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. StevenR
    Dec 1, 2009
    6
    The game had me sold in the first 20min. I was real into it. Then I came across "WELCOME TO THE CIRUS OF VALUE!! HAHAHA" and all of the immersion went right out the window. Enemies yelling crazed things such as "WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE" seemed like it should feel creepy, but it just wasn't. Insanity doesn't work that way. Then I got an upclose look to a character The game had me sold in the first 20min. I was real into it. Then I came across "WELCOME TO THE CIRUS OF VALUE!! HAHAHA" and all of the immersion went right out the window. Enemies yelling crazed things such as "WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE" seemed like it should feel creepy, but it just wasn't. Insanity doesn't work that way. Then I got an upclose look to a character model after "splicing up" for the first time. They put a mask on the character to draw attention, but I noticed it clearly -- none of the models in the game have mouth anitmations unless its in a video. From a visual standpoint the game is far and below expectations. If a character wasn't an invisible voice, then it was cut off by walls, windows, or fences, like it's an event on a stage. Model physics were terrible, they failed to add in the part where models stop calculating where they should be, and as a result you get twitching limbs and at times bodies like in Oblivion. Adding bloom effects to everything did not cover up the weak visuals. Half Life 1, played today, paints a more immersive and real-felling environment. When will companys learn that putting graphics through a presto-machine doesn't make them good? It's like trying to have a computer generate a painting--has no soul and feels like crap. Leave FPS's with immersive story up to Valve. For this game to get reviews better than Half Life 2 is a sin.… Expand
  2. JamminJ
    Oct 31, 2009
    6
    This game was not my cup of tea. I bought it used and traded back in after the first play through, which took 2 days. The environment, which is touted more than anything else, can be summed up as such: Gotham City under water. I will not likely play the sequel but I can understand how others really enjoyed the game.
  3. DanielB
    Jul 15, 2009
    6
    I can tell from the majority of other reviews that this game ranks highly on other people's list. Let me be clear, in no way do I feel this is a bad game. On the other hand I do not see how it achieved such a loyal fan base, insistent on giving it a ten out of ten. I rented the game due to a personal doctrine of only renting games that are single player only. Soon after, I found my I can tell from the majority of other reviews that this game ranks highly on other people's list. Let me be clear, in no way do I feel this is a bad game. On the other hand I do not see how it achieved such a loyal fan base, insistent on giving it a ten out of ten. I rented the game due to a personal doctrine of only renting games that are single player only. Soon after, I found my rental period expired and I had only played approximately a fifth of the game. It frankly did not appeal to me as much as thought it would. The graphics and the art direction were good. The story is at best a weak tribute, or at worst a rip off, of Ayn Rand's book "Atlas Shrugged". The game play is a repetitive mashing of FPS elements with "cabinet-opening", tied together with hacking minigames and collecting recording of various charters to move the story along. The game is a high note in art direction and fidelity, but falls flat in game play and story telling.… Expand
  4. Ray
    Nov 10, 2007
    6
    Bioshock, at first, was full of so much hope.. we consumers lead to believe from the previews a few months back. Then came one of those familiar days when a game is released on a Friday, in which many people rush out from Work or School to buy 'the most anticipated game of the year'. I have done this with many games, including Bioshock on release day. I payed £40 for this Bioshock, at first, was full of so much hope.. we consumers lead to believe from the previews a few months back. Then came one of those familiar days when a game is released on a Friday, in which many people rush out from Work or School to buy 'the most anticipated game of the year'. I have done this with many games, including Bioshock on release day. I payed £40 for this game and i kept telling myself it's going to be an amazing game based on final reviews of top end magazines and websites.. i didn't find one bad review out there. I played the game for 2 hours straight, and i thought to myself 'yeah, i'm slowly getting into this..it's great!'. Yet as i progressed further into the game i realised it's the same thing over and over. There's only 2 types of enemies really.. the pathetic, annoying, running splicers and the big daddy's. There is a limited choice of weapons and ammo throughout the game and you will find yourself on 90% of occasions just using your wrench and plasmids. You will neally always be lacking ammo for your selection of nice looking weapons. The environment always looks similar to where you just left no matter where you go, and the compass arrow is painfully sensitive to your movement that it can be easy to go around in circles in some places. Overall this could have been a great title had 2K added a handfull of more gameplay features such as loads more ammo, a bigger variety of AI to encounter, and a less linear envionment leaving the user with a feeling of DeJavu. The only thing that is near brilliant is the storyline. Also, where on earth is the multiplayer? It is essential these days to have a multiplayer mode packed with a 'big FPS game' like this (could have been). If you want to play a great FPS that has multiplayer get Gears of War, Call Of Duty 4, or perhaps Halo 3 (the 3 biggest titles on the 360 thus far).… Expand
  5. Mrfairratex
    Nov 16, 2007
    6
    This game is over-rated. It was pretty fun but it took me five days to beat and when you play the story, you don't encounter any problems with flooding. OK so the city is underwater.... SO WHAT. The fact that the city is underwater has no effect in the game.
