Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    BioShock

    Game » consists of 33 releases. Released Aug 21, 2007

    Venture into the mysterious, Utopian underwater city of Rapture and discover what has turned it into ruin in this first-person epic.

    Short summary describing this game.

    BioShock last edited by nateandrews on 10/06/19 01:28PM View full history

    Overview

    No Gods or Kings. Only Man.
    No Gods or Kings. Only Man.

    BioShock is inspired by themes in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. At the time of its release, BioShock was lauded by critics for its peerless storytelling and fascinating story. BioShock uses audio diaries narrated by different characters through the rise and fall of the city of Rapture. At times, ghosts will also appear, showing very brief fragments of their past actions. BioShock is also well known for not taking player control away during scripted events (with one notable exception), allowing the player to experience literally everything through the eyes of the protagonist.

    The player does not directly see any of the coup of Rapture in BioShock, instead arriving sometime afterward in the year 1960, discovering a desolate city filled with insane, drug-addled citizens. The player hears about Rapture's golden era--and the events that led to its demise--through a series of audio logs that serve as diary entries for the past inhabitants of the city. Touted by 2K as an "FPS-RPG" and a " spiritual sequel" to Irrational's highly revered System Shock 2, it has gameplay similarities to both System Shock games as well as Deus Ex.

    BioShock is an exploration-focused first-person shooter that makes streamlined, simplified use of some of its predecessors' mechanics, such as the use of audio logs as a storytelling device, a hacking minigame (reminiscent of the classic puzzler Pipe Dream), and special abilities. While being primarily built on Unreal Engine 2.5, BioShock is also one of the first games to be produced using features from Epic's Unreal Engine 3 and appeared on both the Xbox 360 and the PC. On October 17, 2008, BioShock was released for the PlayStation 3. This version of the game features a new 'Survivor' difficulty mode as well as other in-game add-on content. Downloadable "challenge rooms" are also available; these put the player in a race against the clock while working through brief, puzzle-oriented levels. The Playstation 3 version ships with Trophy Support, just as the Xbox 360 version, of course, contains Achievements.

    Development

    The original story for BioShock was drastically different. It centered around a deprogrammer, someone who forces a person to abandon religious or social group allegiances. The main character's mission was to rescue someone from a cult and adjust them mentally to a regular life. However, the plot underwent significant changes by the time development on the game was announced in 2004. At that time, the game's setting was changed to a World War II-era underground laboratory. When the laboratory was uncovered by scientists in the 21st century, they discovered an ecosystem formed by the experiments in the lab.

    The developers used a heavily modified version of the Unreal Engine 2.5. They also hired a water programmer and water artist to create the stunning water effects seen in the game. BioShock also uses the Havok physics engine for more lifelike ragdoll effects.

    Plot

    Welcome to Rapture.
    Welcome to Rapture.

    Set in 1960, BioShock begins with a plane crash, with the player character, named Jack, being the only survivor. The player takes refuge in a lone lighthouse in the middle of the ocean. A bathysphere leads down into the bowels of the underwater city of Rapture. A message from the city's creator, Andrew Ryan, talks of his vision for a utopia without ethical or moral barriers. However, from the looks of things, Ryan has failed in realizing his vision.

    A man named Atlas contacts Jack in the bathysphere and helps to lead him through the city, which is filled with genetically modified Splicers, Little Sisters, and their guardians, the Big Daddies. Atlas also tells Jack about ADAM, stem cells harvested to enhance the abilities of the human body. The abuse of ADAM has driven the Splicers mad and the material is what the Little Sisters constantly search for throughout Rapture.

    Atlas instructs Jack to kill the Little Sisters and take the ADAM from them in order to use special abilities called Plasmids. However, another ally in Rapture, Dr. Tenenbaum, tells Jack to save the Little Sisters and promises to reward him if he obeys.

    Atlas soon tells Jack of his wife and child, who are hiding from Splicers in a submarine. When Jack reaches them, however, Andrew Ryan destroys it, supposedly killing Atlas' family. Atlas, enraged, asks Jack to kill Andrew Ryan.

