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Bioshock review (PC)
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This is the point, at a mere minute in, that Bioshock sells itself to you. A warm glow descends as you comprehend that it really does look this good, and will do for every minute that you play it.
There was another moment, a few hours of play later, when I realised that some of the magic had gone. It dawned on me that I could actually write a 500 word review of Bioshock that was completely negative. I won’t, but it had become clear that the game’s genius is flawed in a number of small ways, and the closer we get to perfection – something Bioshock strives admirably for – the more obvious these flaws become.
Rapturous Applause
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The story of Rapture’s downfall – and the part you have to play – is also well told, with solid voice acting throughout. The history is provided via a series of tape recordings made by some of the main players in Rapture’s society, scattered about the city. It’s a clever storytelling device, feeding you information one morsel at a time in such a way that to miss out on a few recordings will not have a detrimental effect. It also encourages exploration, as the more you know about these characters, the more satisfaction you will derive from discovering or deciding their fate (although this “decision” is generally between, say, a shotgun and a machine gun). Current events meanwhile are filled in by radio transmissions from Atlas, your mysterious guide, with Rapture’s founding father – Andrew Ryan – occasionally chipping in.
Smart Daddies Get Spliced At The Garden
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Effective use of these plasmids is essential when facing the Big Daddies – the hulking and extremely powerful protectors of the Little Sisters – the collectors of ADAM who roam the halls of Rapture. These battles form the core of Bioshock, as the Big Daddies must be overcome to get at the Little Sisters, and procure more ADAM for yourself. How you do this – either by harvesting – killing the Little Sisters and taking all their ADAM, or by rescuing them for a lesser reward – decides your fate and the path you will take towards the end of the game. But before this you must kill a Big Daddy, a feat which can be knuckle-whiteningly difficult even with a large amount of planning, and certainly makes up for the often lacklustre attempts by the splicers to end your existence.
Dystopia
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And without that challenge, the other little flaws become more apparent. The way plasmids don’t stay in order when upgraded, or that strange quirk of the Unreal Engine (as was also apparent in Oblivion) whereby, for example, a chair will rise slightly out of the ground when a packed of cigarettes is picked up from its seat. There are a number of other small things, none of which are particularly bothersome by themselves, but cumulatively become much more noticeable.
The major issues, however, are twofold. First is the existence of vita chambers – respawn points throughout Rapture. In the event of death, you will be transported to the nearest of these chambers and allowed to continue, while your enemies’ health remains as it was when you died. This means that even if you are totally hopeless at the game, you can still progress by the process of sheer attrition, and thus the game becomes even easier. Incidentally, an explanation of the existence of vita chambers - or of why you appear to be the only person in Rapture capable of using these devices - is never forthcoming, unlike most of the other apparently bizarre design choices, which are validated as the story progresses.
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Regardless of these flaws, large or small, Bioshock remains a wonderful game in so many ways. The graphics and art direction, the slow unveiling of the story of Rapture’s fall, the sheer creepiness of it all, and the gameplay which, quite often, makes almost every shooter until now seem rather dull in comparison.
| Rating | |
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Graphics: Literally stunning. |
10 |
Durability: Demands a second play through to get the other ending, but lacks multiplayer. |
8 | |||
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Sound: Perfect but for the fairly small amount of stock phrases the splicers utter. |
9 |
Gameplay: Too easy, but incredibly refreshing from a genre which on PC offers so many games of poor quality or a derivative nature |
9 | |||
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| References to other articles | |
New director for BioShock movieGore Verbinski - director of Pirates of the Caribbean - is no longer at the helm.
Today's UK releasesA quiet week at retail here in Blighty.
Editorial: What makes a classic game?Allan asks what makes a classic game and pleads for a few more...
| Related downloads | |
BioShock 1.1 patchThe first patch for BioShock.
BioShock demoA massive demo for BioShock.
BioShock ATI Hotfix (Windows XP)Improve your BioShock performance.
Simon Brent
I don't see why anyone has an issue with the Vita Chambers.
If you don't like 'em, don't use 'em.
WAAAAY TOO MANY WORDS:
I'm sure (or at least hope) that most of the complainers think the same when blue-noses demand a {game, movie, tv show, etc} be banned. I see the argument all the time "If you don't like it, don't {play, go see, watch, whatever} it. I don't like the VC, so I just use quick saves. If there was no option to the VC, that would be a problem. I think the enforced save point only system sucks. I'm only a pretty good gamer and I've stopped playing a few of those games because I got stuck. I now tend to not buy those games. In that case, I feel everyone loses. Of course, the l33ts think I'm a pussy, but who cares. I want to finish a game.
I really like the ability to buy out a hack, too. I even think you should be able to just say "give it to me" and proceed. I'm in favor of anything that helps a person to enjoy a game, all the way up to god mode. I can't see the enjoyment of that much help, except to wander around the level for fun.
But, "Don't like it, don't use it. Don't ban it."
The l33ts who think this is "too g4y" should be REAL [wo]men and use this style:
the first time you die, uninstall the game and microwave the disc. Anyone who does less is a wimp to some degree.
When does a game become l33t?
1) Uninstall, delete and move on with your "life."
2) Uninstall, buy another copy and start over.
3) Uninstall, start over.
4) Start over.
5) One save, period.
5a) 2.. n saves, where n is some integer < l33t's Constant
6) 1 save allowed per level.
6a) n, as in 5a above.
7) Any number of saves?
8) Vita Chambers.
With 7+8, as in BS, you can do any of these.
C
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