I promised myself I would write the reviews as soon as I finish the game, so no major details slip my mind a month later, when I finally sit down to write. So here goes. I just finished Bioshock (the first one) and got (obviously) the good ending.
This review may contain spoilers. If you haven’t played the game yet, maybe you should skip this. Although I highly doubt there are many gamers who haven’t played it yet. I’m still catching up, slow but steady.
The setting
Bioshock is a FPS where you play as Jack, who is involved in a plain crash above the Pacific Ocean in 1960. He then swims to the nearest “land”, which is nothing less than an entrance to Rapture, an underwater city created by Andrew Ryan. While diving you get contacted through radio by a guy named Atlas, who offers to guide you through Rapture. The journey through the end is spliced up (see what I did there?) with genetically modified humans (called Splicers) that have gone insane and have different types of powers. Some may shoot you, some may burn you, some may try to electrocute you. You too can alter you DNA and gather numerous powers, either by finding power-ups while exploring, or by buying/upgrading at a Gene Bank.
You find more about Rapture as you play, through Audio Diaries. Some contain important information (like security codes) and I definitely advise to listen to as many as you can.
Gameplay
As said earlier, your opponents are pretty nasty and not very good looking. I played the first hour feeling a bit scared, not knowing what will come out of a corner or sneak up on me from above. But you get used to it.
There are two types of currencies in the game – dollars and ADAM. ADAM is the substance that can help you upgrade your powers (plasmids) and further alter your DNA. You can gather ADAM from the Little Sisters – either by saving them or killing them. Killing them will grant you more ADAM, but saving them will be more rewarding in the end :). Every Little Sister has a Big Daddy protecting her, as the ADAM that she carries is the most important thing in Rapture. Big Daddies are hard to kill at first, but it gets easier once you learn a few tricks. I personally liked to kill them with Trip Wires from the Crossbow and a few Mines scattered on the floor.
Dollars can help you get First Aid kits and Eve kits and ammo. Eve is what you need to be able to use plasmids. It gets used pretty fast, but there are a few upgrades to reduce your EVE consumption. I also used the Eve Link power-up, which made the First Aid Kits grant me some Eve too.
There is a lot freedom in how you choose to play. Looking back, I realise that the Plasmids I actually used are very few in numbers. I sometimes hypnothized the Big Daddies to trick them I’m a Little Sister that needs protection, but definitely the most used one was the Electricity (Electro…something, not sure how its called) as it stunned opponents and usually gave me enough time to kill them with the shotgun if they really made it so close to me.
There are also lots of security cameras and turrets that you can choose to hack and use them to your own benefit. Electricity comes in handy here too. Hacking is very easy at first, but it gets complicated further on and I just gave up and used auto-hacking tools when I really needed too and had them available.
One of the weapons you can choose from is a Camera. I found this concept very interesting. You can make photos of the various splicers you encounter and when the Camera has enough info, it grants you with vulnerability info, damage increase, health increase (from the Little Sisters) and even new tonics! I recommend using it when you have the chance, as it will greatly improve your overall chances.
Storyline and thoughts
The story gets a big twist somewhere along the way, and I really loved that part. Rapture is designed wonderfully, with old music that only makes everything feel darker, Splicers that talk and make you somehow feel sorry for them, although they just want to kill you. ( One of the first splicers you encounter is a mother that sings to her dead child in a crib. This helps you understand the horrors the people had to go through in Rapture and it really sets the tone for what happens next 🙂 ).
I played this game on Normal mode, as I usually do, and I must say there were a few times where I just quit because it seemed hopeless. I had no money, no first aid kits and hardly any ammo. The good thing in this game is that you can actually survive even if it all seems highly improbable. Just pick your opponents carefully, loot as many things as you can, buy the right upgrades and you’re set.
The final battle was fairly easy so I guess I didn’t totally screw up building my character. I had the common sense to equip some physical tonics that reduced damaged from elemental plasmids and that really REALLY helped.
The ending was bittersweet and I loved it. I honestly thought that the Little Sisters were somehow engineered to never get old, but it seems that wasn’t the case as you find out in the end.
Although this game was a bit out of my comfort zone ( these scary dystopian environments aren’t really my thing) the game felt and looked as a work of art. And I will definitely play the next 2.
Games ramblings 