Last Update: 9/17/07

BioShock

The idealistic surroundings and grim reality are constantly at odds.

Often touted as the "Spiritual successor to System Shock 2", BioShock is the long awaited fps developed by Irrational Games, where lead designer Ken Levine promised to advance the definition of first person shooters.

Game overview and features as reported at the official site
BioShock is a revolution in the shooter genre that will forever change the expectations for the FPS. Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. BioShock is the Shooter 2.0.

After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn.

Features:

Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival.
Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment.
Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities.
Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience.
Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game.
Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?

Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: August 2007

System Requirements
Minimum Requirements

CPU - Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor
System RAM - 1GB
Video Card - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).
Sound Card - 100% direct X 9.0c compatible sound card
Hard disc space - 8GB free space

Recommended Requirements
CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo processor
System RAM - 2GB
Video card - DX9 - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT or better) / DX10 - NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or better
Sound Card - Sound Blaster X-Fi series (Optimized for use with Creative Labs EAX ADVANCED HD 4.0 or EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0 compatible sound cards)

In motion, the water effects are truly amazing. In fact, Irrational has someone on staff whose sole job is to handle water effects - everything from the fountains and ripples to the distortion of the fish beneath the surface.

Platform(s):

Publisher: 2K Games

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Profile Comments (36) Reviews (8) Developers (1)

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by Davey Jackson 1193714010

This game utterly rocks. Mesmerizing, spooky, and great mind fuck. Plus super pretty.

by Jiperly 1190639127

http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/126585/BioShock_Review_by_Zero_Pun » ctuation.html

by Richard Emms 1189336356

Bioshock: It's a carbon copy of System Shock 2 with new clothing! To be honest, all it has to its name is a good setting (which, by the way, only works within the limits of its contrived context) and pretty graphics. It plays to the current trends of gaming and that's the only reason why it's viewed as a smash hit. This game doesn't do much for me.

by Diego Munoz 1189021028

I finished it on the 360 (friend's copy) until my new gaming pc arrives, but I've bought the PC version (I prefer keyboard + mouse to gamepad).

While the enemies may look not so varied after some hours of playing, it is still a masterpiece of ambientation, visual effects, and overall "care taken designing it".

The only problem I see is that either you have a high-end PC (or a 360) or you should directly not play it. the shadows, the water, the bloom and HDR effects... everything has to be seen to fully enjoy the atmosphere this game creates.

Maybe the best "non pure FPS" I've played since Half-Life appeared. Definetly worth the buy

Note: It's more like Deus Ex (or Half-Life) than like Quake or Far Cry.

by Quartz 1188263609

Why the crap do these sorts of games have to get more a more realistic, and popular? Gawd, I hate being light-hearted. >.<

by Mike Winsor 1188066534

For those complaining about DX10 and the possibility of a hack to make it work under XP, don't hold your breath. If you google around you'll find there are a ton of explanations why DX10 can't be backported to XP without a massive amount of effort on Microsoft's part. I don't even know why you care? There's a DX9 renderer with Bioshock.Don't use Halo 2/Shadowrun as a comparison. Believe it or not, those games run on DirectX 9(ex), so there's no reason why they really couldn't run on XP (minus the live stuff), and in that I agree it's just a money ploy. But really, are you surprised?

by jermaine morgan 1188061561

coooooooooooool

by Living Dead Boy 1188019604

btw dark, I didn't mean to put down your review in that way. Your complaint is legitimate, and speaks for a lot of people, me being one that doesn't like invasive DRM.

I just meant I would like to know more about the game experience, however unlikely that seems ;)

by BirthdayWarrior 1187997258

From BoingBoing yesterday:

BioShock game bundled with DRMalware

BoingBoing reader David Hayward says, 2K's BioShock is easily the most overhyped game so far this year, though it is quite beautiful. What they're no doubt underhyping as best they can is the fact that the PC version of the game is packaged with SecuROM copy protection, a piece of third party anti-copying software that phones home and prevents installation on more than 2 PCs. The PC demo of BioShock causes AVG to go nuts at it for containing trojans. It wouldn't install or load on a winXP partition until AVG antivirus was completely uninstalled. *Presumably

this is due to SecuROM, which also demands that other perfectly legit processes stopped: The response on the 2K forums has been a pretty uniform "Yarr!" Anonymous adds, Worse yet, game maker 2K is telling people to call Securom, and Securom is telling people to call 2K. Steam is affected as well. You can only install the game on 2 PC's, period. (Confirmed by steam employee.) So, if you use your steam account on 3 PC's, you'll only get to play on 2. You're required to right click the game in the steam menu and choose 'delete local content' before you can transfer the game to another PC. If you delete the game without following this procedure, you may end up in the same ordeal as retail buyers.

