Bioshock is a revolutionary gaming masterpiece that you simply must experience.
In the beginning moments of the game you will already get sucked into a perfect blend of excitement and creepiness even though it starts out kind of random and confusing. You play as a man named Jack during 1960, and you're on a plane that suddenly crashes in the middle of the ocean. The fire is nearly surrounding you so you need to swim to somewhere safe. For some reason, there is a lone lighthouse on a small piece of land not far from the crash site which you enter. You then enter a bathysphere, and immediately realize just how incredibly looking Bioshock is as you descend towards a giant underwater city: Rapture.
Rapture is run by a man named Andrew Ryan, and the bathysphere plays a recorded speech of Ryan explaining what Rapture is, why he built it, and why it's better than the surface. If you pay attention to the city while in the bathysphere, you will notice that it appears run-down and damaged. When the bathysphere reaches its destination, you can tell that there is something wrong. There isn't much lighting, and the surroundings look very unkempt. Moments later, you realize that Rapture is nothing like Ryan said it was. You attain a radio from the bathysphere, and start communicating with a man named Atlas. His first words to you are "My name is Atlas, and I aim to keep you alive." This sentence, combined with the eerie details of your surroundings, let you know that this is definitely not somewhere you want to be. So begins the atmospheric creepiness, and your adventure through the brilliantly done ruins of Ryan's sanctuary.
Rapture was an ideal of Ryan to create a world where man had the power. Mankind would be free, and there wouldn't be any controversy like in the real world. The city is full of scientific ingenuity: from extensive genetic mutation, to intelligent machines and robots, and various mad experiments. The people in Rapture, also known as "splicers," have been genetically altered and are controlled by Andrew Ryan, thus making them extremely hostile towards you as Ryan thinks you are an unwanted intruder who is a threat to his power. There are a wide range of enemies in the game. There are many different types of splicers with unique abilities and gadgets roaming the dark halls of Rapture, and you learn more about them by taking pictures of them. The machines scattered throughout Rapture are also controlled by Ryan. These include security cameras, various turrets, and small flying robots with guns that act as "mechanical security officers." One of the coolest, and strategically necessary, things to do is hack these machines. You can do this with the press of a button, and it opens a mini-game in which you will have to make some form of liquid reach point A to point B through a pipeline which you construct. Once these machines are hacked they are now on your side, and will attack your enemies. The flying robots follow you around the city until they are destroyed, and it's pretty awesome, and much more securing, when you have 3 of these things thrusting bullets into the flesh of the splicers.
There are also vending machines placed around the city which allow you to buy more ammo and health etc., but what is really neat are the "Gatherer's Gardens." These are machines in which you purchase plasmids. Plasmids are a huge part of what make Bioshock so unique and addictive. Plasmids genetically alter your DNA so that you can essentially use superpowers from your left hand. You can freeze, cast fire, send out electricity, use telekinesis, or even shoot bees right from your arms. These abilities enhance the combat and make fighting in the game a lot more enjoyable. They are also used in unique ways outside of head to head combat. You will use them to interact with the environment as well. As you progress through the game, you receive more plasmids as well as tonics, which essentially also alter your DNA to give you perks such as extra strength or health much like a role-playing game. However these are not purchased with money, they are purchased with ADAM. ADAM is what allows all of these mutations to take place, and everyone left in Rapture wants more of it to become more genetically altered. The only way to receive ADAM is by finding scary looking possessed little girls called the "little sisters." The girls' minds are being controlled by a bug and their only job is to harvest ADAM throughout the city from dead corpses. They are guarded by the toughest enemies in the game: the "Big Daddies." When you see these things, you know you're in trouble. They are huge, imposing, and extremely powerful almost mech-like monsters, whose only job is to protect the little sister at all costs. They are extremely tough to beat, especially early on in the game. They are very strong, they do a ton of damage, and they move lightning quick. Once the Big Daddy guarding the little sister is destroyed, you can now decide how to attain the ADAM held by the girl. There are two options: either kill them and get a large amount of ADAM, or free them from their horrid state and transform them back into normal girls for a much less amount of ADAM. This is where morality comes into play, and the way you deal with these girls has a strong effect on you campaign, as they are a very huge part of the game. Depending on how you deal with these girls, three different endings are possible. This is very similar to an RPG in which you have to choose between good and evil.
It is certainly worth praising the presentational achievement that Bioshock is. The game is visually stunning. The splicers are well animated, and move in very sporadic and crazy ways like they should. The Big Daddy's lumber along perfectly with an extreme sense of grace and power. There is a huge amount of detail in the city itself. The surrounding ocean looks very organic, and the sections of Rapture are all special in their own way. The lighting is spot on, and really contributes to Bioshock's amazing atmosphere. The voice acting and sound effects are outstanding as well. The sound of gun fire, explosions, psychotic splicers, and Big Daddy footsteps will send a rush through your veins. All of the characters in the game are very well acted, and make them come alive.
With all of the super stuff that Bioshock has going for it, it seems as though it's the perfect game: almost, but not quite. Your conventional weapons don't do that much damage, and the combat is kind of clumsy. Bosses are very difficult to beat, and fights can get pretty overwhelming at times. The game also never really sacrifices much when you die. There are numerous glass tubes scattered around Rapture called "Vita Chambers," and every time you pass one of them, you will re-spawn at the last one you passed. You still have a lot of what you did before you died, which makes the game quite forgiving. However these are very minuscule complaints in a game that does so many things so perfectly.
As you get engulfed into the world of Rapture, you will encounter many shocking and exciting moments. The story is brilliantly done, and has many surprises and astonishing revelations. There are old recordings left by people who inhabited Rapture before everything went haywire. These recordings give great background information and a deeper understanding of Rapture, its inhabitants, and its decline into corruption. You will probably scavenge the city looking for these recordings, which is a very good idea. The game rewards you for exploration in other ways as well, including finding the little sisters. The several plasmids and tonics make for great character customization. It is revolutionary aspects of the game like these that make Bioshock so incredible. No other game can make your heart drop, your eyes bulge, your mind boggle, your palms sweat, your stomach have butterflies, your emotions run wild, and draw you into one of the greatest stories ever created all at the same time better than Bioshock.