BioShock

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6069 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5,075 out of 6069
  2. Mixed: 678 out of 6069
  3. Negative: 316 out of 6069
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  1. K-Oz
    Nov 6, 2007
    7
    The game is graphically amazing. the way they've created rapture is very believable. use of plasmids at times can be very rewarding. but the enemies themselves weren't interesting enough. all the splicers get boring and the big daddies weren't much of a challenge either. the hacking mini game gets very irritating towards the end. also the difficulty level is very The game is graphically amazing. the way they've created rapture is very believable. use of plasmids at times can be very rewarding. but the enemies themselves weren't interesting enough. all the splicers get boring and the big daddies weren't much of a challenge either. the hacking mini game gets very irritating towards the end. also the difficulty level is very inconsistent. it keeps switching from being challenging(in hard mode) to being downright easy every now and then. the story should've been developed more. the ending was disastrously horrible. The story lost tempo towards the end and then just plummeted to it's death. but all said, it's still loads better than most of the other junk available at the market and is definitely worth playing.… Expand
  2. Nostalgium
    Jul 14, 2011
    7
    I found Bioshock very entertaining to some point. They should've done way more with the amazing water effects they had, but I guess Bioshock 2 made up for that part.

    After Fort Frolic, for me, the game fell apart and became boring, until the plot twist of course. But after Sander Cohen's part, the game became extremely repetitive and boring, even when playing on hardest difficulty.
  3. apaeth
    Nov 7, 2010
    7
    I'm glad I bought this for only $5 on Steam. Any more than that and I would have felt ripped off. Great graphics, theme, setting and all but the game was just too repetitive and boring. It reminded me of an old arcade game but with a bit more depth added to it. Lame puzzles, the same enemies over and over, linear etc...

    Meh...
  4. slic
    Feb 6, 2014
    5
    1- Gameplay: The gameplay is monotonous and dull, the game is the definition of a generic tunnel shooter, hours upon hours of going through identical looking corridors and rooms killing identical enemies whose only purpose is to stand there waiting for you to kill them. Not even Doom 3 felt this repetitive.

    2- Writing: This game has the most overrated story I've ever seen. First thing    1- Gameplay: The gameplay is monotonous and dull, the game is the definition of a generic tunnel shooter, hours upon hours of going through identical looking corridors and rooms killing identical enemies whose only purpose is to stand there waiting for you to kill them. Not even Doom 3 felt this repetitive.

    2- Writing: This game has the most overrated story I've ever seen.
    First thing to mention is how horribly it's presented, there are no NPCs to interact with, you're just barraged with audio logs or one-way radio messages every ten meters, so you really don't care much about any of the characters or what's going on because you never see any of them.
    Second thing the writing is not engaging, the audio logs are disjointed and pretentious. They give off the stench of a writer thinking "Look at me I'm such a good writer". "Morality" in this game consists of either saving the children or killing the children (Oh no! Not the children!). It has a lame plot twist you see from a mile away, and it has the generic Chris Metzen villain whose only purpose is to taunt you over the radio every minute: "I will kill you now!", "You will never escape!", "I am too powerful!", and this lasts half the freakin game (until you defeat him in the generic boss battle of course).
    And then the endings, unimaginative as f*ck, either sunshine and rainbows where everyone lives happily ever after "and everything is right with the world", or stupid sad ending where the world is doomed and you are a big meany face. Yay for video games! Now they rival movies!

    3- Graphics and technical issues: Graphics are fine, a little plastic-looking and overly shiny, but generally they're good. Animations suffer from poor console porting, I mean the game runs at 60fps but all object animations are locked at 30 fps. There's also some audio stuttering and issues that need to be fixed by editing .ini files, but most PC games have these kinds of issues.

