BioShock Xbox 360
User Score
8.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1694 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,514 out of 1694
  2. Mixed: 53 out of 1694
  3. Negative: 127 out of 1694

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  1. DanG.
    Nov 30, 2007
    4
    I just couldnt bring myself to finish it. It wasnt that bad, it just wasnt anything special and I had better games to play (Halo 3). Although the story was interesting and the atmosphere was incedibly deep, the gameplay was meh. Killing the splicers and Big Daddies just felt like a chore and the . I dont understand why the reviewers cant stop raving about it; its just not that special.
  2. TJH
    Sep 27, 2007
    4
    I thought this game was extremely wierd and couldnt get along with it. Although i thought the visuals were very nice indeed the game was just too odd for me.
  3. RichardW.
    Jan 13, 2008
    0
    It amounts to a technical demo of the U3 engine in essence. In gameplay, it's repetitive and easy. I don't care what anyone says, if you've played shooters before you can play this on the hardest setting with no challenge, and there's nothing unique enough to provide a motivation for moving forward. Really, plasmids are nothing new, we've seen similar things in Jedi Knight II, System Shock,etc. Graphically it's impressive. But what everyone praises it for- storytelling- it seems subpar. Am I the only person who sees the blatant Atlas Shrugged ripoff as a ripoff, not an "influence"? It isn't influenced at all by the philosophy as a few reviewers claimed, no doubt too enthralled by the bandwagon to read the book in question before jumping on it. It seemed like every reviewer had a hardon for the games-as-art idea and wanted to talk about it as much as possible instead of the lackluster gameplay, but fine, where's the meat of the plot? We have this: "Ryan believes in this thing completely, and Fontaine believes in nothing. At the end of the day, they're almost equally dangerous. [Fontaine] is a nihilist, all he cares about is himself. He has something missing in him that makes us human." I missed how this is any more interesting than the time honored concept Nintendo uses of light-world/dark-world.… Expand
  4. BillyE.
    Oct 1, 2007
    2
    Bioshock has a lot of potential. Starting off with the good, the storyline is one of the best ever, and the audio tapes are a very nice touch. THE BAD. As promised, there are many ways of killing your enemies. Unfortunately, the game's difficulty is too easy. The developer told people that ammo would be scarce and it ISN'T. A brief search through the trash cans and tables of rapture will yield more than enough ammo. Also, the one-two punch introduced in the beginning of the game (shock+wrench) is useful throughout the entire game. Why use telekinesis on your enemies when you can just shock and whack them. Why use advanced tactics when you can just shock and whack your way to victory. Hacking? Its useful but too easy. Big daddys can be taken down by using a shotgun with electric bullets. Simple. Bioshock has many innovative features but it does not PROVIDE enough circumstances of which they can be utilized. Translation: Its too easy… Expand
  5. CitizenWolf
    Aug 18, 2009
    4
    This game bored the pants off me. I really don't see what all the hype was about. So it was set underwater. So what. The only aspect that amused me were the accents. They reminded me of home. Other than that I thought it was dull.
  6. MarkS
    Oct 17, 2007
    3
    Certainly not worth the scores it has received. The graphics and storytelling are about all that's good - or rather, medicre - in this water-clogged interactive story. Gameplay (shoot once, run out of ammo, then pull out the wrench) and fun (have I been here yet? Where am I? What am I doing? Is that thing good or bad? This is boring.. ) were clearly sacraficed in place of graphics.
  7. BenE.
    Aug 22, 2007
    0
    Sick & Twisted: Your Brain Feeding on BioShock So my son figures he's doing me a favor by picking me up (via his unknowing mom) a copy of this new "thinking-person's FPS." Now, I'm no prude: I'm always up for either Halo title--or even Gears or Resistance. But I've tried to draw the line at: "No humans shooting other (even enemy) humans, and no gory-level, *red* human blood-letting. I go right over to my (adult) gaming friend's house to try it out with him. Boy was I shocked to see in just the first two chapters, how sharply Take-Two has veered into Sickville. You play as a (mutated) human, slaying other mutated humans, mostly women (even grandmothers). In the film noire style of the game, you can't even see much that the women are mutated. And worse than the prolific, red blood & gore: these women mutants have somehow retained perfect, female voices. Honestly, if you