Bioshock could be called one of the first truly next-gen games of this current generation, something that couldn't be done before. Ken Levine, known for his work on System Shock 2, brings us a very-well written, atmospheric first-person experience, with game mechanics that had never been seen before up to this point, making it the most revolutionary FPS since Half-Life 2. It's the second greatest experience I've ever had playing an FPS (after Half-Life 2, of course). A game that's so good that there was no way they could ever create an ending that would have lived up to the masterpiece that makes up the majority of the game. Despite having two somewhat ho-hum endings (based on your karmic actions throughout), I sincerely doubt that there was any way this game could have been better.
The survivor of a plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean, the main character, Jack, swims to the nearest thing he can find, a lighthouse. This turns out to be the entrance to one of the most wholly atmospheric cities in all of gaming, Rapture, an underwater utopia gone wrong, destroyed by pseudo-drug abuse, and an ongoing feud between two high-level archenemies, Andrew Ryan, the founder of Rapture, and Frank Fontaine, the "reaper" of Rapture.
You come across a man who is in trouble, via radio, by the name of Atlas, who needs your help to rescue his wife and son, and escape this hellhole. A woman by the name of Tennenbaum needs your help in rescuing grimy little "girls", called Little Sisters, who carry the one thing every insane junkie in this town needs, ADAM. ADAM is the currency used to purchase EVE-related products, which include a variety of gene-spliced abilities known as Plasmids, which are basically a form of scientifically-explained magic. These girls are protected by (unprovoked) gentle giants known as Big Daddies. In order to save a Little Sister, you must dispatch the Big Daddy that escorts her. Of course, you don't have to save them, and can instead commit the unforgivable sin of harvesting one for the ADAM she holds. Doing this, however, will affect which one of the two endings that you'll receive.
Many more stories co-exist in this underwater, which you can learn about by picking up recordings littering the game space. The recordings fill in the tale, offering a much more satisfying narrative. If you're a sucker for story, be sure not to miss a single recording, some of which require more exploration to find than others.
Bioshock, as well as with the non-linear narrative, also differentiates itself from the vast majority of FPS' by ditching the usual two gun rule, by allowing you to "hoard" your weapons; as well as health packs, and EVE (which powers your various plasmid powers), lending itself to a non-traditional and long-term combat experience. You can pick up med-kits and EVE, as well as ammo and such, at various vendors spread throughout the city. You can also hack said vendors, to get a discount, via a fun little minigame that gets VERY progressively hard as the game goes on, and rightfully so. The ADAM you get from saving/harvesting Little Sisters can be used to buy plasmids and plasmid accessories at the Gather's Gardens-brand vending machines.
The main star of the game is the chilling atmosphere, which makes for an immersive experience that hasn't really been matched, or even challenged, to this day. The non-linear well-written story, the complex, likable (or loathsome) characters, the well-designed, spooky game space, and vastly varied splicer enemies that come at you with all sorts of different abilities force you to think on your toes, and make you utilize every weapon in your arsenal. There are plenty of details shoved into the many nooks and crannies, creating a very authentic feel to the environment. This all comes together to create an absolutely unforgettable narrative, whose only (post-beginning) cutscene is one of the finest and most utterly flawless scenes in all of gaming. Even if the last 10-20 minutes seem to slog a bit, and fail to live up to the quality of the rest of the game, I honestly doubt there is any ending they could have had that wouldn't have been a disappointment, a tell for a truly top-notch game.
Bioshock is a masterpiece of storytelling and atmosphere, and the gold standard for which all story-driven FPS' should aim for, a standard that has rarely been matched since.
Hey Poor Player's James Davie Takes Us On A Bio-Shocking Deep Dive Into Irrational Games' Nautical Nightmare.
Dead Space recently received a popular remake that was faithful yet constructive, and the original BioShock is also deserving of this treatment.
No it doesn't need it. It was remastered in 60 fps last gen and still looks and plays great. Would be a waste of time, money and resources imo. It's games from 3 or 4 gens back that could use the remake treatment.
There have already been 7th gen remakes of games already
Dead Space in particular already proves that just because a game looks good on original hardware doesn’t mean it cant look and play better
Agreed. Remasters already happened and still look n play fantastic. DS was a different animal. It needed a remake, Bioshock doesn't NEED it. Infinite Remastered for example is extremely viable even today. What we do need is Bioshock 4. Rumors that equated to zip. Where is it? Ken really blew the pooch as well. Left to go do what? He was inspired by Tell Tale or something and went off to become irrelevant. Nice. And Bioshock Vita was scrapped. Fantastic.
Bioshock 4 is definitely still in development. News trickles out about it every couple of months.
And Ken's next game (Judas) looks great from the teaser trailer.
Yeah. Pretty much. I understand why they did it with TLOU to coincide with the show but certainly it didn't NEED a remake desperately. Obviously u are trolling and expect me defend anything Sony but idgaf about all that. I say what i feel is the truth.