    5/10. Not a horrible game, not a good game, just a mediocre shooter with a mediocre story.    … Expand
  5. JamieA.
    Sep 15, 2007
    7
    Your going to get a good bit of solid gameplay from the first half of this game, especially Sander Cohens level, but the last third of this game really lets the rest down - the final "boss" is the most anti-climatic fight ever and your 10 second end movie will leave you feeling empty. As for the whole resurrection tubes debate I thought it was a nice idea (since it means it wont need to Your going to get a good bit of solid gameplay from the first half of this game, especially Sander Cohens level, but the last third of this game really lets the rest down - the final "boss" is the most anti-climatic fight ever and your 10 second end movie will leave you feeling empty. As for the whole resurrection tubes debate I thought it was a nice idea (since it means it wont need to load from quick loads) but in the end takes the fear away from death and makes this feel more like unreal tournament rather than a horror-hold-onto-your-life-as-hard-as-you-can-game.. Wonderful location and setting, big daddy fights can be funnest in the game unless you just lay out electric wire traps which just lead to easy kills.… Expand
  6. PeterK.
    Sep 8, 2007
    7
    It's a good game, but it's hard to see where all the rave reviews are coming from. In no way is this game better or even anywhere near Half-Life 2 - which is almost three years old by now. One particular problem I found is that, on a 2.2 GHz AMD64 with an 8800 GTS 320 MB card, the very first level (where you crash into the sea) is fast on 'high quality', but as soon as It's a good game, but it's hard to see where all the rave reviews are coming from. In no way is this game better or even anywhere near Half-Life 2 - which is almost three years old by now. One particular problem I found is that, on a 2.2 GHz AMD64 with an 8800 GTS 320 MB card, the very first level (where you crash into the sea) is fast on 'high quality', but as soon as the next level loads, it's one frame every few seconds. No explanation is given where this discrepancy comes from. And this continues when you try to change the settings: the entire game crawls to a halt, including the mouse pointer. Ever tried to change the screen resolution, and can't click on the 'yes' button within 15 seconds? The design is very pretty, though it is not enough to warrant such a high score. The story is basically that of Far Cry, with some dubious morality tale thrown in. There is very little variety in terms of opponents: four major types (humans, Big Daddies and turrets/bots) with eight sub-types between them. Also, they always attack in predictable patterns, jumping a little just before hitting you, etc. The hacking system gets tiresome very, very quickly, just like the fact you have to search pretty much everything if you want to finish the game. The weapon system is interesting, but a bit bewildering in its complexity. More is not necessarily better. Again, the graphics and the whole design are simply gorgeous, but a good game is more than that. It's a feast of colour and shape, compared to the sterile desolateness of Half-Life 2, but it fails to grip you as much. Hence, a 7/10 for a game that is severely over-hyped by the 'official' reviewers who really should know better.… Expand
  7. JonathanA.
    Nov 1, 2007
    7
    While I loved the first hour of the game, I quickly found myself losing interest for some reason. It was very well polished and well done, but it was lacking in terms of innovative gameplay. I think the primary reason I lost interest after getting about half way into the game was because I did not find myself compelled enough by the story, and the only goal I had was to help some stranger While I loved the first hour of the game, I quickly found myself losing interest for some reason. It was very well polished and well done, but it was lacking in terms of innovative gameplay. I think the primary reason I lost interest after getting about half way into the game was because I did not find myself compelled enough by the story, and the only goal I had was to help some stranger that I hardly knew.… Expand
  8. Steeldude
    Jul 18, 2015
    6
    This game is hard to judge. It starts of pretty good with an interesting premise, world and game mechanics, but ultimately, it does not deliver, as it jumps to the levels of tediousness and mediocrity in all of these areas.

    Premise: The story is told in a series of diaries that you have to find while exploring Rapture. It's pretty basic and most of the things you're gonna hear are not    This game is hard to judge. It starts of pretty good with an interesting premise, world and game mechanics, but ultimately, it does not deliver, as it jumps to the levels of tediousness and mediocrity in all of these areas.

    Premise:
    The story is told in a series of diaries that you have to find while exploring Rapture. It's pretty basic and most of the things you're gonna hear are not important. Also, it's annoying that there's a diary around every corner, so you have to stop everywhere and listen to those tracks, it breaks the flow of the game play. In Deus Ex, I did not mind stopping at each and every computer and hacking everything because it was fun and you were rewarded with codes etc., here it's just redundant and boring.

    World:
    To be honest, I am no sucker for underwater towns, so while I can appreciate the art direction and such, it is hard not to see that all areas are fairly similar and all of the enemies are just light variations, so you'll be going through the levels killing the same enemies over and over again.

    The levels tend to be quite large and give you some room to explore which is something I like about this game, but ultimately ... there is not much to find. Yeah, you can find another Plasmid or Tonic here and there, but you'll find so many of these that they do not feel like unique upgrades. You'll have full equips and tons of spare ones that you're never going to use. Wouldn't it be better to have 5 actually usable ones that can be used all the time rather than having 15 or such out of which more than half is useless?

