Bioshock has been sitting in my PC desk drawer since it came out. I've been trying to play it for a long time and finally got some (time) in February.
This is my last PC game review. I'm no longer into computers like I used to be, and I'm not wiling to pay $200+ for a new GPU when I have a perfectly good PS3 to game on. Ironically, the last game I review is also one of the best I've ever played during my time on the PC. So enjoy.
*Take into consideration that I've never played System Shock 2.
Grade: A
Pros
Almost everything. Uniqueness.
Cons
FMVs and the ending could?ve used some work.
Introduction
Many people were avoiding Bioshock for the PC because it is almost as restrictive as Half-life 2 in that they needed to have an internet connection to play. The game is also limited by how many times it can be installed bringing into question the value of the license.
This can make it a little bit of a pain and might make the XBOX 360 version a better buy, also considering how many resources this game uses on the PC. But whatever you do ? play this game.
I?ve played most noteworthy First-Person-Shooters (FPS?s) for the PC. If there is one thing I can tell you it?s that Bioshock is a Masterpiece. It has almost everything anyone could every want in a FPS. I?m even going so far as to nominate this game for a FPS of the decade award, if there was such a thing.
Story
As the only survivor of an airplane crash in the middle of the ocean, you swim to safety onto a peculiar edifice protruding from the water.
Welcome to Rapture. A city built 18 fathoms under the ocean surface sometime in the 40?s. Its creator, Andrew Ryan, built it with his own money in order for Man to free himself of god and government; a city where ?a man is entitled to the sweat of his own brow.? ?But the city has torn itself apart.
I don?t want to get into too much more detail because the story is the driving force of the game and I don?t want to spoil it for you. Even if I did want to spoil it for you ? it is such a killer, complex, political story that I would take up to much real estate on this paper to get it all out. I?m sure I?d have to replay the game as well, just to get a clearer picture.
The story is told via many diverse media: level design, Rapture advertisements, pickets left from political movements, scenarios played out by victims, hearing recorded messages on cassettes, meeting the many interesting characters, and even quotes during the loading screens. I have never seen such attention to detail.
At the end, there are three different endings. But since two are very similar, there are really only two different endings: Good and Evil. It is clear that the ending wasn?t given as much attention as compared to the rest of the game. It seems thrown together and not very emotional.
Gameplay
Bioshock is a benchmark of Horror and Atmosphere. Inside Rapture, you feel isolated right from the start. This feeling is delivered well because you are in a city designed in the 40?s, an alien setting with alien décor, and because you are so deep under water. Looking outside the windows of Ratpure, into the ocean, seeing the fish swim around, also works very well.
The game uses many tactics to scare you, but the most effective tactic is sound. What you hear while playing creates a tension-filled anticipation. The sounds of the environment and the sounds you make by walking or bumping into something you didn?t mean to can make you feel like there is someone behind you. It always feels unsafe. Enemies talk or yell at you, talk to themselves, talk amongst themselves, or scream. And they are always around some corner or behind some object. It makes me explore each area cautiously.
Exploring for items to survive is part of the fun. You explore to find ammo, new weapons, upgrades, etc. On your path, you will find a sometimes overwhelming amount of environmental detail to look at. Many times I would just stop and bask, looking for more clues to the story. You will come across disturbing murders, medical and political practices; each with its own story.
There are a variety of weapons at your disposal, as well as upgrades for them. You can use traditional projectile weapons or use Plasmids. Plasmids are genetic mutations that can create new abilities in your body, such as the ability to create fire, ice, and electricity for use as projectiles.
A big part of the game is customization and how the limitations of it force you to strategically choose the best option. This is why the game boasts, ?No two gamers will play the game the same way.? Along your journey, you will find upgrades for your traditional weapons, upgrades for Plasmids and other genetic mutating Tonics. These tonics give you upgrades to your body and skills, such as better hacking, better defense, better use of a first-aid kit, etc.
