At the beginning of Bioshock, the player is whisked away to Rapture, a would-be Objectivist utopia on the ocean floor. But, like so many utopias, things went horribly wrong, and Rapture is now rotting underwater, inhabited by the last of its former citizens, who have modified their genetic codes so much as to be barely human. The player's task, at first, is simply to escape the city alive, using a combination of traditional weaponry (such as a machine gun, shotgun, and the ever-visceral wrench) and plasmids, gene-altering technology that bestows psychic powers.

Bioshock, like the city it supposes, is a searing flash of failed ambition. Time and again conservative design and conventional narrative choices belie the game's evident desire to reach something more important. Critics lauded the complex moral choices with which the game purportedly confronts the player, yet there is really only one such choice to be made (whether or not to kill the little girls who wander Rapture, thereby gaining more "plasmid fuel" for yourself), and it makes almost no difference in the overall gameplay. The progression of the game's story, rather than being affected by player choices, is basically inevitable. The game's conceit that there is moral conflict in its world would be strengthened if something more than just the brief ending cinema were affected by the player's actions.

It's clear that Bioshock wants to say something pointed, even powerful, about man's place in his own life and how much we may be in thrall to forces beyond our control, and this aspiration alone makes it somewhat unique among video games. But in the end, its own conservativism betrays its vision. Bioshock disappoints exactly because it could have been so much more.

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The worst thing about this game is that it's so fun it'll suck up all your time until you're done.

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Bioshock is a compelling story that happens to be packaged as a game. It's also an homage to Ayn Rand unless I'm a complete fool. Bioshock is set in an undersea city called Rapture. Without giving away a lot of spoilers I'll cover the good and the bad.

The good: storytelling, storytelling, storytelling. Every bad feature in the game was completely overwhelmed by my need to find out what would happen next. The diaries scattered throughout the game (which are left by residents of Rapture now mostly deceased) really added to the overall immersion.

The bad: predictable monsters.

Bioshock isn't really about your mad skillz with hand/eye coordination. It's not about not dying. It's all about the vision of one man who built a city under the sea - a utopia that has gone mad. This game is GREAT because it makes you really want to explore Rapture and find out what is around the next corner. You will almost certainly not be bored with what you find.

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This is a great shooter that requires some strategy(s). You can't just blast through foes without some plan and clever use of available tools.

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Just might be the best game I have ever played. It is smart, innovative, scary and just plain fun. You have to experience it for yourself...you basically owe it to yourself if you own a next gen consul.

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For the current price on amazon.com, this game is worth every penny. The story (and delivery of that story) is the best in video games. It's a very chilling, incredibly original game and I've played it through 4 times (each time choosing to play a different way). As I pieced together the story, I really wanted to keep playing to find out more. Add in the best graphics on the 360, and it only makes the immersion into the game that much better. The game is a little violent, but that's to be expected. Outside of Oblivion GOTY edition and The Orange Box, there isn't a better value for your money on the 360.

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The title says it all. Just wish it had multiplier. Want to use xbox live. Other than that, worth the money.

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This 2K game is a must have for the shooter and horror enthusiast. Its accessible to younger teens but as an adult, I still really enjoyed it.

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This game is amazing. It is one of the most beautiul games I have ever played, with amazingly detailed graphics and an environment that rivals life. The range of weapons is incredible, and the plasmid idea is better than anything I've ever seen before. The best part of the game, however, is the plot. The dystopic world of Rapture brings back memories of 1984 and Blade Runner. The detailed history and twisting plot is better than many movies I've seen. The tormented souls of the characters plunge you into a disturbing world that brings out emotions to deeply immerse you into the experience. The best word to describe it would be cinematic, but It's better than a movie. It's a complete experience that really can only be seen by playing it.

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Being a FPS (first person shooter) fan, this is a refreshing break from the norm: quite literally. It's a twisted world perspective and I loved (and am loving) every minute of it. To the makers of the movie, "Hostel", eat your heart out (pun intended). Tap into your dark side and join the citizens of Rapture, the setting of the game, in an epic adventure that is sure to satisfy the beast in you. Weapon upgrades, mystical powers, disturbing clown music and deranged psychos; who could ask for more? This is a must-have and is perfect for any gamers arsenal.

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Probably my favorite single player first person shooter I've ever played. The atmosphere and story of the game are by far the most impressive I've ever seen in a video game. The game will still be awesome if you don't pay attention to the story, but I think it's what really distinguishes BioShock from the scores of other first person shooters. The way the designers paid attention to the details like ambient noises, enemies' dialogue, random signs and environmental touches, and voice acting really make the game.

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Using an enhanced version of the Unreal Engine 2.5 this game turned out to look great and play even better. You can choose from dozens of ways to eliminate your foes by using plasmids, or just pick up one of the many weapons in the game and blast your away. With so many ways to take out your enemy and multiple story endings, its no wonder you are going to play the story more than once. Even with many great titles still to come, Bioshock has made its mark on the 360, with an unforgettable story and unbelievable graphics. Its just a must buy.

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It is the best game of this year, great action shooting and a little RPG themes as well. Kill a Big Daddy and you get to make a moral choice. Great game, it is a must for anyone with an Xbox 360

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Nothing new here. The game is awesome (blah blah blah). I probably won't say anything that hasn't already been said before. Graphics definitely rival those of Gears of War, and that's saying a lot. It's not your typical FPS. There is a lot going on in this game, almost too much to take in all at once. You just about have to play the thing over and over so that you don't miss out on the beauty. Considering that I've been brought back to life in that darn Vita Chamber for the 1000th time, I'm starting to get a good handle on some of the little details. I bought the player's guide and it's helping a little, but I think you may need to play through cold so that you can really feel the tension and adrenaline of being in an "alien" environment. I must say that my blood pressure goes up (meaning I get excited) every time I engage a Big Daddy. That doesn't happen when I'm playing Gears of War. If you own a 360, you really must own Bioshock. Like Gears, it will go down in history as being innovative and instrumental in keeping the FPS genre alive for many years to come.

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Before playing this game, I had no idea of the story I would get to encounter. In it, you play a survivor of a plane crash who also happens to find by some strange stroke of luck an underground city called Rapture lying deep down the Atlantic Ocean. The first minutes of the game are just simply amazing and frightening as you try to make sense of what is going on. One of the most frightening moment is when you enter and encounter face to face the founder of the city as he talks to you for the first time. Personally this was one of the many goosebumps I got. But the most frightening is in the surgery room when you look down at someone's body and then...

From the start, the atmosphere immerses you into the game, from the creepy fifties' music to the spooky and morbid lighting around this strange ghost town and the very impressive voice acting to the animation of the character's which are excellent. Loved the powers that you get during the game, especially the telekinesis and the one with the bees. Though you never are to sure of what your character really looks like, if you are very careful, just before you get to meet Atlas, the founder of Rapture, you get to see photos of you and learn also a shocking revelation.

Happy to see that the public responded well to this game, which was not the case for certain masterpieces like Beyond Good and Evil which got great reviews, but not enough attention from the public for it was released between prince of Persia, The sands of Time and another Tom Clancy's game whose name I forget. I am happy to see that the sequel Bioshock 2 is out and I hope it will be awesome.

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