    Game mechanics:
    The Little Sisters mechanic can get pretty annoying, as sometimes you have to wait a long time for them to appear and if they see you, they can climb back into the holes and you have to repeat the process over and over again which is not fun. Also, the choice is meaningless as saving the girls gives you much better stuff overall so there is not point in killing them.

    Another problem is that in spite of having a large choice of ways to deal with enemies, using your weapons is a much more better choice rather than awkwardly trying to zap enemies (or using plasmids in general). Weapons are sure to kill. Especially your wrench. I practically use the wrench all the time and leave the guns for rare causes when wrench is not enough. The game even supports this style of game play by giving you wrench upgrades and limiting the ammo you can get. So, you'll be using a few weapons throughout the whole game and even though you have tons of other options to choose from, you will not use them, there is no reason to do so.

    The hacking is quite nice, but gets tedious later on and sometimes the generated puzzle cannot be solved. Some more testing would have been nice.

    What I actually like, though, is the fact that you can take photos of enemies to analyze them and get bonuses for doing so. It's fun trying to take photos, even though the enemies all look so similar that you can never be sure which you've already photographed.

    Final verdict:
    Let's sum this up, this game tries to come up with a lot of ideas, such as unique plasmids, photography etc., but never goes anywhere with them. That means that the initial feeling of enthusiasm towards this game disappears and you're left with a game that's full of: walking through similar areas, fighting the same enemies over and over again and using like 3 weapons through the whole course of the game.
    Unfortunately, I got bored in like 1/3 through the game already, but I kept playing and that meant that all the faults and boredom became even more tedious. Right now, I've finished 50% of the game and I haven't had much fun with this.

    I'll probably finish this game, but I highly doubt that my rating is gonna change, I'll update this review in case it does, though. 6/10

    Edit: Okay, I beat the game.
    There was another part that I liked, Fort Frolic. The penultimate level was also quite interesting, because you had to work with Little Sisters, but it dragged on for way too long, because they walk too slow.
    The ending video is nice.

    However, I have become so strong with my wrench that not even Big Daddies could damage me at this point with the Freeze upgrade + Health recovery, so the rest of the game was super easy. No interesting bosses, no interesting enemies, no interesting upgrades (only improved versions of the ones you have making the older one quite useless) ...

    I didn't like the "plot twist" with Atlas and the areas revolving him, as it was obvious from the beginning that he was a bad guy. Would've been more interesting if they did something different.

    The final boss was simply lame, I wrenched him in like 20 seconds.

    So, in the end, it's still a decent game, but I am not changing my score of 6/10.
    Hopefully, Bioshock 2 will be better.    … Expand
  9. AlienSpaceBats
    Oct 8, 2013
    6
    Pretty standard FPS fare, little more than a watered-down (pun intended) System Shock 2, a visually outstanding but with an all too familiar story (Atlas is Polito, Fontaine is Shodan) and gameplay (security stations, turrets, cameras, Vita Chambers Quantum Bio Reconstruction Machines, etc.) overrated and over-hyped, but a decent shooter; nothing more.
  10. Mashley
    Nov 9, 2011
    7
    Honestly didn't get the hype about this game. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the story and the setting but the gameplay and overall experience just didn't cut it for me. I didn't think it was bad, far from it, but it's nowhere near as good as the critics make it out to be.The ending is especially bad.
  11. xTreeCutterx
    May 11, 2013
    5
    Maybe it's because I over-hyped this game in my mind, or maybe it's because I waited to long to pick this up, but I did not have fun with this game. The levels look exactly the same, and it's incredibly cramped. There's not much strategy when it comes to combat, and the enemies look identical to one another. The hacking system is repetitive, and the harder hacking levels are literallyMaybe it's because I over-hyped this game in my mind, or maybe it's because I waited to long to pick this up, but I did not have fun with this game. The levels look exactly the same, and it's incredibly cramped. There's not much strategy when it comes to combat, and the enemies look identical to one another. The hacking system is repetitive, and the harder hacking levels are literally impossible (as they allow no path) unless you have an item. The storytelling and it's method appreciated, and the details in the music/fx are stellar, but that's all the compliments I can honestly give this game.… Expand
  12. Lambda462
    Nov 23, 2011
    7
    I appreciate what they're trying, but it just doesn't work.
    Okay, first off, I'm starting with what some reviewers say of BioShock: It's an AWFULLY bad copy of an older game; System Shock 2.
    Now, if I'm right, BioShock was an attempt to "Modernize" System Shock 2's formula, and they've done it quite well: The story is simply System Shock 2's story with another paint on it, they created a    I appreciate what they're trying, but it just doesn't work.
    Okay, first off, I'm starting with what some reviewers say of BioShock: It's an AWFULLY bad copy of an older game; System Shock 2.
    Now, if I'm right, BioShock was an attempt to "Modernize" System Shock 2's formula, and they've done it quite well: The story is simply System Shock 2's story with another paint on it, they created a quite creepy atmosphere, they have GREAT artwork, sublime voiceacting, and much better gunplay, but they missed the key element:
    The RPG mechanics are gone...
    The RPG mechanics were what made System Shock 2 so good for replaying, and its what BioShock lacks.

