STUDIO: 2K Games
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2008
CONSOLE: PS3
ALSO AVAILABLE ON: XBox 360, PC
DEVELOPER: 2K Marin, 2K Boston, 2K Australia, Digital Extremes
GENRE: First-Person Shooter
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)

Has the international love affair with Bioshock changed in the time that its taken for this landmark title to make its way to the PS3? Are great games always great or do they change with the passing months? Since Bioshock rocked the world on XBox 360 and PX at the end of 2007, gamers have immersed themselves in worlds as diverse as Grand Theft Auto IV, Metal Gear Solid 4, and are currently in love with Dead Space, Fallout 3, and Resistance 2. Is there room in a much more crowded landscape for a game like Bioshock? Absolutely. Great games don't get old and out-of-date, they age. It's amazing to think that a game could have "aged" in just a year but playing Bioshock on PS3 feels different than the onslaught of great titles recently. This is the elder statesman of the group. There's no questions about if it's a well-designed game or if the playability will last. We know it will. We've seen the cult of Rapture build up to a phenomenon on the XBox and PCs. So, why bother reviewing what we already know is a classic on Playstation 3? Why revisit it? For the same reason that you should not ignore the best movies of 2007 just because they came out last year. Bioshock is still one of the best games of the last few years and is a must-add to anyone's PS3 library.

Bioshock opens with your unnamed character crashing in uncharted waters. You descend into the city of Rapture, a once-Utopian escape under the sea that has fallen prey to genetic engineering and, well, crazy sh*t. Their leader, the demented and evil Andrew Ryan got together the world's smartest scientists, industrialists, and engineers in Rapture, but, like Jurassic Park, their technology and greed to mess with human nature got the best of them. Immediately after your descent, you're attacked by a zombie-esque creature known as a splicer, a genetically-modified half-human that will soon enter your nightmares. But Bioshock isn't a typical "run and gun". Soon you'll be given the power of genetic modification yourself in the form of plasmids, different weapons and tonics at your disposal. Through out the game, you'll need to use a combination of genetic tools like electric shocks and the ability to incinerate from your left hand (and the L1 and L2 buttons) and bigger and better weapons from your right (and the R1 & R2), as you make your way through this deadly city, one of the most vividly recreated and fascinating environments (imagine an art deco, half-underwater world) in the history of gaming. Can you save the residents of Rapture? Is there anything left worth saving?

If you missed Bioshock on XBox 360 and PC last year, you're in for an amazingly detailed and gameplay-revolutionary title. Bioshock is a new approach to the classic "kill the monsters" first-person shooter. Playing through this masterpiece on the PS3, I was reminded of my college days sitting in front of a computer and marveling at how much time and energy was spent putting into the classic Doom 3. Oh how far the FPS has come. Bioshock features some of the most intensely enjoyable shooting-based challenges in gaming history. It combines strategy - which weapon or plasmid to use and in what order - with the more classic thrill of blowing your enemy's head clean off or lighting a giant robot on fire. Like a lot of great games, Bioshock succeeds because it perfectly balances those two sides of the gamer's brain - the one that wants to do some damage after a long day at work/school and the one that wants to be challenged by more than just a series of bigger weapons and faster button-mashing.

If the gameplay doesn't grab you, the detail of Rapture will. Not only was (and is) Bioshock a massive step forward in terms of gorgeous water effects but the recreation of this decaying city under the sea is consistently remarkable. Game designers often put more energy into the monster that is going to come through the door than the door itself, but Bioshock's engaging world is one of the main reasons it works. And this visual marvel has made its way to the PS3 relatively intact. There have been some message board postings about problems with 1080p resolution and having to adjust settings down to 720. Honestly, I never noticed a problem, but I imagine the TV brand in question and the connection (I'm running HDMI) might be part of some people's issues. The fact is that Bioshock would look amazing on a normal TV. If you have to adjust your HD down to make it work, it's a small price to pay and one that will likely be fixed with a patch soon. I was blown away by the lack of framerate problems, even when I was personally losing my mind with bigger and scarier villains around every corner. After a long initial loading time, there are barely any hiccups in loads between levels or even saved games. It may sound minor, but the consistent flow of Bioshock and the lack of cut scenes makes for a much more intense, consistent experience. You can't take a break while the voice actors do their thing. In fact, you'll regularly be under attack while the voice actors do their thing.

Bioshock looks amazing, but it's the gameplay and, even more so, the storytelling that truly excels. You'll pick up audio recorders through out the game and slowly be told the story of how Rapture fell from grace. One of the most lauded elements of Bioshock has been the ability to let your own moral code dictate the gameplay. Early in the game, you'll be presented with the plight of the Little Sisters. These toddler girls contain Adam, a life source that allows you to control your own genetic abilities, an upgrade system if you will. If you kill the Little Sisters, you'll get more Adam than if you just rescue them. You're practically advised to kill them if you want an easier game, but advised that you may get a more rewarding experience if you just rescue them. It's up to you.

What's wrong with Bioshock? Personally, I found the hacking system and consistently annoying security cameras and gun turrets repetetive and annoying. Zapping a gun turret and hacking it to your own will is fun a few times, but I grew weary of it. After that? Um. Hmmm. Well, that's about it. XBox 360 and PC users complained that Bioshock was too easy (and, to them, I say that they play video games too much because I play video games ALL the time and I found parts of it quite challenging), so 2K has added a more difficult level. There's also a feeling that in the year between XBox and PS3, some new content could have been developed. There is some interesting exclusive-to-PS3 DLC on the way including a series of challenge rooms and puzzles that will hit the PSN on November 20th. For more on that, check this out. But, for now and until we see if that DLC is really worth buying a $60 game again (on top of the $10 charge for the DLC), if you have the game on XBox or PC, there's no real reason to double dip. Save your money for Bioshock II, which I have a feeling is going to be revolutionary. However, if you don't have Bioshock, I can't recommend it strongly enough. It's a game-changer in the FPS market that even a casual gamer should include in their collection.