BioShock

 Xbox 360
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 3152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,813 out of 3152
  2. Mixed: 178 out of 3152
  3. Negative: 161 out of 3152
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  1. CitizenWolf
    Aug 18, 2009
    4
    This game bored the pants off me. I really don't see what all the hype was about. So it was set underwater. So what. The only aspect that amused me were the accents. They reminded me of home. Other than that I thought it was dull.
  2. MarkS
    Oct 17, 2007
    3
    Certainly not worth the scores it has received. The graphics and storytelling are about all that's good - or rather, medicre - in this water-clogged interactive story. Gameplay (shoot once, run out of ammo, then pull out the wrench) and fun (have I been here yet? Where am I? What am I doing? Is that thing good or bad? This is boring.. ) were clearly sacraficed in place of graphics.
  3. dudebarry
    Oct 14, 2012
    2
    The good: Good graphics. Water looks great and the Unreal engine is really good.

    The bad: This game is drivel. It's a zombie shooter where enemies have no sense of self-preservation and require no skill to kill. They range from tedious to highly armoured which means if you don't have any ammo, expect to have to respawn over and over again to kill them. They also reappear, so if    The good: Good graphics. Water looks great and the Unreal engine is really good.

    The bad:

    This game is drivel. It's a zombie shooter where enemies have no sense of self-preservation and require no skill to kill. They range from tedious to highly armoured which means if you don't have any ammo, expect to have to respawn over and over again to kill them. They also reappear, so if you've cleared a room. leave and re-enter, half the time new enemies come back.

    The map is difficult to use. Why isn't my head the tip of the arrow on the map? As a result, navigation is confusing and almost impossible. The game's too complicated. Not content with one monetary system, they've introduced a second. Also, all of the different tonics, potions and lotions are just too much. I lose track of which category of power-ups are useful and which ones I don't care about. I keep getting mixed up between physical and combat tonics, and keep buying more slots for the wrong one. It's just really annoying.

    It's just totally repetitive. I am SO BORED of playing the rubbish little pipeline game to hack robots, security cameras, etc. I'm SO BORED of killing the same zombies over and again, and hunting for objects. I'm just bored of the entire game.

    The story is pointless and the main character just accepts everything unquestioningly (who is Atlas and why is my character doing what he says?). Apparently this'll all be explained in the end with a great twist, but I probably won't bother ever completing this game so won't see it. I'm SO bored of this game after playing it for 9 hours (and not enjoying it for that time, waiting until I have a glimmer of fun) that I think I'll just cheat my way through the rest of it. The part where I actually start liking this game doesn't appear to be happening any time soon, and apparently I'm 1/3 of the way through.

    Ever heard that you need 3 things to make you feel good: Mastery, autonomy and purpose? This game gives you autonomy. I'm currently boring my way through having to collect 21 little potions. Pointless repetition combined with only half knowing where to go (for once the little arrow at the top has stopped giving me directions).

    The story is TOO SLOW so I feel like there's NO PURPOSE. It's not mysterious it's just slow.

    And I can keep on dying and respawning as much as I like which means that my choices have NO CONSEQUENCES and are completely meaningless. I can shoot Big Daddies from my respawn point (because if you run out of money and decent weapons you can barely kill them). The other enemies are basically zombies that run at you mindlessly. No tactics at all. So there's no need to master anything in this game. It's just a tedious walk through the levels.

    I am completely baffled why this game has scored so highly. I'm only glad I bought it 5 years after its release instead of paying full price for it.

