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. bruceo
    Jun 28, 2008
    5
    Starts off with some promise, though my first warning sign was the cartoonish purple blood spatter when you kill your first splicer, but tedious and boring by the end. Hacking, killing Splicers, and even the big daddies are intensly boring by half way through. I dare someone to tell me there is anything inovative about the level design. Boring, linear, find the key open the door level Starts off with some promise, though my first warning sign was the cartoonish purple blood spatter when you kill your first splicer, but tedious and boring by the end. Hacking, killing Splicers, and even the big daddies are intensly boring by half way through. I dare someone to tell me there is anything inovative about the level design. Boring, linear, find the key open the door level design that has plagued mediocre shooters from the begining is in full effect here. Yes the atmosphere is different and original, but I can't get over what a drudgery it was to finish this game. Hoping to find something exciting towards the end I was really disappointed when I finished the game. However well dressed up it was bioshock was a huge let down especially after all the glowing reviews. And the fact that it is listed in the top 5 above games like COD 4 and Crysis really makes me questions the credibility of the Metacritic scoring system.… Expand
  2. JimJ.
    Jan 4, 2009
    5
    I'm not sophisticated enough to say specifically what was good and bad about this game. I will say that it was not fun to play. I felt like I was plodding through it. Just praying for the end. I've played HL, HL2, FEAR and Halo many times over and will play them all again, but I will never touch this game again. It's like lutefisk, you only need to try it once to know if I'm not sophisticated enough to say specifically what was good and bad about this game. I will say that it was not fun to play. I felt like I was plodding through it. Just praying for the end. I've played HL, HL2, FEAR and Halo many times over and will play them all again, but I will never touch this game again. It's like lutefisk, you only need to try it once to know if you'll ever try it again.… Expand
  3. Ratama
    May 18, 2009
    5
    Not actually that great. Pretty uninspired console port and it really shows, especially in the linear level size. The story too isn't amazing, you'll see the twist coming a mile away if you got a head on your shoulders. Though there are some interesting characters.. who all get killed off. Breaks 4 because it rags on Objectivism.
  4. StianS.
    Nov 15, 2007
    5
    I think the game was like a god when i tried the demo, like it came a start of a new generation of FPS games. I liked it like i wont play any other game. Then i bought the full version, and played untill i was stuck alot of times and it got really boring because of same enemies over and over again. Its alot of new things and stuff, that i like, but its to much guns and plasmids.. So i I think the game was like a god when i tried the demo, like it came a start of a new generation of FPS games. I liked it like i wont play any other game. Then i bought the full version, and played untill i was stuck alot of times and it got really boring because of same enemies over and over again. Its alot of new things and stuff, that i like, but its to much guns and plasmids.. So i gave it a "5" because of many bad entertained moments.… Expand
  5. GigidiGigidiGoo
    Oct 29, 2007
    5
    Well it was sorta like a new idea. . . ?? I don't know the story line, it's very, inconsistent. Enemies aren't exactly bright, and well the whole game was just, . OK. Not worth the money, .. sorry.
  6. CurtisT.
    Aug 31, 2007
    5
    Linear, Repetitive, Underwater Fallout-esqe themed shooter. Pretty graphics. Short length, ten hours solve time. Player choices have little impact on game outcome.
  7. RobC.
    Dec 27, 2007
    5
    I would like to see how many of these reviewers still play this game ? and what their opinion of it is now, and that is the biggest issue with this game and in cases many others whats it like a few months down the track, well if i am anything to go by its gathering dust, and untouched since i finished it, the game may be a 7 to 9 first time round but lets think here, after spending the I would like to see how many of these reviewers still play this game ? and what their opinion of it is now, and that is the biggest issue with this game and in cases many others whats it like a few months down the track, well if i am anything to go by its gathering dust, and untouched since i finished it, the game may be a 7 to 9 first time round but lets think here, after spending the better part of AU$90 was it worth it long term ? well no, its not, in fact i was very dissapointed that i went out and grabbed this "must have title" as soon as i did, i should have waited for it to hit the bargain shelf, and that is my advise to anyone reading this, due to the limited (read none) replayability of this game i would recommend that people wait until its price drops to a level comparable with the length of play you will get. In regards to the gameplay, i found it atmospheric but forced situations (cut scenes etc) and a respawn system destroy this easily. There is no attachment to your character as there is no consequence to combat actions, you die respawn kill another monster, rinse and repeat if your stuck, which is unlikely as encounters were dull and boring, with a sub standard AI. It had some nice features, which if given more attention could have been great, as in plasmids and tonics. The game was short, i finished it in around 13 hours, which is resonable for a FPS, but since there is no user content creation available makes this a very limited game (see above) and i doubt it would benefit from MP, however being vaunted as a hybrid RPG style game i would expect at least another 10 or so hours of game play, with deeper story and side plots. The reason it would never have recieved a high score from me would be the poor story, which to be honest was totally predictable and very uninspired, there was so much that could have been done here and was not, i expected something amazing and was not shown it, for me it was just play through the game to see how the parts of the story connect together.… Expand
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. OliverGrau
    Mar 4, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For its' time Bioshock must have been the best thing ever since sliced bread, however in a perspective of today, which was when I finished the game, the game feels as if the developers were too lazy to do some minor changes for the better. Ragdolls are not falling realisticly it's like watching a movie with 10 FPS, slowmotion and laggish like. But that isn't anything compared to the crashes that occur once in a while. Whenever the game crashes, then all the settings you changed will be reset to default, which I was very frustrated about. The gameplay was not the best, but that wasn't the meaning of the game, so that didn't bother me that much, it was okay and there are a lot of oppurtunities to deal with enemies. The graphics isn't something I will critize too much, it was decent nothing more than I was expecting. However the story was the bright point of the game, it was exciting and I really fell in love with it. Though I was so dissapointed in the ending, the game simply ends bad, if you just harvest 1 little sister. Through the whole game I made a mistake and harvested one of those girls and rest of them I rescued. How can I bring brutality when I saved all of them? The ending of the game simply can't make me give this game an earned 8, but a 5. I hope next game in the franchise will bring some more joy to me.… Expand
  11. Ntslatko
    May 7, 2012
    5
    If your a fan of shooters you will be a fan of BioShock.
    Unfortunately the marketing and critic reviews led me to believe that this was more than a shooter and nearly a cinematic experience with RPG elements.
    To make it clear: This is nothing like Deus Ex or it's successors or Portal. BioShock is a simple shooter that looks quite good, has good FPS game play, and good audio commentary.    If your a fan of shooters you will be a fan of BioShock.
    Unfortunately the marketing and critic reviews led me to believe that this was more than a shooter and nearly a cinematic experience with RPG elements.

    To make it clear: This is nothing like Deus Ex or it's successors or Portal. BioShock is a simple shooter that looks quite good, has good FPS game play, and good audio commentary.

    I have rated it 5 to demonstrate it is very good at what it does, but only 5 because the marketing was inaccurate at best as the game does not go beyond it's shooter roots.    … Expand
  12. Vegge
    Jul 19, 2012
    5
    sub-par Rpg fps, Extremely overrated when compared to games like Deus ex and Systemshock 2,its too easy and the Rpg element is lacking,hacking is a boring joke
  13. Mike_Morhaime
    Jul 30, 2012
    5
    After a while it gets repetitive and the Story hasnt really made me play it through, all the walking through already visited places annoyed the **** out of me, and the graphics weren't that good, if you actually played it on your PC
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 57ashdot
    Aug 15, 2013
    5
    I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about this game. Its gameplay was mediocre at best, although the plotline and overall graphics, I will say, were well done.

    Boring and repetitive enemies. Linear gameplay. Powerups that aren't even useful. And don't even get me started about the broken death system. "Oh, you were an idiot and died? No problem, full health for you and you keep    I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about this game. Its gameplay was mediocre at best, although the plotline and overall graphics, I will say, were well done.