by dark54555 1187972884

While my review may be focused on my particular issue, I think it pretty well speaks to the point that if you can't play a game (be it for DRM or controls or whatever), it isn't worth much. It's rather unfortunate that so very many people aren't able to play what looks like an enjoyable game because of these significant issues. I was hoping my review would make that point.

by minefield 1187965497

No shit, 10 seconds after posting that comment it activated. Still 20 minutes of clicking "Activate" is just NOT ON...

by minefield 1187965283

I ended up getting this on the PC. I am currently pulling out my hair trying to activate it online. Its been 20 minutes and all I get is an "Activation Failed" error stating that the serial numebr hasn't been entered correctly (it has) and that "An unkown server error" has occured. Un-fucking-believable. I hate when shit I buy DOESNT FUCKING WORK!

by Jiperly 1187931876

I keep getting bizarre glitches where the dead guys hands and feet still twitch- making their dead, soulless, blood soaked faces look like they're laying there.....waving.......

It is by far the creepiest glitch I've ever seen.....

by Living Dead Boy 1187921243

I can sympathize that there are unfortunate issues, and DRM, and so forth, but even so I wish we could get some more substantive reviews than the first one posted. Clearly a lot of people are loving this game in spite of such contention.

by xAD 9572AD 1187893904

PC version hobbled with DRM crap. I was planning to buy the 360 version anyhow, as retail PC gaming has gone down the crapper, IMO.

Live for Windows is coming to XP, btw.

by P D 1187820126

Yes, ever since Nvidia complained, Microsoft removed the only really 'vista required' features of DX10. DX10 is perfectly capable of running on XP, but Microsoft is also trying to push the Live experience on Vista. While it's possible to hack Halo 2 and Shadowrun to work on XP, you can't run the Live software. Long story short, Microsoft just doesn't want you to be running XP if they can help it.

by minefield 1187817649

Yeah well, here's hoping. Its just the hacks should not be necessary, it is more that possible to include DX10 functionality in XP. But Microsoft being the greedy fuckers they are.....

If only I had a huge HDTV, then the choice would be so much easier :)

/venting

by P D 1187798158

I'll bet any amount of money that, inside of two months, a hack will come out that either lets it run in DX9 mode, or hacks in the necessary DX10 features into DX9 - allowing the game to run in XP. Halo 2 and Shadowrun both work fine in XP after a Vista-bypassing hack.

by minefield 1187781626

Gah, I didn't realize that Vista is needed for DX10 compatibility. I may get the 360 version after all.

I'm really starting to get annoyed by you Microsoft. Firstly for selling me dodgy equipment, and then forcing me to buy said dodgy equipment. I'm not the type to "hate" companies for providing me with entertainment but you're obvious strategy to force people to the 360 is nothing but transparent and, well pathetic. And now you're bribing other companies for hardware exclusivity!? Pathetic indeed.

by minefield 1187520197

I've downloaded the 360 demo, though I plan to get this on the PC. Genetically enhanced FPS indeed...

by Jacob Fike 1187243938

The demo was awesome. Just enough to get you really hooked, but not enough to spoil anything. You will not believe the scene you are greeted with when the opening cutscene ends, it looks that good.

Personally, I will be buying it on the PC, but the controls on the 360 were good enough that I could enjoy it. I'm just hoping for some mods on the PC version.

by Living Dead Boy 1187141044

Thanks for posting. I hope other demo players will add their comments too :)

Consoles aren't my first choice for shooters either, but it's feasible that I may end up playing a few newer titles on consoles to avoid other OS & hardware issues. This being one, and probably Alan Wake.

I'm pretty sure I'd love this game, as I'm so hooked on atmospheres, and love the art deco fusion.

by xAD 9572AD 1187115982

Played the 360 demo. Hate ego shooter controls on consoles, but had a decent time with this one. Outstandingly atmospheric and well paced. Here's hoping the full game balances as well.

by Messiah 1179896287

It looks very cool, but if the blow the storyline . . . .

What would the game be then?

by Rowan Dachtler 1172943834

This game will probably be a must have...though I hope it really is as open as it's supposed to be.

by the Nightblade 1171826496

I hope that, even thought it's being developed for the 360 first, this game will live up to the expectations set by System Shock 2. So far it looks beautiful.

by pcguy89 1171259012

I may buy a 360 because of this game.

by WillSavo 1171153875

My most highly anticipated game for this year... I cannot tell you how much I want to play this game. System Shock 2 was amazing (especially for its time) and I have not doubt they will do it again with BioShock.