close your eyes while someone plays the game, you would have to believe this is a domestic violence against women training program--what, with all their screaming as you kill them. In one scene, you come around a corner, and there's a lady leaning over a baby carriage with her back to you. Your aiming reticle glows red, so she's got to be taken out. But I'm the only one in the room that hesitated at the idea of preemptively shooting her in the back. What does that say about my friends? Best case: they're better able to separate reality from fantasy, I guess. Sure, it's rated M for mature, but how many teens (or younger) are going to get a good look at this game? And is there really any excuse for us adults filling our brains with something this morbid? I also don't enjoy slasher movies like I used to--but this game is much worse: you are first-person training yourself to be a slasher. I must be too old. Or, maybe I've just reached an understanding that other, less corrupted parents did earlier in the reality gaming evolution: there's just no limit to how sick and twisted "mainstream" video games will get if people don't stop desensitizing themselves with current titles. This game's going back to the store tomorrow. Seems like Take-Two used the shock value strategy again with this title to stave-off their falling stock price. It should have been given the AO rating too, for thematic violence and gore. Fatally flawed: 0 out of 10.… Expand
  8. TraceA.
    Aug 28, 2007
    3
    This game is tremendously over-rated. What were the reviews smoking? All you do is search and collect.
  9. tylwrdem
    Aug 1, 2011
    4
    Over hyped, this game is not good. Vast ammo games are a buzz kill. I want to be able to make it through a level with enough ammo in my gun, and not have to beat someone with a wrench. Stupid idea, non modern old fashion games don't cut it for me. Yes if we look at the story it is clean and the graphics are nice, but that doesn't dismiss the fact that there is no appeal to this game. Nothing really attracted me to is and it has 0 replay value something that even people who like this can not deny.… Expand
  10. ApocalypseB.
    Mar 13, 2008
    4
    How in the world did this game get such great recognition is truly beyond me! I never played System Shock 2, but surely that must of been better than this. Why don't I like it? Because after such a good and intense start, the game grinds to a halt after two hours. The pacing then is slow/dead slow, and that what upset me. The potential for greatness is all there: Plasmids, Big Daddies, Saving or harvesting the little sisters. Yet all of them have no spark to them after you experience them time and time again. The aiming system and weapons are really sub-standard, from being too simplistic as opposed to being over the top. And the damage they cause, even the buck shot, is limited. Finally the constant dark and uninspired scenery with even more uninspired enemies were the last straw. Nowadays I haven't the time to grind through games like this, I want instant pleasure or I'll more on. Not that I am not a hardcore gamer, just that I know what I want, and rapture isn't the place I want to be!… Expand
  11. Silver
    Dec 3, 2007
    0
    One of the most disappointing games of the last 10 years. Poor narative, watered-down RPG elements, weak structure, simply put every aspect of Bioshock is basic and pathetic. But the real crime for us is that instead of doing what we've all been asking and make System Shock 3, Irrational Games decided to make a dumb new IP, promote it as the 'spiritual successor' to their legendary previous title and then hope no one would notice when it turned out to be THE WORST GAME EVER. To anyone who hasn't played them or was to young at the time, please don't get Bioshock, instead go out and find copies of both Deus Ex and System Shock 2. It will cost about 10 quid and will be the best 10 quid you have ever spent.… Expand
  12. NickB.
    Aug 16, 2007
    1
    The cartoony user models and the complicated and confusing gameplay makes the game way over hyped and really only a rent due to the lack of multiplayer.
  13. RichieT.
    Aug 18, 2007
    0
    Terrible heap of jumbled characters with a convoluted plot.
  14. SauerJass
    Aug 21, 2007
    1
    Brand new XPS laptop fully loaded... new nvidia drivers... reinstalled game twice.... stalling at second load screen. I would not recommend running to the stores to buy this game. Give this one a month to bake in the oven. Yet another disappointing box-o-bugs, even the better publisers seem to be releasing prematurely now-a-days. Unfortunately this is becoming the norm rather than the exception with PC games. The game seems provocative judging from the little I was able to play. Hopefully you'll have better luck.… Expand
  15. RayH.
    Aug 20, 2007
    3
