Hi-def gaming at it's best, take a walk around a next gen world that seems more real than reality and love every second!
Probably the most amazing thing about BioShock is the graphics. What can I say to describe it, water looks more real than real water, every piece of the environment looks like it's actually made of stone and steel, I sometimes forget that it was all created by computers. I must honestly say that in that first sequence, when you swim around to find the lighthouse, I couldn't believe that this is a game, because it was all so beautiful. This is what next games were always supposed to be: hyperreal.
The thing that makes everything even more amazing is the city of Rapture, the world that you will be exploring in BioShock. It instantly makes you think of old movies, as you walk around just staring at things. There is a lot of space here, the world really seems to be huge and it's not at all claustrophobic. As you make your way through the debris you'll realize that if there actually was a town called Rapture somewhere beneath the surface of the ocean, this is exactly how it would look. It's very amazing that the makers of this game managed to create an artificial environment that looks, sounds and feels more real than reality itself. It's dark and scary at times, but also very beautiful, full of color. The thing is, it doesn't feel like something created for the purpose of the game... It's like a real town that just happens to be where all the action happens.
I'm not going to talk about gameplay stuff too much, because it seems really the least important thing about the game. Yes you go around with guns and shoot people like you would in any other first person shooter. The action is exactly what you'd expect from a good shooter and that is totally sufficient. Again, agreeing with Jeff, you can say this is a great shooter, but you'll be missing a point if you do. I think this game is more of a statement than anything else. It's a statement that the modern game can most definitely be a stunning, hyperreal experience.
So to wrap it all up, BioShock is something that happens very rarely in video games. It's something you will remember for a very long time and I guarantee you'll want to finish this game more than once. It makes you feel that weird thing in your chest, as you carefully approach a Big Daddy to gain the fist shot advantage, or set a Splicer on fire with you plasmid power. It sucks you in. Pure magic happens in this game. It's a definite must-play for everyone, and an instant classic. Even more, this game is a phenomenon and I seriously doubt that anything is capable of coming close this year. It is definitely my game of the year 2007.
Now, go out and get a copy, if you haven't already sent a family member to do it!