Brad's Game Reviews: BioShock
We've been late to the current-generation console party, and it was only in late January that we picked up an Xbox 360. The very first game I rented was BioShock, which I later purchased. I'm a big fan of games with a strong single-player component. Due to an overwhelming hatred towards my fellow gaming man, I could care less about jumping online to get shot at by 14-year-olds with a bad case of Tourette's so single-player games are my first love.
With that said, BioShock well exceeded my expectations. It was easy to get bitter and burned out on games after working on them for 8+ years, but BioShock single-handedly renewed my interest with a vengeance. The story was unique and compelling, and the visuals and graphics excellent. I had more than a few "crap my pants" moments early on as I got sucked into the gameplay. It's also without a doubt a bloody, violent game although the setting is so inventive and otherworldly as to make it work in the context as opposed to games that are violent just because they can be. The send-up of Ayn Rand (in the form of the game's Andrew Ryan) and her objectivist theories really adds to the experience as well.
It's very rare for me to play a game to completion. Often I'll get close but some sort of crazy boss monster (and dozens of repeated deaths on my part) cause me to throw in the towel. So it was a pleasant surprise to me that BioShock was the first game that I'd finished in years (probably since Knights of the Old Republic, I'd guess).
Wonderfully plotted and at times very suspenseful, BioShock is now one of my all-time favorite games.