    Great graphics, implausible storyline...Hard to play (difficulty wise).. The reviewers may be enamored with this title, but if the first thing I do upon entering a strange facility I know nothing about, and I find a hypo needle on the ground...well, I would just shove this needle into my arm? Uh..realism...NOT! And the difficulty ramps up...casual players need not apply!
  16. AlexB.
    Aug 30, 2007
    3
    It has graphics. When you shoot someone they scream bloody murder like you're actually killing a real person. I found it a little too dark, too "evil" to play. What the hell is with the 7 year old little girls drinking and throwing up blood, that is just sick. This game would probably be fun if i could get past so much evil in it.
  17. MattR.
    Sep 24, 2007
    3
    Impressive visuals and a pretty good storyline, but the gameplay is repeditive, linear, and just pretty boring. At times, even with brightness at or above the recommended level, you just can't see anything. It hasn't done anything other games haven't. Although it is pretty satisfying to smack enemies with the wrench. 3 for the graphics and voices, -7 for the gameplay and sounds.
  18. VC
    Sep 3, 2007
    0
    This game is way overhyped. Too linear and too easy. Pretty, but not especially fun.
  19. MatthewS.
    Sep 5, 2007
    4
    A lot of time went into the the polishing the environment (sound and visuals), not enough in all the other areas that make a game worth playing more than once.
  20. ThatGuy
    Nov 20, 2008
    4
    This was a terrible game for me, boring, repetative, difficult, strange, but not that normal for a game like this strange. This is over the top stupid and creepy strange. This is like, you expect a nice underwater land populated by at least ghosts or something, but no. Its disgusting rotten zombie people who can run and jump and shoot at the speed of light. Then these unexpected twists that just annoy you like big daddies and little sisters. This game was a failure, im going back to Nintendo 64 because of this. (The graphics are the same)… Expand
  21. terriblegame
    Jun 2, 2008
    0
    Couldn't stop hitting my head against the wall.
  22. EricB.
    Jul 22, 2008
    0
    Me no understand to complicated me want smash in halo no multiplayer to me want kill people for no reason.To many character and plot is hard me cant understand.
  23. AnonymousMC
    Jul 7, 2008
    1
    How can the reviewers give this such a good score?! It's got a ridiculous amount of bugs that, well, simply make the game unplayable. After a few hours, this game even gave my 360 a RRoD. Go figure -_-
    That is not the reason for the low score (though I did take a point or two more off), it's the fact this game is just average at best. Go play Halo instead. At least that game did     something original and it's mostly run-and-gun.
    PC version is probably a lot better, too bad my PC can't run it    … Expand
  24. GazFlint
    Sep 1, 2009
    4
    I don't get why so many people like this game, its really repetitive, the crontrols are clunky and at times it's so stupidly hard, I died about five times in a minute once. It was just weird, it didn't know whether it wanted to be an RPG or a shooter, and didn't have the finesse of either. Most over rated game ever.
  25. TonyG.
    Oct 11, 2007
    2
    I'm shocked this game has received such acclaim. The graphics are nice and the story charming, but that's all. Gameplay is pathetically awful. Shoot, run out of ammo, & swing wrench. How this even got past playtesting is a mystery to me. Framerate begins to glitch and freeze when things get busy. Ammunition is stupidly scarce, requiring you to search every bit of garbage on the floor. Your primary weapons are zapping somebody with electricity and then clubbing them. You can't even access all the power menus from the standard game interface, these only unlock when you pick up an item. Skip this overhyped nonsense an d buy a real game like Halo 3.… Expand
  26. RyanM.
    Dec 10, 2007
    0
    I absolutley detest any game that wins the game of the year award when it not only has no multiplayer content but, cant even get the campaign single player mode to be the least bit Non-Linear... Probably the single most boring game I have ever Played, So much for taking the ratings to heart and dropping $60 on something I hated so badly I felt selling it was wrong because I would be putting it back into circulation.… Expand
  27. KurtC.
    Dec 28, 2007
    3
    Boring and not very good. Amazing production values (graphics/sound) and an average story, although it was presented well. The problem is the gameplay. It is just so lacking, and it is very sad to hear this compared with the System Shock games. They are in a completely different league to this game. Also, anyone who gives a game 100 out of 100, should not be in the business of reviewing anything.
