Bioshock Review

Hi, I am Ridwan, the media critic at frenzyWeb. Bioshock is considered one of the greatest games of all time and has been stated to have the greatest story in any game period. Well, today we’re going to find out if that praise is justified. 

Story

The story of bioshock is it’s strongest aspect. The story deals with objectivism and the themes of randian philosophy. The storytelling is phenomenal. The story is told as the player plays the game. There aren’t many intrusive cut-scenes which drag the player away from their gaming experience. This form of storytelling is great as it doesn’t kill the pacing of the game. Bioshock's story drags you in and doesn’t let you go. The person who spoils the story needs to be beaten with a stick. Bioshock also uses symbolism.  Many levels tell a distinct story to the player visually. 

The gameplay

The gameplay of bioshock is like an rpg mixed with fps elements. The level design is very non linear. You can engage enemies using various tactics. You can also roam around the environment freely. No part game environment is closed off. You can also visit previous roamed areas. Roaming is encouraged in bioshock. You are also rewarded for it.  You are given many weapons. You can also upgrade them with money. You can also find many one time upgrade stations for the weapons. Upgrading the weapons is essential because as the  game advances the enemies become increasingly difficult to kill. You are also given plasmids, which are type super power. Some plasmids help to stun enemies, some help to burn. Using plasmids is pretty essential. Not all plasmids are effective on all types of enemies. This helps to create variety  in the gameplay loop. The player has to equip a set number of plasmids .  This is also great because it forces players to be mindful in their choices. The player can also use the environment to their advantage and the player can also hack turrents, security cameras  Most the enemies you will face in the game are the splicers. Most of them uses hitscaning weapons. But there is a variety among them. This changes the pace from time to time. You will fight these huge enemies called the Big daddy. They are like mini bosses. They are the main highlight of the gameplay. Fighting them can get pretty hectic and tense. Unlike most boss fights you can take the big daddies out freely. You can use a variety of methods to kill them. Such as you can trap them or face them head on. After killing the big daddies you are given a moral choice to save or kill the little sisters, who are a these little girl looking creatures. This isn’t true moral choice because it’s really black and white. In bioshock you can collect audio logs, which are audio messages. These help with storytelling.  They give away information on the world. They also give context to many of the events in the game. I really like this form of collectibles. Because it rewards the player with story bits. You can also find various chests, vaults, lockers etc that contains valuable items. You need to find the number or you can hack it to get the loot. The opening of bioshock  shows the player how different aspects work in a seamless fashion. 

The music

The music of bioshock is also excellent. Most music is from 1960s. There is tracks from Frank Sinatra and of various singers. The music really immerses  player into the environment. Gun sound and plasmid sound effects are good. 

The art style, lighting and enemy design

Unlike most modern games which use realistic graphics. Bioshock heavily uses art deco. The art style is pretty unique. The art style adds another to the immersion of the player. The environment design is top notch too. Each place has a distinct theme to it. As rapture is falling you can see water seep through the walls, floors. Enemies design is splendid. The splicers have these wounded look to them. They look like injured victims of war. The design of the big daddies is awesome. They look like 19^th century divers. My description doesn’t do any justice to it. You really have to see it. 

The voice acting and dialog

Bioshock has one of the best voice acting. No voice actor seems miscast. They all deliver their dialog competently.  The voice acting contributes large factor to the player immersion. The voice actors don’t say any line that breaks immersion. The voice actor for Andrew Ryan and Atlas really steal the show. The dialog is of great standard. Some of the splicers say some these small bits of dialog which also tells their story or state of mind. I really like these small details. 

The demerits

The last part of bioshock is lack luster. It doesn’t have a good pacing. Moreover last part has an escort mission, one of most hated mission types in all of gaming. It wouldn’t be a problem if it execution was so bad. Another glaring fault is as the game progresses the splicers become bullet sponges. Not even a shotgun round to the head kills them. That’s really unfair.

 Despite having it’s faults bioshock is anomaly in gaming these days. It’s game which was created by individuals who are passionate about it.  It goes to show to that all games doesn’t need cutscenes,  microtransanctions, online modes and generic stories. Bioshock is without a doubt one of the greatest games of all time. Bioshock is  not only a game, it’s piece of high art.