    When Jack reaches Andrew Ryan, he reveals that Jack is actually his son and was born in Rapture two years prior. Genetic modification allowed for him to age rapidly. One of Rapture's pioneers, Frank Fontaine, "programmed" Jack to obey any order uttered with the phrase "Would you kindly", a phrase that Atlas has repeated many times. Jack was the one who crashed the plane, having been brought to Rapture for the sole purpose of killing Andrew Ryan.

    Ryan orders Jack to kill him and, forced to obey, Jack bludgeons Ryan with a golf club. Shortly after, Atlas reveals himself to be Frank Fontaine and leaves Jack to die in the city. Dr. Tenenbaum saves him, though, and deactivates the "Would you kindly" trigger phrase control Fontaine has over him. Jack then proceeds to Olympus Heights and finds Lot 192, which reverses the heart stopping mental control Fontaine was attempting to kill Jack with. Tenenbaum then instructs Jack to don a Big Daddy suit so the Little Sisters can lead him to Fontaine. When he reaches him, Fontaine, pumped up by massive quantities of ADAM, has acquired almost superhuman abilities.

    The game has three possible endings. If the player rescues all the Little Sisters, the game ends with Jack and the Little Sisters leaving Rapture and the girls growing up to live their lives. If the player harvested two or more, but not all the Little Sisters, Jack kills the Little Sisters and takes their ADAM. If the player harvests all of the Little Sisters, the same ending is shown but with Tenenbaum's narration being angrier.

    Key Characters

    This is a list of the characters who either have major roles in BioShock or encounter the player at some point in the story.

    • Jack: The silent protagonist of BioShock. He survives a plane crash and stumbles upon Rapture. Early on, Jack gains the ability to use Plasmids (his first one being the Electro Bolt).
    • Andrew Ryan: The founder of Rapture. Andrew Ryan is an antagonist in BioShock and he taunts Jack throughout the game.
    • Atlas: Jack's mentor and guide in Rapture. Atlas gives Jack instructions and helps for a majority of the game.
    • Tenenbaum: A German scientist who helped develop ADAM. She wishes to protect the Little Sisters and urges the player to do so.
    • Doctor Steinman: A doctor who's gone insane with his obsession with perfection. He performs surgery on people to make them physically perfect, yet his insane obsession with his job drives him crazy and causes him to often perform unwanted surgeries on people to correct their "imperfections"; often these people die from being horribly mutilated.
    • Peach Wilkins: A member of Frank Fontaine's smuggling business. He encounters Jack in Fontaine fisheries.
    • Julie Langford: The scientist responsible for creating Arcadia, which is where she encounters Jack.
    • Sander Cohen: An artist who runs Fort Frolic in Rapture. He also produces theatrical performances for the city. When he encounters Jack, he makes him take pictures of his four disciples after they've been killed and mounts them as part of a masterpiece.

    Gameplay

    Weapons

    Gunning it with a Big Daddy.
    Gunning it with a Big Daddy.

    The game features an array of traditional weapons that can be acquired throughout the game. The player carries all of the weapons at once, so all of the weapons are available at any time. Each weapon can be upgraded twice, using special kiosks called " Power to the People" machines. Each weapon can also carry three types of ammunition. The weapons in the game are as follows:

    • Wrench: A simple melee weapon acquired at the beginning of the game.
    • Pistol: A standard six-shooter, it is the first firearm acquired.
    • Machine Gun: An automatic weapon that holds a large number of bullets.
    • Shotgun: A close-range weapon that packs quite a punch.
    • Grenade Launcher: A large weapon that can be upgraded to fire different kinds of explosives such as heat seeking rpgs.
    • Chemical Thrower: A device that fires various substances like napalm, liquid nitrogen, and electrical gel.
    • Crossbow: A long-range weapon best used against single opponents.
    • Research Camera: This "weapon" allows the player to research various enemies and gain bonuses on damage and acquire various tonics.

    Weapon Upgrades

    Weapons are upgraded at Power To The People machines. The machine shuts down after one upgrade has been applied. The upgrades do not cost anything and also cause cosmetic changes to the weapons in addition to the listed effects. The wrench is the only weapon that cannot be upgraded at a Power To The People machine.

