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Say That You Shock Me

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: April 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

You were always meant to do great things, but sometimes that means terrible things along the way. So it goes when you embed a golf club into a poor sap's head.

I knew *BioShock* was going to be a good shooter from the get-go. Developed by folks behind the System Shock series, it crash-lands the player into a modern day Atlantis... and the middle of a civil war.

Built as a capitalist utopia, the city of Rapture fell into a Darwinian dystopia. For Rapture is also the test bed for radical stem cell technology. Unregulated use devolves the inhabitants into half-mad Splicers, while armored Big Daddies escort genetic scavengers.

Up front, *BioShock* isn't a revolutionary shooter. Every gameplay element has been done a dozen times before. And like all FPS titles, *BioShock* follows a predictable game path: there is one way forward, it ends at a gate, and you'll be betrayed, ambushed, captured, or lose your weapons en route. Along that route, you'll see bloody tableaus, leaping monsters, and dark corridors.

Sitting in my dark office, different pieces of the game suddenly turn out to be part of a single hidden puzzle, which reassembles the story. And this is only one of a series of themes, turns and adventures which kept me playing from dusk to dawn. As derivative as the game is, the execution means *BioShock* isn't your typical trapped-in-a-maze shooter.

Rapture clanks and hums with vending machines that supply health and equipment--all of which cost money to buy. And when your wallet is slim--as it will often be--players can gather components to assemble at crafting stations. Most critical, however, are the Plasmids and Gene Tonics that boost the player character's body. These systems introduce economic, mechanical, and genetic strategy, which in turn affects the player's tactics.

In most shooters, the enemies beeline for the player as if they can see through walls; but in *BioShock* you can actually sneak up on enemies, or evade them altogether. Gene tonics even provide abilities such as camouflaging or backstabbing bonuses, though I was disappointed the player couldn't teleport as some NPCs can. Cameras, bots, and turrets can also be outmaneuvered, destroyed, or even hacked to join your side, while you can seduce Big Daddies into protecting you with the right plasmid. So I like the tactical options given to the player.

For the most part though, the gameplay is old-school FPS. You can't lean, lie prone, pistol whip your enemies, or use alternate fire modes (though you can select different ammunition types). Monitors display still pictures instead of FMV, there's no GUI interaction with computers, and the skyboxes are limited to 2D mattes. The design scheme is further reminiscent of the darkness of *Doom 3*, but ups the shadowy ante by omitting a flashlight altogether.

Like D3, the game world is a hermetically-sealed community, divided into a series of theme-levels, such as The Medical Pavilion or Fort Frolic. Though similar to Mars City in principle, Rapture doesn't feel claustrophobic or monster-populated to an annoying degree like *Doom 3*.

Yet the design is even more conservative. I wondered at the absence of escalators, ladders, cables, and bridges. There are no vehicles to ride or combat; the bathyspheres act mainly as level exits. And for a submarine environment, I was surprised the game never puts the player onto the ocean floor. Indeed, we are blocked from any body of water deep enough to submerge in.

Otherwise, BioShock displays more mastery in atmosphere than just about any game I've ever played, on both subtle and garish ends. To begin with, the game never breaks from the first person view until the end cinematic. The comical vending machine recordings juxtapose with period music and propaganda announcements. Realistic water leaks into the maps in a variety of forms, from drips, to steady streams, to outright waterfalls; the fire and electrical effects are mediocre, but fog and smoke effects look great. Even the footwork is good, as splicers scrape their bludgeons on the floor, and diving suit monstrosities shake the floors with their stomps.

Explorers will get the biggest dose of this environment, for the developers added extensive side rooms and even whole buildings filled with loot, battles, and tableaus. Fort Frolic is a particularly artistic exploration, if also chilling. Moreover, players can backtrack to most of the levels in the game.

Finally, the gradual revelation of back-story ties up the experience. Tape diaries, radio logs, and enemy chatter provide this illumination in period slang and voice inflections. Several of these logs chart the fates of denizens at various caste and class levels, and they also accompany many of the tableaus, thus functioning as subplots.

