Published in 2007 by 2K Games and Developed by Irrational Games (formerly 2K Boston), Bioshock is a first-person role-playing shooter with survival horror elements in which you play as an oceanic plane crash survivor named Jack.  Set in an alternate and fictional 1960, Jack finds himself in a dystopian underwater city called Rapture where political turmoil, smuggling and genetic experimentation has caused the society to collapse into madness.  The cities environment is overrun with insane genetically altered humans, robotic drones, projectile turrets and hostile camera systems. Jack must survive long enough and discover the mysteries of Rapture in order to escape with his life.  Here are my thoughts on the incredibly unique and engaging masterpiece that is Bioshock;

Pros

+ Extremely original and engaging story.

+ Gorgeous graphics, especially for a 2007 title.

+ Amazingly well done voice acting across the board.

+ Plenty of different weapon types, ammo and upgrades to choose from.

+ Hauntingly eerie score by Garry Schyman fits the game like a glove.

+ Ability to freely travel back to any previously explored areas.

+ Emotional choices (right or wrong) really give a sense of feeling while playing.

+ Beautiful art deco designed environments.

+ Numerous and unique spell-like (plasmids) RPG upgrades. Natural Camouflage and Enrage were two of my favorites.

+ Enemy/Item research and crafting system.

+ Fast paced, frantic and well balanced combat system.

+ Grim and foreboding setting.

+ Vendor machine hacking system to get lower prices and other benefits.

+ Ability to change the games difficulty setting at any time.

+ 40+ hours of gameplay with good replay value.

+ Non-linear gameplay for a FPS.

+ Simple quest arrow always points you in the proper direction of your next objective.

+ Save anywhere, anytime (with only a few cut-scene storyline exceptions).

+ Randomly respawning enemies help in replenishing money, items and ammo.

+ 30+ vintage music recordings from the 1940's and 1950's that lend themselves perfectly to the atmosphere of the game.

Cons

- Controls can take some getting used to.

- Scripted enemies often made things too foreseeable.

- Photography research should have been available from the beginning in order maximize your skill bonuses.

- Ending was a bit too easy and rather predictable.

- Vita Chambers gave you no penalty for death. (Note - you can turn them off in the options menu.)

- A few technical issues to tackle after installation (no sound and resolution save issues).

- Retail versions of the game use DRM/SecureRom.

- Maps can be a bit confusing to read and navigate.

- Environment of being at the bottom of the ocean in a dangerously collapsing city wasn't utilized nearly enough.  Huge potential wasted in my opinion.

- A lot of NPC story dialogue to keep track of.  This can be confusing at times.

- No Sprint key.

Bioshock was easily one of the most original, artistic and entertaining games I've played in years.  The levels and environments were beautifully designed which really brought the watery city of Rapture to life.  The city itself is populated with unique and sinister enemies who consistently provide challenging combat sequences.  All characters, enemies and testimonial recordings are accompanied by flawless voice acting.  The storyline hooks you quickly and leaves you eager to discover both the history of mysteries of Rapture as well as wanting to uncover your past.  Bioshock stands as a shining example of combining of all the right elements to provide a gaming experience like no other.
Published in 2007 by 2K Games and Developed by Irrational Games (formerly 2K Boston), Bioshock is a first-person role-playing shooter with survival horror elements in which you play as an oceanic plane crash survivor named Jack. Set in an alternate and fictional 1960, Jack finds himself in a dystopian underwater city called Rapture where political turmoil, smuggling and genetic experimentation has caused the society to collapse into madness. The cities environment is overrun with insane genetically altered humans, robotic drones, projectile turrets and hostile camera systems. Jack must survive long enough and discover the mysteries of Rapture in order to escape with his life. Here are my thoughts on the incredibly unique and engaging masterpiece that is Bioshock;

Pros

+ Extremely original and engaging story. + Gorgeous graphics, especially for a 2007 title. + Amazingly well done voice acting across the board. + Plenty of different weapon types, ammo and upgrades to choose from. + Hauntingly eerie score by Garry Schyman fits the game like a glove. + Ability to freely travel back to any previously explored areas. + Emotional choices (right or wrong) really give a sense of feeling while playing. + Beautiful art deco designed environments. + Numerous and unique spell-like (plasmids) RPG upgrades. Natural Camouflage and Enrage were two of my favorites. + Enemy/Item research and crafting system. + Fast paced, frantic and well balanced combat system. + Grim and foreboding setting. + Vendor machine hacking system to get lower prices and other benefits. + Ability to change the games difficulty setting at any time. + 40+ hours of gameplay with good replay value. + Non-linear gameplay for a FPS. + Simple quest arrow always points you in the proper direction of your next objective. + Save anywhere, anytime (with only a few cut-scene storyline exceptions). + Randomly respawning enemies help in replenishing money, items and ammo. + 30+ vintage music recordings from the 1940's and 1950's that lend themselves perfectly to the atmosphere of the game. Cons

- Controls can take some getting used to. - Scripted enemies often made things too foreseeable. - Photography research should have been available from the beginning in order maximize your skill bonuses. - Ending was a bit too easy and rather predictable. - Vita Chambers gave you no penalty for death. (Note - you can turn them off in the options menu. )

- A few technical issues to tackle after installation (no sound and resolution save issues). - Retail versions of the game use DRM/SecureRom. - Maps can be a bit confusing to read and navigate. - Environment of being at the bottom of the ocean in a dangerously collapsing city wasn't utilized nearly enough. Huge potential wasted in my opinion. - A lot of NPC story dialogue to keep track of. This can be confusing at times. - No Sprint key. Bioshock was easily one of the most original, artistic and entertaining games I've played in years. The levels and environments were beautifully designed which really brought the watery city of Rapture to life. The city itself is populated with unique and sinister enemies who consistently provide challenging combat sequences. All characters, enemies and testimonial recordings are accompanied by flawless voice acting. The storyline hooks you quickly and leaves you eager to discover both the history of mysteries of Rapture as well as wanting to uncover your past. Bioshock stands as a shining example of combining of all the right elements to provide a gaming experience like no other.