    Pistols

    • Increased Damage
    • Increased Clip Size

    Machine Gun

    • Increased Damage
    • Decreased Recoil

    Shotgun

    • Increased Damage
    • Increased Rate of Fire

    Grenade Launcher

    • Increased Damage
    • Immune to Damage self-fired Grenades

    Crossbow

    • Bolt Breakage Chance Reduced
    • Increased Damage

    Chemical Thrower

    • Decreased Chemical Consumption
    • Increased Range

    Hacking

    Hacking in BioShock
    Hacking in BioShock

    Performing hacks on various machines in the game can make things a lot easier. Everything from security bots to safes can be hacked. Hacking machines can help Jack evade security systems, supply him with hidden items, and give him discounts on items at vending machines.

    Hacking is done with the hacking mini-game, which is highly reminiscent of the classic computer game Pipe Mania (Pipe Dream in the United States). The goal is to successfully move fluid through a tube set on a grid of tiles from a starting location to and ending location, both of which are just outside the grid and, thus, not modifiable by the player. The player reveals pieces of the tube one at a time and may swaps tiles to continue the tube and keep the fluid moving. If the fluid is hindered in its progress either due to player error or by hitting certain tiles such as overload tiles and security tiles, the mini-game is failed and, depending on the gravity of the failure, security bots may be deployed to eliminate the player. An auto-hack tool can allow for a hack without using the mini-game. Hacking ability is greatly enhanced and simplified through the strategic equipment of certain engineering tonics. Also, the Winter Blast plasmid used on a machine just before hacking will slow the progress of the fluid considerably.

    Vending Machines / Kiosks

    Various vending machines and kiosks are found throughout the game. The different types are as follows:

    • Circus of Value: A place to purchase a variety of items. Ammo, first aid kits, and EVE Hypos are all available here.
    • Ammo Bandito: A vending machine that supplies ammunition.
    • Gatherer's Garden: This vending machine allows Jack to use collected ADAM to purchase Plasmids and Tonics.
    • Gene Bank: This machine allows you to customize your character, switching Plasmids and Tonics.
    • Power to the People: This machine allows Jack to customize weapons. Each individual machine can only be used once.
    • U-Invent: This machine allows Jack to combine different items to create more helpful ones.

    Vita-Chambers

    Vita-Chamber
    Vita-Chamber

    Whenever the player's HP reaches zero, they "respawn" at the nearest vita-chamber, large man-sized tubes scattered throughout Rapture. This only works with the main character Jack and the explanation to why it doesn't work for splicers is that it was in its testing phase when Rapture fell. Vita-Chambers serve as a checkpoint of sorts, even though the game can also be saved at any time through the start menu. Unlike traditional checkpoints, enemies injured or killed since reaching the Vita-Chamber will remain so when the player is respawned. However, weapon ammunition will remain at the same level as when the player was killed and the player is also given only a fraction of his maximum health. Since there is seemingly no penalty for using Vita-Chambers many players have bemoaned this design decision for making the game too easy — given enough time and patience, a player wielding only the wrench can slog his or her way through even the toughest battles.

    Little Sisters

    Little Sister
    Little Sister

    Near the beginning of the game, the player is given the choice of either harvesting the Little Sisters (effectively killing them) to gain a large amount of ADAM, or rescuing the Little Sisters for a significantly smaller amount of ADAM. Rescuing Little Sisters will, however, allow the player to access certain plasmids and Xbox 360 achievements unavailable through the "evil" method of play, and for each three that Jack rescues he will receive a gift from Dr. Tenenbaum. Depending on exactly how many Little Sisters he harvests or rescues, the game's ending is affected. If you save all the Little Sisters, the most positive ending is achieved.

    Security

    A hostile security camera. Hacked cameras have a green light instead of red
    A hostile security camera. Hacked cameras have a green light instead of red

    Jack has to deal with the security of Rapture throughout BioShock. The security force includes cameras, turrets, and flying bots called Security Bots. All three of these can either be destroyed or hacked by Jack to get them on his side. Hacked turrets and bots will automatically fire on enemies, and hacked cameras will target enemies and trigger the alarm against them (which causes a wave of bots to come flying in and attack them). In addition, there is a Plasmid called "Security Bullseye" that, when thrown onto an enemy, will cause cameras and turrets to target said enemy.