  28. JayA.
    Oct 23, 2007
    1
    Certainly not worth the scores it has received. The graphics and storytelling are about all that's good - or rather, medicre - in this water-clogged interactive story. Gameplay (shoot once, run out of ammo, then pull out the wrench).
  29. JeremyL.
    Dec 7, 2007
    2
    Great graphics, good storyline, pretty good thriller. Nothing like I expected, no RPG element. Basic horror FPS. Would have been much better on PC, Xbox 360 isn't for FPS', I bought it for the RPG element it was advertised as having, and was disappointed to find that it was nothing like that.
  30. mickeykan
    Oct 29, 2007
    0
    bioshock is the worst game i ever played. I almost thought i was nes or probably superman 64. I even think superman 64 is a better game than bioshock. When i played it the person who got his plane crash and went in the lighthouse and said "there is only man no god". I say to myself why did the guy go in if he it is a dangerous place. it didn't have good because how can there roboots and flying mini helicopter back in 1960 like what the hell they have video games that year well there is only few at the time but i bet those video game is better than bioshock for Nintendo 64 opps sorry (bad graphics, crappest storyline of all time, worse shooting game of all times.) It's only for pc and xbox 360. it shouldn't game of the year and it should take superman 64 spot as the worse game of all times. The control is good but the storyline ruins it. When i got to the ending i didn't know atlas the guy who guide you through while holding his radio is the last master. even if you rescue all the girls the game is still crap. when you stab yourself with the needle it really hurts your eye while in a dark place and i can see polygon all over the place as if i thought i was playing nes. shooting are worst games of all time and people who said this is really good game needs to go to hell!!!!!!!! when i beat the game i just throw it away because that game is trash.… Expand
  31. TeodorIkonomov
    Aug 17, 2007
    0
    The Best Game Ever
  32. Ryencoke
    Sep 25, 2007
    2
    Did I play the same game as the rest of you? I was expecting this game to blow me away. It didn't do that at all. It's basically 'Condemned: Criminal Origins', with a little magic & minor graphical updates. I'm still in awe at all these reviews. Seriously, this game was not good. You get to kill the same creatures over and over, in the same enviornments. All this game is, 'hack this', 'hack that'.. Kill this... Lame. Avoid it, and fix these reviews.… Expand
  33. Aeschylus
    Jan 1, 2008
    1
    Imagine DOOM 3 without the gut wrenching viscera and H.P. Lovecraft inspired enemies. Imagine (literally) a watered down version of the brilliant gothic designs of DOOM 3. Finally, imagine running through the same corridors without any environmental change whatsoever between the runs, about 5 times for each level. Repetition is tedious. Especially when there's nothing new to look at.
  34. JoeS.
    Jul 7, 2008
    1
    Wow, totally uninspired. Let's see here....Music: Sucks. Graphics: WOW! WTH? Really, really bad. I bet you though I was going to say good, right? Well, too bad, they really suck. These guys should take a hint from Doom 3 or Halo instead. THOSE are real graphics! Gameplay: Average, but boring overall. I just want to run in there and blow up some people! Is that too much to ask for?! I don't want to be able to shoot fire at somebody, watch him run into water, and THEN shoot elec. to kill him. Why can't I just kill him right then and there? -_- Story: *sigh* Boring as hell. I don't even understand it. Makes no sense.… Expand
  35. MikeH.
    Jan 31, 2010
    0
    The online play for this game is constantly laggy, at best, this is nothing like the first halo which is what i was led to believe it was based on. I spent well over $500 on this game and expected much much much more!!! My daughter Matilda cant stop crying after she saw the graphic male on male sex scene which looked like it was shot in someones basement. Shame on you 2k games but, shame on you ebay user MikeHawk101 for selling me this trash.… Expand
  36. JakeH.
    Nov 18, 2007
    2
    This game was great at 1st but after an hour the game gets repetative e.g there are only so many enemy types and most of the time the games objectives are go there collect that. The gameplay isnt that good either and enemies dont react the way you think they should when they are shot. For an FPS it is quite a long game but that just means more time wasted because it has to be one of the most dissapointing endings i have ever seen.… Expand
  37. biosux
    Nov 19, 2007
    3
    3? Yes a 3 for the occasionally pretty graphics and an attempt at a different story from most drab shooters.

