Xbox 360 - BioShock Review

Bioshock here may look unusual because it has this very weird story line attach to it but the game is so visually stunning and so well crafted that you just have to see this intense First Person Shooter for yourself.

The story is going to be hard to explain but I'll try my best. Many years ago in the early 1990's a man named Andrew Ryan (cool name by the way) created his own city underwater simply called Rapture where the citizens were free of religion and could practice any scientific theory they liked. It was supposed to be this fantastic new age world where humans would have all these amazing super natural powers but something very wrong happened. You play as a man that was just in a plane crash and you suddenly discover this strange place now in ruins. Many of the residents are not too happy to see you and it quickly becomes a quest for survival.

Maybe the main reason everyone is going so crazy in Rapture is because of all the different powers the residents can 'inject' themselves with. Shooting yourself up with some strange multi-coloured juice may look pretty disgusting but it can give you special powers like having the chance to throw electricity, fire, and even bees right from your hand. You can still use traditional weapons like wrenches and shot guns if you run low on the special Kool Aid here too.

Of course to get the best stuff you're going to need to spend a lot of this loot called Adam in the game's vending machines. One great source of Adam is this weird group of creepy young girls known as Little Sisters and this is where the real tough moral decision lies. You have two options when you confront one of these brats: you can be the good guy and free them from their twisted mutated state and be the big hero or you can just be a complete jerk and steal all their power for yourself instead (heh heh). Finding these girls is easier said then done especially when they are being protected by these giant hulks known as Big Daddies. These guys don't mess around because if they catch you trying to harm a Little Sister they won't hesitate to take their arm drill and rip you to pieces.

Another thing that helps Bioshock stand out from the pack of 360 titles is the classic 1900's feel here. This fully 3D underwater world is filled with a large variety of visually stunning retro style structures and different signs plus a lot of audio messages actually sound like they are coming from classic radios or something really old to complete the classical theme.

OK, the story is pretty crazy but it's very original too plus the game is constantly throwing new weapons, mini games, and leaving you clues so it drives you to continue playing till you learn every dirty little secret. Bioshock maybe one of those type of game you never heard of before (one of my friends didn't even know about it and he has a 360 too) but doesn't stop it from being one of the best looking and most action packed titles for the system so far. The game is a breath of fresh air for the tired FPS scene and I'm also hoping this wasn't based on a real story or we are in a lot of trouble!

Bioshock overall rating: 97/100

For 1 player only
Rated (M) for Mature
graphics: 10/10
sound: 9/10
gameplay: 10/10
replay: 9/10

-StarSoldier1 2007
(Ryan Genno)