    All three types of security forces can be temporarily disabled by zapping them with the Electro Bolt or Winter Blast plasmid. Turrets and bots must be hit with the Electro Bolt or Winter Blast before being hacked; security cameras do not.

    Research

    Shortly into the game, Jack obtains a camera that can be used to take photographs of enemies. Each enemy type has a research bar that progresses when photos of them are taken. Ranking up the research level for an enemy grants permanent damage bonuses against that enemy type. Later bonuses include unique Tonics and other perks.

    Plasmids

    Open bottle for Plasmid
    Open bottle for Plasmid

    Plasmids change Jack's genetic information and provide him with specific abilities. A substance called EVE is needed to use these abilities. EVE is found in hypodermic needles, called Hypos in the game. It is carried by the character and can be acquired from enemies and purchased from Circus of Value vending machines. Plasmids are both found throughout the game and bought from the Gatherer's Garden Kiosk. The Plasmids in the game are as follows:

    DescriptionADAM CostEVE CostDamage
    Cyclone Trap
    Cyclone Trap

    • Places a cyclone on the floor; used as a trap for enemies
    • Upgradeable to level 2
    level 1- 60
    level 2- 80
    level 1- 95
    level 2- 120
    varies
    Electro Bolt
    Electro Bolt

    • Shoots electricity at enemies
    • Can also be used to disable security cameras, turrets and bots
    • Upgradeable to level 3
    1- N/A
    2- 110
    3- 120
    1- 95
    2- 110
    3- 120
    1- 400
    2- 1600
    3- 8000
    Enrage
    Enrage

    • Turns a Splicer near Jack against other Splicers
    6030N/A
    Hipnotize Big Daddy
    Hipnotize Big Daddy

    • Turns a Big Daddy into an ally
    N/AN/AN/A
    Incinerate!
    Incinerate!

    • Shoots fire at enemies and sets them on flames
    • Upgradeable to level 3
    1- N/A
    2- 100
    3- 150
    1- 48
    2- 60
    3- 72
    1- 12 per sec
    2- 24 per sec
    3- 48 per sec
    Insect Swarm
    Insect Swarm

    • Launches a swarm of bees at enemies
    • Upgradeable to level 3
    1- 60
    2- 80
    3- 120
    1- 48
    2- 60
    3- 72
    1- 6 per sec
    2- 12 per sec
    3- 24 per sec
    Security Bullseye
    Security Bullseye

    • Alerts security to the presence of enemies
    N/A30N/A
    Target Dummy
    Target Dummy

    • Creates a decoy for enemies to attack
    6048N/A
    Telekinesis
    Telekinesis

    • Allows Jack to use moveable objects as weapons by flinging them through the air
    N/A15N/A
    Winter Blast
    Winter Blast

    • Shoots a blast of ice that freezes enemies
    • Can also be used on turrets, cameras and bots to slow down the water for better hacking
    • Upgradeable to level 3
    1- 60
    2- 100
    3- 150
    1- 80
    2- 90
    3- 108
    N/A
    Sonic Boom
    Sonic Boom

    • Allows the player to shoot a large blast of wind at enemies
    • Only available with DLC or game patch 1.1
    11- 90
    2- 120
    varies

    NOTE: N/A means the item is either given to Jack by a Little Sisters or found somewhere on Rapture.

    Tonics

    Combat Tonics have a Green glow
    Combat Tonics have a Green glow

    Tonics upgrade Jack and his abilities. There are three types of Tonics (Combat, Engineering and Physical) and they can either be found scattered throughout the Rapture or bought at Vending Machines.

    The Gene Bank machine is used to place tonics into whatever available slots the player may have at the moment.

    Combat Tonics

    These Tonics work on the player's offensive and defensive capabilities.