Just like TLOU i wouldn't be upset if Bioshock received a remake but it doesn't desperately need it. I'd probably even play it bc like TLOU, i love Bioshock, but in these aren't identical scenarios either. Ppl kill ND for TLOU Remake yet it wasn't even their project originaly. It started as a potential Uncharted remake and passion project via Visual Arts and was passed to Bend i believe? ND took over bc the project obviously wasn't where it needed to be. And yet they still had Factions and possibly TLOU 3 in development as well. Bioshock has been dormant for a decade bar the remaster. Rumors of a sequel haven't materialised. A remake without a sequel would be disappointing. TLOU Remake is more tolerable knowing sequel/spinoffs are in development. Like i said, dif situation.
It's not all about looks only
Tweaks to story
Tweaks to characters
Improvements to gameplay
Original bioshock have the worst puzzle solving system and can get frustrating quickly
The last part you said I agree COMPLETELY!!! Game companies need to mine games from the Sega Saturn, PS1 and N64 days and even the Dreamcast, GameCube, and PS2 days to give a full update to. I know those would require more work, but there are PLENTY of gems from those days that people would LOVE to play again or for the first time with a facelift!!! I know I would.
The games that need remaking are.
Resistance fall of man.
Motorstorm.
PS5 would produce something special.
There's been such an advancement in tech since the PS3 days. It would be awesome. DAY 1 BUY for me.
I would kill for Resistance 1-3 Remake/Remaster. Same with MotorStorm series and Killzone series. Man, I loved my PS3. Can we also get the Metal Gear series and rescue MGS4 off the PS3? There is a rumor of MGS3 getting a remake. One of, if not my number 1, favorite game of all time.
On topic, I played Bioshock like 6 months after release after hearing from everyone and their mother how incredible it was. I know I will be in the minority on this, but I couldn't get into it. I think my expectations were too high. Totally my fault. Maybe I should give it another chance...
Agreed, Killzone as well, but Sony has no interest in the future of those IP. It won't happen. If they cared about Motorstorm they wouldn't have axed Evolution. The last remaster from a dead studio "Wipeout" was exceptional yet nobody supported it. Even with a free VR inclusion. If ppl want these remasters...actually support the ones that release. Medievil same thing. Ppl cried for Demon's Souls Remake, The Last Guardian, Shenmue 3 and the sales didn't match the cries. None of these games sold as u would imagine given the internet pleas for these titles over a decade or more. DeS Remake did alright but given the circumstances it should've sold better. 92 Meta, PS5 launch exclusive, stunning visuals, and the first of the genre in an age where Eldin Ring will push 30 million units. Yes, DeS is only one platform but still.
I do agree mostly with what you said.
I bought killzone,2,3. Did not like 4 other then it's graphics.
I bought infamous 1,2. Second son never did it for me apart from again the graphics, so parts were good. But world felt too empty. Probably needed a PS5 to do it justice.
Bought all the Resistance and Motorstorms, those games were awesome. They 100% need a remake.
PS3 was just an awesome machine, I know it was a pain to develop for, but it had some many titles that I loved.
I really enjoyed the Bioshock series, the first 2 were best. Very good games.
As for Demon souls.and the souls series in general. They never have had massive sales. I think because they are very hard games. we are talking a million or less. I think the remaster did 1.4million.
Motorstorm pacific rift did 1.4million PS3.I think.
Hopefully some of them will come back.
I would love this
Expand on the lore
Incorporate Bioshock Infinite and Bioshock 2 plot lines
Add room rooms or maybe even an extra area
Maybe new plasmids
Give Jack a personality and add voice acting, it worked for Isaac. Jack did speak at the start of the game so adding onto that and giving him convos between Atlas or Ryan would be great
Man could you imagine what bioshock would look like in ue5 with full raytracing, phwaaarrrhh.
Would you kindly copy a different seminal shooter from 2007?
I started playing Bioshock for the first time a few months ago, I just got passed the point you kill your first "Big Daddy" and then I stopped playing... I don't honestly remember why but I think it probably had something to do with the game play mechanics feeling a bit archaic, though the fact I played Bioshock Infinite first might not have helped the matter.
Anyway I should probably get back to finishing it since the game is considered by many to be one of the best this gen.
The gameplay is outdated but the ambiance, the scenario and the message behind it is beyond belief
Nice review, well written.
To me Bioshock Infinite was both a masterpiece and a bore. The gameplay was really dull. The concept was good but it wasted its potential. Everything but the gameplay though was really good. And as you wrote: "Bioshock is a masterpiece of storytelling and atmosphere, and the gold standard for which all story-driven FPS' should aim for"
But because of the gameplay, I wouldn't have given it more than a 9/10.
Good review, however I disagree with you on the endings, I liked the one I got (saved all the little sisters) One of my top 5 games this generation.
Would you kindly review more games?
Totally agree, Bioshock is totally amazing.