    But, now I've got that out of the way, for the actual review:
    BioShock is a FPS with a twist; genetic abilities. With that mean, you can go all Dark Side on your enemies by shooting lightning out of your hands. See what I'm getting at?

    Graphically, the graphics were great for when it released: Beautiful water effects, among them. But, I don't care about graphics, so no further comment there.

    Gameplay wise, the game is cool:
    You get some nice "Tools" to play with, and quite some genetic powers to toy with, so you'll be in for a treat. Each weapon can be modified. I'm saying this becaus it mostly has pretty outcomes for your guns.
    Now, besides fine gunplay, the gameplay, is quite bad.
    Even on hard, the game is terribly easy, not punishing you for dying; only reviving you at some station.
    In System Shock 2(Sorry for this), you really lost money; something that could hurt you in the game(because money was used to hack stuff to, and repair things, etc..>).
    Also something that lacks gameplaywise, is some depth. No, there's nothing wrong with mindless shooters, I enjoy them a lot, but BioShock was not intended to be a mindless shooter, it was clearly intended as a game with deep gameplay. The thing that made System Shock 2 so great, besides a good story, was the incredibly deep gameplay, being able to replay the game multiple times, and get a quite different experience. BioShock doesn't have that.

    Storywise, people who have played System Shock 2 will know it. I won't spoil anything, but it's great, and awesome. But, as with all stories; it'll be fresh for only one time.

    Now, after you read this, dont assume that BioShock's a bad game. It's not. It is bad for what it had to live up to.    … Expand
  13. dreambob
    Nov 20, 2011
    7
    Nice but long for nothing.
    Well,its a nice underwater vintage city that is fun to explore for a will, but after a few hours, it feels like your standard fps. the story and voice acting is good .
    worth playing!
  14. LevelsAndGear
    Oct 10, 2011
    7
    I usually avoid deep story driven games because my time is limited, and my memory is poor. Bioshock is a game that was suggested to me by a few friends, and had received critical praise, so I finally gave in. After an initial disaster with the Telekinesis plasmid almost made me quit, I stuck through the gameâ
  15. Kemp
    Mar 12, 2021
    7
    I think maybe my perception of this game is a bit skewed by the fact that I am playing this game in 2021, and video games have advanced a lot since it came out. It still holds up as a good game, but I do not see how it is the masterpiece everyone says it is. That said, having played all three games in the series now, I do think the original is the best of them.

    The combat must have been    I think maybe my perception of this game is a bit skewed by the fact that I am playing this game in 2021, and video games have advanced a lot since it came out. It still holds up as a good game, but I do not see how it is the masterpiece everyone says it is. That said, having played all three games in the series now, I do think the original is the best of them.

    The combat must have been pretty revolutionary for the time. The AI is really good even by today's standards, and the plasmids are pretty fun to play around with. The world is probably the coolest part of the game, but it's dragged down, for me, by the fact that you don't really form a relationship with any characters in it. There are characters, but your interaction with them is solely via them talking at you over the radio. That said, Andrew Ryan is at least a pretty compelling character.

    It's not a masterpiece for me, though, because the story is just decent. Everyone says it is a masterpiece, everyone says Ken Levine is a brilliant storyteller, but I just don't see it. After playing all of the bioshock games, I do think this is the strongest story, and perhaps one of the best video game stories ever at the time it came out, but it really does not even come close to the standards that have been set in recent years. Granted, my experience may have been tainted a bit by the main twist being spoiled for me because it has become so notorious. But great twists should still be compelling even if you know they're coming (e.g., the Red Wedding), and this was not at all. This is still a good game, but I really do not understand why everyone loves this series so much.    … Expand
  16. Andrew_Paterson
    Dec 9, 2012
    5
    The story and setting are alright and when I first reviewed it here (said review since disappeared) I gave it an 8.

