This was my first written article for my webiste, expressing my thoughts on this game in black and white inspired me start my own site and I now have a part time career writing about games for a newspaper, so I owe this title alot, I cover quite a wide range of topics so bear with me. Bioshock changed the playing field for a lot of developers and publishers. It pathed the way for in-depth story driven content coupled with fast paced action, actually let me rephrase that, it took the path and smashed it to pieces with an iron bar and then played hopscotch on the broken fragments. It’s the product of a few prototypes and isn't a completely new IP. SystemShock wow'd PC owners a few years previous so it had a while to flesh out its core concepts, the point I want to make is the subject matter within the story of the game itsself, as the game play is nothing massively revolutionary (well parts of it are, but we will get to that shortly).
The Story is based on various old school dystopian novels and features a city named Rapture deep on the ocean floor, the subject matter is steeped with thick veins of atheism, free will and socialism. The occupants are hand picked scientists and artists looking to improve the human race and operate with unbridled scientific and social boundaries. This obviously goes tits up, but the very idea of a world cut off from government control and religious beliefs appealed to me on a level that previous titles never really did. The art direction and sound also add to this murky world of hybrid humans and giant hulking machines, the water physics and lighting/textures at the time were slick and bolstered the atmosphere spectacularly. The music on its own is excellent but coupled with the ruthless violence you witness and create only seemed like a match made in heaven.

It suddenly occurred to me that not only could a game push a story into your brain as well as any film or book but that the people who made it had done their homework and were actively trying to engage the audience on a intellectual level by pouring their hearts and souls into the very fabric of the title, this was not often done in 2007 (COD I'm looking at you) and was a massive breath of fresh air for the industry (and my brain). There's a revolution afoot (I thought), gamer's and gaming are becoming main stream and developers are just normal people. Gone are the boring strange haircut/bad skinned/knitted jumper wearing/social outcast programmers of the 80-90's. There's a new generation, who are well read, who have lived their youths with vigor, who have loved and lost just like the rest of us, and it shows.
I have a theory on singer/song writers and (some) of it applies here, Britney Spears, Beyonce and Carly Rae write (some) of their own songs, but they are never going to come out with anything to equal Lennon, Dillon, Hendrix, Cobain or even Petty. That's because they aren't normal people, they haven't lived normal lives. If you ever get the chance look up Daniel Johnston you should, the man can't sing but he sure as hell knows what rejection means and his lyrics are beautiful because of the life long pain he suffers for the lose of those he loved, Taylor Swift knows nothing of this, I very much doubt she's ever even been properly rejected in her life, and Jesus does it show. The point I'm making is that life experiences make the Artist and this game is Art (rant over).

On to the gamplay and ill keep it brief, its an FPS, lets not kid ourselves there, however there are certain tweaks that alter that perspective quite dramatically. The first is the Big Daddy idea, this has been done before, where an opponent is far stronger than you and tiptoeing around is a far wiser choice.  With other titles this opponent isn't always passive at the start of the encounter as in Bioshock's case, this adds another level of choice with the engagement, which is welcomed. Staying on choice there is the little sister dilemma to deal with, killing or saving the poor things is also a decision that must be made, quite a controversial one at that. Killing small kids especially female infants isn't something you see everyday in a game and it took me some getting used to (I saved them first time round). But it all adds to the Bioshock experience and along with crazy trap making plasmids, hacking, dramatic plot twists and brain washing Bigdaddy's into working on your side, the whole thing just seems so natural. A true classic was born that year in 2007 and it deserved all the awards it was put forward for and won unlike our good friend Taylor.



Yours sincerely 



Oscar Cooper