  6. Imawesomes
    Nov 16, 2007
    6
    The game was went by too fast and battling the last boss made me feel like I was playing some crappy Nintendo game. This game is worth a rent but definitely not worth a buy no matter how pretty the cover looks.
  7. RayM.
    Aug 31, 2007
    6
    Beautiful game but it gets as dull as hell! The game play is just boring and repetitive. The final boss must have taken about 5 minutes to design! The most over rated game I've ever played. Story? What story about as deep as Doom 3.
  8. giancarlobellino
    Feb 16, 2008
    6
    deff not the best game ever.......... deff not the best game for the 360....... story line is not original if ur a hardcore gamer its one of thos plot twist good guy is bad guy kinda game.... it really isnt anything special the whole idia for the game was amazying but everyone has hyped up this game WAAAAAAAAAAAAY MORE then its cut out to be
  9. Nosidda89
    Mar 12, 2011
    6
    I have been meaning to do this review for a long time, to express my thoughts on what is being called the best video game of all time. I very strongly dsiagree, because we all know that title belongs to Zelda Ocarina of Time. As proof, take a look at their meat scores. You think Bioshocks 96 is really high? How about Ocarina of Time's 99? Last I checked, 99 is 3 points higher, BOOM! lol! II have been meaning to do this review for a long time, to express my thoughts on what is being called the best video game of all time. I very strongly dsiagree, because we all know that title belongs to Zelda Ocarina of Time. As proof, take a look at their meat scores. You think Bioshocks 96 is really high? How about Ocarina of Time's 99? Last I checked, 99 is 3 points higher, BOOM! lol! I will say this though, I don't think Bioshock is a bad game at all, in fact I think it's an OK game. But the best game of all time?? That is why Bioshock is the 3rd most overrated game of all time, followed by WOW at #2, and Black Ops at #1. I played Bioshock all the way through the main story, andf the story is pretty dull actually. The problem with the story is that it has been done to death. You get stuck in an underwater city, and the whole story is trying to get out, and trying to kill all the zombies that are coming after you. I bet the whole reason this story is so popular is because of the zombies. Well they're not technically zombies, but I call them that because there really is no difference between the enemies in this game, and actual zombies. But everyone seems to think that it doesn't matter what the story is, if it involves killing zombies with a shotgun, it's an automatic 10/10. Sorry guys, that's not how it works. I grow very tired of all these zombie killing games being the most popular games, zombie killing has been done, and done, and done, and done, AND DONE! How about something different, like what Resident Evil 4 did. They weren't zombies at all, they were parasites that actually had enough brains to pick up weapons instead of just randomly coming at you trying to eat your brains. In Bioshock, they are people changed from experiments, but they still act like zombies, so it's the same thing as zombie killing, again, done to death. So believe me when I say tat the story is nowhere near special and different, cause it's not. My main complaint about Bioshock, however, is that it's a shooter, WITH NO MULTIPLAYER! Really?! A shooter, without multiplayer?! That makes no sense. I mean, think about it. Why do people enjoy shooters so much? Simple, they love the multiplayer. Talk to anyone who likes playing shooters, they will always tell you that the main element required in any great shooter is fun multiplayer. Bioshock has non, NON, NADA, NO JACK. It's just the main story, that's it. The game deducted alot of points from me for not having multiplayer. I'm sure if it had multiplayer, I would give it like maybe an 8, but it's a 6 because it has no multiplayer, and the story is very unoriginal. Now I'm not saying the game isn't fun, it's good for one play through, but only one. The game literally has no replay value, so you probably do what I did, complete the main story, then trade it in. It is fun to fight the big daddies though, whenever I saw a big daddy ahead, I thougt "OH CRAP!" If a game makes you think that alot like this game, it's doing something good. Because it puts fear into playing the game, you never know when you'll come across a big daddy, and lemee tell you those things are a b**ch. They can also be pretty scary. The gameplay mechanics are well put together, mixing up using powers and a gun is very nice and fun. As far as the graphics go, they look very epic and realistic, graphics whores will really enjoy the graphics alot, lol. Of course the zombie killing can be fun too, but it's like I said, it's been done alot. One thing Bioshock failed to do is add some spice to make zombie killing different, and special. Using powers like lightening and flame is a nice add on for sure, but it needs more than that. The game is in desperate need of multiplayer, maybe a horde mode where you and your friends can fight these creatures together like you did in Gears of War 2, and end a round with a big daddy fight, that would've been awesome. I think one thing Bioshock was trying to do was trail back to the days of DOOM, where you didn't play shooters for multiplayer, but for killing monsters for fun. While this may apply to some people, multiplayer is a necessity in shooters of our generation. So if you're going to make a shooter, make sure it has multiplayer. I realize that Bioshock 2 has multiplayer now, but Bioshock 2 is said to be nowhere near as good as the first game. So although the game fixed itself by adding multiplayer to the sequal, the point is you should've had multiplayer to start with, instead of adding it to the inferior sequal. Overall, Bioshock is pretty decent, and is probably worth one playthrough. However, the game is too highly hyped, and so Bioshock, as good as it is, is still the 3rd most overrated game of all time. A 6/10.… Expand