    With time I've realised how dull and repetitive this game is (and also how much it depends on fetch quests) so I'm dropping it to a 4.
  17. MikeW.
    Sep 9, 2007
    5
    It is mediocre. I felt like I was playing another Resident Evil clone. The game play is fun when you first pick it up, but falls short about 2 or 3 hours into gameplay. Graphics are well shaded but that does not mean they are good. There are many bugs and glitches and the charecter and weapon designs look aweful aswell as some of the screens. The only thing that was truly impressive was It is mediocre. I felt like I was playing another Resident Evil clone. The game play is fun when you first pick it up, but falls short about 2 or 3 hours into gameplay. Graphics are well shaded but that does not mean they are good. There are many bugs and glitches and the charecter and weapon designs look aweful aswell as some of the screens. The only thing that was truly impressive was the sound. The sound was fantastic, with full surroundsound and a nice sub you can somewhat enjoy the game. Hacking is a chore espescialy later on in the game because it is a must hack to win situation and hacking becomes almost impossible at times. Also, the lack of multiplayer makes this game a waste of $60 when you are only going to be able to play it once through. This game was truly over hyped and falls short in both gameplay and good story. Not the worst game to recieve lower than a 5 but not good enough to be better than average.… Expand
  18. GlenV.
    Oct 10, 2007
    6
    Great graphics and a fairly interesting story but far too easy and far too much of the same thing each and every level. Nice underwater setting (really believable that a constantly leaking city is still habitable! really!). Ok - was probably dumbed down for the console boys?
  19. SimonO.
    Sep 9, 2007
    5
    The graphics are good, Story is ok but the game is seriously lacking. For starters you can't die in the game at all. Once you realise this the game becomes insanely easy. The ending boss is way too easy, which is to expected based on the fact you couldn't die previously. The twist in the game is excellent but it just proves to you that you have no real control over the storyline The graphics are good, Story is ok but the game is seriously lacking. For starters you can't die in the game at all. Once you realise this the game becomes insanely easy. The ending boss is way too easy, which is to expected based on the fact you couldn't die previously. The twist in the game is excellent but it just proves to you that you have no real control over the storyline at all. Other then that I felt like I was playing a watered down (excuse the pun) version of System Shock 2.… Expand
  20. josincano
    Oct 14, 2012
    7
    Lo cierto es que estoy algo decepcionado con el juego. Me esperaba un Half-Life 2 submarino y me he encontrado con un juego correcto.
    El juego es tremendamente repetitivo y las misiones se reducen a un "ve a tal sitio y coge tal objeto o mata a tal tipo" , los combates estan bastante mejor gracias a los plásmidos pero todo el rollo de mejorarlos, cambiarlos o comprar equipamiento    Lo cierto es que estoy algo decepcionado con el juego. Me esperaba un Half-Life 2 submarino y me he encontrado con un juego correcto.
    El juego es tremendamente repetitivo y las misiones se reducen a un "ve a tal sitio y coge tal objeto o mata a tal tipo" , los combates estan bastante mejor gracias a los plásmidos pero todo el rollo de mejorarlos, cambiarlos o comprar equipamiento es demasiado engorroso con 8000 máquinas diferentes cada una para una función.
    La historia es interesante y mejora en el final del juego pero tampoco me ha entusiasmado.
    Gráficamente el motor es de sobra conocido por lo que tendremos buenos efectos de luz y personajes bien modelados.
    En definitiva un buen diseño y una gran ambientación pero demasiado repetitivo.
    GRAFICOS: 9 SONIDO: 8 JUGABILIDAD: 6,5 DURACION: 7    … Expand
  21. Joben
    Dec 22, 2012
    6
    It's System Shock, but it's wearing clown makeup and it borrowed the gun mechanics of Serious Sam.

    I understand why people like this game. But to me is seems like a bit of a goofy mess. The setting and enemies are hard to take seriously if you think about it for 30 seconds, which makes being scared or creeped out almost impossible. Rather than being visceral as one would expect from    It's System Shock, but it's wearing clown makeup and it borrowed the gun mechanics of Serious Sam.

