Atmospheric, engaging, intense and intelligent. Bioshock is the thinking mans shooter and an experience worth having.
I can't think of many other games that match Bioshock in regards to originality of concept, setting and story. Only the System Shock games, Half-life 1 and the original Dues Ex come to mind.
Bioshock sets out to create a frightening world of mystery and purpose and succeeds most gracefully. The underwater city "Rapture", where the game takes place, oozes with atmosphere and story. Every location you travel through you will find interesting and authentic scenery, detailed props, hideously deformed ghouls (Who were once the brilliant citizens of Rapture) and interesting, yet sinister, characters with their own agendas.
Visually Bioshock looks amazing and is extremely detailed. The game-engine doesn't offer all the latest lighting, texture and visual effects, but looks great none-the-less.
The environmental sound effects, are superb. You will often hear an in-game noise and find yourself looking around your own lounge room in confusion.
Music is superb. An excellent and high quality score that is perfectly timed and emotionally gripping. In fact I think much of the emotion invoked by Bioshock can be attributed to the music.
There is great deal of spoken dialogue and it is all top notch. The script is professional and feels authentic to the time period. The actors portray their characters with passion and enthusiasm.
Inline with the high quality presentation, Bioshocks game play is also excellent. Combat involves both magic and guns. The magic is spectacular and powerful, the guns are loud, chunky and devastating. Battles are fast and frantic - and the frame-rates hold up very well. You will find that the environment plays a very large part in your battles - more so then usual in similar games.
Supporting the fun and frantic game play, beautiful visual design and atmospheric audio is an amazing tale of tragedy, corruption, conspiracy and triumph. The game is very linear, but you wouldn't want it any other way simply because the plot is so intriguing and mysterious that you will be driven by the "need to know" what happened to the people of Rapture and why are you there....?
Bioshock is an experience as much as it is a great game... It's original, ambitious, terrifying and satisfying. You will be hanging onto every line of dialogue right up-until the awesome climax.
Now "Would you kindly" go and buy yourself a copy of this most excellent game.