    TonicADAM Cost
    Armored Shell
    Armored Shell

    • More 15% piercing and bludgeoning resistance
    20
    Armored Shell 2
    Armored Shell 2

    • More 25% piercing and bludgeoning resistance
    N/A
    Damage Research
    Damage Research

    • Adds 30% to research damage bonuses
    20
    Damage Research 2
    Damage Research 2

    • Adds 60% to research damage bonuses
    N/A
    Electric Flesh
    Electric Flesh

    • More 75% electric resistance
    • Adds 30% to electric damage
    20
    Electric Flesh 2
    Electric Flesh 2

    • More 100% electric resistance
    • Adds 60% to electric damage
    60
    Frozen Field
    Frozen Field

    • More 15% cold resistance
    • Adds 10 points of cold damage to the Wrench and gives a 10% chance of freezing an enemy upon successful hit
    N/A
    Frozen Field 2
    Frozen Field 2

    • More 30% cold resistance
    • Adds 20 points of cold damage to the Wrench and gives a 20% chance of freezing an enemy upon successful hit
    50
    Human Inferno
    Human Inferno

    • More 20% heat resistance
    • Adds 30% heat damage and causes enemies to take burning damage at a 30% higher rate
    20
    Human Inferno 2
    Human Inferno 2

    • More 40% heat resistance
    • Adds 50% heat damage and causes enemies to take burning damage at a 50% higher rate
    50
    Photographer's Eye
    Photographer's Eye

    • Adds 10% to all research photo scores
    20
    Photographer's Eye 2
    Photographer's Eye 2

    • Adds 15% to all research photo scores
    N/A
    Static Discharge
    Static Discharge

    • The player emits an electric burst whenever struck by a melee attack, causing 50 points of electric damage and giving a 15% chance of shocking the enemy
    N/A
    Static Discharge 2
    Static Discharge 2

    • The player emits an electric burst whenever struck by a melee attack, causing 30 points of electric damage and giving a 25% chance of shocking the enemy
    N/A
    Wrench Jockey
    Wrench Jockey

    • Adds 350% to Wrench damage
    20
    Wrench Jockey 2
    Wrench Jockey 2

    • Adds 550% to Wrench damage
    • Stacks with Wrench Jockey 1
    N/A
    Wrench Lurker
    Wrench Lurker

    • Adds 150% to Wrench damage on unware or electrical shocked enemies
    • Quiets the player's footsteps
    20
    Wrench Lurker 2
    Wrench Lurker 2

    • Adds 200% to Wrench damage on unware or electrical shocked enemies
    • Quiets the player's footsteps
    50
    Machine Buster
    Machine Buster

    • Slightly increases damage against security devices
    • Only available with DLC or patch 1.1
    1
    Machine Buster 2
    Machine Buster 2

    • Significantly increases damage against security devices
    • Only available with DLC or patch 1.1
    1

    NOTE: N/A means the item is either given to Jack by a Little Sister, found somewhere on Rapture or gained through researching the Splicers with the Camera.

    Engineering Tonics

    Engineering Tonics have a Yellow glow
    Engineering Tonics have a Yellow glow

    These Tonics improve the player's hacking ability and also his/her overall interaction with machines such as bots or turrets.

    TonicADAM Cost
    Alarm Expert
    Alarm Expert

    • Minus 2 alarm tiles when hacking
    20
    Alarm Expert 2
    Alarm Expert 2

    • Minus 4 alarm tiles when hacking
    N/A
    Clever Inventor
    Clever Inventor

    • Inventing items requires 1 less of each component
    50
    Focused Hacker
    Focused Hacker

    • Minus 2 overload tiles when hacking
    20
    Focused Hacker
    Focused Hacker

    • Minus 4 overload tiles when hacking
    50
    Hacking Expert
    Hacking Expert

    • Minus 1 alarm and 1 overload tile when hacking
    N/A
    Hacking Expert 2
    Hacking Expert 2

    • Minus 2 alarm and 2 overload tiles when hacking
    50
    Prolific Inventor
    Prolific Inventor

    • Gives 2x the items produced at a U-Invent machine
    N/A
    Safecracker
    Safecracker

    • Minus 1 acceleration, 2 alarm and 2 overload tiles when hacking safes and combination locks
    • Plus 3 resistor tiles when hacking safes and combination locks
    • Flow speed reduced by 1/2 second per tile
    N/A
    Safecracker 2
    Safecracker 2

    • Minus 2 acceleration, 4 alarm and 4 overload tiles when hacking safes and combination locks
    • Plus 6 resistor tiles when hacking safes and combination locks
    • Flow speed reduced by 1 second per tile
    N/A
    Security Expert
    Security Expert