    I understand why people like this game. But to me is seems like a bit of a goofy mess. The setting and enemies are hard to take seriously if you think about it for 30 seconds, which makes being scared or creeped out almost impossible. Rather than being visceral as one would expect from horror game most of the combat feels like it's lifted from an arcade shooter. The Ayn Rand philosophy that pervades the story is pretty anvilicious. Sometimes I think it's a parody of games that try to shoehorn in "deep" subtext. Most of the time I think it's just an egregious example of pretentious twaddle. The story is mostly dull and forgettable. I literally can't think of a single characters name at this time or remember a single thing about them or what they did.

    About the only thing I really liked about it was the twist that explains all the things your character does that make no sense. I'm trying to avoid a spoiler here but my point is there's a bit of story near the end that works as part of the narrative, AND gets weirdly meta. It's glorious. I suppose the graphics deserve mention too. They were obviously a labor of love. They are detailed and at time haunting. I find the cartoonish character style absolutely horrid however.

    I wanted to love this game, but even though Rapture is buried deep beneath the waves Bioshock is disappointingly shallow. I guess if you're young and never played the games this is a "spiritual successor" to you might find some value in it. But if your a fan of Looking Glass Studios type of game this will seem like a dull echo of their greatness.

    I gave this game a 6 because it obviously has high production values. But overall it basically defines average. There wasn't really anything new here. Every good mechanic was borrowed from previous work in the field.    … Expand
  22. Turbonutter
    Dec 23, 2010
    6
    "A beautiful smooth veneer finish over a flawed, ultimately hollow core" would sum this title up for me perfectly. The setting and overall theme were done quite well, and the conveyance of exploring a now-ruined underwater dystopia is executed very well. To my eyes, that was where the excellence stopped, and the mediocrity begins.

    The story holds up about as well as a cardboard cutout in    "A beautiful smooth veneer finish over a flawed, ultimately hollow core" would sum this title up for me perfectly. The setting and overall theme were done quite well, and the conveyance of exploring a now-ruined underwater dystopia is executed very well. To my eyes, that was where the excellence stopped, and the mediocrity begins.

    The story holds up about as well as a cardboard cutout in a windstorm, as most of it is told not via in-game events but by picking up random tape recordings scattered throughout the ruins. There was one major plot twist, but by the time it occurs most people would have seen it coming anyway. The weapons, though reasonably balanced, were all pretty standard fare - nothing we haven't seen before. The plasmids, which should have really set the game apart, were only marginally useful save for the one or two strong ones; the rest were relegated to use only for the few virtual stop-gates that required their use for you to pass.

