Bioshock

Bioshock is a new FPS from Irrational Games, and from the mind of Ken Levine. This is the same guy who made System Shock and System Shock 2 back in the day, so this game certainly has a lot going for it already. Let's get right into it.

The whole thing takes place in the 1950's city of Rapture, an underwater Ayn Rand-esk utopia built and run by Andrew Ryan. You arrive in the city after a plane crash, with very little in the way of introduction. You find a small submarine and ride it down to the city, hearing Andrew Ryan talk about how wonderful it will be to have a completely libertarian society. Of course, it doesn't work out the way he planned...


Bioshock is beautiful. Beautiful like, I can't believe they got it to work on a 2-year-old console when I'm sure it wouldn't look nearly this good on my 3-year-old, $4500 PC beautiful. The water effects alone are worth renting the game. This is the game you put in and watch the demo if you want to impress your in-laws with your new-fangled high definition television set.

The game also sounds terrific. Most designers overlook sound as not being worthy of their time because, let's face it, you can't put a screenshot of how good a game sounds on the back of the box. I'm happy to report that it has fantastic directional sound that really immerses you in the proceedings.

Irrational has created an atmosphere of dread and foreboding in the underwater city of Rapture. The graphics are the first thing people notice, but once you get down to the city and start wandering the halls, the sound is what completes the experience. Every step from a Big Daddies really thump the subwoofer. I highly recommend playing this with the surround sound turned up.

The best thing about the game though, is the gameplay. It's a first-person shooter, with the requisite guns and explosives, but it also adds some "magic" with the use of Plasmids. Plasmids are explained as modified DNA that allows you to do some interesting things, including telekinesis, pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, electrokinesis, and insectokinesis. (Granted, the electrkinesis and insectokinesis aren't really kinesises, since they shoot from your hand and don't appear from only a thought...)


In addition to the excellent gunplay and plasmids, there are tonics that enhance your abilities. For instance, you start the game with a wrench, which doesn't do a whole lot of damage. However, with the right tonics equipped, your wrench can become one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

I'm also obligated to say something about the moral dilemmas you'll face while playing. One of the enemies you'll come across are the aforementioned Big Daddies. Each Big Daddy protects a Little Sister, who looks just like a little 5-year-old girl. Little Sisters are the primary carriers of Adam, a substance that you spend to purchase new tonics and plasmids, or to upgrade existing ones. Once you kill the Big Daddy, you'll have the option of either "harvesting" the Little Sister, which nets you a large amount of Adam, or freeing her from her mental torment, which gives you less, but you have the luxury of knowing that you didn't brutally murder a little girl. These choices actually do have an effect on the plot later, and each time you're holding a Little Sister, if you have any heart at all, you'll feel a pang of guilt if you harvest her. That's some incredible emotional baggage, especially for a video game.


Bioshock is one of the marque games for the Xbox 360, and it definitely lives up to the hype. I'd give it a 10 out of 10.