    So in short if you like games like Batman where you enjoy having to outsmart your enemies (ones with a sense of self-preservation) and enjoy variety while making meaningful choices that have actual consequences, you probably won't enjoy this game. But for some reason 1,305 people rated it highly...    … Expand
  4. RichardW.
    Jan 13, 2008
    0
    It amounts to a technical demo of the U3 engine in essence. In gameplay, it's repetitive and easy. I don't care what anyone says, if you've played shooters before you can play this on the hardest setting with no challenge, and there's nothing unique enough to provide a motivation for moving forward. Really, plasmids are nothing new, we've seen similar things in It amounts to a technical demo of the U3 engine in essence. In gameplay, it's repetitive and easy. I don't care what anyone says, if you've played shooters before you can play this on the hardest setting with no challenge, and there's nothing unique enough to provide a motivation for moving forward. Really, plasmids are nothing new, we've seen similar things in Jedi Knight II, System Shock,etc. Graphically it's impressive. But what everyone praises it for- storytelling- it seems subpar. Am I the only person who sees the blatant Atlas Shrugged ripoff as a ripoff, not an "influence"? It isn't influenced at all by the philosophy as a few reviewers claimed, no doubt too enthralled by the bandwagon to read the book in question before jumping on it. It seemed like every reviewer had a hardon for the games-as-art idea and wanted to talk about it as much as possible instead of the lackluster gameplay, but fine, where's the meat of the plot? We have this: "Ryan believes in this thing completely, and Fontaine believes in nothing. At the end of the day, they're almost equally dangerous. [Fontaine] is a nihilist, all he cares about is himself. He has something missing in him that makes us human." I missed how this is any more interesting than the time honored concept Nintendo uses of light-world/dark-world.… Expand
  5. DanG.
    Nov 30, 2007
    4
    I just couldnt bring myself to finish it. It wasnt that bad, it just wasnt anything special and I had better games to play (Halo 3). Although the story was interesting and the atmosphere was incedibly deep, the gameplay was meh. Killing the splicers and Big Daddies just felt like a chore and the . I dont understand why the reviewers cant stop raving about it; its just not that special.
  6. tylwrdem
    Aug 1, 2011
    4
    Over hyped, this game is not good. Vast ammo games are a buzz kill. I want to be able to make it through a level with enough ammo in my gun, and not have to beat someone with a wrench. Stupid idea, non modern old fashion games don't cut it for me. Yes if we look at the story it is clean and the graphics are nice, but that doesn't dismiss the fact that there is no appeal to this game.Over hyped, this game is not good. Vast ammo games are a buzz kill. I want to be able to make it through a level with enough ammo in my gun, and not have to beat someone with a wrench. Stupid idea, non modern old fashion games don't cut it for me. Yes if we look at the story it is clean and the graphics are nice, but that doesn't dismiss the fact that there is no appeal to this game. Nothing really attracted me to is and it has 0 replay value something that even people who like this can not deny.… Expand
  7. BillyE.
    Oct 1, 2007
    2
    Bioshock has a lot of potential. Starting off with the good, the storyline is one of the best ever, and the audio tapes are a very nice touch. THE BAD. As promised, there are many ways of killing your enemies. Unfortunately, the game's difficulty is too easy. The developer told people that ammo would be scarce and it ISN'T. A brief search through the trash cans and tables of Bioshock has a lot of potential. Starting off with the good, the storyline is one of the best ever, and the audio tapes are a very nice touch. THE BAD. As promised, there are many ways of killing your enemies. Unfortunately, the game's difficulty is too easy. The developer told people that ammo would be scarce and it ISN'T. A brief search through the trash cans and tables of rapture will yield more than enough ammo. Also, the one-two punch introduced in the beginning of the game (shock+wrench) is useful throughout the entire game. Why use telekinesis on your enemies when you can just shock and whack them. Why use advanced tactics when you can just shock and whack your way to victory. Hacking? Its useful but too easy. Big daddys can be taken down by using a shotgun with electric bullets. Simple. Bioshock has many innovative features but it does not PROVIDE enough circumstances of which they can be utilized. Translation: Its too easy… Expand
  8. BenE.
    Aug 22, 2007
    0