However, *BioShock* strikes me as an alienating game. It teases the player through brief interactions with a cast of otherwise intriguing characters. Whenever the PC does meet up with an NPC, a barrier tends to stand in between. This alienation, in which the player can only experience other characters at arm's length, creates a psychological message that would not register in a game that simply didn't have friendly characters. But it also dampens the heroics. At one point, a villain questions why the PC is trying to save Rapture. I had to agree because the game establishes too little connection between the plight of the city and the plight of the character.

In my review for *Doom 3* I wrote, "It is awesome when it isn't repetitive." I gave it three stars. For all the RPG elements, *BioShock* is also a horror-survival FPS, yet the overall effect is a four-star performance. And far from repetitive, it immersed me in an obsessive weekend of gaming. That's as ringing an endorsement as I need to give.

BIOSHOCK PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 22
Date: August 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For all you clowns out there that can't run the game go to http://www.guru3d.com/ and update your drivers also so update your DirectX,you have to have DirectX 9.0c.My video card is a OLD GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB and plays the game just fine with the Monitor Max Res:set at 1366x768.
So why would you tell people that the have to have a high end computer?
When they don't,the stuff you wrote is completly untrue.
Maybe you need to learn how to set your computer up and do some reading on the new drivers.If you need help email me at TDTyree@excite.com lol!!
This is my spec on my 5 year old computer and it plays the game just fine with all the sweets candies turned on high.
------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 8/21/2007, 17:49:12
Machine name: TY-UAOCYSWR9FOV
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTELR
System Model: Cyberpower Computer
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Page File: 774MB used, 3169MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: The file nv4_disp.dll is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 6800 Ultra
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0040&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A1
Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Mode: 1360 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0011.6344 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 8/17/2007 16:23:00, 5860736 bytes

The best shooter in years, but a few issues.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 12
Date: August 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Absolutly loved the game!

The level builds are absolutly stunning. I enjoy the many ways you can dispatch foes as well as the absolutly stunning graphics this game has to offer. The plasmids in this game really give you a sense of customizability as you can change many aspects of the gameplay depending on your play style. If you just want to pound your way through the levels without stopping for anyone, YOU CAN! If you like to take your time and experience the story as it unfolds, then Bioshock has a very intuitive way to bring that story to life as the walls of Rapture crumble in around you.

My absolute favorite part of the game is how you always feel as if you're being watched or as if there is really someone, or something, lurking around every corner. I found that the times I got complacent, I found myself taking a dirt nap. Rapture feels as real as a computer experience can get.

There are only two things i find annoying with Bioshock...

First is that the install procedure is much more complicated than it should be as it requires more anti piracy than I could personally warrant acceptable. My theory is that someone, somewhere is going to find a way around the anti piracy so what makes them think they can beat it? Waste of time and resources in my opinion.

Second is that I had to cloak my virtual drives to get the game to run. This isnt a problem as I have yasu and several other cloaks, but some "legitamate" people still use PowerISO and other virtual drives because they like to make LEGAL backups of their software/music. Even though this is not the first game that implemented this feature, I find it very annoying that software companies continue to try to beat the inevitable.

Overall, Great game and I would recommend to anyone that loves shooters. 2K did some quality work with this game and I hope to see more from them in the future.

Not recommended

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: October 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have a fairly fast Gateway running XP. Bioshock continually freezes up. I should have asked for a refund, but alas, I didn't.
Money wasted.

What a joke

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: March 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Ive heard this is a wonderful game. I wouldnt know as it will not activate my code, returns emails as undeliverable and all techs are busy when i call. Now i will see if i can uninstall this garbage and dump it on ebay to some other sucker.

Yes, I own it

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 13
Date: August 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is sexy. No one can argue that fact.

Sadly, it has a lot of performance issues. Yes, yes, my dear fanboys I realize my computer is causing the performance issues. Choose to believe or don't but I have a top of the line computer. Save your money on the PC version and buy an Xbox 360 and Bioshock, it will be more expensive but a hell of a lot more enjoyable.

Very short

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

While I'll agree that this game looks good and adds a few new twists to the shooter, the story is very narrowly structured and the game is way too short.
You should see a lot of these on the 'for sale used' list since most people will finish it quickly and it has almost no replay value.