    After that there's nothing left to talk about in a positive light as it's all downhill, controls, widescreen, pacing, rewards, enemy variety, respawns, BUGS, BUGS, crashes, BUGS, 2k's attitude to customers... basically a very poor game masquerading as the best thin    g since sliced bread.

    I'm sure on the 360 this game feels a lot better but on PC it's a pale imitation of it's spiritual predecessor (system shock 2). It doesn't even work ergonomically, it's got useless controls and when it's not crashing the gameplay is actually very poor. See edges or gamecritics review for the real skinny on this 'game'.

    Avoid like the plague or at least try on rental,.. oh hey that's exactly what you do when you BUY the PC version because the DRM means you get a few installs and that's it, even with it's revoke tool, it doesn't work so you basically won't get to install it much every time you reformat, which thankfully you won't want to anyway because the game is that dull.

    A damp squib in the firework box of PC gaming and one best killed off before it's legacy comes to represent the 'best' of what gaming has to offer.    … Expand
  38. AnthonyG.
    Nov 26, 2007
    1
    A triumph of marketing, bribed critics, and discussion boards flooded with paid advertisers. When the diction of most positive reviewers includes A triumph of marketing, bribed critics, and discussion boards flooded with paid advertisers. You'll love that the diction of most "user's" positive reviews includes words like "intriguing" and "a boon to gamers", definitely things that I say all the time. Right on gamers!!! The best part of this title by far, are the reviewers which criticize the game for being too evil and dark. I think I'll post some reviews which criticize it for being too super-duper-fun too! NEATO! Ok gamers, suit up and go buy the awesomest game ever. Wait...is that a glitchy, repetitive, clumsy, pile of un-playtested goodness on my screen? Without multiplayer? Yeah well BUY ANOTHER COPY it's definitely going to be even BETTER THE SECOND TIME AROUND!… Expand
  39. MetalD.
    Nov 29, 2007
    1
    As Anthony said this game is an over marketed disasterpiece, a bit fun but not worth your 60 bucks. Better to rent this game since you will beat it in a night or two, it doesnt have multi-player so no reason to keep it. Don't buy into the hype guys the most anticipated games of the year are often times the worst.
  40. BryanBriceno
    Dec 10, 2007
    0
    wtf HORRIBLE GAME THEY SHOULD GET ALL THE GAMES BACK AND GIVE THE PEOPLE THERE MONEY SO THE CREATORS CAN SHOVE THE GAME UP THERE LOOSE BUT WHOLE.....DONT FUCK WITH HALO 3 FANS YOU GUYS WANNA GO TO WAR LETS GO TO WAR LETS START A BIG ASS HALO 3 VS BIO SHOCK RIOT WE WILL DEFINNATELY WIN BIO SHOCK JUST HAS A BUNCH OF FAGET LOVERS.
  41. Wackelpudding
    Dec 28, 2007
    4
    The hype for Bioshock only confuses me. Gets on my nerves actually. The only truly impressive element of the graphics compared to other new releases is the water (and blood), the weaponry and models remind me far too much of something like Time Splitters, cartoony and flimsy. The 'atmosphere' becomes dull, and the gameplay is repetitive. I found it a quickly tedious bodge-together of older ideas: not much more than Deus Ex plus timesplitters with backdrops like the rendered locations from point and click adventure games of Yore. The 'style' is uninspiring. I cannot understand it's popularity. On PC, I found this game Seriously Disappointing.… Expand
  42. BabS.
    Dec 4, 2007
    4
    An ok shooter. The story is not catching at all, and the RPG elements are practically non existent. The big daddies are neither scary, and you meet them all the time. You can always predict what is to happen, and the enemies are neither variated. The "moral" choice is only to kill the evil small girls or let them go, big choice.
  43. SaudAlmoayed
    Aug 16, 2007
    0
    Actually, i prefer super mario than this fucking stupid ugly game.. its much fanfooneeta
    it must be Chekidom and WeeWeePoM like the HuN HuN PeeP PeeP.. but most of all and as DJ Meeki says: sex is so good!
    anyway am leaving now i have 2 shave my big hairy Ass..!
    and for my fans, I love u all and thanks for everything...
    and if Zaina is reading this.. (i really wanna fuck u baby..!! can     we do it in Mambo Cafe next time)

