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Reasonably Good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 15
Date: September 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I can tell you right now, this game will not live up to the hype. It cannot possibly live to the hype. The hype suggests that the game should arrive with sexual favors and pudding as a feature, and no game is as good as the reviewers would have you believe Bioshock is. Surprise, surprise - the game has a number of issues that keep it from being the transcendental achievement the press want it to be, but that doesn't stop it from being a very solid game, worth your $60 investment.

Let's start with the basics. This is ostensibly a first person shooter, in the family of Halo, but owing a little bit more to Oblivion and Deus Ex so far as implementation goes. Or F.E.A.R., I guess, though that one had multiplayer. Which, shock of shocks, is one of the major knocks on the game. This game was never designed or balanced for multiplayer use, and, as such, there's no multiplayer. No deathmatch, no leaderboards, no team sports, no cooperative. To preserve the atmosphere of the game and to produce a better single-player title, the multiplayer was never intended to happen. If you cannot tolerate a game without multiplayer (I personally don't see how anybody could tolerate one, as I agree with Yahtzee!'s assessment of the Xbox Live community in general), then this game is not for you.

As far as the actual gameplay goes, a great amount of puffery and chest-beating has been made with respect to the RPG aspect, but I honestly don't see it here. There isn't really any kind of character development or progression - the plasmids are merely guns that work with your left hand and don't have a trigger, and the tonics function basically like equip-able items in other games - and, overall, you don't get the RPG "feel" from this game. The feel is, more than anything, reminiscent of Doom 3 (to which it has been compared), with a dark, moody setting and some very cleverly disguised monster closeting (i.e. instead of just popping out of the wall, some monsters will walk into a room behind you after you go looking for something and start playing around in the water).

I'll admit it - after about half of the game, I was pretty bored. You run through the stock of enemies (who don't behave in nearly as intelligent a fashion as implied) pretty early on and most of the game is spent shooting the same types of critters with the same set of voices and the same general behaviors. While the environment is constantly interesting to poke around in, the adversaries are lamentably not. Hacking also plays a major role in the game, which would be great if the mini-game didn't 1) arbitrarily decide that you just plain lose sometimes; and 2) take thirty seconds to play through on its easiest difficulty. While you can work your way up to not having to hack a couple of common targets, you'll be playing Pipe Dream right up through the end of the game. Pretty tedious.

So what's so good about the game? Well, for starters, it's a shooter I finished, which is saying something, because I become terminally bored with just about any of them after about the halfway point, for mostly the same reasons as those I've listed here. This one kept my attention all the way through to the end. The game isn't overly long (a problem many games have - sixty hours is not just right; it is far too much for an old man like me with a job and a house and a personal life), which is a plus for me. The voice acting is the best I've personally ever heard in a video game - so good that you don't notice that it's voice acting in most cases. The artistic direction is pretty good as well, capturing some of the sixties architecture.

With respect to the source material and authenticity, there's some quibbles to be had. The guns and ammunition you find are distinctly more 1920s than 1950s, the music is mostly big band and crooners, and while the game might be considered reminiscent of Objectivism, the philosophy is way, way too far off to be considered any kind of a critique, or even a reasonable examination. The Atlas Shrugged vibe is, however, carried off with aplomb, for which the art director in particular deserves some praise.

This is a pretty great game. I played it, finished it, and am wondering whether it would be worth it (news flash - it won't) to go back through on Hard to get the final achievement I'm lacking. It's worth anybody's $60. I wouldn't pronounce it the game of the year at this point, with Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed and Rock Band and Halo 3 and any number of other AAA titles due out, but it's a good game, and a good use of the medium to turn a shooter into something other than a twitchy-flinchy-shooty-bangy-kill-a-thon and still be effective and straight-faced about it. Any game that can stir a moral reaction in its audience through its content and story is pretty solid (and you will have a moral reaction to the Little Sisters and what goes on in Rapture). I wouldn't call it art, but it's some great entertainment.