    Sick & Twisted: Your Brain Feeding on BioShock So my son figures he's doing me a favor by picking me up (via his unknowing mom) a copy of this new "thinking-person's FPS." Now, I'm no prude: I'm always up for either Halo title--or even Gears or Resistance. But I've tried to draw the line at: "No humans shooting other (even enemy) humans, and no gory-level, *red* Sick & Twisted: Your Brain Feeding on BioShock So my son figures he's doing me a favor by picking me up (via his unknowing mom) a copy of this new "thinking-person's FPS." Now, I'm no prude: I'm always up for either Halo title--or even Gears or Resistance. But I've tried to draw the line at: "No humans shooting other (even enemy) humans, and no gory-level, *red* human blood-letting. I go right over to my (adult) gaming friend's house to try it out with him. Boy was I shocked to see in just the first two chapters, how sharply Take-Two has veered into Sickville. You play as a (mutated) human, slaying other mutated humans, mostly women (even grandmothers). In the film noire style of the game, you can't even see much that the women are mutated. And worse than the prolific, red blood & gore: these women mutants have somehow retained perfect, female voices. Honestly, if you close your eyes while someone plays the game, you would have to believe this is a domestic violence against women training program--what, with all their screaming as you kill them. In one scene, you come around a corner, and there's a lady leaning over a baby carriage with her back to you. Your aiming reticle glows red, so she's got to be taken out. But I'm the only one in the room that hesitated at the idea of preemptively shooting her in the back. What does that say about my friends? Best case: they're better able to separate reality from fantasy, I guess. Sure, it's rated M for mature, but how many teens (or younger) are going to get a good look at this game? And is there really any excuse for us adults filling our brains with something this morbid? I also don't enjoy slasher movies like I used to--but this game is much worse: you are first-person training yourself to be a slasher. I must be too old. Or, maybe I've just reached an understanding that other, less corrupted parents did earlier in the reality gaming evolution: there's just no limit to how sick and twisted "mainstream" video games will get if people don't stop desensitizing themselves with current titles. This game's going back to the store tomorrow. Seems like Take-Two used the shock value strategy again with this title to stave-off their falling stock price. It should have been given the AO rating too, for thematic violence and gore. Fatally flawed: 0 out of 10.… Expand
  9. TraceA.
    Aug 28, 2007
    3
    This game is tremendously over-rated. What were the reviews smoking? All you do is search and collect.
  10. TJH
    Sep 27, 2007
    4
    I thought this game was extremely wierd and couldnt get along with it. Although i thought the visuals were very nice indeed the game was just too odd for me.
  11. ApocalypseB.
    Mar 13, 2008
    4
    How in the world did this game get such great recognition is truly beyond me! I never played System Shock 2, but surely that must of been better than this. Why don't I like it? Because after such a good and intense start, the game grinds to a halt after two hours. The pacing then is slow/dead slow, and that what upset me. The potential for greatness is all there: Plasmids, Big How in the world did this game get such great recognition is truly beyond me! I never played System Shock 2, but surely that must of been better than this. Why don't I like it? Because after such a good and intense start, the game grinds to a halt after two hours. The pacing then is slow/dead slow, and that what upset me. The potential for greatness is all there: Plasmids, Big Daddies, Saving or harvesting the little sisters. Yet all of them have no spark to them after you experience them time and time again. The aiming system and weapons are really sub-standard, from being too simplistic as opposed to being over the top. And the damage they cause, even the buck shot, is limited. Finally the constant dark and uninspired scenery with even more uninspired enemies were the last straw. Nowadays I haven't the time to grind through games like this, I want instant pleasure or I'll more on. Not that I am not a hardcore gamer, just that I know what I want, and rapture isn't the place I want to be!… Expand
  12. Silver
    Dec 3, 2007
    0
    One of the most disappointing games of the last 10 years. Poor narative, watered-down RPG elements, weak structure, simply put every aspect of Bioshock is basic and pathetic. But the real crime for us is that instead of doing what we've all been asking and make System Shock 3, Irrational Games decided to make a dumb new IP, promote it as the 'spiritual successor' to their One of the most disappointing games of the last 10 years. Poor narative, watered-down RPG elements, weak structure, simply put every aspect of Bioshock is basic and pathetic. But the real crime for us is that instead of doing what we've all been asking and make System Shock 3, Irrational Games decided to make a dumb new IP, promote it as the 'spiritual successor' to their legendary previous title and then hope no one would notice when it turned out to be THE WORST GAME EVER. To anyone who hasn't played them or was to young at the time, please don't get Bioshock, instead go out and find copies of both Deus Ex and System Shock 2. It will cost about 10 quid and will be the best 10 quid you have ever spent.… Expand