    By the time I was done playing - which, by the way doesn't take all that long - and had followed the cookie-cutter "good" or "evil" path, I left with the feeling that I could have had much more. I think the initial reviews were made by journalists who played through the first hour or so of the game and were really just absorbing the theme and environment. Had they dug a bit deeper, they would have seen the shiny surface give way to the flaws that lurk underneath.    … Expand
  23. Soup2504
    Sep 25, 2011
    5
    I do enjoy this game a little bit, and its better than a majority of first person shooters today(which isnt saying much) but it is an insult to people old enough to have played system shock 2(in 1999) I know its from the same creators, i know its getting the amazing story to a wider audience, but the story had been cannibalized, and dumbed down. The rpg elements are dumbed down, meaningI do enjoy this game a little bit, and its better than a majority of first person shooters today(which isnt saying much) but it is an insult to people old enough to have played system shock 2(in 1999) I know its from the same creators, i know its getting the amazing story to a wider audience, but the story had been cannibalized, and dumbed down. The rpg elements are dumbed down, meaning that instead of having to think a while before you upgrade, you can just upgrade anything and still be fine. The enemies are similar to those in system shock 2's, the story is the same, even the gameplay is the same, and guess what the first weapon in BOTH games is? A WRENCH! Bioshock has pretty graphics, but graphics dont matter, the gameplay isnt amazing, it's impossible to die, and the allusion they tried to use was not sure what it exactly meant at times. Bioshock is pretty, but a little dumb in the head, system shock 2 is ugly, but its an older game, and there are graphic mods, and it is smart. i give system shock 2 a gold trophy filled with gummy bears, chocolate, and other yummy stuff. i give bioshock the same trophy, but made out of plastic, filled with brown water, and nothing else.… Expand
  24. MattS
    May 28, 2009
    6
    I was quite impressed the first hour of gameplay (most of the demo). The ingame cutscenes were spot on and the action led me to believe I was going to play a game to be remembered. Starting with 10P. Story. Not bad but not great. I can't really review it because I couldn't bare to finish the game. The choice between killing and not killing children seemed a silly and a lame I was quite impressed the first hour of gameplay (most of the demo). The ingame cutscenes were spot on and the action led me to believe I was going to play a game to be remembered. Starting with 10P. Story. Not bad but not great. I can't really review it because I couldn't bare to finish the game. The choice between killing and not killing children seemed a silly and a lame attempt at a good/evil alignment tracker, but thats just my opinion. Gameplay. It becomes incredibly stale, fast. Enemies were very scary at first. Combat is a lot like doom 3, enemies bust out when a new weapon is received, or objective, etc. But its the same lame 3 enemies (brainless monster, brainless monster with plasmids, robot) the entire time. Plasmids seemed like a redeeming value, and at first I was excited to see what new plasmid I would get. Sadly, I soon realized only one or two plasmids are actually worth using in a fight, which made the combat very bland. I could go off listing all the worthless plasmids and how they are ineffective in combat, but I wont. I will just say the the only effective plasmids distract and hurt. So there are two. They made an option to make guns and ammo. Ammo is lacking in the game so making ammo is essential. Yet the time I took collecting all the random parts and junk just to make a few bullets or grenades seemed not worth the effort. Hacking is a bore with the puzzle being either really easy or impossible (I played enough pipe dream as a kid). While this game is extremely stale in level design and enemy combat, it gets worse. The game creators give you a camera which they expect you to take pictures of the same ole junk they made during combat no less. (-1P) Graphics. They were stunning at times. But as the game progressed there were no attempts at using them to make a great environment. The beginning of this game is as good as it gets (period). (-1P) Originality. NONE. Those who claim otherwise have not been playing video games for long. This game is a crappy clone of System Shock 2, which is a much better game. For newer gamers, this game is like Doom 3 with magic and less enemies. (-1P) Pre/Post-Hype. This game wins as the most overly hyped game I have ever known. Congrats Bioshock. … Expand
  25. mez
    Dec 1, 2011
    6
    I seem to be way outside mainstream opinion on this one. I was a huge, huge fan of System Shock 2 and I was so looking forward to playing its 'spiritual successor'. Maybe I was expecting too much, but BioShock did very little for me. I feel a bit bad criticising it because it's obvious that a lot of love and care went into making it, and while it isn't a bad game, for me it never got aboveI seem to be way outside mainstream opinion on this one. I was a huge, huge fan of System Shock 2 and I was so looking forward to playing its 'spiritual successor'. Maybe I was expecting too much, but BioShock did very little for me. I feel a bit bad criticising it because it's obvious that a lot of love and care went into making it, and while it isn't a bad game, for me it never got above mediocre.

    It's just a formulaic run and gun shooter. The missions often feel contrived and arbitrary, and are almost entirely based around finding random widgets in some far corner of the level (and there's an escort mission in there as well, ugh). While you're doing that you blast your way through waves of interchangeable enemies - almost all of whom run straight at you - using the usual array of FPS weapons. That's it. For all the game's highfalutin' concept, there's no depth whatsoever to the gameplay - just strafe and fire, strafe and fire. The much-heralded plasmids add very little. They're just guns with different animations. Shoot someone or set them on fire, it makes no difference.

    The setting and story are above average, although the levels all look very similar and the Objectivism stuff is a bit undercooked - it's really just a standard trouble in paradise thing with some Ayn Rand inspired sound bites over the top. The diary tapes add some colour, but for some reason I couldn't make myself care about any of it. I found the twists predictable, and the single moral choice you have to make in the game (whether to harvest the little sisters or rescue them) has no bearing at all on the gameplay, only on which ending you get. It feels utterly meaningless.