    Boring and repetitive enemies. Linear gameplay. Powerups that aren't even useful. And don't even get me started about the broken death system. "Oh, you were an idiot and died? No problem, full health for you and you keep all your progress!" Talk about dumbing it down for the masses! Also, for Christ's sake, get more than 3 voice actor's. I was ready to punch holes in my speakers after hearing enemies say the same crap over and over and over for hours.

    Overall: Not that impressed.    … Expand
  18. DeusXCom
    Jul 31, 2014
    5
    Unfortunately, I was hyped for Bioshock to no end. The spiritual successor to one of the best games in history - System Shock, partly from the same creators. The expectations went through the roof, raving reviews, promo lines like System Shock on steroids, you get the idea. But when I started playing this I was like What??? What is this console shooter crap? Yes, the location is nice and IUnfortunately, I was hyped for Bioshock to no end. The spiritual successor to one of the best games in history - System Shock, partly from the same creators. The expectations went through the roof, raving reviews, promo lines like System Shock on steroids, you get the idea. But when I started playing this I was like What??? What is this console shooter crap? Yes, the location is nice and I always love the retro flavor, but other than that the entire thing was a huge disappointment for me. From visuals and engine, to enemies and game mechanics, disappointment was huge with this one. 5/10… Expand
  19. reguire
    Feb 14, 2014
    5
    Bad shooting physics and bad story plot. A highly overrated game. It might was a good game in 2007 but in 2014 it is not satisfying. Only good thing in the game is the coolness of Big Daddy. Deserves at most 5 points.
  20. PrincessRose
    Sep 3, 2015
    5
    When I first tried to play Bioshock it wont stop acting like a dole bludger, no matter what the game refused to work.
    And the steam overlay would not work for this game.
    When I finally got it to work the story is interesting with a sense of mystery and grabs you at first which is told uniquely by finding audio diaries and the unique, amazing, eerie underwater city atmosphere. But that    When I first tried to play Bioshock it wont stop acting like a dole bludger, no matter what the game refused to work.
    And the steam overlay would not work for this game.

    When I finally got it to work the story is interesting with a sense of mystery and grabs you at first which is told uniquely by finding audio diaries and the unique, amazing, eerie underwater city atmosphere.
    But that wears off after 10 hours of gameplay it becomes boring, repetitive, linear with set goals you have to follow to be able to progress and same repetitive enemies of splicers, Big Daddies, turrets and bots.

    I found the end bit the most entertaining.

    The game is also buggy and suffers from occasional screen freezing.
    An overrated, overhyped rather boring fps I don't reccomend wasting your time on this. It's not a terrible game, but it's not good either.

    5/10 for the graphics/art unique atmosphere    … Expand
  21. forfb
    May 19, 2018
    5
    I'll start with what struck me the most - nice location design at first, but then it becomes repetitive and dull. The story was average and - to me - barely interesting. However, I find the idea of two seperate endings based on the choices you've made, whether to harvest Little Sisters or not, a very nice idea. The whole idea and design of Big Daddys is badass. As for gameplay, shootingI'll start with what struck me the most - nice location design at first, but then it becomes repetitive and dull. The story was average and - to me - barely interesting. However, I find the idea of two seperate endings based on the choices you've made, whether to harvest Little Sisters or not, a very nice idea. The whole idea and design of Big Daddys is badass. As for gameplay, shooting felt way to arcade like, also I happened to have problems with big ass crosshairs, they were annoying as hell. The graphics were fine, for 2007.… Expand
  22. MrSchipunov
    Aug 12, 2020
    5
    Playing this feels like dragging a dead horse in a desert. Everything about this -aside from its atmosphere- is lackluster. It's just a shallow game and definitely not an immersive sim.
  23. User_Dork
    Dec 16, 2016
    5
    Not bad, but when i played, i expect not what i saw. I expect game, what has name "Bioshock Infinife", That's all. But is say serious, if not mind stupid creepy moments and dummy dolls charachters, which here three (two), this game is pretty good.
  24. bljak
    May 18, 2017
    5
    I couldn't get through two hours of this game. The concept would've been cool, but I got so bored, and the map is really annoying. I like the graphics, but that's about it.
  25. md5fungi
    Apr 16, 2020
    5
    I have never struggled with a game so much as I have with Bioshock. To clarify, my struggle was not with the difficulty of the gameplay as far as challenging encounters/progression, but I struggled with the experience.

    Bioshock is a beautiful game that has an important, wondrous story to tell. The game takes you to the underwater city of Rapture, a disturbing dystopia of genetically    I have never struggled with a game so much as I have with Bioshock. To clarify, my struggle was not with the difficulty of the gameplay as far as challenging encounters/progression, but I struggled with the experience.

    Bioshock is a beautiful game that has an important, wondrous story to tell. The game takes you to the underwater city of Rapture, a disturbing dystopia of genetically altered (and unhinged) humans, free from government control, free to alter and enhance themselves as they see fit. The theme, atmosphere, and story are inspired by Ayn Rand's philosophy and work Atlas Shrugged, and it's refreshing to see a AAA video game take such inspiration from a historical and culturally significant work.

    I can't understate how wonderful the game looks. Torrents of water flooding through hallways through broken glass windows practically never get old. Old-timey neon buildings illuminate the world around in a charming manner.

    The gameplay consists of using plasmids (genetic modifications) to manipulate enemies and your environment: you can electrocute the water around you (usually taking out several enemies), telekinetically hurl enemies through the air, set foes on fire, freeze things, etc. All the archetypal "spells" that tend to be present in fantasy games are here, and they all work well. To make matters more interesting, besides the deranged Splicers you'll be facing, you also have to deal with Big Daddies in every level, which are giant, lumbering mini-bosses with the sole purpose of protecting Little Sisters, who are little girls that are actually a major source of genetic material (opportunity for the game to add a morality mechanic). A Big Daddy isn't hostile unless you attack it or the Little Sister it guards, and you'll need to have a very good plan to take them out.

    All the pieces of a phenomenal game are here: an immersive story, unique gameplay, and a captivating atmosphere. However, for me, they just did not come together in a satisfying manner.

    The main problem I have with Bioshock is that for all that it offers, it's incredibly repetitive. The first few times I encountered Splicers, it was thrilling; they aren't just slow, clumsy zombies, but dancing, charging maniacal psychopaths. However, when I realized that Splicers are pretty much the main enemy I would be facing in the game, I started to dread seeing them. Surely not every messed up genetic reject of Rapture would be the same?

    I also grew tired of the Big Daddies very quickly. Defeating them requires carefully timed dodges. Waiting until an enemy charges you, moving aside, and then using an attack is boring if you have to do it several times in every level. Yes, you can use combos of plasmids to do some very interesting things to Big Daddies, but it's still the same thing over and over again. If you don't time everything right, you'll probably find yourself on the losing end of the battle, and then you're better off dying (resulting in a respawn) or reloading a save. The weapons don't offer anything superb, either. You are basically equipped with a marginally less impressive arsenal then your average sci-fi/fantasy shooter.

    The combat in Bioshock would probably be a lot more satisfying if the environments varied, but the entire game looks and is structured pretty much the same... which is consistent with the narrative and atmosphere in the game, but I really get the sense that the concept of the game is constantly fighting the gameplay, resulting in boring slogs from objective to objective. There's not really a lot to explore in the game, and it's completely linear. Even when I did wander off to find an interesting corridor or room, I was ambushed by Splicers, continuing the monotonous, one-note feeling of the game.

    Many fans of the game will tell you that the story carries the game alone. I unfortunately found that the game is more about crafting a believable, intricate world than telling a compelling tale. For me, this meant that once I had a good sense of the world I was in and how it came to be, I was ready to move on to the gameplay... which ended up being lackluster, as previously described.