    • Minus 1 acceleration, 2 alarm and 2 overload tiles when hacking security devices
    • Plus 1 resistor tile when hacking security devices
    • Flow speed reduced by 1/2 second per tile
    20
    Security Expert 2
    Security Expert 2

    • Minus 2 acceleration, 4 alarm and 4 overload tiles when hacking security devices
    • Plus 3 resistor tile when hacking security devices
    • Flow speed reduced by 1 second per tile
    N/A
    Shorten Alarms
    Shorten Alarms

    • Minus 20 seconds on hostile security alarms' duration
    20
    Shorten Alarms 2
    Shorten Alarms 2

    • Minus 40 seconds on hostile security alarms' duration
    50
    Speedy Hacker
    Speedy Hacker

    • Flow speed reduced by 1.5 seconds per tile when hacking
    20
    Speedy Hacker 2
    Speedy Hacker 2

    • Flow speed reduced by 3 seconds per tile when hacking
    50
    Vending Expert
    Vending Expert

    • Slight reduction of prices on vending machines
    • Only available with DLC or patch 1.1
    1
    Vending Expert 2
    Vending Expert 2

    • Significant reduction of prices on vending machines
    • Only available with DLC or patch 1.1
    1

    NOTE: N/A means the item is either given to Jack by a Little Sister, found somewhere on Rapture or gained through researching the Splicers with the camera.

    Physical Tonics

    Physical Tonics have a Blue glow
    Physical Tonics have a Blue glow

    These Tonics will interact with the player's physical and physiological properties, namely with his/her Health and EVE, making the player a tougher, harder enemy to kill.

    TonicADAM Cost
    Bloodlust
    Bloodlust

    • Player gains small amounts of health with every successful blow to enemies with the Wrench
    N/A
    Booze Hound
    Booze Hound

    • Alcohol restores a small amount of EVE, instead of draining it
    N/A
    EVE Link
    EVE Link

    • First Aid kits give small amounts of EVE
    20
    EVE Link 2
    EVE Link 2

    • First Aid kits give significant amounts of EVE
    50
    Extra Nutrition
    Extra Nutrition

    • Bandages, drinks and food give a little more health than usual
    20
    Extra Nutrition 2
    Extra Nutrition 2

    • Bandages, drinks and food give significantly more health than usual
    40
    Extra Nutrition 3
    Extra Nutrition 3

    • Bandages, drinks and food give a lot more health than usual
    N/A
    Hacker's Delight
    Hacker's Delight

    • Each successful hack gives small amounts of health and EVE
    20
    Hacker's Delight 2
    Hacker's Delight 2

    • Each successful hack gives medium amounts of health and EVE
    N/A
    Hacker's Delight 3
    Hacker's Delight 3

    • Each successful hack gives large amounts of health and EVE
    N/A
    Medical Expert
    Medical Expert

    • First Aid kits give 20% more health
    20
    Medical Expert 2
    Medical Expert 2

    • First Aid kits give 40% more health
    40
    Medical Expert 3
    Medical Expert 3

    • First Aid kits give 60% more health
    60
    Natural Camouflage
    Natural Camouflage

    • The player becomes invisible after standing still for a period of time
    • Moving, using weapons and/or Plasmids nullify the effect
    N/A
    Scrounger
    Scrounger

    • Allows the player to search both corpses and containers a second time, finding different loot this time around
    N/A
    Security Evasion
    Security Evasion

    • Turrets and security cameras take 2 seconds longer to successfully track the player
    20
    Security Evasion 2
    Security Evasion 2

    • Turrets and security cameras take 4 seconds longer to successfully track the player
    50
    Sport Boost
    Sport Boost

    • Speed increased by 10%
    • Wrench swing speed increased by 25%
    N/A
    Sport Boost 2
    Sport Boost 2

    • Speed increased by 20%
    • Wrench swing speed increased by 50%
    N/A
    EVE Saver
    EVE Saver

    • All Plasmids consume less EVE when activated
    • Only available with DLC or patch 1.1
    20

    NOTE: N/A means the item is either given to Jack by a Little Sister, found somewhere on Rapture or gained through researching the Splicers with the camera.

