BioShock

BioShock for PC, X360 and etc. is a first-person shooter developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia (previously known as Irrational Games), the creators of Freedom Force, SWAT 4 and Tribes: Vengeance. Moreover, some of the developers’ employees previously worked on the cult System Shock 2. BioShock should be considered a spiritual successor of the latter of the above-mentioned titles, as it combines typical shooter game elements (predominant) with those of an RPG. Furthermore, the game's dense and overwhelming atmosphere reminds one of a survival horror, where the player constantly experiences psychedelic moods.

Story

The story of BioShock starts in 1960, as its protagonist, Jack - passenger of a crashed plane, ends up in the ocean and begins to drown. Having assumed control of him, the player has to keep him alive and guide towards a light shining in the distance. After a while, it turns out that the source of the mysterious glow was the lighthouse of an underwater city, Rapture. This is where the entire adventure takes place.

The underwater metropolis is a huge complex which was built in 1946 by an American businessman, Andrew Ryan, in order to create a shelter for the most prominent representatives of mankind, such as scientists, artist and so on. A few years after the end of World War II, the project was abandoned and the city left to its fate. However, in the meantime, two researchers discovered a previously unknown species of sea slugs living at the bottom of the ocean. These animals had the ability to produce ADAM, a substance that could change human tissue into stem cells, allowing people to develop and enhance special abilities if used properly, or even offer them immortality. The unusual characteristics of this chemical became the subject of numerous controversies. At some point, the two factions that distributed the substance started to fight one another, leading to a civil war in Rapture. During the conflict, it was discovered that ADAM can also cause mutations and addictions. As a result of the fighting, the underwater metropolis was ruined, and those who survived lost the remains of their humanity; their existence was reduced to searching for leftovers of ADAM.

Gameplay

Jack, controlled by the player, has to secure his footing in the dystopian world and progressively uncover the rules that govern his new home, where danger lurks around every corner. To to be able to face them effectively, we have to rely on ADAM. Acquiring it is no easy task, though, as the only creatures that possess the substance are little unimposing girls, the so-called Little Sisters. In order to defeat them, first we have to face their powerfully armed bodyguards, the Big Daddies. To make things worse, the city is full of other monsters, and what's left of the public order is maintained by ruthless robots. Luckily, enemies can be dealt with by the use of lethal force or, alternatively, more sophisticated means, for example: hacking various devices (in the form of a simple mini-game).

The players can also upgrade their weapons (pistols, shotguns, rocket launchers among others) by attaching scopes and larger magazines or using more effective ammunition. Moreover, we can enhance the mental and physical abilities of the protagonist with power-ups called the Plasmids. These genetic code modifications allow us to act more effectively in the game world, where each choice has a real impact on the way the story develops. Another thing worthy of mention is the fact that the plot is non-linear. During our missions, we will make use of numerous gadgets, as well; these include night vision goggles or a device that shows us the weak points of our enemies.

Technology

BioShock for PC, X360 and etc. is powered by Unreal Engine 2.5. The unusual atmosphere of the game is intensified further by the unique soundtrack composed by Garry Schyman, the composer of musical score for Destroy All Humans!. It must be remembered that the PC, X360 and etc. version of BioShock requires an Internet connection to be activated. What is more, the game uses the Games for Windows Live service, thanks to which we can unlock a number of interesting achievements, designed in the likeness of those from Xbox Live.

Last updated on 10 December 2007