    I wanted to like the morality dilemma this game poses with the Little Sisters, but at the end of the day you're presented with two polarities that are ultimately decided by a single decision that you keep making again and again; this is far less interesting than other FPS games of this nature, e.g. Mass Effect or Fallout 3!

    Bioshock SHOULD be amazing, given everything it has going for it. However, I don't feel like it really comes together as a fun, enjoyable video game. I almost feel like perhaps it is a commentary on itself: you may have the freedom to do great things, but the outcome may be terrifyingly abysmal.    … Expand
  26. KingJailson
    Apr 10, 2019
    5
    Um dos melhores jogos da decada de 2000, porem no PC, está cheio de bugs e crashes, jogo rodando sem som, cheio de problemas que atrapalha a diversão do jogador.
  27. Amorph0us
    Jan 12, 2022
    5
    I consider this game as overrated. The atmosphere needed to be the main aspect of this game and it dint reach on me at all. The world design is poor and I tend to believe that games like that just tried to leech the success of half life 2.
  28. res0nancer
    Jul 26, 2023
    5
    Из-за культового статуса было несколько попыток на разных платформах пройти игру, но больше 2 часов не получалось задержаться. Хоть и популярная игра и обожаемая, но не для меня.
  29. Morados9
    Dec 31, 2022
    5
    No es mi estilo. Puedo entender que guste pero los juegos en primera persona, uff, no son de mi interés. Para mi no fue muy placentero. Intenté jugar la segunda parte y lo abandoné.
  30. Fake_Stalker
    Aug 19, 2023
    5
    Review about not remastereed version

    56/100 Not worth trying. This game created conflicting impression on me. A lot of things which is not part of actual game play pretty good. Here we have one of the best game antogonist, perfectly written and voice acted diaries, and interesting background lore. Antagonist is written so good that he has its own philosophy But when we are    Review about not remastereed version

    56/100
    Not worth trying.

    This game created conflicting impression on me.
    A lot of things which is not part of actual game play pretty good. Here we have one of the best game antogonist, perfectly written and voice acted diaries, and interesting background lore. Antagonist is written so good that he has its own philosophy