MASTERPIECE!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: August 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A franchise is born and its name is Bioshock! Games like this don't come along too often. At heart its a FPS ,but the added 'Bio' powers make this game truly shine. The first stage of the game is Linear somewhat a training session , then the levels open up into multiple pathways and areas to explore. There is a detective quality to this game if you wanna follow the story through audio diaries,PSA's, and generous bloody scribbles on the walls,or you can ignore them and simply kill everything in your way. This game gives you that option. But IMO the story makes this game top-notch , yeah sure its typical creepy fare, but hey its fun. With certain abilities (LT) you can set people on fire with your fingertips,use telekenesis ,and some others I won't spoil. Not to mention 2 endings worth a replay through or 2.There's not much I can say negative about this game other than it's about 20 hours long. Too short for my taste but its a rock solid 20 hours of fantastic gameplay. Aside from the widescreen fiasco , its in 16x9 widescreen at native 720p no stretching by the way. The games look beautiful and the camera is fully controllable like most FPS so for my HD LCDTV its looks fantastic .Im looking forward to Bioshock becoming a franchise with at least a sequel coming for it. This game is one heck of a joy-ride ,movie-like game experience. One that should not be missed. M rated lots of blood and gore not for the kiddies. PEACE.

It has to suck to be a PS3 owner right now. Bioshock is so awesome!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: August 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have been a life gamer and over that period of time there have only been three games I have ever been so impressed with, that I would look and check out the scenery as much as I was playing the game. Those games are Halo: Combat Evolved, Half-Life 2, and now Bioshock.

This game is more of an experience than anything, and is highly recommended to anyone over 17 years old. This game (thanks to GTA series) has a tremendous amount of F-Bombs and sexual oriented dialogue. So, for the adult gamers this is a must have package for 2007.

If you have an Xbox 360, you MUST OWN this game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: August 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a true next-generation game. The gameplay is smooth as glass, Xbox controller works perfectly. The graphics are incredible, as is the sound. Bioshock is a horror FPS with some RPG elements, as you get to customize your character as you play with plasmids and weapons.

There are a few holy-crap moments in the game, where the story turns and twists unexpectedly; if you're planning on playing this, avoid reviews & spoilers.

Best game of the year so far, and probably for all of 2007!

Bioshock: The Game You Must Own!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: September 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was talking to a friend of mine about the game recently and I think he summed it up best when he said, 'Everyone who owns a 360 NEEDS to have this game in their collection.'

I could just leave the review off right there because there really isn't much more to say than that. When you play this, expect a single player experience rivalled only by a handful of other games.

The graphics are stupendous. Very few games have a level of immersion like this one. You'll play it and you will feel like you're deep under the ocean, exploring the city of Rapture.

The surround sound is top of the line. You'll be able to pinpoint the locations of anything that makes any kind of noise in this game easily. This is one to play with the volume all the way up. Oh yeah, hopefully your subwoofer can handle the thudding footsteps of the Big Daddies.

The controls are just right and are never frustrating. Little to say other than that.

The game itself is really in a class of its own. I love the mood that this game instills. It's tense to a point where I can safely say that this is one of the only games I've played where you dread turning the corner ahead of you. The intro to this game alone is simply jaw dropping and grabs you and doesn't let go from the outset. There are moments in this game that are literally terrifying. I'm not going to go on record as saying this is the scariest game I've ever played but it truly is an experience in fear and anxiety.

This is an instant classic and while there's no multiplayer, keep in mind that not every first person shooter was meant to be a fragfest. This one is about putting you in the middle of a terrifying scenario and making sure you believe you're actually there for every second that you're playing. Sure you can nitpick little things here and there but there's nothing in this game that comes even close to ruining the sheer perfection that is Bioshock.

I can't recommend this title enough.

Game of the year for sure!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I know there are a lot of die hard Halo loyalists out there, but as far as first person shooters go, this game is tops. I'm about half way thgrough it right now, and I pretty much have to have the controller pried from my hands every time I put it down. Graphics are amazing, gameplay is amazing, story is amazing...if you can, get your hands on this game! Good job, whoever made this game!

Wow!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you own an Xbox 360 go out right now and buy this game. If you don't own a 360, buy one then buy this game immediately. I play a ton of games of all genres and this is one of the best games I have ever played.

Awesome awesome awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is the best game ever. Well, one of them. The detail and atmosphere in the game is incredible, as is the story. If you don't think you can stomach ANOTHER first person shooter, try this and you'll soon change your mind.

