🐳 New! Moby v2023.06.02 update

BioShock

Description official descriptions

In the year 1960, a plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a man named Jack as the only survivor. He has the apparent luck of resurfacing in front of what looks like a door to an underwater complex. Without hesitating, Jack enters the door and is greeted by slogans that praise the city of Rapture, a paradise of free will built in the 1940s by a business magnate named Andrew Ryan. However, even before he assimilates all this new information, the descent to this supposed paradise ends and he can only see ruins and chaos. Learning about the destiny of Rapture will be now Jack's main motivation while he tries to survive the horrors that free will can create.

BioShock is a first-person shooter with gameplay elements and storytelling technique reminiscent of System Shock games. Rapture, the once-proud social experiment inspired by the real-world objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand, has been nearly destroyed, its inhabitants either dead or fallen victims to bizarre scientific experiments. The retro-futuristic setting incorporates elements of sci-fi with art deco and steampunk influences, featuring interior design and propaganda posters reminiscent of 1950s.

The game's plot is largely revealed through recorded messages left by Rapture's inhabitants before they were killed or mutated. Much of the plot development is therefore dedicated to reconstructing the events of the past, similarly to System Shock games. Limited usage of stealth, the possibility to hack security cameras and other devices, and character customization are the gameplay elements that further tie BioShock to its spiritual predecessors.

At its core, however, the game is more action-oriented, restricting the role-playing mechanics of System Shock 2 to abilities and upgrades that can be acquired and equipped by the main character. Most of the enemies in the game are Splicers, the deformed and insane citizens of Rapture. The protagonist has an arsenal of firearms to combat them but is also able to use plasmids, which act similarly to magic and deplete a special energy called EVE. Various types of plasmids may directly hurt enemies, sabotage their movements, or enhance the player character's defense. Combat tactics often rely on successive usage of different types of weapons and plasmids. For example, encasing an enemy in ice with a plasmid makes it possible to shatter it to pieces with a single shot; protecting himself with an electric shield, the protagonist can electrocute enemies and strike them with melee weapons, etc.

The player can only equip a limited number of active and passive plasmids, and also has an inventory limit for every type of item. Restoring and enhancing items can be found by exploring the environment or purchased from vending machines. These can also be hacked, similar to turrets, cameras, safes, and other types of locks. Hacking is presented as a Pipe Mania-like mini-game.

Plasmids, on the other hand, are mostly purchased by spending certain amounts of a mutagen known as ADAM. This mutagen can be obtained from mysterious creatures called "Little Sisters" - little girls that can be seen in most of the game's locations, accompanied and protected by very strong, genetically enhanced humans grafted to armored diving suits and nicknamed "Big Daddies". In order to capture a Little Sister the player normally has to defeat her Big Daddy. Afterward, the player has the choice of killing the girl, harvesting large amounts of ADAM in the process, or sparing her life. Depending on the player's moral decisions concerning the Little Sisters, the game's story will be concluded with different endings.

The Playstation 3 version adds a harder difficulty level called "Survivor Mode" to the game.

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Videos

See any errors or missing info for this game?

You can submit a correction, contribute trivia, add to a game group, add a related site or alternate title.

Credits (Windows version)

464 People (423 developers, 41 thanks) · View all

Story, Writing
Creative Direction
Director of Product Development
Project Lead
PC Producer
Art Director
Lead Animator
Acting Environment Leads
Performance Lead
PC Specific Art
Animation
Concept Art
Effects Artist
Level Builders
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Discussion

Subject User Date
initial Mac releases Cantillon (63729) 2022-02-07 03:14:53
Gameplay feature: New Game+ Cantillon (63729) 2021-06-22 10:26:19
German PEGI (uncut) Steelbook Cover Art Zerobrain (3038) 2010-10-15 18:27:01
Yikes. Indra was here (20655) 2009-05-16 20:52:16
They're doin' it for themselves Slug Camargo (583) 2009-03-21 00:42:29

Trivia

1001 Video Games

BioShock appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

German version

To ensure that the game wouldn't be put on the infamous list of BPjS/BPjM indexed games, 2k Games released a slightly modified version of the game and the Collector's Edition with only the German language on the disc in Germany. The changes include less blood, some changed cutscenes and no wounds on burned bodies. This version got rated "Not free for minors" by the German rating organisation USK.

Hacking

The hacking mini-game (which can be performed on a variety of devices including safes, security cameras, item dispensers, robots, etc.) is basically a slightly altered version of Pipe Dream.

