Product Description

BioShock X360

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #310 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: 2K Games
• Released on: 2007-08-21
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Dimensions: 2.00 pounds

Features

• Biologically mod your body with plasmids - genetic augmentations that empower you with dozens of fantastic abilities
• Take control of your world by hacking devices and systems
• Upgrade your weapons at Fire-For-Effect stations located through Rapture
• Pick up materials in the city to modify them at U-Invent kiosks
• Explore an incredible and unique art deco world hidden deep under the ocean, vividly illustrated with realistic water effects

Customer Reviews

Not quite a "masterpiece," but certainly an evolution in gaming...
4.5 Stars

Well, I finally gave in and purchased an Xbox 360, after the recent price drop made it affordable (and the 65 nm process-CPU became available); let me tell you that I've been waiting anxiously to play games on this system (though, admittedly, the graphics are far outdone now by even an average graphics card), and with Resident Evil 5 being released (tentatively, of course) in March, I simply couldn't wait any longer.

Having read the reviews of "Bioshock" on sites such as IGN and Gamespot, I knew that it would likely be my first purchase; that said, it became my second, after the boneheaded-but-beautiful "Gears of War." Was "Bioshock" worth the $25 I spent on a used copy? Absolutely; here's why:

First, the game is simply one of the best-looking I've ever seen, on any format; the attention to detail, along with the incredible artistry, make for a formidable combination that very few games can currently rival (but yes, "Gears of War" is still the champion in this department). With that in mind, there is something important that you must do before playing the game (at least on Xbox 360); set "Unlock Framerate" to "On." This disables v-sync and allows the game to run at the limit of the system (which, as far as I can tell, is beyond 60 fps at least 95% of the time (vs. 30 fps with it set to "off")). The difference is, quite simply, feeling like you're in the world on your screen vs. feeling like you're watching a comic book/cartoon. So long as you can stand some "tearing" (which you won't even notice after a few minutes), it makes all the difference in the world regarding the "experience" of this game.

Beyond the graphics lies the incredible sound; make sure you've got a 5.1 system up and running before playing this game. Sounds are accurately placed throughout the entire soundfield, and it makes a difference when you're playing the game, as you know exactly where your enemies are (especially when they're shooting at you).

Thirdly, and probably most importantly, is the incredible story behind all the visual and audial magic; most mentioned, of course, is the "moral dilemma" one must face when choosing to "harvest" the little girls or save them. I personally could never bring myself to "harvest" (kill) one, and by the end of the game, I realized that I hadn't needed to, as the gifts of Adam (upgrade dollars) compensate (mostly, if my math is correct) for the lessened amounts received via saving the girls. Furthermore, the amounts of Adam provided if you play savior are well more than enough to purchase every worthwhile upgrade in the game (there are quite a few plasmids that are simply multiplied in strength with additional Adam, and it's mostly unnecessary). I'm sure many other reviews have gone into the allusions to Ayn Rand's philosophy, which are blantantly obvious thoughout the game, but let me state that this game does this highly effectively.

However, the game isn't perfect; for one, I personally believe that much of the voice acting, which has widely been lauded by video game critics all over the internet, is at times far over-the-top and highly melodramatic (especially the yelling, screaming, and tone (when not yelling and screaming) of the splicers). Without diving into a commentary of each character, most of the main characters are voiced well ("Fontaine" is a bit excessive), and certainly better than the average sci-fi video game (most are hilarious). All things considered, it's good, but not "great."

Additionally, there was a great deal of hype regarding the aforementioned "moral sophistication" involved in this title; personally speaking, the only moral debate in the game that I noticed revolved around the little sisters, and for me, knowing that I would be rewarded for saving them, I simply didn't see the need to be their executioner. If the situation meant that they had to be executed in order to have any use of plasmids, then the choice would surely have been different and a true "dilemma" indeed.

Finally, the game is simply too linear, especially if you use the "quest arrow" (which I strongly suggest that you turn off to make the game more interesting). At no time in this game, even with the arrow turned off, did I not know exactly where I needed to head and what to accomplish. While the world of Rapture is laid out well, and as it's enclosed (leading to the use of tunnels/walkways, etc.), this probably couldn't be avoided, I found that there simply wasn't enough of a "discovery" process of this world, and that it was simply laid out in front of me too often.

Ultimately, however, the game does succeed, often fantastically, at sucking you into the world of "Rapture," and this game is a must-own for any console/gaming PC owner, without "debate." I am currently on my second go-round, having played it through the first time with the framerate locked (it really does make for a different feel altogether), and it's even more fun this time due, again, to being able to be drawn deeper into the game as a result of changing this one setting (thank God they included it; hopefully future games will follow suit). In any event, if you haven't played this game yet, you simply need to pick it up now. Here's to "Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams" being less linear, having a v-synced framerate of 60 fps (though this probably won't happen as the game will need to be created to run smoothly on the PS3 (which has half the polygon capability, if you weren't aware)), and slightly more challenging to boot (we don't need the "quest arrow").