If you like to use the same weapon, you can keep on using it most of the time because ammo is plentiful. You can even create ammo and other useful things with pieces that you find on dead enemies or just laying around. Vending machines, which are a big part of the game, also help you stay stocked. Bioshock has currency which you can collect from dead enemies and spend on vending machines for ammo or health. You can even hack the vending machine to get lower prices.
The gameplay never gets old. Just to make sure it doesn?t, the developers throw a refreshing twist on it every once in a while. Enemies also become more difficult and use more challenging weapons as you progress.
There is plenty of in-game help for you. If you forget what things are or how to use them, press ?M? and look it up. There is even a hint button that will give you hints if you are stuck. There is also an arrow that points to the direction of the next objective. But you can forget it is there while playing. With the option to help yourself or not, the game can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be.
Graphics
Bioshock isn?t big on realistic graphics, but is big on level detail. However, it still requires a good graphics card of at least $200 current market price. My Geforce 7600 GT 256MB can barely cut it, playing the game mostly just above 30 frames-per-second (fps), which is the accepted minimum for enjoyment. There are many times where it plays in the low 20?s, in which I notice the slowdown.
The Vista Performance Rating is a bunch of Bull. It says the game?s ?recommended? rating is 2.0. My system?s is 4.9 and I?m not satisfied with the performance.
There are two graphics options that will destroy your performance: Resolution, which I?m forced to play at 960x600 or lower (ugh), and Shadow Maps, which is off because it kills my fps by more than half. All other settings affect my fps by only 2-4 frames each.
Some of the special effects don?t even look very good. Post-Processing makes everything look less realistic and Distortion isn?t a realistic effect when looking outside a window at the city. Also, the Full-Motion Videos (FMV?s) look very pixilated and don?t live up to the standard of the rest of the game.
Loading screens were great, since there were few of them. I was impressed at the how long I was able to play without loading. But when a loading screen came up, I perceived it as a nice break from the tension.
Conclusion
I don?t think I could?ve asked for a more complete FPS. Bioshock has atmosphere, options, strategy, tension, creativity, etc. Aside from a few minor problems, Bioshock is a must play game. It is a Masterpiece and it has certainly ?raised the bar? in terms of the kind of quality that can be achieved in today?s competitive video game industry.
This is my last PC game review. I'm no longer into computers like I used to be, and I'm not wiling to pay $200+ for a new GPU when I have a perfectly good PS3 to game on. Ironically, the last game I review is also one of the best I've ever played during my time on the PC. So enjoy.
*Take into consideration that I've never played System Shock 2.
Grade: A
Pros
Almost everything. Uniqueness.
Cons
FMVs and the ending could?ve used some work.
Introduction
Many people were avoiding Bioshock for the PC because it is almost as restrictive as Half-life 2 in that they needed to have an internet connection to play. The game is also limited by how many times it can be installed bringing into question the value of the license.
This can make it a little bit of a pain and might make the XBOX 360 version a better buy, also considering how many resources this game uses on the PC. But whatever you do ? play this game.
I?ve played most noteworthy First-Person-Shooters (FPS?s) for the PC. If there is one thing I can tell you it?s that Bioshock is a Masterpiece. It has almost everything anyone could every want in a FPS. I?m even going so far as to nominate this game for a FPS of the decade award, if there was such a thing.
Story
As the only survivor of an airplane crash in the middle of the ocean, you swim to safety onto a peculiar edifice protruding from the water.
Welcome to Rapture. A city built 18 fathoms under the ocean surface sometime in the 40?s. Its creator, Andrew Ryan, built it with his own money in order for Man to free himself of god and government; a city where ?a man is entitled to the sweat of his own brow.? ?But the city has torn itself apart.
I don?t want to get into too much more detail because the story is the driving force of the game and I don?t want to spoil it for you. Even if I did want to spoil it for you ? it is such a killer, complex, political story that I would take up to much real estate on this paper to get it all out. I?m sure I?d have to replay the game as well, just to get a clearer picture.
The story is told via many diverse media: level design, Rapture advertisements, pickets left from political movements, scenarios played out by victims, hearing recorded messages on cassettes, meeting the many interesting characters, and even quotes during the loading screens. I have never seen such attention to detail.
