An interesting premise, world and plot makes Bioshock a very unique gaming experience.
Set in the year 1960, you start off in a plane prior to its crash in the Atlantic Ocean. You emerge from the wrecks of the plane and swim to a nearby lighthouse and make your way to a secret passage leading to an underwater ciy known as Rapture. You quickly befriend a resistance fighter known as Atlas, whose intention is to find a way out of Rapture. However, you eventually learn that Rapture is a magnificent utopia gone haywire with the entire populace gone half insane led by the madness of several shady characters that you will encounter during your adventure...
The plot features plenty of unique twists, characters and spooky environments to keep things interesting once you become immersed with the experience. Rapture's splicers are the common foe, whose hyperactively violent nature can actually be enough to frighten you at times. Big Daddies are probably the highlight. These are hulking super humans tasked with protecting Rapture's Little Sisters. Once they are freed from the Big Daddy's influence, they can be released from their trance like states or be harvested for a powerful essence called Adam.
In terms of gameplay, the game boasts FPS gameplay mechanics with some light RPG elements. Items and new weapons can be found or purchased throughout your adventure. You can also use a variety of powers known as plasmids. These powers can be used on both your foes and the environment. Unfortunately, you will find some of these powers to be a nuisance and it won't be long before you will start spamming specific powers once you don't drain your Eve meter. More powers can be purchased or upgraded with Adam, which can be obtained from Little Sisters. Sadly, the plasmids and RPG elements doesn't exactly make BioShock any more groundbreaking than it already is. The game's difficulty is just way off the chart. When you die, you respawn at Vita Chambers scattered throughout the level and your progress remains unchanged. This pretty much makes the game unchallenging in almost every area.
The game's atmosphere, game world and soundtrack is where BioShock shines. Rapture is literally falling apart around you, combined with the ravaged parts of the city makes the game feel very disturbing. The games eerie soundtrack also adds to the game's intriguing presentation. It can range from some innocent late 50's music to some tunes that hint upcoming disaster. The sounds in the game help add tension to the experience, ranging from chatter amongst groups of splicers to the stomps of an approaching Big Daddy.
BioShock provides a 12 hour experience that you will probably remember for years to come. The game's unique setting and plot twists are enough to make 2K's masterpiece stand out from the crowd. The game isn't very original or amazing in terms of gameplay, but Rapture's scary environment should be enough to keep you interested after your first hour of play. If you have patience, BioShock is a title that you should consider.
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Very atmospheric world
Brilliantly structured plot
Some very unique plot twists
Big Daddies are awesome
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Quite slow for the first hour
Lacks any innovative features
Vita Chambers make it too easy