Would you kindly play this game?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

How's this for a story? A man becomes annoyed with the current world, a world where the great are taken for granted and told that their toils are either for the people, for God or for the government. In response, he creates a fantastic environment, free from all of these turmoils. A place where all the great men and women of the world can create their own inventions without fear of consequence. In this place, men and women could do what they wanted.

If this sounds like Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, you'd be correct. However, in this particular case, it's also the background story behind Rapture, the under-water city that takes centerplace in Bioshock. Many words have been bandied about about video games and their ability (or inability) to become art; you have folks like Roger Ebert saying the medium as a whole can never attain that goal. My personal thought that was that, as a medium, games haven't made enough strides toward that lofty goal. But Bioshock certainly takes a huge step forward.

Andrew Ryan is a visionary the likes of which his namesake Ayn Rand would possibly write about in Atlas Shrugged. He exemplifies the qualities of a Randian hero and showcases Rand's philosophy of objectivism. He created the city of Rapture and filled it, much like John Galt in Atlas Shrugged, with the visionaries of his land. Rapture soon was a thriving city that emphasized science and growth and the importance of the individual. They dabbled in creating plasmids that changed a person's DNA, enabling them to do feats the likes of which had never been seen before.

Then something happened.

Flying over the Atlantic sea, you are Jack, a person who was destined for greatness, if you ask his parents, and whose plane is now crashing into the sea. Jack is apparently the only survivor of the plane wreck and swims to a lone building, a light house it seems, that beckons him onward. Eventually, he goes into a blathysphere and enters into the world of Rapture. But this isn't the Rapture originally envisioned in the pre-recorded film he watches as he journeys into the city. It is a city comprised of deadly machines, once-human monstrosities named Splicers who are insane and, of course, the Big Daddies and Little Sisters.

Bioshock concerns itself with the gray area between right and wrong. This dichotomy between right and right is what fuels everything in Rapture. Roaming the landscape, the Little Sisters are twisted abominations of little girls who locate corpses (which they call "Angels") and harvest Adam from them with a long needle. More grotesque is that bottle at the other end of the needle that the Little Sisters drink from. Dutifully following them are the Big Daddies, giant brutes in ancient diving gear. These...things...are at the heart of the story and Jack's survival depends on them and whether he can harvest the Little Sisters or set them free.

The conscience of the gamer is represented in two mysterious figures, Atlas (another allusion to Rand) and Dr. Tenenbaum. Atlas seemingly wants Jack to save his family and explains that the Little Sisters are anything but the human girls they appear. He nudges Jack to put them out of their misery and take the Adam they harvest so he can survive and save Atlas and his family. On the other shoulder perches Tenenbaum, another mysterious individual who created the Little Sisters and seems to want to do anything possible to save them. They are the obvious angel and devil sitting on Jack's shoulder, but the question is...which one is the angel?

To go into further detail would be to spoil this amazing story. Along the route, twists and turns abound with moral, ethical and philosophical questions aplenty. What's interesting is the way Bioshock presents a stark opposition to Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. Rand's heroes always contain the same qualities that Andrew Ryan exemplifies. But here, the artists behind Bioshock seem to be questioning these qualities by presenting a situation so familiar to Atlas Shrugged, and yet, so far removed.

It is literate, thoughtful, disturbing and moving. Even if the gameplay didn't live up to the story, Bioshock would be worthy just for this reason.

Luckily, that's not the case. For the gun hungry, sure, Rapture is filled with guns aplenty and even presents opportunities for you to craft your own upgrades. But that is just scratching the surface. Everything goes back to the story. Plasmids are located across the ruined debris of Rapture and contain the keys to recreating your DNA. Some early examples of Plasmids are the ability to shoot electricity from your hands to being able to set things on fire to telekinesis.

But these plasmids aren't only used for fighting. Minor puzzle-solving crops up, some of which require plasmids in the same way as gear in Legend of Zelda. The biggest puzzle is how to take down the game's variety of enemies. While you can definitely charge in, guns blazing and sometimes survive, cases will present themselves where such tactics will end with you on the bad end of the Big Daddies' drill. Instead, you can create your own traps and war zones. Using plasmids, the environment and, of course, your weapons, you can create elaborate traps that will bring a smile to your face.

