Written by Michael K
Last week, I talked about the simple joy of playing a game you hadn’t played for years due to its difficulty, and finally conquering that journey. Well, I have another game for you, which after years of staring at it on shelves, I finally played, and I’m sure you will enjoy it during your summer semester! This week’s game is Bioshock!
I remember when I first saw this game on shelves, I wasn’t allowed to play it because it was too violent. I had no problem with that, but I was still fascinated by the cover art. Who was this massive robot with the drill for a hand, and who was that creepy zombie girl with the needle and glowing eyes? Well, as I finally put the disc into my Xbox 360 and started the game, that wouldn’t be even the first of many questions I would ask!
Bioshock is set in an alternate timeline of the 1960s, where after a plane explodes in midair, our main character is forced to swim to shore as the only survivor, only to be forced into an elevator that descends into Rapture: an underwater city that appeared to the eyes as a utopia.
But as we exit the elevator, it is clear this place is anything but a paradise. Rapture is falling apart, not only from leaks inside the hull, but from the citizens having been drugged and driven mad. This is, I think one of the only times in a video game that I felt bad for killing the enemies, as they were ordinary people, just like me, and I felt bad knowing I needed to fight them to survive. My only friend is a guy named Atlas, who talks to me via the radio, which really adds to the atmosphere.
Speaking of that atmosphere, Bioshock is a mixture between scary and fascinating! The old twentieth century designs of the halls, mixed with the steampunk-esque machinery that creeps across the walls, really makes it unsettling, but beautiful. As a massive history nerd, I really loved the way that it stayed faithful to the architecture and ideological themes of the early 20th century.
Without spoiling too many of the game’s plot twists, the game’s main antagonist, Andrew Ryan, the founder of Rapture, is a great lesson about how ideology is vulnerable to human nature, and not the other way around. The game’s other characters really put into perspective the dangers that come with trying to make a perfect world, as human nature will inevitably make such ideas turn from good intentions to deluded fantasies, which leads to Rapture becoming the ruin that it is now.
Gameplay-wise, this is a resource-based first-person shooter. You need to scavenge ammo in order to survive, as well as health packs, and EVO, the game’s equivalent to a magic meter. EVO allows you to use powers to take out enemies and conquer puzzles, from using electricity, to fire, to telekinesis, to SHOOTING BEES AT PEOPLE! These powers really are effective at taking out enemies, and if you need more power and ammo, you can either purchase them from a slot machine, or by harvesting energy from the Little Sisters, those creepy zombie girls that accompany the drill-handed cyborgs called Big Daddies.
I will say, Bioshock is a very long game. The pacing can drag out, especially in the early levels, as you’re forced to collect items to progress and complete puzzles. It’s not too bad, but if you aren’t used to the lighting, you will get lost quite a bit, so I recommend using a guide if you get stuck.
Overall, though, Bioshock is an amazing game. It’s really refreshing compared to other shooters, and it’s a great way to enjoy off-time on the weekends if you want an enthralling game world to get into.
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