Bioshock Story-WARNING,SPOILER-from Wikipedia.org
BioShockStory
The underwater city of Rapture

At the start of the game, Jack (the character controlled by the player) is a passenger on a plane that goes down in the Atlantic Ocean in 1960,[37] after ordered society in Rapture has collapsed.[38] After surfacing, Jack finds himself the only survivor of the crash, and swims to a nearby lighthouse, where he finds a bathysphere which he uses to descend into the ocean and enter the failed "paradise" of Rapture.[39] Atlas assists Jack via radio in making his way to safety, while Ryan, believing Jack to be a government agent (though he's not sure which government), uses Rapture's automated systems and his pheromone-controlled Splicers against him. Atlas tells Jack that the only way he can survive is to use the abilities granted by plasmids, and that he must kill the Little Sisters to extract their ADAM. Overhearing Atlas' words, Dr. Tennenbaum intercepts Jack, and urges him to save the Little Sisters instead. She gives him a special plasmid that will kill only the embedded slugs while leaving the girls alive and restoring their humanity, albeit with a much smaller reward of ADAM for Jack. Tennenbaum promises to repay him if he does as she asks.[34] As Jack works his way through the city, he learns about Rapture's fate and history through audio logs, genetically-induced ghostly playbacks of past events, and radio messages. Atlas says his wife and child have been hiding on a submarine, and just as Jack and Atlas reach the bay where it is located, Ryan has it destroyed; an enraged Atlas tells Jack that Ryan must die.

Jack makes his way to Ryan, who offers no resistance to Jack's efforts, but instead reveals why Jack has come to Rapture: Jack was actually born in Rapture a mere two years ago, genetically modified to mature rapidly. He is Ryan's illegitimate son by an affair with Jasmine Jolene, an exotic dancer.[35] Ryan further reveals that, after purchasing Jack's embryo, Frank Fontaine designed him to obey orders that are preceded or followed by the specific phrase "Would you kindly." Jack was then sent to the surface when the war started to put him beyond Ryan's reach. When the conflict between Fontaine and Ryan reached a stalemate, Jack was sent instructions to board a flight with a package. At a designated time he opened the package to discover a gun and instructions to hijack and crash the plane next to the lighthouse, enabling him to return to Rapture as the cat's-paw of Atlas. Ryan calmly demonstrates Jack's lack of free will by forcing him to follow his commands using the trigger phrase, "Would you kindly..." which Jack then realizes Atlas has been using since his arrival. Ryan then orders Jack to kill him, so as to die on his own terms. Atlas, in complete control of the city as a result of Ryan's death, reveals himself to be Frank Fontaine, having faked his own death and adopted the alias and persona of Atlas to throw Ryan off his trail. With Ryan dead, Fontaine no longer needs Jack, and leaves him at the mercy of the reactivated security systems. Nevertheless, Dr. Tennenbaum and her Little Sisters help Jack escape through the vent system, where he falls and loses consciousness.

When Jack awakes, Dr. Tennenbaum has already deactivated some of his conditioned responses and assists him in breaking the remaining ones, among them one that would have eventually stopped his heart. During their subsequent pursuit of Fontaine, the doctor predicts that the only way to get through the last few obstacles would be to assemble a Big Daddy diving suit and follow the rescued Little Sisters through the passageways that only they can open. By the time Jack reaches him, Fontaine has injected himself with vast amounts of ADAM, becoming an inhuman monster. Jack and Fontaine battle, and Jack eventually prevails, allowing the Little Sisters to subdue Fontaine, by swarming over Fontaine and stabbing him with their needles, killing him by draining all the ADAM out of his system. Here the game ends.

Three endings are possible depending on how the player interacted with the Little Sisters, all narrated by Dr. Tennenbaum. If the player rescued all the Little Sisters (therefore saving their lives), the ending shows the rescued Little Sisters returning to the surface with Jack and living full lives under his care, including them graduating from college, getting married, and having children; it ends on a heart-warming tone, with an elderly Jack surrounded on his deathbed by all of the adult Little Sisters. If the player harvested (and therefore killed) more than two, but not all, of the Little Sisters, the game ends with Jack turning on the Sisters after defeating Fontaine, presumably killing them all and taking their ADAM. Tennenbaum's voice narrates what occurred, condemning Jack and his actions. Later in the second ending, a ballistic missile submarine carrying a nuclear missile comes across the wreckage of the plane and is suddenly surrounded by bathyspheres containing Splicers. The Splicers kill all hands aboard the submarine and take control of it.[40] If the player harvested all of the Little Sisters, the player is shown the same movie as the second ending, though the tone of Tennenbaum's voice is angrier.[41]

Terrific shooter game that delivers
Bioshock is one of the only shooter games that plays great, makes sense, and has a terrific twist at the end. The story of the game is thoughtful and interesting. Bioshock plays better than most because one can interact or control the environment around them. The one negative some might not like is the background music is old school on some levels and it is not multiplayer. Other than that, it is a great game to play for gamers looking for that knock out first person shooter game..