  10. VilleH.
    Sep 9, 2007
    5
    It's an OK shooter. But in the end, the plot is preachy and overwrought with a ridiculous twist false ending, and the game mechanics quickly become stale and dull. Constant 'inventory' juggling is awkward, there are about four types of enemy in total, and unending repetition of a watered-down version of Pipe Dreams (the 'hacking' subgame) drives you up a wall. It's an OK shooter. But in the end, the plot is preachy and overwrought with a ridiculous twist false ending, and the game mechanics quickly become stale and dull. Constant 'inventory' juggling is awkward, there are about four types of enemy in total, and unending repetition of a watered-down version of Pipe Dreams (the 'hacking' subgame) drives you up a wall. It's pretty good. But it's not that great.… Expand
  11. NicholasH.
    Dec 12, 2008
    5
    This game was mediocre, not good and especially not great. Problem is, the hype machine made the game to be much more than it is. If you expect a lot of this game, prepare for disappointment. If you expect little, you will have a "decent" experience.
  12. LegendiusM.
    Mar 5, 2008
    5
    Ok, my friend hated this game, I read the reviews here and thought he must be an idiot so I bought it. AND IT SUCKS! I don't get it, I really don't. The shooting is average at best, the enemies are boring, those stupid hacking puzzles are just plain retarded, and the story? Nothing great in my opinion. I will admit that I only played about 5 hours but how can a game that's Ok, my friend hated this game, I read the reviews here and thought he must be an idiot so I bought it. AND IT SUCKS! I don't get it, I really don't. The shooting is average at best, the enemies are boring, those stupid hacking puzzles are just plain retarded, and the story? Nothing great in my opinion. I will admit that I only played about 5 hours but how can a game that's so fundamentally flawed get such universal praise??? I cannot find a bad review for this game anywhere. Please flame me, please tell me I'm a retard, please tell me WHAT IS SO DAMN GOOD ABOUT THIS GAME!… Expand
  13. CoreyN
    Jul 31, 2009
    5
    Gameplay was over complicated and repetitive. AI was very weak, they just rushed at me. Story was predictable, contrived, poorly delivered, and unsatisfying. The world was unbelievable. I could not get immersed in it because there was no way to understand it at all. Hacking was fun the first 3 times. Then it became a miserable grind. It was full of bugs, including at least 4 crashes. I Gameplay was over complicated and repetitive. AI was very weak, they just rushed at me. Story was predictable, contrived, poorly delivered, and unsatisfying. The world was unbelievable. I could not get immersed in it because there was no way to understand it at all. Hacking was fun the first 3 times. Then it became a miserable grind. It was full of bugs, including at least 4 crashes. I was really excited to play this game, given all the great reviews it got. Too bad it was a run of the mill FPS with nothing new to offer. Why is it considered so great? Is it just because its not "Aliens in Space" or WWII? A 96 game should offer more than just a different setting.… Expand