    see u all after BIOSHOCK 2's Review
    bye bye bye    … Expand
  44. AlessioP.
    Aug 23, 2007
    0
    WATCH OUT!!! Bioshock is a great game, sure, but has a orrible DRM system. Basically you can activate it online 2 times only; you "should" get an activation back when you uninstall it, but at the moment it does not work. You can check 2kgames forum... or give a look at pcgamer.com. Achtung!
  45. ArthurO.
    Aug 31, 2007
    0
    Let me start off by saying this: I am not a hater of xbox, 2k, shooters, or good games. I will be honest in saying that before I played the game for myself, I thought that was the type of people writing the negative reviews. The demo is certainly interesting and the stellar reviews made me buy it. For a game where the story is the main selling point, why is it that I am pitted against every person I come across? OK, the genetic mutation makes them hyper-aggressive, so that's why all of Rapture's residents only want to attack me even if I show no hostile movement towards them (or if I try to progress past them). Alex B. uses the best word to describe this game: "evil". That is why you see a facially mutilated corpse strapped to a chair as you enter one of the medical facility's rooms. That is why you enter another room to find a "doctor" mutilating the body of a screaming woman as two other mutilated bodies hang on the wall in front of him. And that is why the only way to advance through hoards of other humans is not through reason or logic but senseless genocide. It greatly pains me and troubles me to write this review because not only is this game so disgusting and so evil, but people are entertained by the evil done not only by others in this game, but by the evil that you are forced to do to advance. This is evidenced through the innumerable positive reviews this game is getting. The fundamentals of the game are also offensive. After the point where the demo leaves off, the controls show just how bad they are. The big daddies are too fast and run into you time and time again. What does that matter though when you just re-spawn ten times and kill him. Such mediocre shooting controls would be more forgivable if the plasmids were at all compelling. I've heard several uses of the phase "thinking-man's shooter". Then I guess I must be a genius to know to electrocute the water or set fire to oil to take out an enemy. I am a huge shooter fan and have played and enjoyed many and can lose myself in mindless violence because they are entertaining and I know that videogames are only a manipulation of electrical current and not real life. But for so many people to find enjoyment in the observation and participation of the evil that encompasses every aspect of this game that is not even technically well executed is greatly alarming to me. My sincere faith in the goodness of human nature compels me to believe that many people share my beliefs but will not post them in a public forum because of the countless of you supporting this appalling game.… Expand
  46. FredB.
    Jun 28, 2008
    0
    This game has poor graphics for a XBOX360 game and poor taste. It appeals to little teenagers though.
  47. RickS
    Jun 12, 2009
    3
    96 my @ss, this game was boring, simple as that, why do we play countless hours of Cod 4 death match over and over? Cuz it's fun. BioShock was just tedious, do you like stupid mini games,searching in cabinets, or reloading your gun?. If yes this game is for you. For those who claim to love Bioshock, play it for an hour lets see how far you get, in that hour you would have walked around and prob killed 4 enemies while hacking vending machines, AGAIN NOT FUN. What about the guns, ok why freeze a guy when i can just shoot him, the powers in this game is use less, because your guns do the exact amount of damage or more, switching from powers to guns was terrible, all while getting shot in your face over and over. After a while i just stopped dodging. Thats right you walk up to an enemy and just shoot, go to a vending machine and buy health. Repeat over and over. I believe the downfall of this game was the enemies, there just not engaging to kill, when i'm fighting locust(GOW) or gunning down marines(cod 4) its way more thrilling. By the time i finished the game i really didn't care, i just wanted to be done with it, this game was a huge let down. I'M NOT GONNA PLAY BIOSHOCK 2 LET ALONE BUY IT. Keiko C is moron, write a review idot, all you did was bash.… Expand
  48. HunterDooley
    Nov 14, 2007
    2
    Bioshock is one of those games where the first couple of days you have it, u think its like the best game you've ever played.
    You get a little deeper into the story and you realize its nothing more than a polished up game thats extremely overrated.
    Game play is fun to begin with, but the sparkle fades away when you find yourself killing monsters the same way over and over again. Gra    phics are mind-bendingly stunning but the luster fades off after awhile. If you want long lasting fun get COD4,Gears,Halo 3, or the Orange Box.… Expand
  49. JamesB
    Dec 17, 2007
    1
    It's just dreadful - totally linear, plot irrelevant to the action, you can just keep dying and coming back to kill the Big Daddies who retain damage inflicted on them before you die so you need NO SKILL whatsoever to complete it. Boring, repetitious and utterly disappointing after the thrilling first couple of hours play when it promises so much, but delivers nothing from that point. I have no idea how it has scored such fabulous reviews, no idea at all! An absolute shame considering the promise shown early on. I gave it 1 as it looks and sounds gorgeous.… Expand
  50. metallicbeast31
    Nov 21, 2011
    0
    i hateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this game
  51. SighMN
    Feb 17, 2013
    2
    I found the combat of Bioshock (and Bioshock 2) just really uninteresting and boring. I loved the atmosphere of this game and the story (when there were bits of it), but I could never find myself interested in it enough to finish the game. Repetitive enemies and having to scrounge through every single piece of debris to get small amounts of ammo and clunky combat design makes is a real turn off. Why did everyone love this game?… Expand
  52. dudebarry
    Oct 14, 2012
    2
    The good: Good graphics. Water looks great and the Unreal engine is really good.