    Soundtrack

    No Caption Provided
    No Caption Provided

    The original soundtrack for BioShock was composed by Garry Schyman, and is comprised of 23 themes.

    12 of these themes can be downloaded for free at the 2K Games website.

    Here are the tracklists for both "editions".

    Downloadable Version

    Track No.Song TitleRunning Time
    01BioShock Main Theme (the Ocean On His Shoulders)01.56
    02Welcome to Rapture01.52
    03Dr. Steinman01.00
    04The Docks00.53
    05The Dash00.35
    06Step Into My Gardens01.10
    07Dancers On a String01.28
    08Cohen's Masterpiece02.53
    09The Engine City01.07
    10Empty Houses01.43
    11This Is Where I Sleep01.21
    12All Spliced Up01.03

    Complete Version

    Track No.Song Title
    01BioShock Main Theme (The Ocean On His Shoulders)
    02Andrew Ryan -- Tauchfahrt
    03Welcome to Rapture
    04Andrew Ryan -- Hahn
    05Dr. Steinman
    06Dr. Steinman -- Schönheit, Skalpell!
    07The Docks
    08Geist -- Schönheit Versprochen
    09The Dash
    10Atlas -- Little Sisters
    11Step Into My Gardens
    12Dr. Suchong -- Zorn-Versuch
    13Dancers On a String
    14Atlas -- Die Ganze Stadt Geht zum Teufel
    15Cohen's Masterpiece
    16Martin Finnegan -- der Eismann Kommt
    17The Engine City
    18Geist -- Total Verspliced
    19Empty Houses
    20Dr. Suchong -- Bewusstseinskontrolle
    21This Is Where They Sleep
    22Andrew Ryan -- Natur der Dinge
    23All Spliced Up

    "The Rapture EP"

    Back Cover for the BioShock EP
    Back Cover for the BioShock EP

    Included in the BioShock limited edition version is an EP comprising of 3 tracks with song remixes by Moby and Oscar the Punk. Although the EP's official name is BioShock EP, it quickly became known as "The Rapture EP".

    Track No.Song TitleRunning Time
    01Beyond the Sea03.13
    02God Bless the Child03.55
    03Wild Little Sisters03.56

    Downloadable content:

    Xbox 360:

    On Dec 4th, 2K games released a patch as well as Downloadable content for Xbox 360 fixing some known bugs and adding some features:

    Patch/title update:

    Challenge room DLC
    Challenge room DLC
    • Added widescreen option: Horizontal FOV
    • Fix for rare case where a partial cache is not cleared
    • Increased Atlas’ volume in German
    • Fix for GUI sounds not playing during heavy action
    • Fix for not being able to take picture of Cobb in Rec
    • Possible fix for pauses or hangs when opening flash Bink movies
    • Fix for switching difficulty breaking achievement
    • Fix for small texture streaming bug
    • Fix for rare hang when a lot of things are going on at once

    Downloadable content:

    • Added Disable Vita Chamber option
    • Plasmid Pack is included in this DLC (Machine Buster 1 & 2, Vending Expert 1 & 2, Sonic Boom 1 & 2, EVE Saver)
    • 100 point achievement called "Brass Balls". A player will gain it after beating the game on Hard without using any Vita Chambers. The player can always roll back to an earlier save if a Vita Chamber was used. The Vita Chamber Disabled option can be on or off as long as the player doesn't resurrect. (Note:this is currently untrue if a vita chamber is used with vita chambers turned on then it corrupts all saves in that play through, vita chambers must be turned off to get the achievement or no deaths can occur.)

    PlayStation 3:

    The PlayStation 3 contains all the updates of the Xbox 360 version.

