Bioshock was one of those games I had heard a lot about and got a lot of hype but I never really took interest in. However the developers, in all their infinite wisdom released a demo that allowed myself and anyone with an xbox live account to experience Rapture first hand before the games release. The next day I was at Gamestop pre-ordering the game; so let this be a lesson to all developers. If you have a quality game, you should release a demo for it.
Rapture begins with your character on a plan in the 60's. He is looking at an old photograph when the plane suddenly experiences heavy turbulence. The next thing you see is the flaming debris from the plane and an odd light house type of structure in the middle of the ocean. Once you reach the structure a pod takes you from their to the city of Rapture. You spend the rest of the game navigating the remains of Rapture and putting together the mystery of what has happened to the once utopian city.
Let me say that graphically, I don't know if I have seen a better game. Now I am not a huge graphics junkie, I don't care that much about lighting and shading, I am there for the experience. However while playing through Bioshock I found myself occasionally just taking in the scenery. The water effects are simply spectacular and makes the water almost come to life. For me, one of my favorite things about Bioshock was the atmosphere the game provided. At no time did I feel that I was safe and out of harms way. At any time through the game I was waiting for a ceiling to come tumbling down or a Little Sister to stroll around a corner with "Mr. Bubbles" in tow. Not to mention that the levels in Bioshock really give you the feeling that you are traversing one of the most ambitious marvels in history (if Dr. Ryan was real I would definitely have him remodel my house). Bioshock may look great but it also plays great as well. The combinations of skills and weapons blend together as well as they possibly could. There are very few things as satisfying as lighting an enemy on fire and allowing them to run and jump into a pool of water only to then turn around and shoot a current of electricity into the water and fry them once again. The enemy AI is top notch and being able to pit the Big Daddies against your enemies and watch them kill each other never gets old. At the same time it is also amazing to watch the Big Daddies just stroll on by while you are having this massive fire fight like they don't even know it is going on. Now typically this would strike you as odd (just being ignored by an enemy) but not in Bioshock. The developers did a great job of laying the ground work for what to expect from Rapture so that instances like these would not confuse you. Not once during my time with Bioshock did I notice the AI eliciting any peculiar behaviors, it was always spot on. I feel that Bioshock tells one of the best stories available for this generation of games. Throughout the game I was constantly searching for the next tape recorder in order to get a little more insight into the world of Rapture and its inhabitants. Both the main story and the various side stories equate to one of the best overall narratives I have ever seen in a game.
No game is truly perfect; there is something that can always be tweaked or removed or added to a game to make it a better experience and Bioshock is no different (although it comes close). Although I don't think that Bioshock would work all that well as a multiplayer it would have been nice to see an attempt at one. I feel that the maps they could put together with the design of Rapture should not have been over looked. Also I wish Bioshock had been designed with a way to switch weapons and abilities without stopping the action. These however are the most minor of irritations and trust me you probably won't care that much.
Bioshock is without a doubt one of the most complete games I have ever played. So complete that I am actually worried that the sequel can't possible live up to original. I don't care what type of games you like (sports, racing, RPG) you at least owe Bioshock a try.
