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
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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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