  13. NickB.
    Aug 16, 2007
    1
    The cartoony user models and the complicated and confusing gameplay makes the game way over hyped and really only a rent due to the lack of multiplayer.
  14. RichieT.
    Aug 18, 2007
    0
    Terrible heap of jumbled characters with a convoluted plot.
  15. SauerJass
    Aug 21, 2007
    1
    Brand new XPS laptop fully loaded... new nvidia drivers... reinstalled game twice.... stalling at second load screen. I would not recommend running to the stores to buy this game. Give this one a month to bake in the oven. Yet another disappointing box-o-bugs, even the better publisers seem to be releasing prematurely now-a-days. Unfortunately this is becoming the norm rather than theBrand new XPS laptop fully loaded... new nvidia drivers... reinstalled game twice.... stalling at second load screen. I would not recommend running to the stores to buy this game. Give this one a month to bake in the oven. Yet another disappointing box-o-bugs, even the better publisers seem to be releasing prematurely now-a-days. Unfortunately this is becoming the norm rather than the exception with PC games. The game seems provocative judging from the little I was able to play. Hopefully you'll have better luck.… Expand
  16. RayH.
    Aug 20, 2007
    3
    Great graphics, implausible storyline...Hard to play (difficulty wise).. The reviewers may be enamored with this title, but if the first thing I do upon entering a strange facility I know nothing about, and I find a hypo needle on the ground...well, I would just shove this needle into my arm? Uh..realism...NOT! And the difficulty ramps up...casual players need not apply!
  17. AlexB.
    Aug 30, 2007
    3
    It has graphics. When you shoot someone they scream bloody murder like you're actually killing a real person. I found it a little too dark, too "evil" to play. What the hell is with the 7 year old little girls drinking and throwing up blood, that is just sick. This game would probably be fun if i could get past so much evil in it.
  18. MattR.
    Sep 24, 2007
    3
    Impressive visuals and a pretty good storyline, but the gameplay is repeditive, linear, and just pretty boring. At times, even with brightness at or above the recommended level, you just can't see anything. It hasn't done anything other games haven't. Although it is pretty satisfying to smack enemies with the wrench. 3 for the graphics and voices, -7 for the gameplay and sounds.
  19. VC
    Sep 3, 2007
    0
    This game is way overhyped. Too linear and too easy. Pretty, but not especially fun.
  20. MatthewS.
    Sep 5, 2007
    4
    A lot of time went into the the polishing the environment (sound and visuals), not enough in all the other areas that make a game worth playing more than once.
  21. ThatGuy
    Nov 20, 2008
    4
    This was a terrible game for me, boring, repetative, difficult, strange, but not that normal for a game like this strange. This is over the top stupid and creepy strange. This is like, you expect a nice underwater land populated by at least ghosts or something, but no. Its disgusting rotten zombie people who can run and jump and shoot at the speed of light. Then these unexpected twistsThis was a terrible game for me, boring, repetative, difficult, strange, but not that normal for a game like this strange. This is over the top stupid and creepy strange. This is like, you expect a nice underwater land populated by at least ghosts or something, but no. Its disgusting rotten zombie people who can run and jump and shoot at the speed of light. Then these unexpected twists that just annoy you like big daddies and little sisters. This game was a failure, im going back to Nintendo 64 because of this. (The graphics are the same)… Expand
  22. terriblegame
    Jun 2, 2008
    0
    Couldn't stop hitting my head against the wall.
  23. EricB.
    Jul 22, 2008
    0
    Me no understand to complicated me want smash in halo no multiplayer to me want kill people for no reason.To many character and plot is hard me cant understand.
  24. AnonymousMC
    Jul 7, 2008
    1
    How can the reviewers give this such a good score?! It's got a ridiculous amount of bugs that, well, simply make the game unplayable. After a few hours, this game even gave my 360 a RRoD. Go figure -_-
    That is not the reason for the low score (though I did take a point or two more off), it's the fact this game is just average at best. Go play Halo instead. At least that game did    How can the reviewers give this such a good score?! It's got a ridiculous amount of bugs that, well, simply make the game unplayable. After a few hours, this game even gave my 360 a RRoD. Go figure -_-
    That is not the reason for the low score (though I did take a point or two more off), it's the fact this game is just average at best. Go play Halo instead. At least that game did something original and it's mostly run-and-gun.