    There's nothing terribly wrong with the game and I so desperately wanted to love it, but its lineage can't hide the fact that it's just another bland FPS. I cannot understand what these huge scores and breathlessly uncritical reviews are based on. I almost feel like I haven't been playing the same game.    … Expand
  26. ThisGuy
    Oct 20, 2007
    5
    This game is beautiful! Gorgeous settings, great ambience. I really enjoyed the background music, it fit the setting nicely. (1 hour later) Yeah...the game is still pretty. (Upon completion) Wow that was an expensive game that seems to get absurdly high ratings! Hey, does anyone remember when games were rated for something other than eye candy. This game is not horrible but come on people This game is beautiful! Gorgeous settings, great ambience. I really enjoyed the background music, it fit the setting nicely. (1 hour later) Yeah...the game is still pretty. (Upon completion) Wow that was an expensive game that seems to get absurdly high ratings! Hey, does anyone remember when games were rated for something other than eye candy. This game is not horrible but come on people there is nothing here to justify such high ratings.… Expand
  27. JakeD.
    Mar 4, 2008
    5
    I feel this game has been so critically acclaimed because of the fact that it was hyped up and there was a lot of hope that it would be brilliant. The PC mags then didnt want to go against the acclaim of their previews, or something like that. Anyway, what we get is a very console-feeling dumbed down 'rpg'. Being heavily reliant on combat, it is a big shame that none of the I feel this game has been so critically acclaimed because of the fact that it was hyped up and there was a lot of hope that it would be brilliant. The PC mags then didnt want to go against the acclaim of their previews, or something like that. Anyway, what we get is a very console-feeling dumbed down 'rpg'. Being heavily reliant on combat, it is a big shame that none of the weapons or biomods feel correct or satisfying to use; feeling either too cumbersome or too lightweight. Some of the effects in the game are fantastic. My jaw was dangling at one point when a plane crashed into a tunnel i was walking through, causing water to gush everywhere. That being said, the overall design of the game feels very patchwork; as if the developers have tried to use as many effects as they can, some of which are too obvious. The game feels very linear and claustrophobic. 2K games state Bioshock is 'Going beyond "run and gun corridors" ', however, ironically, this is what the game becomes. Aside from the occasional impressive visuals, the only other positive I can think of is the story. I am a fan of the idea of a future distopia, Logans Run, Brave New World, 1984, etc, and this game pulls off a unique take on this theme. Its just a shame the gameplay is so uninspired.… Expand
  28. berock212
    Dec 16, 2012
    5
    What is so good about this game, I have no idea why everyone likes it. It's your typical first person shooter with crappy setting and guns and powerups that suck.
  29. CoryA.
    Aug 31, 2007
    6
    Simply average and mundane. The graphics are nothing to behold (just because it's shiny doesn't mean it's next-gen material). The gameplay is average as well, and the AI (below average, like every other FPS out there). The only thing that stands out? The audio. And I'm only speaking for the voice acting, nothing else. It's simply appalling that this game is given Simply average and mundane. The graphics are nothing to behold (just because it's shiny doesn't mean it's next-gen material). The gameplay is average as well, and the AI (below average, like every other FPS out there). The only thing that stands out? The audio. And I'm only speaking for the voice acting, nothing else. It's simply appalling that this game is given perfect scores when it's so mediocre.… Expand
  30. Cunin
    Jul 19, 2011
    6
    Just registered to thumb up mcremi's review lol, though I won't give it a so low score.
    It's good looking, yes, but the gameplay mechanics are kinda boring and repetitive. You're in a small room, the doors suddenly closes, a bunch of enemies all looking the same appears, and so on.
    I'm sure the developers only worked on the graphics and forgot to make a game with them. Reviewers that gave    Just registered to thumb up mcremi's review lol, though I won't give it a so low score.
    It's good looking, yes, but the gameplay mechanics are kinda boring and repetitive. You're in a small room, the doors suddenly closes, a bunch of enemies all looking the same appears, and so on.
    I'm sure the developers only worked on the graphics and forgot to make a game with them.

    Reviewers that gave it 100/100 should do a different job, like in a coal mine or something...    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2007
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. PC Gamer UK
    95
    A dark and astonishing masterpiece...I spend my career, and my gaming life, waiting for a moment when a game just astonishes me, when I can't believe what I'm seeing, what I'm doing. BioShock has five. [Sept 2007, p.66]
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  2. Eurogamer
    100
    The hours spent playing this masterpiece were the perfect encapsulation of why videogaming is such a favourite waste of time for so many of us. Thrilling, terrifying, moving, confusing, amusing, compelling, and very very dark. BioShock isn't simply the sign of gaming realising its true cinematic potential, but one where a game straddles so many entertainment art forms so expertly that it's the best demonstration yet how flexible this medium can be. It's no longer just another shooter wrapped up in a pretty game engine, but a story that exists and unfolds inside the most convincing and elaborate and artistic game world ever conceived.
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  3. IGN
    97
    There is art here, despite what many would say isn't possible with games, from Roger Ebert to game designers like Hideo Kojima... BioShock stands as a monolithic example of the convergence of entertaining gameplay and an irresistibly sinister, engrossing storyline that encompasses a host of multifaceted characters. This is an essential gaming experience.
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