Would you kindly...?

So, Bioshock 2 drops tomorrow. I'm as psyched for this as anyone else, if not more so; the original Bioshock remains one of, if not, my favorite game. I was a little late to play it in early '08, as I didn't have a 360 until then; however, Bioshock was the first title I grabbed upon getting it, and once I started playing, I couldn't stop.

I could go into the usual hoopla about Bioshock; how it had some of the most innovative game-play of its time, and absolutely gorgeous graphics. Which I will, and which it did. The combination of puzzles and first person shooters wasn't completely new territory, but with all the hacking mini-games, and genuine mysteries you had to solve throughout the title, it took it to a new level. I can't say I was the biggest fan of the aforementioned mini-games, as they became annoying as they grew more difficult; however, it's no surprise that future titles, such as Fallout 3, took a similar premise when it came to hacking mini-games, though Fallout's password-manipulating were significantly less annoying than the pipe-puzzles. The mysteries surrounding Rapture, a puzzle in themself, hold some of the true allure of Bioshock; for one prime example of this, the demented Sander Cohen has you dabble in some real Haunting In Connecticut shit by taking photos of the dead. However, unlike those funeral parlor photos, those poor folks you're taking pictures of were sentenced to this fate by you. Although, yeah, that's kinda a similar story in Haunting in Connecticut too.

The graphics.. still look at beautiful today as they did over two years ago. Rapture is gorgeous. Easily my favorite video game setting, as it is just as emersive as it is stunningly macabre. Although you can never travel outside of the inner city of Rapture (a fault they're correcting in the sequel), the ocean surrounding Rapture looks beautiful; the city itself is based on every 1960's living stereotype gone terribly awry. Billie Holiday's haunting voice serenades you through the radio; the aforementioned Sander Cohen is pretty much Rod Serling meets Alfred Hitchcock if both lost their minds any further, and had an unhealthy fascination with bunny rabbits. The very first boss battle is an early practioneer of plastic surgery, and the leading moments to this battle depict one of the most morose, yet stunning crucifixions you'll ever witness in any form of media; and if you know of any others, please keep them to yourself. The less we know, the better.

The story is the real bread and butter of Bioshock, though. It boasts a story on tie with some of cinema's greatest thrillers; the first two acts of the game's story driven solely by the egomaniacal Andrew Ryan, easily one of the greatest villains to ever grace his face in a video game. Andrew Ryan's monologues are stuff of legend, as seen in the youtube video that proceeded this review, and they only get better. He is the greatest atheist, chauvenistic, God-complexed, sociopathical, genius-intellect asshole ever. Aside from uncle at Christmas parties. But he's dead now, so he doesn't count.



Unforuntately, when the story switches hands in the third act, it takes a HUGE slip in quality. It's still worth finishing the game, as it continues to be great, however once that golfclub leaves your bloody hands, the absolute best part of this game is over. The final boss battle is also one of those huge dissapointments, however that's another thing they're fixing in the sequel.

So yes, even though the third act is took a dip, this game stands as wholly enjoyable; an experience anyone whose even casually into video games should try at least one. One of the most beautiful, thought-provoking, and action packed forms of entertainment ever released upon the world; not just in the realm of video games. Bioshock will always stand as one of gaming's greatest achievements, and stands triumphant amongst all the cookie-cutter shooters that're released seemingly monthly. Hopefully the sequel can due this game's legacy everything it deserves.

Now, would you kindly go and give this game a try if you haven't already?