    PC version is probably a lot better, too bad my PC can't run it    … Expand
  25. GazFlint
    Sep 1, 2009
    4
    I don't get why so many people like this game, its really repetitive, the crontrols are clunky and at times it's so stupidly hard, I died about five times in a minute once. It was just weird, it didn't know whether it wanted to be an RPG or a shooter, and didn't have the finesse of either. Most over rated game ever.
  26. TonyG.
    Oct 11, 2007
    2
    I'm shocked this game has received such acclaim. The graphics are nice and the story charming, but that's all. Gameplay is pathetically awful. Shoot, run out of ammo, & swing wrench. How this even got past playtesting is a mystery to me. Framerate begins to glitch and freeze when things get busy. Ammunition is stupidly scarce, requiring you to search every bit of garbage on the I'm shocked this game has received such acclaim. The graphics are nice and the story charming, but that's all. Gameplay is pathetically awful. Shoot, run out of ammo, & swing wrench. How this even got past playtesting is a mystery to me. Framerate begins to glitch and freeze when things get busy. Ammunition is stupidly scarce, requiring you to search every bit of garbage on the floor. Your primary weapons are zapping somebody with electricity and then clubbing them. You can't even access all the power menus from the standard game interface, these only unlock when you pick up an item. Skip this overhyped nonsense an d buy a real game like Halo 3.… Expand
  27. RyanM.
    Dec 10, 2007
    0
    I absolutley detest any game that wins the game of the year award when it not only has no multiplayer content but, cant even get the campaign single player mode to be the least bit Non-Linear... Probably the single most boring game I have ever Played, So much for taking the ratings to heart and dropping $60 on something I hated so badly I felt selling it was wrong because I would be I absolutley detest any game that wins the game of the year award when it not only has no multiplayer content but, cant even get the campaign single player mode to be the least bit Non-Linear... Probably the single most boring game I have ever Played, So much for taking the ratings to heart and dropping $60 on something I hated so badly I felt selling it was wrong because I would be putting it back into circulation.… Expand
  28. KurtC.
    Dec 28, 2007
    3
    Boring and not very good. Amazing production values (graphics/sound) and an average story, although it was presented well. The problem is the gameplay. It is just so lacking, and it is very sad to hear this compared with the System Shock games. They are in a completely different league to this game. Also, anyone who gives a game 100 out of 100, should not be in the business of reviewing anything.
  29. JayA.
    Oct 23, 2007
    1
    Certainly not worth the scores it has received. The graphics and storytelling are about all that's good - or rather, medicre - in this water-clogged interactive story. Gameplay (shoot once, run out of ammo, then pull out the wrench).
  30. JeremyL.
    Dec 7, 2007
    2
    Great graphics, good storyline, pretty good thriller. Nothing like I expected, no RPG element. Basic horror FPS. Would have been much better on PC, Xbox 360 isn't for FPS', I bought it for the RPG element it was advertised as having, and was disappointed to find that it was nothing like that.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2007
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2007
1
#1 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 88 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 88
  3. Negative: 0 out of 88
  1. ActionTrip
    92
    In a nutshell, beyond any shadow of doubt, BioShock is an excellent single-player shooter experience. The undeniable quality of this title and its emphasis on true and not pseudo-mature storytelling and character development make it a must-have for every self-respecting gamer.
    Read full review
  2. GameSpot
    90
    Its weak link is its unsatisfying no-skill-required combat, which might aim this one just over the head of the average Halo fan. But if you want to get a little fancy, there's a lot of fun to be had with some of the game's more indirect fighting methods. It builds an amazing atmosphere by using terrific graphics and sound to set a creepy mood. But BioShock's real strengths are as a compelling work of interactive fiction, and as a unique ride through a warped world with some great payoff built into its mysterious plot. If that description has you even the least bit interested, you won't be disappointed one bit.
    Read full review
  3. GameDaily
    100
    The first-person shooter's great looking, has an engrossing storyline, a perfect balance of action and exploration and a totally customizable combat system that can be described as nothing less than video game rapture.
    Read full review
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