BioShock

Bioshock is a first-person shooter set in 1960 that puts players in control of a silent protagonist, named Jack, who has stumbled upon the underwater metropolis of Rapture after surviving a plane crash at sea. Jack finds Rapture eerily abandoned, but it remains filled with the style of the late ‘50s – from music playing on turntables and jukeboxes, to era-appropriate billboard advertisements and home furnishings. Soon, Jack comes into radio contact with a man who offers to lead him to safety, and serves as the mission-giver throughout the game. The mystery of Rapture’s creation and demise is exposed as Jack finds audio diaries, which reveal a great deal about the history of the city and a variety of its inhabitants – including its founder Andrew Ryan. Rapture was established as a city of unrestrained free enterprise, and listening to Ryan’s laissez-faire rhetoric is entertaining and even thought provoking. Such an unrestrained environment led genetic tinkerers to create a substance known as ADAM. This stem-cell concentrate is produced by creepy little girls referred to as Little Sisters, and allows individuals to gain superhuman abilities called Plasmids. While Plasmids become effective tools for Jack, they also power ADAM junkies known as Splicers, and the Little Sisters’ giant drill-wielding protectorates – Big Daddies. Combat that combines gunplay with Plasmids can be fun, but the lack of any distinct strengths and weaknesses among enemies entices the player to narrowly apply their upgrades rather than explore the full range of their arsenal. But, despite the game’s one-note combat, the disturbing atmosphere created by a ‘50s utopia gone awry is enough to urge players to explore every nook and cranny of Rapture. While familiar combat mechanics leave much to be desired, Bioshock’s faults are outshone by style, wit, intrigue, and an overall engrossing experience.