    But when we are talking about actual gameplay, things are much worse. Level of absurd in quests are ridiculously high. Gameplay is boring and frustrating. Every ending is horribly naive and uninteresting.    … Expand
  31. MZ
    Sep 12, 2007
    4
    The only good thing about this game are the graphics. Other than that, there isnt even 24 hours of gameplay, the storyline is almost non-existant and there is no replay value what-so-ever. Borrow it from someone who already bought it rather than shelling out your own money.
  32. NathanH
    Aug 25, 2007
    4
    Such a pity. Great art direction is wasted on the same old crap dressed up in pretty clothes. No sense of build up or tension, repetitive combat, contrived plot. The atmosphere that people are going on about is actually the 'potential atmosphere' this game could have had if it was made by capcom
  33. AdrianH.
    Sep 30, 2007
    4
    After downloading the demo and cruising through it, I found myself wondering why on earth anyone would spend more than $10 for this game. Sure, the graphics weren't too bad... but thats about the only thing worth mentioning.
  34. ThegiDDl
    Oct 18, 2007
    4
    Really, really nice graphics, story is quite well, but there are always the same enemys, difficulty doesn't increase at all.... I'm very disappointed
  35. KatO.
    Oct 4, 2007
    4
    It's a mediocre game. Many of the "new" features were made ages ago, and about 8/10 of the "revolutinary interactive gameplay" has already been made in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic! This game has kinda sorta some decent graphics, kinda sorta a decent storyline - but besides that? Well... I wouldn't quit my day job.
  36. JoeM
    Jul 22, 2008
    4
    Despite a promising start, this game quickly disappoints, as it becomes apparent that in the midst of all the game's atmosphere, they forgot to make it fun. That is to say, shooting enemies is boring, regardless of your weapon or special powers. Add to this clichéd anti-intellectualism and a gaming world devoid of motivation and you have a distinctly sub-par game.
  37. xioxenna
    Jul 8, 2008
    4
    Great looking but shallow, linear, very little true customisation, 4stars all for effects and atmostphere, precious little in the way of a challenge, attrocious ai, cant understand ANY good reviews this game has got, it's just completely untrue.
  38. Viktor
    Dec 28, 2009
    4
    Looking at the score I expected something that would blow half-life 1 into the dust as the most innovativ game and best gaming experience. However it is a boring game which I had to force myself into playing through. I don't understand how the criticts could fall for this game as they have. It is a mediocre FPS.
  39. goggruel
    Aug 25, 2007
    4
    VERY poor quality - game is GREAT - but no as complex as system shock - more FPS then anything - story line is ok (the sound quality to hear it is POOR - game crashes and resets all settings every 30 mins or so - DONT BUY FROM STORE - buy it from steam - it gets patches 1st and has a lot less problems
  40. DavidP.
    Nov 24, 2008
    4
    It was fairly boring. You are kept busy in bioshock, but the things you do are repetitive and not actually fun, hack this, hack that, choose what upgrade goes in what slot. select a plasmid shoot ememy, select wrench hit enemy, repeat. Graphics are very pretty but i don't care about that very much, i care about gameplay/ game pacing/ highs and lows/ moments that get your heart racing It was fairly boring. You are kept busy in bioshock, but the things you do are repetitive and not actually fun, hack this, hack that, choose what upgrade goes in what slot. select a plasmid shoot ememy, select wrench hit enemy, repeat. Graphics are very pretty but i don't care about that very much, i care about gameplay/ game pacing/ highs and lows/ moments that get your heart racing or make you panic or decide to tease an npc before killing him because he annoyed you by jumping out from a corner. There are not enough different enemy types in bioshock. I liked HL and HL2 because there was variety, open skies fast moving in a boat to claustrophobic tunnels etc etc, sometimes a crab was hidden and got a bite out of you so you get a fright but you're not going to die = game variety. Bioshock is repetitive indoor boringness. Story was interesting-ish but gameplay is more important and bioshock doesnt have it. Games i have an opinion on: Doom, Duke Nukem, Quake, HL1, HL2 and the episodes - great but some are old. FEAR Perseus great, scary. moh series, good. cod 1->3 good but old, cod4 AWSOME. Prey, avg. Stalker, annoying as hell uninstalled after 3 hrs. Timeshift, cool concept but pacing is not there because of time controll, therefore fairly boring. Oblivion TES, 3rd person doesnt interest me, looks boring. Crysis, good. Team fortress 2, awsome. Portal, very cool.… Expand
  41. anonymous
    Oct 25, 2009
    4
    very boring game, was expecting something brilliant and in return got a dud. most boring story in a video game yet. very redundant game play. the 4 points come from the outstanding artwork but in a video game it doesn't make up for the poor mechanics and the lack of hook-factor.
  42. Kriel
    Sep 14, 2010
    4
    From the greatly positive reception i expected a great game, however i found it nonsensical by the trailers. Well in short: easy, boring, repetitive combat, exploration and mini-game(one kind but you can do it way too many times). There are good ideas in it too, like the photographing and the different effects of some plasmids on the environment but these does not save the game from beingFrom the greatly positive reception i expected a great game, however i found it nonsensical by the trailers. Well in short: easy, boring, repetitive combat, exploration and mini-game(one kind but you can do it way too many times). There are good ideas in it too, like the photographing and the different effects of some plasmids on the environment but these does not save the game from being confusing and boring at the same time.… Expand
  43. toSTONEiGO
    Jul 16, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. oing beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no… Expand
  44. DoctorPazuzu
    Oct 8, 2013
    4
    Bioshock is a boring, clunky, overly streamlined, and an overall overrated game. It has a great story and would've been great if it was a movie or a book, however it's a horrible game. The game play is dull and un-fun, it's not scary, and it feels like it's stepping on the far superior System-Shock. Once again, Good for a book or movie, bad for a game.
  45. rapidrack
    Sep 25, 2012
    4
    Having played System Shock 2, I was expecting something really great from Bioshock, but it's mostly shallow eye candy. It would have been okay if the story was good, but to me it seemed like it pandered to teenagers a bit. Overall, not much to engage you besides mindless shooting
  46. Friendzie
    Mar 7, 2013
    4
    I bought this game based on the lofty overall ratings. The setting is nice, but I feel strongly that this game gets too much acclaim for the story while the gameplay is only average. In a market crowded by great first person shooters, Bioshock's gameplay is only good enough to recommend to diehard FPS fans dying for another game to play. If you value immersion and story a lot, I guess youI bought this game based on the lofty overall ratings. The setting is nice, but I feel strongly that this game gets too much acclaim for the story while the gameplay is only average. In a market crowded by great first person shooters, Bioshock's gameplay is only good enough to recommend to diehard FPS fans dying for another game to play. If you value immersion and story a lot, I guess you might want to check it out. If you value gameplay, you really should check out any number of rival FPS games before Bioshock.… Expand
  47. Hellanger
    Apr 29, 2020
    4
    Not a horrible game, not a good game, just a mediocre shooter with a mediocre story.
  48. TheTownDrunk
    Jan 27, 2021
    4
    Playing BIOSHOCK I can't help but wonder, what's all the fuss about?
    It's been compared to SYSTEM SHOCK which is ludicrous. SYSTEM SHOCK bled atmosphere, Shodan was a unique adversary that attained cult status. The idea with having all NPCs replaced by audio logs and emails was completely new here and it fits perfectly. Even DOOM 3 ripped off this idea. The graphics - now of course    Playing BIOSHOCK I can't help but wonder, what's all the fuss about?
    It's been compared to SYSTEM SHOCK which is ludicrous. SYSTEM SHOCK bled atmosphere, Shodan was a unique adversary that attained cult status. The idea with having all NPCs replaced by audio logs and emails was completely new here and it fits perfectly. Even DOOM 3 ripped off this idea. The graphics - now of course outdated - were dark and gritty and the level design superb. No senseless mazes, but a perfectly designed space station.
    BIOSHOCK has zero atmosphere. It looks too sterile, too polished. Instead of space you play in an under water city - but it doesn't feel real: you feel like in an aquarium with wallpaper pasted all along.
    Enemy variety is lacking and the main villain is forgettable.
    Sounds are terrible - guns don't sound like this guys! Controls are clunky as hell. Combat is just terrible, as is the level design! SYSTEM SHOCK came out in 1994, almost 13 years before BIOSHOCK and it mops the floor with BIOSHOCK in every category except of course technically.
    BIOSHOCK is seriously overrated.    … Expand
  49. JoshuaMarks
    Nov 17, 2007
    3
    When i first played it i thought maybe it will get better, but it didn't. i swear i must have been playing a different game to everyone who gave it above a 4. it was just like your average FPS. It does not even have online capabilities, so compared to games like COD4 and even the only Unreal games its not worth playing at all.
  50. D.S.
    Oct 23, 2007
    3
    It was fun the first half, up to the fight with sander cohen (that level was pure brilliance). I thought they were just going to go up from there, i was loving the game at that point, but it just fell flat from there. The story gets more and more convoluted and random as the last chapters progress, and plot holes start to form all over the place. I rarely found myself using plasmids, as i It was fun the first half, up to the fight with sander cohen (that level was pure brilliance). I thought they were just going to go up from there, i was loving the game at that point, but it just fell flat from there. The story gets more and more convoluted and random as the last chapters progress, and plot holes start to form all over the place. I rarely found myself using plasmids, as i had so much cash for ammo from hacking damn near everything i saw, which became painfully repetitive very quickly. The big dadies are a joke after the first few levels, and AI is piss poor. There isn't any gameplay choices that actually effect how you play or what you will experience in game besides a different set of voice overs here and there- i was marketed to that this was certainly not the case- that bioshock was groundbreaking in this regard. A large part of the second half of the game feels like it belongs somewhere else. The atmosphere was among the best of any game ever released- but they let it go to waste on a very ordinary set of game mechanics and an extremely anti climatic finale... buy it if you like being dissapointed.… Expand
  51. [Anonymous]
    Sep 20, 2007
    3
    Great concept, but marred by horrible instability and random (show-stopping or experience shattering) bugs.
  52. GeorgB.
    Sep 27, 2007
    3
    Bioshock is an arcade shooter with some pretty art direction and and a decent attempt at telling a story. Gameplay is another question however. Its short. Its very linear. It relies on too many "oh no blood" moments and Neither the FPS nor RPG side are particularly well developed. This would have been a 6/10 if it had multiplayer and a less obstrusive activation system. As it is, Bioshock Bioshock is an arcade shooter with some pretty art direction and and a decent attempt at telling a story. Gameplay is another question however. Its short. Its very linear. It relies on too many "oh no blood" moments and Neither the FPS nor RPG side are particularly well developed. This would have been a 6/10 if it had multiplayer and a less obstrusive activation system. As it is, Bioshock deserves about 3/10.… Expand
  53. A.NOther
    Mar 7, 2008
    3
    I just dont enjoy playing bioshock. It plays like a cheap console FPS with RPG elements. The artwork and themes are pretty cool but are let down by ropey graphics and lighting. The whole game is just so dissapointing, i cannot see what people are raving about so much! Bioshock may be deeper than Halo 3 or Crysis, but its faliure to pull off basic FPS elements and engage the player result I just dont enjoy playing bioshock. It plays like a cheap console FPS with RPG elements. The artwork and themes are pretty cool but are let down by ropey graphics and lighting. The whole game is just so dissapointing, i cannot see what people are raving about so much! Bioshock may be deeper than Halo 3 or Crysis, but its faliure to pull off basic FPS elements and engage the player result in a game of quality not aproaching either of these titles.… Expand
  54. Ikke
    Apr 13, 2008
    3
    Sure... the game looks just AWESOME... But the story is very vague / confusing and does not interest me to play any further. Stupid thing is, even if I wanted to play any further, the game simply won't let me. Like many others I have a problem with the game crashing at certain point's in the game.
  55. vespinevespine
    Aug 5, 2008
    3
    It is ridiculous that this game scored so high! Yes it is a good game but it is far FAR from the 5th best PC game ever made, as the reviews would lead you to believe. I'm glad the user reviews are a little more realistic! I have one thing to say about this game: WTF is a vending machine dispensing a one use weapon upgrade?!!? Come on? Dumbest feature in a game ever. Even worse is It is ridiculous that this game scored so high! Yes it is a good game but it is far FAR from the 5th best PC game ever made, as the reviews would lead you to believe. I'm glad the user reviews are a little more realistic! I have one thing to say about this game: WTF is a vending machine dispensing a one use weapon upgrade?!!? Come on? Dumbest feature in a game ever. Even worse is that it would have been very easy to do something a lot more interesting and believable, like, for example, you simply FIND a weapon upgrade in a locker, or cupboard or something! Or if you really like the vending machine idea, make it cost a rare plasmid or material that you only find one of in the level or something, was that so hard? Are we supposed to believe someone built a free weapon upgrade vending machine that has exactly ONE charge, and lucky for you, no one else has used it up yet until you come along! So very dumb. Ok, one more thing: The end boss was completely out of place in the game, just about enough to ruin the game by itself if I didn't think there was other things wrong with it. Deus Ex deserves the number 5 spot way more then Bioshock, hell, even COD4 deserves it more. Yes 3 is probably low, but i'm scoring relatively, realistically i'd give it a 6.… Expand
  56. PhilH.
    Nov 11, 2007
    3
    The console version might be all well and good, because it's practically unique for an X360 title, but on the PC Bioshock is relatively poor. Combat is slow and boring and the RPG elements are almost non-existent, so all you get is basically a very poor FPS dripping with pretension. The much vaunted characters and story are also a serious disappointment.
  57. B.M.
    Oct 5, 2007
    3
    Nice visuals, but absolutely boring gameplay - nothing new. a big disappointment.
  58. WesleyC.
    Aug 24, 2007
    3
    The thing that makes me really, really mad is that you need one of the best graphics cards just to play. Now games these days are so called "Pushing it to the limits" which makes them think that the graphics are the only things that matter! Bioshock is just one lucky game that has good gameplay with next-gen graphics. There is no way that I'm spending hundreds on a new graphics card!!!
  59. AndyWilson
    Aug 27, 2007
    3
    It is a great game. It is totally unique. It is unlike anything you have ever played before.......

