This is the best first person shooter I have ever played.
Your character, Jack, begins on a plane flying across the Atlantic Ocean. Where you are going, where you came from and why you are on the plane is not revealed...yet.
"My parents told me: 'Son, you're special. You were born to do
great things.' You know what? They were right"
With that, the plane crashes into the ocean. You now take control of your character, swimming and ending up on a mysterious island, with a lighthouse sticking up.
You enter the lighthouse, go into a bathysphere, and end up in "Rapture", a paradise gone wrong.
Right from the beginning, the game grips you. What happened to Rapture? Who is Atlas? How do you get out of here? All of these questions are answered in due time, but with every question answered, three more spring up.
Splicers are the primary enemy in the game. These come in different varieties, each with different attacks and behaviour. Thuggish Splicers will run up and melee you, while Nitro Splicers attack you with grenades.
In addition to these, we have the Big Daddies. These lumbering giants protect Little Sisters, twisted little girls who collect ADAM. Why these Little Sisters exist is another of BioShock's mysteries.
As well as numerous guns, such as a machine gun, shotgun and crossbow, you have access to powers called Plasmids. These are bought with the ADAM you gain from Little Sisters, and are generally offensive, such as Electro Bolt and Bee Swarm. A strategy incorporating both Plasmids and weapons is essential for surviving Rapture.
The visual design is excellent, really giving the impression of a twisted city and instilling suspense. The graphical quality is very good, but a few textures need some work.
The sound is clear, sound effects are appropriate, the soundtrack is fitting and voice acting is diverse and excellent.
The SELECT menu screen feels authentic, and even the pause screen looks like it is from the 1950s, when the game is set. A variety of options can be tweaked to change the game.
After you have finished the game, you will want to go through again, to get the other ending. You will want to go through several more times to collect all of the available trophies. After all this, there are challenge rooms to download which will take you several hours to complete.
BioShock is a truly excellent game, one which I can recommend to anybody not easily disturbed.
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Sound: 10/10
Presentation: 9.5/10
Lasting Appeal: 9/10
FINAL SCORE: 9.6/10.