    The bad:

    This game is drivel. It's a zombie shooter where enemies have no sense of self-preservation and require no skill to kill. They range from tedious to highly armoured which means if you don't have any ammo, expect to have to respawn over and over again to kill them. They also reappear, so if you'v    e cleared a room. leave and re-enter, half the time new enemies come back.

    The map is difficult to use. Why isn't my head the tip of the arrow on the map? As a result, navigation is confusing and almost impossible. The game's too complicated. Not content with one monetary system, they've introduced a second. Also, all of the different tonics, potions and lotions are just too much. I lose track of which category of power-ups are useful and which ones I don't care about. I keep getting mixed up between physical and combat tonics, and keep buying more slots for the wrong one. It's just really annoying.

    It's just totally repetitive. I am SO BORED of playing the rubbish little pipeline game to hack robots, security cameras, etc. I'm SO BORED of killing the same zombies over and again, and hunting for objects. I'm just bored of the entire game.

    The story is pointless and the main character just accepts everything unquestioningly (who is Atlas and why is my character doing what he says?). Apparently this'll all be explained in the end with a great twist, but I probably won't bother ever completing this game so won't see it. I'm SO bored of this game after playing it for 9 hours (and not enjoying it for that time, waiting until I have a glimmer of fun) that I think I'll just cheat my way through the rest of it. The part where I actually start liking this game doesn't appear to be happening any time soon, and apparently I'm 1/3 of the way through.

    Ever heard that you need 3 things to make you feel good: Mastery, autonomy and purpose? This game gives you autonomy. I'm currently boring my way through having to collect 21 little potions. Pointless repetition combined with only half knowing where to go (for once the little arrow at the top has stopped giving me directions).

    The story is TOO SLOW so I feel like there's NO PURPOSE. It's not mysterious it's just slow.

    And I can keep on dying and respawning as much as I like which means that my choices have NO CONSEQUENCES and are completely meaningless. I can shoot Big Daddies from my respawn point (because if you run out of money and decent weapons you can barely kill them). The other enemies are basically zombies that run at you mindlessly. No tactics at all. So there's no need to master anything in this game. It's just a tedious walk through the levels.

    I am completely baffled why this game has scored so highly. I'm only glad I bought it 5 years after its release instead of paying full price for it.

    So in short if you like games like Batman where you enjoy having to outsmart your enemies (ones with a sense of self-preservation) and enjoy variety while making meaningful choices that have actual consequences, you probably won't enjoy this game. But for some reason 1,305 people rated it highly...    … Expand
  53. tggrif
    Mar 24, 2013
    0
    No Southpaw or analog/control stick mapping--there's not even d-pad configuration. This is a glaring and awful oversight that makes the game unplayable for some, not to mention those have disabilities and might require custom input devices. Functionality even through updates was never added and that's just offensive.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
96 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 88 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 88
  3. Negative: 0 out of 88
  1. ActionTrip
    92
    In a nutshell, beyond any shadow of doubt, BioShock is an excellent single-player shooter experience. The undeniable quality of this title and its emphasis on true and not pseudo-mature storytelling and character development make it a must-have for every self-respecting gamer.
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  2. GameSpot
    90
    Its weak link is its unsatisfying no-skill-required combat, which might aim this one just over the head of the average Halo fan. But if you want to get a little fancy, there's a lot of fun to be had with some of the game's more indirect fighting methods. It builds an amazing atmosphere by using terrific graphics and sound to set a creepy mood. But BioShock's real strengths are as a compelling work of interactive fiction, and as a unique ride through a warped world with some great payoff built into its mysterious plot. If that description has you even the least bit interested, you won't be disappointed one bit.
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  3. GameDaily
    100
    The first-person shooter's great looking, has an engrossing storyline, a perfect balance of action and exploration and a totally customizable combat system that can be described as nothing less than video game rapture.
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