    It is also completely unplayable on the PC. Forced mouse accelaration with no way to turn it off? I mean come on. No serious gamer will ever play a game with mouse acceleration on. FOV issues. 70degrees fov in 4:3? Crazy. The norm in PC gaming is 90degrees. When they announce    It is a great game. It is totally unique. It is unlike anything you have ever played before.......

    It is also completely unplayable on the PC. Forced mouse accelaration with no way to turn it off? I mean come on. No serious gamer will ever play a game with mouse acceleration on. FOV issues. 70degrees fov in 4:3? Crazy. The norm in PC gaming is 90degrees. When they announce this game they said it would be designed for PC gamers. It isn't it's designed for XBOX360, ported to PC and set for people using a 360 controller on their PC. If you play with the controller, its fine. If your a real PC gamer who want mouse and keyboard control, don't bother even looking at the game. It will be the biggest waste of money ever. If you don't know what mouse acceleration is, you'll enjoy the game and think it's the best thing you've ever played, and that's probably because it is. Just a shame they can't make it for serious gamers.    … Expand
  60. SHODAN
    Jan 12, 2008
    3
    This game is a backwards step from the decade-old game it is imitating. Elements not lifted directly out of System Shock 2 are those that were stripped from it in the dumbing-down process. This says a lot about the current state of the industry.
  61. Jake
    Jan 26, 2008
    3
    I give this a low score to balance the undeserved praise lavished on this mediocre title by "the critics." Bought the game based on that hype and wondered whether the reviewers had been bought off or just plain desperate. Yes a few pretty graphics, but no totally killer world design, the animation and gameplay was subpar and pretty childish/arcade-like, the story not that thrilling or I give this a low score to balance the undeserved praise lavished on this mediocre title by "the critics." Bought the game based on that hype and wondered whether the reviewers had been bought off or just plain desperate. Yes a few pretty graphics, but no totally killer world design, the animation and gameplay was subpar and pretty childish/arcade-like, the story not that thrilling or unique. I'll never play it again after the first run-thru. Save yer $$ til the price drops if you have to have it, otherwise look to other titles.… Expand
  62. Bozik
    Mar 27, 2009
    3
    I'm not sure why these critics loved this game so much. for me, i just couldn't get into it. the weapons were, so-so, nothing overly special, or maybe they were so unique they were just stupid. storyline was nothing special, kind of random actually. but the biggest pain in the ass for me with this game, is the shocking shortage of ammo and money to buy ammo or heals. personally I'm not sure why these critics loved this game so much. for me, i just couldn't get into it. the weapons were, so-so, nothing overly special, or maybe they were so unique they were just stupid. storyline was nothing special, kind of random actually. but the biggest pain in the ass for me with this game, is the shocking shortage of ammo and money to buy ammo or heals. personally i am a very ammo conserving guy, in almost all games i have no problem with money, ammo, heals, etc. but they simply werent made available which made progression slow and boring. I HAD high hopes for this game, it was a terrible let down.… Expand
  63. StevenH
    Aug 29, 2009
    3
    Baby's first System Shock. Crude, Tim Burtonesque art style that belies the supposed "scary" atmosphere. Generic and pointless upgrades. Lack of challenge. Extremely repetitive gameplay. Endless running. Cliche storyline. At one point in the game you disguise yourself as a "Big Daddy", a genetically altered sentinel that dons an armored diving suit and wields a rivet gun or drill Baby's first System Shock. Crude, Tim Burtonesque art style that belies the supposed "scary" atmosphere. Generic and pointless upgrades. Lack of challenge. Extremely repetitive gameplay. Endless running. Cliche storyline. At one point in the game you disguise yourself as a "Big Daddy", a genetically altered sentinel that dons an armored diving suit and wields a rivet gun or drill (pictured on the cover). As far as the game is concerned this equates to putting a camera filter on which represents the tunnel vision of the helmet. Despite the fact that your character is the same sweater-wearing beatnik that he always was, and looks like it, everyone treats you like you are wearing the suit. Whenever you die, you are respawned about 100 feet away. You actually have to "delete" some plasmids to make room for new ones - something that doesn't make sense in the context of genetic modification (not to mention the unbelievable powers that are granted thanks to it, unlike System Shock 2's cyborg explanation). This is because the game is just System Shock 2 but dumbed down for consoles with an even less coherent storyline, which is more or less on par with Quake or the first Half-Life, and yet people laud this game for its story. About 10 hours of gameplay and no multiplayer. Very overrated. Worth about $5-$10, perhaps.… Expand
  64. bigsilverhotdog
    Sep 11, 2012
    3
    Bioshock shamelessly rips off System Shock 2 and does a poor job of it. Insulting, shallow, extremely linear gameplay, backed up by a very poor story, dimly realized characters, a shoddy console interface, and incredibly repetitive scripted events. The final boss fight has to be one of the low points of modern PC gaming. The occasional "wow factor" scripted scene can't cover up a consoleBioshock shamelessly rips off System Shock 2 and does a poor job of it. Insulting, shallow, extremely linear gameplay, backed up by a very poor story, dimly realized characters, a shoddy console interface, and incredibly repetitive scripted events. The final boss fight has to be one of the low points of modern PC gaming. The occasional "wow factor" scripted scene can't cover up a console slog that was dated when it was released. I beat the game when it came out and immediately regretted purchasing it. Judging from the Metacritic froth, a lot of people out there will give high marks to an interactive B-horror simply because it has skyscrapers under the sea. And viral marketers writing fake reviews. Can't forget you lot. Viral marketing rim snoodlers are the bane of the modern internet.