  14. JoshQ.
    Nov 22, 2007
    5
    Note that I love both RPG and FPS genres very much and that i was awaiting bioshock months before release. Bioshock is extremely overrated. There's too many false prelease features to even name. Overall, the game has little if any RPG aspect, its completely linear, the environment is static (which is completely what it was meant not to be), theres only 6 guns and 2 upgrades per which Note that I love both RPG and FPS genres very much and that i was awaiting bioshock months before release. Bioshock is extremely overrated. There's too many false prelease features to even name. Overall, the game has little if any RPG aspect, its completely linear, the environment is static (which is completely what it was meant not to be), theres only 6 guns and 2 upgrades per which dont rlly add much to the game, wen i was goin thru it i didnt really say much to myself but wen i completeled i realized i had no fun and beat it just to satisfy myself rather than leaving a purchased game incomplete, tehre's just too much I could say to make a small comment on it.… Expand
  15. Codename47
    Sep 30, 2007
    5
    I felt that this was quite an average game to be honest. After the ridiculously high scores its been getting i've failed to see what the game's innovations are. Going from room to room killing the same looking monsters this is little more than an overhyped version of Doom. Bioshock's aving saving grace comes in the form of the Big Daddy, Arguble the best feature of the game I felt that this was quite an average game to be honest. After the ridiculously high scores its been getting i've failed to see what the game's innovations are. Going from room to room killing the same looking monsters this is little more than an overhyped version of Doom. Bioshock's aving saving grace comes in the form of the Big Daddy, Arguble the best feature of the game after another letdown of the so called morale decision involving the Little Sister.… Expand
  16. KentL
    Feb 14, 2009
    5
    BioShock is a first person shooter that doesn't offer the excitement of other games in the genre. Beyond that, it has uninteresting settings and boring enemies. The only good thing that the game offers is the story, but it is dragged down by the rest of the game.
  17. SpunkyMonkey
    Nov 14, 2011
    5
    Bioshock certainly isn't a terrible game by any means, I played it all the way through to the finish and certainly had some fun in the process, however two fundemental design choices kill any real excitement that the game has to offer - Firstly you can only carry a certain amount of ammo - now this wouldn't be so bad but you can go from full to empty in no time at all, which doesn't addBioshock certainly isn't a terrible game by any means, I played it all the way through to the finish and certainly had some fun in the process, however two fundemental design choices kill any real excitement that the game has to offer - Firstly you can only carry a certain amount of ammo - now this wouldn't be so bad but you can go from full to empty in no time at all, which doesn't add anything to the tension, it just means that you spend ages searching every nook and cranny for additional ammo, which you then despense with in seconds again, on so on, and so on; it really does turn sections of the game into nothing but a chore. Secondly, if you die you just re-spawn a few steps away, there's no real bad side to dying in the game and once you realise this the whole excercise feels pointless. There's a few nice bits in there, but it's just a very average shooter for me that won't live very long in the memory.… Expand
  18. Stfu_Noobs
    Nov 20, 2011
    5
    I don't even know. The stroy was kinda dumb, the gameplay was weird but cool and the graphics were sick. it wasn't main stream then now it is. People were like bro you've never play bioshock you gotta play it. So i beat it and was like that game was just whatever.
  19. Antilulz
    Feb 26, 2022
    5
    I never got the hype, and still do not to this day.

    Gameplay extremely repetitive and boring. Technical aspects were good but nothing special imo for the time it released. (Sound/Graphics) Even the story nothing too special imo. TBH I enjoyed the atmosphere from the exceptionally stellar world design the most. I remember getting so bored of it back in '08 I quit after an hour.    I never got the hype, and still do not to this day.

    Gameplay extremely repetitive and boring.
    Technical aspects were good but nothing special imo for the time it released. (Sound/Graphics)
    Even the story nothing too special imo.
    TBH I enjoyed the atmosphere from the exceptionally stellar world design the most.

    I remember getting so bored of it back in '08 I quit after an hour. Forced myself to play through it years later, and kind of wish I had used the time for some other activity/game.    … Expand
  20. 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.
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  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. 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.
  27. Wackelpudding
    Dec 28, 2007
    4
    The hype for Bioshock only confuses me. Gets on my nerves actually. The only truly impressive element of the graphics compared to other new releases is the water (and blood), the weaponry and models remind me far too much of something like Time Splitters, cartoony and flimsy. The 'atmosphere' becomes dull, and the gameplay is repetitive. I found it a quickly tedious The hype for Bioshock only confuses me. Gets on my nerves actually. The only truly impressive element of the graphics compared to other new releases is the water (and blood), the weaponry and models remind me far too much of something like Time Splitters, cartoony and flimsy. The 'atmosphere' becomes dull, and the gameplay is repetitive. I found it a quickly tedious bodge-together of older ideas: not much more than Deus Ex plus timesplitters with backdrops like the rendered locations from point and click adventure games of Yore. The 'style' is uninspiring. I cannot understand it's popularity. On PC, I found this game Seriously Disappointing.… Expand
  28. BabS.
    Dec 4, 2007
    4
    An ok shooter. The story is not catching at all, and the RPG elements are practically non existent. The big daddies are neither scary, and you meet them all the time. You can always predict what is to happen, and the enemies are neither variated. The "moral" choice is only to kill the evil small girls or let them go, big choice.
  29. 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
  30. 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!
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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.
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  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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