A lot of games coming out right now that use the Unreal 3 engine don't look as spectacular as they could. In particular, character models tend to look shiny and/or completely ugly. This is not the case with Bioshock. Everything comes together, from the disturbing scenery, the art deco architecture to the the insane creatures and characters populating the world.

Shadows and lighting also create a sense of atmosphere that drips heavily, much like the water pouring down the walls. It's stunning. The only complaint (and it is minor) is that the frozen portions you can melt don't look very convincing. When things melt, they don't leave anything behind. The only reason it sticks out is that the rest of the game is absolutely beautiful and amazingly crafted.

None of this would be as effective, though, without superior sound. And Bioshock has that (mostly) in spades. The voice work is stunning throughout and the actors provide a great sense of dread. The audio diaries do an exemplary job of providing the backstory, but also work the best in crafting dread and terror. Some of the most disturbing things occur listening to them. Unfortunately, sometimes the characters' lines are repeated too often, ruining the disturbing nature of their dialogue.

Musically, the game is also amazing. It flits into the picture at key moments, increasing the tension before it will flow away. You might not even notice it's there, but that's why it's so good.

You know, the funny thing about hype is how people react to it. Game journalists can go blue in the face trying to get people interested in forgotten gems such as Psychonauts, Beyond Good & Evil and Stranger's Wrath, and since they weren't financially successful they become these gems. When a game sells incredibly well and is hyped to the max (both of which fit Bioshock), people say "over-rated."

Ignore the hype machine. I know you're tired of hearing about it. But give Bioshock a try, if you haven't yet. Download the demo for your PC or try it on Xbox Live. It is a game that's definitely worth everything that's been said about it and more.

It is art. And no words by ignorant movie critics will change that.

Very NICE game! but...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: September 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Its a little poblems here. About install, reinstall and online activate - is a real sux.

Game its good for sure, new shaders, new models. But all grafics and disighn of objects very same like in the game Condamned!

They got ideas from all of games and a little (very little) add from they.

And without multiplayer its bad...

Sorry for my english. Bug great for all Russian peoples! We are the POWER! And WE ARE EVERYWHERE!

Fun game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: September 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My favorite game of all time has been System Shock 2, so I've been wating for this one for a while.

I personally don't really get into the time period and the architecture that goes with it. And that's about all the negative I've got to say about the game. Even if I don't like the architecture, I've got to say that it's all beautifully done.

The game play is story-driven. That may not appeal to some of the pure action fans out there, though there's plenty of action to be had. The story is decent, though not particularly spell-binding.

The game runs a linear course from level to level, though you can explore the whole level before getting to your assigned objective.

There's an amount of crafting in the game, though not really enough to satisfy people who play MMOs for the crafting. It's just a good way to stock up on some items. There are plenty of materials available for this crafting.

One of the things that always concerns me about a shooting game, or in a game full of choices, is how stingy are the resouces going to be? I've already mentioned that the crafting materials are abundant. I also found ammunition and cash to be abundant as well. In fact, there were plenty of places where I left ammo or money behind because I couldn't carry it all. I personally prefer this approach to the approach that forces you to use all your different weapons due to ammo constraints. The only resource that wasn't particularly abundant was ADAM, which is the "currency" that you buy your upgrades (plasmids, tonics, and slots for both). Even so, I found that the ADAM was spread out quite nicely, allowing me to upgrade myself periodically. It's a reasonable substitute for gaining levels or skills.

One other feature that I particularly like is that there are different approaches to the game. For example, every time you take down a Big Daddy guarding a Little Sister, you get the option to rescue the Sister or simply harvest the ADAM she's carrying. That lets me play through once being pretty nice, and will allow me to play through again adopting a slightly different role. Another path that I found was that there are a lot of different tonics that allow for strong melee attacks. My first time through, I wanted to spend my valuable slots on other tonics, but my next time through, I'm going to see how tough I can be swinging that wrench. This adds replayability in my book.

So if you like a good story-driven game with some action and some choices to be made, then consider this game. If you have the hardware to run it...

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