    If you aren't a marketer and genuinely think Bioshock is an awesome game then you simply don't know computer games, because even for this exact sub-genre (Action-Adventure-RPG) Bioshock is poor. Star Control 2 is an awesome AAR. Thief 2 is an awesome AAR. System Shock 2 is an awesome AAR. Deus Ex is an awesome AAR. Bioshock is merely an average game that never comes remotely near the heritage it aspires to match, even as it shamelessly desecrates its corpse.    … Expand
  65. Pelu
    Jan 6, 2011
    3
    Just a plain shooter. Expected something like Deus Ex, but this was just **** YOU EVEN CALL THIS A RPG?? I played about 8 hours, but didn't have fun at all. The story didn't get running. (I don't know if it will). I expected more of the plasmids, but they were simple and boring. At least I didn't pay more than 4 euros from this steaming piece of hype.
  66. ZazaTR
    Mar 21, 2012
    3
    Intriguing sight at first, boring and repetitive just a bit later. Not to mention designers' knack for filling game with cheap scares, such as sudden noises, power outages etc.
  67. gilezy
    Jun 25, 2014
    3
    ok so i just went out and bought all the bioshock's and naturally i stated with this one. i must say this game is so boring played for 5 hours and haven't had any fun yet. the other ones better be better. i have no idea how this game has been rated so highly the game play is terrible and the story isn't even that great. im pissed off to say the least what an overrated piece of crap i canok so i just went out and bought all the bioshock's and naturally i stated with this one. i must say this game is so boring played for 5 hours and haven't had any fun yet. the other ones better be better. i have no idea how this game has been rated so highly the game play is terrible and the story isn't even that great. im pissed off to say the least what an overrated piece of crap i can honestly say i had more fun play cod ghosts.… Expand
  68. dogha
    May 29, 2022
    3
    Поиграл в сознательном возрасте. Все твердили - это шедевр и поиграть должен каждый.
    Прошёл и перданул с подливой. Начало: какой красивый вид; стрельба какая-та не очень, но привыкнуть можно; магия есть, но использовать часто не приходиться. Конец: где этот рычаг; патрон постоянно нет; маны не хватает. Финал: и нахуя я этим всех занимался и концовка, как в evangelion (спасибо *clap*    Поиграл в сознательном возрасте. Все твердили - это шедевр и поиграть должен каждый.
    Прошёл и перданул с подливой. Начало: какой красивый вид; стрельба какая-та не очень, но привыкнуть можно; магия есть, но использовать часто не приходиться. Конец: где этот рычаг; патрон постоянно нет; маны не хватает. Финал: и нахуя я этим всех занимался и концовка, как в evangelion (спасибо *clap* спасибо *clap*).    … Expand
  69. vova22379
    Dec 8, 2021
    3
    ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
  70. ProffHarun17
    Jan 11, 2023
    3
    i didn't like this game. It's atmosphere is trash for me. Gameplay is okay, they tried new things. Graphics are terrible.
  71. SebastianJ.
    Jul 6, 2008
    2
    This is one of the worst games I've EVER played. It had terrible QA issues (randomly defaulting settings and un-mappable controls), awful sound design (I could never hear anyone speaking over the ambient RACKET, no matter how high and low I tuned their volumes, respectively), and horrible, HORRIBLE gameplay. Good writing and ambiance is useless when the actual shooting mechanic is This is one of the worst games I've EVER played. It had terrible QA issues (randomly defaulting settings and un-mappable controls), awful sound design (I could never hear anyone speaking over the ambient RACKET, no matter how high and low I tuned their volumes, respectively), and horrible, HORRIBLE gameplay. Good writing and ambiance is useless when the actual shooting mechanic is wobblier than an octogenarian. The splicers were awkward to fight and endlessly repetetive, all the characters (with whom we were supposed to relate) look like plastic, and for a purported RPG, this game has almost no genuine customisation options; I've never seen a worse case of consollitis. The degree of cooing praise for this game makes me sick. The 2 points are for the well-executed ripping off of Fountainhead/AS, and for the hard work 2K's art department wasted on this atrocious shadow of System Shock 2's glory.… Expand
  72. DavidM.
    Sep 1, 2007
    2
    Essentially an overrated and glitchy remake of System Shock 2. It has some pretty graphics, where they work, but it is very linear, has little atmosphere and feels clunky to play.
  73. S.G.
    Oct 8, 2007
    2
    First I couldn't get the game to run because I use a tool other than Windows task manager to view running processes. Then, after I got it running, it was very pretty; stunning, in both graphics and sound. Then I discovered the linear, comic book story aimed at 10 year olds, and kill-everything-that-moves FPS action. Then I quit playing. This is just the next step in FPS game AI and First I couldn't get the game to run because I use a tool other than Windows task manager to view running processes. Then, after I got it running, it was very pretty; stunning, in both graphics and sound. Then I discovered the linear, comic book story aimed at 10 year olds, and kill-everything-that-moves FPS action. Then I quit playing. This is just the next step in FPS game AI and graphics evolution. Just because its better than some of the more repetitive, older FPS's out there, (any one of the DOOM games) doesn't make it great or even good.… Expand
  74. RemusRupa
    Sep 9, 2007
    2
    i would have give it 1 but it has some nice graphix but it still has some graphic errors and the engine is not that good 3 ( let's buy the unreal engine used by 9999999 games and do some improvment so we don't have to work so hard : )
    story 0 it just doesn't make any sence
    sound 0 i got that stupid looping sound gameplay 3 (hacking is like ****, turrets in 1960 wtf,    i would have give it 1 but it has some nice graphix but it still has some graphic errors and the engine is not that good 3 ( let's buy the unreal engine used by 9999999 games and do some improvment so we don't have to work so hard : )
    story 0 it just doesn't make any sence
    sound 0 i got that stupid looping sound
    gameplay 3 (hacking is like ****, turrets in 1960 wtf, electric gel wtf, audio logs/pda that's not from doom 3 :/ ,only 2 enamies well only ok there are many splicers butthey are just the same, horror my ass it's not that scarry, above all a city under wather that has gone wrong and all the zombies ups splicers running and the one who is helping you turns bad now that's not from doom 3 NO : ).
    So i don't get why in the world is rated so high?????????
    I mean 96 WTF STALKER is 100 times better and it got 86 i think    … Expand
  75. Magnus
    Apr 6, 2009
    2
    I'm still wondering how this game is the #1 on Steam...it was good, but it wasn't NEARLY as spectacular as everyone makes it out to be. Primary reasons: It's ludicrously short...the game and bosses are pathetically easy(yes, I played it on hard with the BioRevTanks turned off...and I beat it in six hours), and (***SPOILER***) the final boss is perhaps even the easiest among I'm still wondering how this game is the #1 on Steam...it was good, but it wasn't NEARLY as spectacular as everyone makes it out to be. Primary reasons: It's ludicrously short...the game and bosses are pathetically easy(yes, I played it on hard with the BioRevTanks turned off...and I beat it in six hours), and (***SPOILER***) the final boss is perhaps even the easiest among them all. The different forms of enemies are extremely limited and universally easy to overcome. All that's necessary to beat this game is a handful of choice plasmids, a wrench and a shotgun. I do have to say, the story was riveting. I did however, get tired of the insanely long dialogues over that pesky radio. So if you're a weekend warrior looking to brag that "Yeah, I beat BioShock!"...no one will be impressed. Borrow it from your friend, play it once, buy Mount&Blade and play a real RPG.… Expand
  76. NestorB.
    Jul 23, 2008
    2
    Bioshock is one of the most buggy games I ever played. Lots of problems to make it work properly, lots of crashes. Not even the patch works. You only have to go to the forums to see how many people complains about this game. Besides the constant crashes, yeah, I could play the game, and...well, the gun sounds are...quite poor... the graphics, they all look like cartoons... it's just Bioshock is one of the most buggy games I ever played. Lots of problems to make it work properly, lots of crashes. Not even the patch works. You only have to go to the forums to see how many people complains about this game. Besides the constant crashes, yeah, I could play the game, and...well, the gun sounds are...quite poor... the graphics, they all look like cartoons... it's just all go and go and go...absolutely linear...ambientation? try stalker, this one is just gotham underwater, i've seen that city so many times...and the plasmids...you kidding me? "plasmids"? sounds like something sweet and soft you can eat in the cinema...and the guy just finds a neddle and uses it, yeah, very common... Sorry guys, didn't like it at all, it's just a very common shooter exchanging guns for "plasmids". Very, very common... My rating goes for the crashes! (still quite annoyed...)… Expand
  77. SergeyS
    Jan 31, 2010
    2
    Atmosphere and graphics are ok. Sound is bad, guns sound like you're kicking a tin can. Physics is terrible, you stumble on a seemingly 200 punds chest or a heavy wheelchair, and it flies away 30 feet (50 if you hit it with a wrench). It is also one of the most inconvenient and primitive shooters, and addition of "bio weapons" does not help. You cannot zoom, you have no secondary Atmosphere and graphics are ok. Sound is bad, guns sound like you're kicking a tin can. Physics is terrible, you stumble on a seemingly 200 punds chest or a heavy wheelchair, and it flies away 30 feet (50 if you hit it with a wrench). It is also one of the most inconvenient and primitive shooters, and addition of "bio weapons" does not help. You cannot zoom, you have no secondary fire modes, weapons are primitive (gun, shotgun, tommygun - how original is that?) Money and items make a weak attempt at an RPG-shooter but fail completely. You don't even have a normal inventory. Switchin bullet types is too micromanagerial. This game does not know what it is or wants to be. And mouselook is terrible. I played tons of shootes, I played Q3 and CS competitively, and I have never been so frustrated by such unnatural aiming etc. Overall - 5/10. But for making big fuss about it - 2/10.… Expand
  78. JamesL.
    Nov 17, 2007
    2
    On PC, this game plays like what it is - a bad console port with none of the problems ironed out. Although the graphics are hardly ground breaking (think unreal 2004 with bad textures and fancy water effects), this game is a resource hog, and it still runs like crap on high end systems. The sound likes to glitch at random too, forcing me to restart the game. Although the story is decent, On PC, this game plays like what it is - a bad console port with none of the problems ironed out. Although the graphics are hardly ground breaking (think unreal 2004 with bad textures and fancy water effects), this game is a resource hog, and it still runs like crap on high end systems. The sound likes to glitch at random too, forcing me to restart the game. Although the story is decent, the gameplay is boring, repetitive, and frustrating. Enemies respawn out of nowhere in areas you have already cleared just seconds before. The non-plasmid weaponry is uninspired and ineffective, plus aiming is extremely hard thanks to a poor mouse look implementation. This is one game that is better left on console. I want my money back.… Expand
  79. Sebster
    May 23, 2011
    2
    Things started fantastic, the atmosphere, graphics, sound were great
    then things started to go wrong
    the shooting mechanics are clunky, when you die you go to a deus ex machina chamber, it's too easy and frustrating at the same time!

