Review: Bioshock (X360)

Bioshock is an instant classic that blends a superb narrative with cracking gameplay.

Achievements: Easy to Medium.

Rather than write a full review of something everyone knows about, I thought I would simply list my 10 reasons why you should play BioShock.

1. BioShock is one of the first games to truly deliver a coherent and well defined story with a proper dramatic narrative. The story is delivered in bite size chunks via audio diaries left among the ruins. Many of the characters that feature in the diaries reveal their stories in reverse and intertwine the plot threads and character interactions as the game progresses. At no point does the game resort to ham-fisted cut scenes but instead allows the player to slowly reveal the lives of these characters within the falling society within Rapture. More importantly, many of these stories allow the player to form their opinions and ideas about the morality and sanity of the main protagonist – Andrew Ryan.

2. BioShock has created one of the best video game “bosses” for a long time in the form of the Big Daddy. Rather than lumber players with end-of-level boss fights (CapCom!), BioShock allows the player to decide when and how the big guys are tackled.

3. BioShock is the first FPS that truly allows the player to be creative and cunning. The ability to plough straight in, or to lay traps, or confuse the enemy into fighting itself, or sneak in for a silent kill or even exploit various environmental elements to turn the advantage.

4. BioShock blends the basic elements from RPGs to allow the player to specialise the character. For instance, you can become a melee monster, or a stealth assassin, a battle mage or a gun tooting Jonny Rambo.

5. BioShock has a truly surprising and unique plot twist.

6. BioShock has wonderfully convincing water physics and beautifully designed art deco environments, which just draw you in to this city under the sea.

7. BioShock is one of the few games to actually test you moral compass. Sure it is pretty obvious what it is right to do – but could you actually bring yourself to do what is wrong? It just doesn’t feel right. There are also some well disguised (but much discussed) philosophical arguments – many of which are revealed through the various audio diaries. Questions regarding the objectivism philosophy of the main character –Ryan- (inspired by Ayd Rand), the exploitative nature of capitalism and the results of uncontrolled bio-sciences are all posed but not answered.

8. BioShock shows that you can create an enjoyable and accessible FPS without the need for pointless death-match modes, ninja-like reflexes or clumsy controls.

9. BioShock features some of the best voice acting, sound effects and sound track of recent times. The quality of the audio diaries is phenomenal; the sensations and mystery of Rapture are portrayed through some haunting sound effects; and the sound track brilliantly combines elements from the 1940s, 1970s Sci-Fi and more contemporary movie scores.

10. BioShock does have its weaknesses: there are some dodgy character models, there is a bit too much back tracking, and it is a fairly linear path. However, the shear brilliance of the story telling, the cinematic quality of the set pieces, the intelligence of the gameplay, and beautifully realised environments make BioShock an instant classic and goes straight into my top ten games of all time.

5/5