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BioShock, it would be easy to say, has been one
of the most highly anticipated titles to arrive for the Xbox360
since launch. Alongside the likes of
Halo 3,
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition,
Too Human,
M ass
Effect and
Blue Dragon, BioShock is a title that’s
been floating around the release schedule since before the systems
launch, and so with it brings very high expectations.
As the spiritual successor to the System Shock
series (two releases from 1994 and 1999 respectively, System
Shock and System Shock II) BioShock stands to gain
only more anticipation, with the earliest of releases – although
being the definition of a commercial “flop”, selling only 170,000
units – being acclaimed as one of the defining ancestors of the
“intelligent” First-Person Shooter genre. With series as prestigious
and varied as Half-Life, Resident Evil, Splinter
Cell and the enigmatic Metroid Prime all owing a debt of
gratitude to BioShock’s forbearer, it’s clear the pressure is
mounting upon the title.
BioShock does well to immediately disperse any
preconceptions of the game. Although following the tried-and-tested
route of creating a dramatic opening to envelope the player directly
into it’s story from point-one, it does it well, and BioShock draws you into it’s
world within minutes; the world of Rapture. An underwater
civilisation built in the 1950’s (the title itself is set in 1960),
Rapture has been ravaged by corrupt officials, and the gene-splicing
discoveries of ADAM and EVE.
As a story-driven game, BioShock doesn’t follow
an a-typical Level Structure. Although it’s easy to define
progression through the title and establish a personal scale for
each players individual advances through the story, the only
relation to such in-game would be the different locations visited
within Rapture – separated by Bulkhead or lift – and while each
location follows an exemplary Difficulty Curve, each varies
drastically in scale with no relation between one-and-the-next. The
Level Design, however, is near-faultless, with each area becoming
more intriguing than the next. Unfortunately, the tales of a
Free-Roaming experience
 appear
to have been greatly over-exaggerated by past Press Releases. While
the title gives the impression that the whole of its’
subterranean-scape is at the player’s disposal at any point, the
reality is a much more linear experience. Returning to key areas as
requested times is vital, however voluntary re-treading is
infinitely pointless.
Drawn from the title’s predecessor are several inspired
features. Much-touted are the Plasmids and Tonics, items which grant
the player unique abilities when equipped, as are the customisation
options for weaponry. While the abilities granted are clearly of
benefit to the game, the truth in their use is more that of
item-collecting akin to Metroid Prime as opposed to the
“RPG-lite” tagline that has been thrown around the title for some
months. Plasmids and Tonics are inserted into a limited number of
Slots, of which the player can unlock more by purchasing the option
with ADAM at the correct Vending Machine. Plasmids are assigned to
the L Trigger, and are limited by the amount of EVE the player has –
represented by a blue Meter and counter on the top-left of the
screen, below the red Health Meter. An obvious evolution of the
Psionic Abilities featured in System Shock, freezing enemies,
electrocution, incineration and many other abilities become
available, and often will also help towards finding hidden items.
Tonics do not require the use of EVE, and are much greater in
number. Offering extra Health from First Aid Kits or improved
Hacking ability, amongst others, the Tonics are divided into Combat,
Engineering and Physical Slots.
The titles' weaponry is well designed. Feeling somewhat limited, the
guns have graciously been adjudicated to give a feeling of being
overwhelmed at most points – another trait that has been continued
from the title’s spiritual precursor. A couple of interesting
additions to the generic line-up of Pistol, Shotgun, Grenade
Launcher and co., and two options
for upgrading with each weapon – typically one each for ammo
consumption/quantity/reload time, and another for increasing damage
- creates enough variety for the length if the title.
Three ammo types are available for each weapon, selected via presses
of the Up, Left, or Down directions on the D-Pad. Selecting either
Plasmids or Weapons is placed upon the L Button and R Button
respectively, and can be either scrolled through or utilised as a
short-pause for selecting from a Wheel Menu when the button is held.
The enemy variety is poor, to say the least. While the main enemies,
Splicers, come in a variety of forms, it is nigh-on impossible to
tell which you are about to encounter until merely feet away, or
under an incoming attack from their faction-assigned weapons. The
Big Daddy’s come in two varieties. Undoubtedly, the player will
recognise the enemy immediately upon first encounter, as no
information about the game has ever been forthcoming without
referring to the hulking monstrosities at some point. Bouncers and
Rosies, combat and long-range orientated, are incredibly tough, and
have the job of protecting Little Sisters; the game’s main morality
twist.
Little Sisters harvest ADAM from corpses littered around Rapture.
When encountered – after having defeated their accompanying Big
Daddy – the player is asked whether to Harvest or Rescue to the Little
Sister. Harvesting will result in a bounty of ADAM, whereas Rescuing
the Little Sister will still grant the player with some, although
considerably less. The truth about exactly what the Little
Sisters are is far from clear when the player is
propositioned with the conundrum, but the question has to be asked
as to whether it’s actually the player’s morality, the delight in
in-game catharsis, or the Achievements system that sway judgement?
The title’s graphics are an achievement. With a vast Draw-Distance
in places, fantastic Real-Time Lighting and a steady Frame-Rate, the
only let-downs are occasional delays from textures on common objects
and many of the jerky enemy death animations. Although being more of
a balanced, paced First-Person Shooter as opposed to an all-out
run-and-gun affair, BioShock still manages to throw its
weight about on-screen with a large number of Character Models.
The atmosphere of the title is tangible thanks largely to its sound
quality. The Audio Receivers littering Rapture feature real
character, if actually adding very little to the story, and the
effects of both the environment and the players’ weaponry are often
astounding.
BioShock is a title striving for greatness, and
that it achieves within its limitations. While it would be very easy
to recommend BioShock to those looking for an adult
alternative to the bloodthirsty likes of ShadowRun and The
Darkness, those enthralled with the bigger-guns-is-better
philosophy of First-Person Shooters will find little to accommodate
them. That being said, Bio Shock also fails to toe-the-line
as far as recent puzzle/story-based First-Person Shooters such as
Half-Life 2 and the Metroid Prime series have pushed the genre.
While there’s no denying that BioShock is a fantastic creation
relying heavily on both the developers’ collaborated mindset and
players own involvement with the characters and the world of
Rapture, the title simply isn’t quite as much of a thinking-man’s
game as the pre-release press may have led many to believe. Neither
ground-breaking nor under-achieving, BioShock sits humbly
knowing it has delivered on its promises.
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