    Thank god steam does refunds.
  80. attilab
    Mar 10, 2012
    2
    one of the worst fps i have ever played, everything is scripted, the ai sucks, the story sucks, the art is avrage/corny everything takes along time to load and gui is terrible. I want my $ back
  81. mikefromsaskato
    Dec 30, 2011
    2
    Pros: The storyline was good

    The graphics and setting are good Cons: The combat is terrible. The plasmids are supposed to be so cool, but they are really just magic spells with a different name. The level design is terrible. It reminded me of Doom 3 -- it was all "run down a dark corridor, and shoot the thing that will inevitably jump out from every dark corner or doorway".    Pros: The storyline was good

    The graphics and setting are good

    Cons:

    The combat is terrible. The plasmids are supposed to be so cool, but they are really just magic spells with a different name.

    The level design is terrible. It reminded me of Doom 3 -- it was all "run down a dark corridor, and shoot the thing that will inevitably jump out from every dark corner or doorway".

    Seriously, this game is boring enough that I uninstalled it after a couple of days trying to get into it.    … Expand
  82. kaaamos
    Jun 2, 2013
    2
    Loved the atmosphere and the story, but the gameplay is EXTREMELY lacking.

    Everything gameplay-wise is poorly designed, from the frantic looting to the poor puzzles and messy equipment window.
  83. TimI.
    Oct 5, 2007
    1
    It's been a wide commercial campaign to miss this glamour game, but from the first moments it dssapointed me: meaningless, linear and all the same. Huinya, I think.
  84. SebG.
    Dec 30, 2007
    1
    Clumsy and plain, hidden behind a dull ('innovative') setting. Repetitive and utterly non-immersive, the 10-rating reviews read as if they are meant to be sarcastic. Criminally overrated. I wouldn't bother.
  85. Franko
    Mar 29, 2008
    1
    The most over-rated game i hav ever played!do yourself a favour and DONT BUY THIS,dont believe the hype and reviewer comments! this game is repetive,terrible story,only like 3 types of enemy! there is nothing good about this bar the graphics.
  86. CH
    May 6, 2009
    1
    Yes, the graphics are superb. The system and gameplay are unique. But that's it. First of all, I find those junk box (or the thing which sells stuffs) a nuisance. I dont mind a money system, but hacking the machine by completing some pipe connecting puzzles? Please! This is a FPS!!! Those real physical puzzles from HL2 are already at the limit, and this 2D puzzles are simply Yes, the graphics are superb. The system and gameplay are unique. But that's it. First of all, I find those junk box (or the thing which sells stuffs) a nuisance. I dont mind a money system, but hacking the machine by completing some pipe connecting puzzles? Please! This is a FPS!!! Those real physical puzzles from HL2 are already at the limit, and this 2D puzzles are simply unacceptable. It's not that I am bad at puzzle solving but I simply cannot stand the mixtures. What's worse, I've actually solved more puzzles than shootings. And considering that those shootings are barely shootings with "guns". Ammo runs out at the speed of light, and I've seen myself using melee weapons all the time.... Sometimes I wish that I can break the glass roofs so that I can drown the whole darn city.… Expand
  87. DaveA.
    Aug 22, 2007
    1
    Horrible bugs out of box. Unable to see mouse cursor. Horrible FOV for widescreen users. Tons of graphical glitches. I expect this quality from EA. I'll just be waiting for Starcraft 2 now. Blizzard never goes wrong.
  88. JB
    Aug 26, 2007
    1
    It's not so much a game as a collection of reproducible bugs. It would get at least a 9 if you could do things like save.... or load the second area... or pull out the revolver... or... you get the idea. It looks like they just kind of released the alpha or something and said 50 DOLLA YOU BUY OK??
  89. RandallM.
    May 28, 2008
    1
    Totally sucked. It crashed my computer after 15 min of boring, crap quality play. One reviewer said this game gets you hooked immediately. Not So.
  90. CharlesB
    May 2, 2009
    1
    Game is fantastic if it would work properly. I have never played a game so buggy in my life, yes... this one is worse than Age of Conan at launch for bug issues. I got stuck on the 6th stage of the game because the game would crash when zoning in. This game would have gotten a 9 or a 10 from me if it would have worked correctly.
  91. biosux
    Nov 19, 2007
    1
    1? Yes for the PC VERSION a 1 for the occasionally pretty graphics and an attempt at a different story from most drab shooters. After that there's nothing left to talk about in a positive light as it's all downhill, controls, widescreen, pacing, rewards, enemy variety, respawns, BUGS, BUGS, crashes, BUGS, 2k's attitude to customers... basically a very poor game masquerading 1? Yes for the PC VERSION a 1 for the occasionally pretty graphics and an attempt at a different story from most drab shooters. After that there's nothing left to talk about in a positive light as it's all downhill, controls, widescreen, pacing, rewards, enemy variety, respawns, BUGS, BUGS, crashes, BUGS, 2k's attitude to customers... basically a very poor game masquerading as the best thing since sliced bread. I'm sure on the 360 this game feels a lot better but on PC it's a pale imitation of it's spiritual predecessor (system shock 2). It doesn't even work ergonomically, it's got useless controls and when it's not crashing the gameplay is actually very poor. See edges or gamecritics review for the real skinny on this 'game'. Avoid like the plague or at least try on rental,.. oh hey that's exactly what you do when you BUY the PC version because the DRM means you get a few installs and that's it, even with it's revoke tool, it doesn't work so you basically won't get to install it much every time you reformat, which thankfully you won't want to anyway because the game is that dull. A damp squib in the firework box of PC gaming and one best killed off before it's legacy comes to represent the 'best' of what gaming has to offer.… Expand
  92. wadzkup
    Aug 25, 2007
    1
    waste of money, terrible and overhyped. No variety in the enemies (warping or shooting guns isnt variety) and they say you have choices to make, the only choice is to harvest or save girls... the story was so incredibly weak that I reinstalled hl2 to get that bad taste out of my mouth. Valve better make tf2 worth it....
  93. starlingmax
    Jul 20, 2013
    1
    Well, this game is awful... why? VITA CHAMBER... I can not think of any other easiest game than this one... what's the point on playing on HARD difficulty if those damn vita chambers resurrect you anytime you die?!!?! I literally beated this game using the wrench 95% of the times, I even beated big daddies with the wrench... BORING!
  94. Faxthtax
    Sep 30, 2018
    1
    Man this game is a pile of **** Absolutely loved Infinite. Action was greatly leveled out. So i decided to backtrack and play the first one to catch up with the story.
    I absolutely hated it. Dreadful gameplay and controls and so damn difficult, Scarce on ammo, scarce on healthpack, scarce on money. and once i encountered my first Big Daddy who moped the floor with my dead corpse, i gave    Man this game is a pile of **** Absolutely loved Infinite. Action was greatly leveled out. So i decided to backtrack and play the first one to catch up with the story.
    I absolutely hated it. Dreadful gameplay and controls and so damn difficult, Scarce on ammo, scarce on healthpack, scarce on money. and once i encountered my first Big Daddy who moped the floor with my dead corpse, i gave up, i vowed not to touch this abysmal boring game POS game again.. What a letdown.    … Expand
  95. CODYLANDES
    Sep 14, 2007
    0
    i hate this game it is not as good as halo by a longshot i hate the game the story line is short i got this game last week and i have beaten it twice it is to easy who ever likes this game is werid i hate it halo is better bioshock does not deserve first place halo does and it will be once it comes out halo actully makes sence and it i boring and it sucks
  96. AnonM.
    Mar 4, 2008
    0
