Welcome to Bioshock. Welcome to Rapture.
Audio 9/10: The audio in this game is magnificent, from splicer's deranged screams to the various audio diaries scattered around the place. All of it is fine tuned and ready to be enjoyed. You can hear everything down the eerie halls of Rapture. Big Daddies steps, Little Sisters humming, guns being shot, electricity coursing through your enemies bodies, everything. And it is all very well put together. Some audio diaries, unfortunantly, dont have the wonderful sound you'd expect from them, but its no big complaint.
Graphics 8.5/10: It's easy to pick at the little visual problems in Bioshock, but what you want to look at is the beauty of the underwater city Rature. Everything you see is well crafted, and even the wrecks and leaks look well put together. What I dont enjoy about the great graphics is the framerate lag. There is a framerate lock, but there are problems. Without using the framerate lock, you can easily see the slowdowns and lags from even WALKING! But with framerate lock, everything is fast and smooth, but when turning you line of sight, its pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to aim because of the terrible graphics. Other than that, everything looks spectacular, up close or not.
Weapons 9.5/10: You get a fair amount of guns in this game, and the physics and gunplay are very well done! Various upgrades for each weapon keep things fresh, and special ammunition for each weapon is a good way to switch things up. I only wish there were more melee weapons, though the wrench does have interesting tonics, it makes melee only playthroughs that much harder. The game REALLY shines in the plasmids. Plasmids are powered by Eve, which genetically modifies your body. Plasmids are weapons that are literally your body! You can set a splicer on fire by a flick of your fingers or throw a grenade back at a splicer by using Telekinesis! It is such a new way to place, and it is very welcome to the strange land of Rapture! Also, there is a wide variety of Plasmids, from one that freezes a man solid to one that sents security after a splicer of choice.
Overall 9/10: This is a game I will remember for quite awhile, although its not perfect. The story is hard to catch onto, but once you get it, its an exciting ride. Many choices, from choosing to harvest or rescue a little sister to choosing what gene tonics to have, make this game one that will soon become one of your favourites. Cheers.