Reception

According to Wall Street Journal Take Two's shares increased by nearly 20% after early favorable reviews of BioShock.

References

In Farmer's Market cantina, you can find a piece of cheese that resembles Pac-Man, even with the dots!

References to the game

BioShock was parodied in an episode of "Die Redaktion" (The Editorial Team), a monthly comedy video produced by the German gaming magazine GameStar. It was published on the DVD of issue 12/2007.

Soundtrack

On August 24, 2007 2K Games released a 12 track compilation with songs from the orchestral score composed by Garry Schyman. The compilation can be downloaded for free here: http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/BioShock_Score.zip

One of the songs that were included on the Bonus EP in the Collector's Edition, was made by Moby. It's a remix of "Below the sea".

Water

2K Games had to hire a water programmer and a water artist to implement the pools and the pouring water around Rapture. This involved modifying the Unreal 3.0 engine to create realistic water effects.

Awards

  • Games for Windows Magazine
    • March 2008 - #4 Game of the Year 2007
  • GameSpy
    • 2007 – #2 Console Game of the Year
    • 2007 – #2 Xbox 360 Game of the Year
    • 2007 – #3 Game of the Year
    • 2007 – #3 PC Game of the Year
    • 2007 – Best Art Direction of the Year
    • 2007 – Best Sound of the Year
    • 2007 – Best Story of the Year
    • 2011 – #2 Top PC Game of the 2000s
    • 2012 – #2 Top PC Gaming Intro
  • Mac|Life
    • December 2009 - Editor's Choice Award

Information also contributed by Agent 5, Apogee IV, [bakkelun](http://www.mobygames.com/user/sheet/userSheetId,70962/), [Emepol](http://www.mobygames.com/user/sheet/userSheetId,12364/), [PCGamer77](http://www.mobygames.com/user/sheet/userSheetId,1717/), [Scott Monster](http://www.mobygames.com/user/sheet/userSheetId,35225/), [Sicarius](http://www.mobygames.com/user/sheet/userSheetId,70866/) and [WildKard](http://www.mobygames.com/user/sheet/userSheetId,16566/)

Related Games

BioShock
Released 2009 on J2ME
BioShock
Released 2010 on BREW
BioShock: Remastered
Released 2020 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
BioShock 2
Released 2010 on Windows, Xbox 360, 2012 on Macintosh
BioShock: Collection
Released 2012 on Windows
BioShock Infinite
Released 2013 on Windows, 2013 on Xbox 360, 2015 on Linux...
BioShock Infinite
Released 2013 on PlayStation 3
BioShock: Remastered
Released 2016 on Windows, 2017 on Macintosh
BioShock 2: Remastered
Released 2020 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch

Related Sites +

  • Ain't Rapture Grand?
    An Apple Games article about the Macintosh version of <em>Bioshock</em>, with commentary being provided by Lead Designer and Head Writer, Ken Levine (October, 2009).
  • BioShock
    Official game website
  • Demiurge Studios
    Info regarding Demiurge's involvement.
  • Official Website (Mac)
    The official product page for the Mac version of <em>BioShock</em> on the publisher's website, which provides a trailer, information about the weapons, plasmids, and tonics within the game, desktop wallpapers, a demo, and purchasing information, among other such details.
  • PS3trophies.org
    Trophy guide for BioShock
  • Postmortem: 2K Boston/2K Australia's BioShock
    on Gamasutra (2nd September 2008)
  • Revoke tool
    Download the tool needed to revoke one of the system activation credits.
  • Something Awful review
    A humorous review on Something Awful
  • The Cult of Rapture
    Official resource site where the full soundtrack by <moby developer="Garry Schyman">Garry Schyman</moby> can be downloaded, free of charge.
  • UHS: Bioshock Hints
    Shows hints gradually, so your game isn't spoiled.
  • Wikipedia
    The article on the game in the open encyclopaedia
  • X360A Bioshock achievement guide
    X360A's achievement guide for Bioshock.

Identifiers +

Contribute

Know about this game? Add your expertise to help preserve this entry in video game history!

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by MichaelPalin.

OnLive added by firefang9212. iPad, iPhone, PlayStation 3 added by Sciere. Macintosh added by Zeppin.

Additional contributors: Sciere, Maw, Zeppin, Jason Strautman, Patrick Bregger, Starbuck the Third, FatherJack, firefang9212.

Game added August 23rd, 2007. Last modified March 13th, 2023.