    Totally agree with most of the rest low voters. just hated it. I expected too much I guess since this game is annoyingly overrated. critics and players should be more careful in their reviews to avoid causing great expectations.
  97. UndyingZombie
    Feb 5, 2009
    0
    I would have gave this game a 7 if it was not for the fact that its rating is way too inflated as is. ( And of course, if it did not contain SecuROM ) I have to say I loved the intro, Loved the part where a portion of the plane hits the structure as you are walking through it. I also loved the bit with Sander Cohen. ( Spelling? ) However, sadly this game failed to meet the hype ( as with I would have gave this game a 7 if it was not for the fact that its rating is way too inflated as is. ( And of course, if it did not contain SecuROM ) I have to say I loved the intro, Loved the part where a portion of the plane hits the structure as you are walking through it. I also loved the bit with Sander Cohen. ( Spelling? ) However, sadly this game failed to meet the hype ( as with most games ) but also failed to deliver what the devs have claimed it would. The blood looked like raspberry jam/jelly. Watered down gameplay, and graphics. ( Some visuals where nice, however it was still a bit watered down. ) When the game was first out, if you died, no matter what difficulty.. there was really no penalty.. you came back and you can finish off what ever you where fighting to begin with. Granted even then unless you are new to fps games, that did not happen often even on highest difficulty. ( Granted, supposedly they came out with a patch allowing the player to turn this "feature" off...too little, too late in my opinion. ) Now, some of my complaints from here on out are due to, well.. I had followed this game since the first bit of information was released. Back when it was PC only, and there was going to be plasmids and other things that would allow you to change the pressure of the area and various other things. Lots of things where cut out when they decided to make it also for the consoles. ( When that idea was hatched, it was going to be released on PC,Xbox360, and PS3 at the same time. ) Later, it turned into a "xbox360 exclusive" ( Meaning, Xbox360 and PC but PC being more of a port than it being fully made on it. ) I have to be honest, this really felt like the game was "dumbed" down considerably. Especially considering what the devs had stated early on before the change to make the game for consoles as well. Yea it does sound like I am bashing it, and yes I kinda am. It did have its good parts, but I have to say it. It does not deserve the praise it has gotten. Its a ok game, but not a great one. If you don't care about money, and you don't care about installing SecuROM on your system, ( Your better off getting this for the console(s) FYI ) then I would say go ahead and buy it. However most people care about the money, and the majority of the people who know about SecuROM and what it is.. stay away from it. I would just advice you guys to rent it for the console(s) if you have one of the console(s) that this game is on.… Expand
  98. AndrewG.
    Jan 5, 2008
    0
    The zero may seem harsh - but is a reflection of its several sins matched against its hype. Entirely implausible in its contextual setting, both in the technology and its internal reasoning. Its impossible to maintain suspension of disbelief when the hyper-advanced genetic and AI technology was supposed to have existed in the 1950's, and when these ridiculous super-powers were The zero may seem harsh - but is a reflection of its several sins matched against its hype. Entirely implausible in its contextual setting, both in the technology and its internal reasoning. Its impossible to maintain suspension of disbelief when the hyper-advanced genetic and AI technology was supposed to have existed in the 1950's, and when these ridiculous super-powers were supposed to have been marketed by a genius, visionary Tycoon. Intensely stupid. All choice is an illusion, save the alternate ending sequence (thanks Youtube), because your character will always progress as a jack of all trades (magic-user/warrior/gunman/hacker). Contrived restrictions abound whenever the heavily-scripted story decides to advance - invisible barriers guarantee linearity, gameplay contradictions and impossibilities occur where needed (being frozen while on fire, a bottle weighing more than a corpse...) - and if you do stray from your intended path, prepare for objects to implausibly emerge from the ether, as enemies do throughout the game (of which there is astonishingly little variety). The concept of two men going insane and at each others throats is far less compelling than the idea (within SS2, deep breath) of two security AI's going haywire versus a psychic alien race versus the crew of the Von Braun and Rickenbacker, and asks dreary questions of morality rather than those of possibility. Additionally, the narrative of escalating chaos and madness within either of the System Shock games is superior, and scarier. It is difficult to let this game be called 'innovative' and 'ground-breaking' when all it does is to weakly mimic the gameplay concepts that made the System Shock series convincing. Furthermore, SS2 achieved quite different environments within each of the ship decks, while in the alien, inside the smaller vessel, and in the nightmare mind of Shodans AI. Bioshock plays through endless dark, claustrophobic, albeit attractive art-deco designed rooms or underwater passageways, filled with noisy vents and infinite, increasingly annoying baddies. This is as Oblivion is to Morrowind or Daggerfall - pretty, but dumb, inexplicably gaining better reviews despite sacrificing untold potential for the sake of watery water and bricky bricks. And yes, the water is quite watery (most watery in fact, until Crysis was released). My true score for this game would be 7.2/10 - an average shooter - so this zero is to perform my part in bringing the reader average to that end. If you have a brain get STALKER or The Orange Box - or System Shock 2 if you can survive antiquated graphics. … Expand
  99. JonJ.
    Feb 4, 2008
    0
    What this game succeeds in is atmosphere and immersion in a great environment. What it doesn't succeed as well in is the combat and the RPG elements. The combat involves creatures that immediately run into your face up-close. It's so very repetitive. The RPG elements are somewhat inventive but they don't wow me over, either. This game is so very hyped by fans and that just What this game succeeds in is atmosphere and immersion in a great environment. What it doesn't succeed as well in is the combat and the RPG elements. The combat involves creatures that immediately run into your face up-close. It's so very repetitive. The RPG elements are somewhat inventive but they don't wow me over, either. This game is so very hyped by fans and that just shows how desperate we have become even for a moderately good first person FPS game with some mild RPG elements. This game says that graphics, atmosphere and immersion matter much more than depth of gameplay perhaps because ease-of-entry is more important than longevity and replayability. My favorite part of the game was completing the photography tasks for the artist guy who then celebrates with the nice fireworks and great speech! That was indeed cool, but it wasn't RPG.… Expand
  100. {DvT}Hex
    Apr 1, 2008
    0
    Bioshock uses the Unreal 3 engine so, of course, it is beautiful and plays well. It also employs the SecuRom root kit so, of course, it gets a zero rating. The fact that the root kit is not, per se, malware is irrelevant; it is still a root kit and will not see light of day on my system. As good as the game is, it isn't good enough to warrant doing a clean reinstall of Windows in Bioshock uses the Unreal 3 engine so, of course, it is beautiful and plays well. It also employs the SecuRom root kit so, of course, it gets a zero rating. The fact that the root kit is not, per se, malware is irrelevant; it is still a root kit and will not see light of day on my system. As good as the game is, it isn't good enough to warrant doing a clean reinstall of Windows in order to get rid of SecuRom.… 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]
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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