Bioshock

*WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS*

The 1960’s were a simpler time. Scratchy records crooned soulful music to the ears of Americans and chivalry had yet to kick the bucket. However, according to 2K’s successful action game, Bioshock, the 1960’s were far from perfect. Located beneath an abandoned lighthouse nestled in an indiscreet section of the ocean lay one man’s attempt to recreate paradise on earth: Rapture. Thus underwater city was the result of the efforts of a man known as Andrew Ryan, a visionary who dreamed of a place separated from the greedy clutches of the outside world, where the working man could earn his wages free from any sort of tyranny or government intervention.

Yet, Rapture did not stay the paradise Andrew Ryan had once envisioned. With the introduction of unique elements known as plasmids – substances with the ability to alter people’s genetic codes and grant superhuman capabilities – Rapture quickly became a mausoleum inhabited by only a few survivors and a plethora of mutated, violent, plasmid-addicted creatures known as Splicers. The only sense of order left in Rapture lay in the relationship between two key players: the Little Sisters and the Big Daddies. Little Sisters are children programmed to recover the remnants of plasmids (something known as Adam) from the corpses of Splicers. The Big Daddies are hulking automatons programmed only to protect the Little Sisters as they harvest Adam.

As the protagonist, you play a young gentleman known only as Jack (whose face you never see). You are the sole survivor of a plane crash that takes place directly adjacent to the lighthouse under which Rapture was constructed. As you stumble from the wreckage of the plane and into the lighthouse, you discover a submarine-like device that delivers you straight into the bowels of Rapture. Once within the dark interior, you find yourself being guided by the voice of a man who identifies himself as Atlas. Atlas directs Jack to arm himself with a variety of weapons, including several guns and a wrench, as well as inject himself with a dose of plasmids, ultimately granting Jack several superhuman abilities, such as the ability to throw bolts of lightning, bursts of fire, and swarms of bees (yes bees) from his hands. Armed with these abilities, Jack pushes ever deeper into the Splicer-infested confines of Rapture in search of Andrew Ryan and the means to return to the surface world.

Bioshock was one of those games that defined a genre. It was equal parts class and fashion and equal parts horror and fever dream. One moment you could be reveling in the unique art style and design of Bioshock and the next be battling for your life against waves of marauding mutants. The best part was that these two sides of the equation never seemed to be at odds with one another. They flowed seamlessly together like milk and Hershey’s syrup to create a delicious concoction of style and gameplay that I still enjoy today. The most memorable section of the game for me exemplified this beautiful dichotomy. There is a moment in Bioshock when you are pitted against the minions of a maddened connoisseur of the theatre. As they run toward you wielding pipes and shrieking their hatred, strains of Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker echo through the decrepit halls. I never get tired of playing this section of the game. For me, there’s something deeply satisfying about bashing in the head of an onscreen mutant while listening to classical music.

Needless to say, the art style of Bioshock was second only to its impeccably crafted story. Seriously, the plot in Bioshock is next to none. To spoil it for those who have yet to play the game would be blasphemous, so I won’t. Nevertheless, I will say that I have yet to witness the climax of Bioshock’s plot without getting gooseflesh (and I have played through Bioshock at least half a dozen times). As you progress through the game, you can pick up radio recordings of conversations from key characters that provide adequate back story and information on the founding and fall of Rapture. These recordings serve only to punctuate the ultimate climax of the game, but they are well worth the time it takes to find them all.

Music and sound quality fit the style of Bioshock perfectly. The soundtrack isn’t anything to write home about, but its soothing strings and smattering of classic songs from the 50’s and 60’s support the overall feel of Bioshock without detracting from the action. Sound effects are great. Footsteps echo across metal floors with surprising accuracy. Water splashes and flows across the submarine-like interior of Rapture with realistic quality. The voices of Splicers are genuinely creepy and tend to keep players on edge.

Graphics in Bioshock are reminiscent of original Xbox games of its time. Quality isn’t superb next to today’s standards, but it isn’t distracting in any sense of the word. I suppose someone who picked up and played Bioshock for the first time could find something to complain about graphics-wise, but it would likely be a small complaint in comparison to the overall excellence of the game.

VERDICT

I personally cannot find any complaints with Bioshock. I didn’t find the soundtrack or final boss fight to be spectacular, but such things are petty in the grand scheme of things. Anyone who has not yet played the original Bioshock is missing out on an experience that both defined a genre and set a standard by which future games would follow.

SCORE: 9.5/10