Bioshock: Xbox 360

Bioshock for the Xbox 360.

So I have been reading about Bioshock for the past few months, eagerly awaiting a new title to buy for my under used Xbox 360. Poor thing hasn't gotten much use since I stopped playing Oblivion awhile back and NCAA 08 had to be returned. Bioshock was claimed to be a unique experience for every player, that no two people would play the game the exact same way, thanks to its RPG type elements. Needless to say, a FPS with RPG elements made me excited.

After picking it up last week, I rushed into playing the game with out reading anything else about it. I devoted a few hours every day to playing the game and taking it all in. I was hooked and really enjoyed it. Only problem is, while the claims of being different for every player could be true, the game basically makes you keep a few select powers slotted at all times. While you don't HAVE to have those select powers always at the ready, the game would be vastly tougher if you didn't.

You play as a survivor of a crashed airplane, who manages to make his way down into a underwater city called Rapture. As you arrive from the surface, you are greeted with how unforgiving the city of Rapture is. Through out the game, you will discover what happened to the city, where things went wrong and how power drove the entire city to madness. Genetic alteration is the driving force in Rapture, those who have the Adam will rule the city. You will be tested in various ways during the course of the game, both in puzzles (hacking), combat and morally. Will the good in your prevail over the offer of unlimited power?

Onto the review!

• Graphics & Sound

The graphics are top notch, taking great advantage of the 360's power. The characters are well done, the physics are fantastic, the entire game feels like you are thousands of feet underwater the entire time. 2kgames did an awesome job on the level design, each section of the city feeling different from the last and making you feel like you are back at the end of the 50's. The game is just plain beautiful to look at while you play through.

The sound is also fantastically done. You are able to hear the voices of enemies around the corner, the heavy steps of Big Daddies walking around and the light foot steps of Little Sisters going about their twisted business. Weapons sound spot on and the cries of enemies as you light them on fire are realistic. Granted, I don't know what someone really sounds like when you light them on fire, but my imagination agrees with what 2kgames went with.

There are zero faults with the graphics or sounds. The game plays perfectly, never having a single hiccup while playing through. Even is heavily populated battles, with explosions, gun fire and multiple nasties, the game is smooth as silk.

• Game play

Developer 2kgames stated that no two gamers would play Bioshock the same way. While this is some what true, the game would become very difficult with out a few select powers always in your arsenal. Same can be said with not having enough ammo of certain weapons. Trying to take on a Big Daddy with a pistol is just stupid and trying to not use electroshock, incinerate, telekinesis and frost shock during the entire game also just jacks up the difficulty to stupid proportions. While there are a varied selection of plasmid powers to choose from, you will probably find yourself keep the same ones on hand through out the game.

Besides the failing of 2kgames promise of the game being different for each player, at least making the game easier with said powers, the game is a top notch FPS. You are presented with a variety of powers to pick and choose from, giving you the ability to customize your play. You can carry around powers that turn your enemies against each other,the cities defenses against the enemies, light nasties of fire, freeze them, electrocute them, light oil slicks on fire and turn a group of enemies into bonfires or pick up anything with your mind and turn it into a weapon. There is a plethora of options on how to kill those who come against you.

You will be able to choose a variety of plasmids to use as "magic" attacks, as well as tonics that will aid you in combat, physical and engineering. There are over 70 types of tonics and plasmids in the game, so the number of combinations are huge. Through out the game, you will be able to go to gene-stations and change what tonics and plasmids you are using, giving you the ability to change tactics when ever the mood strikes.

Through out the game, you are able to increase various powers by finding them laying about, researching them through U-invent stations, taking photos of various enemies or buying them at gatherers gardens using Adam taken from Little Sisters. Of course, the Little Sisters are each protected by a Big Daddy, hands down the hardest to kill enemy in the game. Big hulking brutes, the two types of Big Daddys present different strategies to take them down. Until you kill the Big Daddy, that Little Sister can not be gotten to. The story of the game revolves around these Little Sisters and how you deal with them will affect the games story.

As a first person shooter, though, Bioshock is standard fare with out the plasmids. You will find yourself using the same weapons through out and certain weapons only being needed for certain enemies. Your grenade launcher packs the most punch, while the pistol is a last resort fire arm. You are able to upgrade weapons during the game by finding power to the people stations. You will be able to upgrade one weapon for free at each station, though you will be able to upgrade all five upgradeable weapons if you find each station. The combat can get hectic and dangerous if you are not paying attention. Before taking on a Big Daddy, it would be wise to check for turrets, security cameras and slicers in the area. I got into some real nasty fights when I was eager to take out the Big Daddy and not paying attention.

• Story

The story is solid and well written. There are, from my understanding, two different endings to the game, which I won't spoil for you here on how to affect the ending. As stated above, you play as a plane crash survivor who makes his way down to the utopia-gone-wrong under water city of Rapture. As you play through the game, you will be guided by a mystery man named Atlas. He will guide you through out the game, leading you to where you need to go so you can return to the surface. As you move along the story, a few main characters will speak to you over the radio, giving you missions, plot points and also telling you off. The bulk of the story is told by diaries you find scattered through out Rapture. Each diary you find will reveal just a little about what happened to turn the futuristic city into such a nightmare.

I did find a few areas I could not figure out how to get to and missed a few diaries through out my game. These few diaries I missed probably contain important points to the story, so I would suggest taking your time to find a way to get to them. There is no real pressure for you to keep moving forward, and it seems that enemies will re-appear after clearing out an area; so things will not get boring if you try to find a way to get to a few diaries that are tough to reach.

The voice acting is top notch through out the game. From the main characters you encounter over the radio, to the various enemies you fight, the voice acting is spot on and fits in well with the story.

• Problems

Really, there were not any. I did not encounter any crash bugs, game hiccups or other problems. The only real issue I had was finding a way to get to some diaries and the some what obvious need for certain plasmids to be equipped at all times.

• Overall
  

The game is fantastic. Some online play would be awesome, but it does not exist as of yet. The story is well done, the game is beautiful, voice acting is top notch, and the feel of the game is well done to make you feel like you are in an under water city. I have to say that this title is one of the best for the 360 since Oblivion came out. A must buy for anyone, though the length of the game can be done in a long weekend, so renting would be a must if you cant afford the price tag.