. The pervasive references to Ayn Rand's Objectivism philosophy show that developers were literate and interested in transcending the mere point and shoot approach of many FPS. However, you may still play as such if you prefer. That's the greatness. Plenty of things to discover if you enjoy the experience more than finishing the game itself. Highly recommended. Not suitable for minors - VERY gory and downright scary with plenty of lunacy and violence. The soundtrack deserves a note aside: it's simply fantastic. Well entuned with the Art Deco style of the game.

Great game great seller A++ little slow on shipping but still great buy and seller! Would definitely buy from this seller again A+++++++

I had no problems with the seller. The product also worked great and was a lot of fun and it got to me in a short amount of time too. Great seller.

This game is unusual because the story line is better than the grphics or gameplay that is common in today's pc game market. The story is set in 1960, in an underwater city named rapture, you are a survivor, who was taken to the city after a plane crash on a submarine. Rapture was meant ot be a Utopia, but as soon as you get of the sub you realize something is wrong, thus sets out a great mystery/horror/conspiracy story. The gameplay is OK, but the game is almost too easy, because if you loose all your health, you are simply re spawned in one of the many envira-chambers throughout the game. This makes the game incredibly easy and mindless. The graphics in this game are OK, they are somewhat cartoonish, and the enemies look like zombies from an arcade shooter. The story is very linear, an arrow directs you almost the whole game, allowing little time to explore and take in the city of Rapture. But once again I must reiterate that the intriguing story and scenery is better than the gameplay.

easy to learn and play great graphics and cut scenes. The game starts onboard a mid 1960's airline flight crashing into the atlantic then you enter a sub surface city with sky scrapers and mutants genetically alter inhabitants and aquire skills such as electroshock and flame throwing capabilites from your new genetic enhancemant.

Very immersive as well as though provoking. I enjoyed this game immensely, though it didn't take as much time as I had hoped to complete it.

Great Game.

Love the storie line in the game, that is why they're going to make a movie to come out 2010 or 2011.

I've played many first person shooters in my day, and it has been quite a while since I was sucked in to some really good gameplay. Bioshock managed to do just that.

What appears on the surface to be your normal, run of the mill linear FPS games, is really a FPS that gives you a multitude of options on how you play the game, decisions to be made, and ultimately some really unique game play!

The AI is great and adaptive, the plasmid powers you can equip, plus various tonics combine for some kick ass fighting, hacking and general mucking around. Plus the big daddy...yeah...a most formidable foe!

The only thing that could have made this better would have been multiplayer!

i bought this video game a few weeks ago and had prompt service and no hassles. product shipped in great shape. no complaints.

just a great game.good entertainment.game was near mint and worked perfect.action packed.would recommend to others even though it is a few years old.

This is one hell of a surreal First Person Shooter and I really have to say I was blown away by it. The game itself is a lot of fun to play, with your basic FPS style gameplay mixed with a bit of that survival horror and spooky atmosphere that makes games like these instant classics. The Graphics are impressive on the Unreal 3 engine, and the developers definately used it well.

The sound is very realistic and really puts you in a scary environment. The music fits the game's dark atmosphere well and chimes in perfectly at every scene. The weapon upgrade system is really unique and the weapons themselves are a lot of fun to play with. I was more so impressed at the deep surreal storyline, which will send you for a loop at every twist. The only downside is you need a high end PC to fully enjoy what Bioshock has to offer. It's really hard for an FPS to pull off what Bioshock has, and it definately sits up there as a classic in gaming. Well worth whatever the price is now

The game arrived within 3 days after payment and the dvd was completely scratch free. Will purchase from this seller again. great seller and fast shipping

Have seen the game in play prior to purchase. Am a RPG kind of gamer -- Morrowind, Oblivion, and Fallout 3 -- this game lured me from my Bethesda addiction...am looking forward to 'outside' exploration...will make a more indepth report soon....