Mr. Johnson, Dr. Jones and I have been gaming together for a long time. They are well aware of my “rat on crack” like attention span when it comes to games. Don’t get me wrong, I love video and computer games. I just tend to lose interest very quickly in a lot of games when the next new flashy game is released. I originally called it MMO-ADD since I have played most of the MMO’s currently running. However I have decided to expand it to all electronic type games and call it Video Game-ADD (VG-ADD). With all this being said, I actually played Bioshock to the very end.

If I had to pick the Xbox360 game of the year, Bioshock would win hands down. I really enjoyed the roller coaster ride it took me on. With the hauntingly beautiful city of Rapture, the down right creepy Little Sisters and all the little things happening just outside line-of-sight that you don’t quite catch, Bioshock delivers a real feast for the eyes. A truly unique back drop for a FPS.

However it was the very original back story that kept me playing. My biggest complaint with most FPS games is that it is all about blowing up and killing everything in sight. I enjoy doing this, but generally if there is a story at all it’s pretty much and after thought. Bioshock delivered an excellent story that is told from the view of the former (mostly dead) citizens of Rapture, through recordings that you find around the city. Find them all and get the whole story, as well as clues to help you get to the end of the game.

And now Bioshock by the numbers:

Fun 10/10

Bioshock was truly one of the most fun games I have played in a long time. My good friend, the tree hugging Mr Johnson walked the path of the savior in Rapture. Saving the creepy Little Sisters was his idea of fun. I however found my fun in destroying these abominations and taking their power for my own. Bad Little Girls + Evil Black Slugs = Power! Finding and trying out the different Plasmids/Tonics from the Gatherer’s Garden was lots of fun. Remember Water + Electricity = Big Fun!

The best part of the game however was everything that went on around you or just down the hall from you. Every time you walked around a corner you really did not know what you were going to find. Psychotic slicers talking to guns in baby carriages. Spider slicers dropping down from the ceiling “death from above” style. Even Houdini slicers popping in and out as you try to get a shot off before they try to fry you. Nothing will make you jump more than walking around a corner and suddenly coming face-to-helmet with a Big Daddy. All in all it was just great fun exploring Rapture and seeing what there was to see.

Game Play 9/10

I only had a couple issues with the game and I guess here is a good place to point them out. One is if Rapture is the great Utopia, why were there Combat Tonics and Plasmids? Why are there vending machines with ammo for guns you find all over the city? Why are there weapon up-grade stations? Now, granted, without them there would not be much of a game, but they really seemed out of place in the city. Another issue is that occasionally when I would re-appear in a Vita-chamber after getting killed, my current weapon would unload all it currently equipped ammo. Since ammo can be scarce if you are low in funds, this was a problem a few times. Lastly, it does not matter how well you run or hide a Big Daddy will find you. You can fool just about every other enemy, but a Big Daddy will home in on you. Oh and don’t be fooled by these lumbering hulks. Shoot one and they turn into The Flash in a diving suit.

The controls had a low learning curve, which helped since Bioshock was pretty much my first FPS for the 360. Most of my FPS play has been on my compy. Game play was a good mix of stealth, puzzles and strait up in your face action. All in all pretty solid.

Mulit-Player…there is none!

Nothing to rate here, Bioshock is pure one-player action. A lot (well lets just say most) FPS games are built around multi-player with a single-player game thrown in. It was nice to see a true single-player FPS. The down side to this was that my fellow Mad Scientists and I like to get together to game on-line. With Bioshock we had to go at it alone.

Re-playability 5/10

Why so low for a game I really enjoyed? Once the game is over, there is no real drive to play it again. Sure if you want to see the other two endings or to try a different Plasmid you did not use previously, you got a reason. However, I personally don’t see myself playing it again for these reasons. I expect the other endings will show up on YouTube not long from now, if they are not already there. I can see maybe the occasional slicer burning session or needing to watch them twitch as they get jolted with electricity after a real bad say, but not a full out beginning to end re-play.

Value for Money 8/10

It’s fun! It’s creepy! It looks great! I really enjoyed the whole Bioshock experience! Why not a 10? Once point loss for re-playability and one lost for no multi-player.

Final Score 80%

I chose to not factor in multi-player into the final score, since it does not have multi-player. All in all I really dug Bioshock and highly recommend checking it out. Great story! Great characters! Great gameplay! Best of all…creepy Little Sisters!

Rent or Buy? Both!

Rent it! – With a low re-playability, Bioshock is a great renter for the gamer on a budget. GameFly it and keep it till you are done. Want to play it again, add it to your GameQ again.

Buy it! – Can’t wait for it to arrive in the mail? No worries, it is worth paying all the money for it!

Prof. Venatus, hunting down Little Sisters with nothing but a wrench!