    20th November 2008 patch:

    • Enables Add On Content functionality for the Challenge Rooms and New Game Plus (Add-On Content required to use this functionality)
    • Fix for an issue where large blocky pixels would show up whenever viewing the Bouncer and Elite Bouncer variants of the Big Daddy. Also fixes various other texture pixelation including weapons.
    A battle in the challenge room
    A battle in the challenge room
    • Fix for an issue where white/discolored bars would show up at the right and bottom sides of the screen during the plane crash / water scene at the beginning of the game.
    • Fix for an issue where Big Daddy would occasionally turn black after the player dies and is then resurrected.
    • Fix for an issue where some fire particles would shrink every time they were retriggered.
    • Fix for an issue where Big Daddies would gush abnormal amounts of blood after being killed by a critical hit while having more than 10% health (i.e., from another Big Daddy’s gun).
    • Fix for an issue where the game would crash when PS button hit during hacking when vsync turned to off
    • Fix for a rare issue where the game would hang caused by a deadlock between the renderer, Havok, and the main game threads.
    • Fix for an issue where reflective water would sometimes be rendered with incorrect fog colors.
    • Fix for an issue where audio subtitles would occasionally not go away, even after the audio finished playing.
    • Fix for an issue where menu sounds were too loud.
    • Fix for an issue where the autosave message wasn’t localized.
    • Fix for several issues where localized strings were too long. This includes the ‘Cannot Carry:’ message, ammo name lengths, weapon name lengths, and the Location in Fisheries ‘Upper Freezer’.
    • Fix for an issue where the game would hang if the player dies while using a combination lock with the Vita-Chamber option off.

    The patch was released by accident on 13th of November 2008, but was quickly pulled off.

    Downloadable content - Challenge Rooms:

    The Challenge Rooms are three levels intended to test the knowledge and skills players have learned while playing through the main game.

    • A Shocking Turn of Events – A Little Sister is trapped atop a Ferris wheel in an undisclosed location in Rapture. Using only the tools and environment around them, players must use their wits to create electricity to power the Ferris wheel and bring the Little Sister to safety.
    • The I in Team – Using limited resources, and an even more limited arsenal, players must negotiate traps and find a way to defeat a Big Daddy using their wits instead of raw firepower.
    • Worlds of Hurt – Step up and take on the most grueling challenge offered in the world of Rapture. Players must battle through eight rooms of Big Daddies, Splicers and the worst that Rapture has to offer. Accumulate Adam, build an arsenal of Plasmids, Tonics and Weaponry, and fight through to rescue the Little Sister.

    In addition to these three Challenge Rooms, two other additions are included in the package.

    • The Official Premium BioShock Theme.
    • A new feature, New Game Plus. This feature will give players who have beaten the main game the ability to start a new game with the character data (weapons, inventory, research, etc.) carried over from the end of the game (if the player beats the game after the patch was installed) or from a saved game of the player's choosing (if they beat the game before the patch was installed). When they install the Add-On Content, a "New Game Plus" option will appear on the menu screen allowing them to use this feature.

    System Requirements

    System Requirements As displayed on the back cover of the box.

    Minimum Requirements

    • CPU (Processor): Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor
    • System RAM: 1GB
    • GPU (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
    • HDD (Hard Disc) space: 8GB free space

    Recommended Requirements

    • CPU (Processor): Intel Core 2 Duo processor
    • System RAM: 2GB
    • GPU (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)

    Xbox 360 Game Installation

    When installed on an Xbox 360 console running the current versions of the NXE, BioShock requires only 4.7 GB of HDD space. However, if the game was installed under the preliminary (first release) version of the NXE, Bioshock takes up 6.1 GB of space. This is true even if the user has since updated their Xbox 360's dashboard to a newer version. The only way to take advantage of the smaller size is to delete the old installation and re-install the game.

    Artbook

    On March 16, 2009 the Cult of Rapture website announced that a limited edition artbook for BioShock called Breaking the Mold: Developer's Edition was available for pre-order on the 2K online store. The standard version can be found on the Cult of Rapture website for download as a PDF file.

    Trivia

    Originally 2K Designed a Teleportation Plasmid that teleported the player out of danger, by marking a location that the player would teleport to when they used the plasmid, the plasmid was ultimately removed due to the fact that it could be used to break story events. A same sort of teleport plasmid did appear in BioShock 2 as an Easter Egg, presumably based on the plasmid scrapped from BioShock 1.

    Xbox 360 Games on Demand

    On August 6, 2009, BioShock became available on the Xbox 360's Games on Demand service.

    sizepositionchange
    sizepositionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    bordersheaderpositiontable
    positionchange

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.