At the end, there are three different endings. But since two are very similar, there are really only two different endings: Good and Evil. It is clear that the ending wasn?t given as much attention as compared to the rest of the game. It seems thrown together and not very emotional.
Gameplay
Bioshock is a benchmark of Horror and Atmosphere. Inside Rapture, you feel isolated right from the start. This feeling is delivered well because you are in a city designed in the 40?s, an alien setting with alien décor, and because you are so deep under water. Looking outside the windows of Ratpure, into the ocean, seeing the fish swim around, also works very well.
The game uses many tactics to scare you, but the most effective tactic is sound. What you hear while playing creates a tension-filled anticipation. The sounds of the environment and the sounds you make by walking or bumping into something you didn?t mean to can make you feel like there is someone behind you. It always feels unsafe. Enemies talk or yell at you, talk to themselves, talk amongst themselves, or scream. And they are always around some corner or behind some object. It makes me explore each area cautiously.
Exploring for items to survive is part of the fun. You explore to find ammo, new weapons, upgrades, etc. On your path, you will find a sometimes overwhelming amount of environmental detail to look at. Many times I would just stop and bask, looking for more clues to the story. You will come across disturbing murders, medical and political practices; each with its own story.
There are a variety of weapons at your disposal, as well as upgrades for them. You can use traditional projectile weapons or use Plasmids. Plasmids are genetic mutations that can create new abilities in your body, such as the ability to create fire, ice, and electricity for use as projectiles.
A big part of the game is customization and how the limitations of it force you to strategically choose the best option. This is why the game boasts, ?No two gamers will play the game the same way.? Along your journey, you will find upgrades for your traditional weapons, upgrades for Plasmids and other genetic mutating Tonics. These tonics give you upgrades to your body and skills, such as better hacking, better defense, better use of a first-aid kit, etc.
If you like to use the same weapon, you can keep on using it most of the time because ammo is plentiful. You can even create ammo and other useful things with pieces that you find on dead enemies or just laying around. Vending machines, which are a big part of the game, also help you stay stocked. Bioshock has currency which you can collect from dead enemies and spend on vending machines for ammo or health. You can even hack the vending machine to get lower prices.
The gameplay never gets old. Just to make sure it doesn?t, the developers throw a refreshing twist on it every once in a while. Enemies also become more difficult and use more challenging weapons as you progress.
There is plenty of in-game help for you. If you forget what things are or how to use them, press ?M? and look it up. There is even a hint button that will give you hints if you are stuck. There is also an arrow that points to the direction of the next objective. But you can forget it is there while playing. With the option to help yourself or not, the game can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be.
Graphics
Bioshock isn?t big on realistic graphics, but is big on level detail. However, it still requires a good graphics card of at least $200 current market price. My Geforce 7600 GT 256MB can barely cut it, playing the game mostly just above 30 frames-per-second (fps), which is the accepted minimum for enjoyment. There are many times where it plays in the low 20?s, in which I notice the slowdown.
The Vista Performance Rating is a bunch of Bull. It says the game?s ?recommended? rating is 2.0. My system?s is 4.9 and I?m not satisfied with the performance.
There are two graphics options that will destroy your performance: Resolution, which I?m forced to play at 960x600 or lower (ugh), and Shadow Maps, which is off because it kills my fps by more than half. All other settings affect my fps by only 2-4 frames each.
Some of the special effects don?t even look very good. Post-Processing makes everything look less realistic and Distortion isn?t a realistic effect when looking outside a window at the city. Also, the Full-Motion Videos (FMV?s) look very pixilated and don?t live up to the standard of the rest of the game.
Loading screens were great, since there were few of them. I was impressed at the how long I was able to play without loading. But when a loading screen came up, I perceived it as a nice break from the tension.
Conclusion
I don?t think I could?ve asked for a more complete FPS. Bioshock has atmosphere, options, strategy, tension, creativity, etc. Aside from a few minor problems, Bioshock is a must play game. It is a Masterpiece and it has certainly ?raised the bar? in terms of the kind of quality that can be achieved in today?s competitive video game industry.
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