Who knew genetic enhancement could be so much fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I actually didn't know much about this game except for a preview or two about some Big Daddies (sounds like a sexy hamburger) in my gaming magazines. However, after I tried out the demo on Xbox Live, I was hooked. Today, I picked up the game and haven't been disappointed...

Storyline:
You start out as Jack, flying across the Atlantic Ocean to visit your parents, when your plane falls out of the sky. As the lone survivor, you swim to a nearby lighthouse structure which brings you to a submarine portal. As you descend into the city, you discover that things have gone horrible awry. Scientists free from moral restraints have created genetic plasmids and tonics which have drove everyone mad. To survive, you must adapt, to adapt you must kill everything, including babies... Nah, just some demonic little girls called little sisters who have ADAM, the key to surviving the city that is Rapture. These girls are protected by the aforementioned Big Daddies, who, from experience, require substantial courage and ammo to bring down. Behind all this madness is a guy named Andrew Ryan, who set out to create a utopian society, where the people, receive the fruit of their loins. However, as you will see, things don't always pan out as planed.

What's really cool about this game is how the plot engulfs you into the story, you really want to find out what's going on "down under the sea." What will happen to all this ADAM? Who really is Andrew Ryan? Who is this scottish guy on the radio? Why am I injecting myself willingly with dirty syringes? The world may never know, unless you play Bioshock! Once you start this epic journey, you won't want to put the controller down.

Atmosphere:
The art-deco 1950's style underwater city is eerie, yet beautiful, especially in HD. The beginning levels give off a "House on Haunted Hill" vibe with blood splattered everywhere from scientific experiments gone bad. Powered by the Unreal 3 Engine, this game really cooks. Water effects look spot on and all the graphics in general just make your other games look crappy in comparison. This is the new benchmark for convincing your annoying PS3 friends that the Xbox 360 has better graphics and better games (cough-cough). Sound effects are also excellent, splicers taunt you, Big Daddies howl, and water seems to leak in from everywhere. I wouldn't recommend this for the faint of heart...

Cons:
Enemy variety is pretty scarce, with the most common enemy being the crazed splicer in a variety of forms. Big Daddies, and boss variants round out the baddies. In addition, the game is rather easy, even on medium it's not that challenging. Vita-chambers, Bioshock's form of a checkpoint are everywhere, and there is no penalty for dying. There is also no melee option with regular weapons. Halo fans will wish they could smack some fools over the head in-between reloads. But, these cons are really minuscule, and do not affect the game adversely. It's really a matter of taste...

Conclusion:
This game is like nothing you've ever played before, a blend of an FPS and RPG all mixed into one. There is tons of content, variety, and such a compelling storyline that you will wonder why other games aren't this good. It's like an open-ended action/thriller/sci-fi movie, where you make the decisions that ultimately decide the fate of yourself and Rapture...

P.S. The hacking mini-game is addicting. Safes, turrets, security cameras, vending machines... If only in real-life could we hack machines for better prices. Imagine the possibilities...

another reason to own a 360

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First off this game is a FPS. There has been many, to say the least, and most fail to tread new ground on a platform that has some of the most popular games of all time in its resume ( Halo, Doom, Call of Duty, Counter strike, ect...). The first person shooter and shooters in general, happen to be the most popular style of game for the next generation systems. With all this against you how can you breathe anything new into a format that has everything? Somehow 2K did it and did it in a way that has not been done by any game since Resident Evil. Like Resident Evil the most interesting and entertaining parts of the game are not shooting your weapons, it's the story. This is as close as your gonna get to an interactive movie type experience in a game. The story and characters are great and will make any sci-fi geek scream with glee. I don't wanna give away the plot because the less you know going into this game the more entertaining it is when you slowly unfold the plot.

This I will tell you, it's set in the late 50's and the assortment of weapons are unique and off the wall cool but the best weapons you get to use come from something a bit more...organic, they come from you! Lots of mystery and suspense with tons of little clues and voice over that never make the game dull. What a great shooter that for once doesn't involve the military or zombies, and quite possible the coolest bad guys ever, the Big Daddy's! The game is near flawless and the only downfall is a few glitches and times where the game freezes before you can save it. This did not detour me from starting again and again. Lot's of fun and just another great reason to own a 360, sorry PS3 gamers, you loose again. I recommend this game to anyone who has a job they can blow off or likes to stay up all night because once you get a taste you won't be putting the controller down for quite a while.

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