The plot is cliche and the writing is cringe enough without the bland voice acting, but I do like a good b-grade movie and I actually had fun with this despite it's flaws. The gameplay was a bit too stiff and sluggish for my liking and I forgot that most older titles failed to include a sprint function. The music is super-repetitive and becomes grating at times. Also, the pause menu theme sounds like it’s from a porno-flick and looking at the female characters, it isn’t far off. Some of the attire choices are just plain wack. Why does the main character wear baggy cargo pants and jangly bracelets on a covert-op? Speaking of sneakiness, the stealth mechanics leave more to be desired, but I did mange to kill a guy by punching him in the butt. Once I gave up on hiding and went for a run’n’gun second half, I shot a guy in the upper torso and he yelled “not my chest!”. How was I supposed to know not to shoot him there?!

Overall, there were enough unintentionally funny moments and choices on display that I didn’t actually have a bad time, but if you’re going to give it a go, I suggest playing co-op and downing a couple beers with a mate.

(Chosen from backlog using a random number generator)

Prior to today I hadn’t heard anything about This War of Mine and I guess that's the best way to go in. The guy I liked the most was the first to die, a father was shot scavenging for supplies to aid his terminally ill daughter and an old man begged for us to take him in only to die in his sleep overnight. After 31 soul-crushing in-game days my time was up and nobody made it out alive in what was one of the most miserable experiences in my gaming life. I was not sure how to feel, but I got a decent 6-7 hour session out of it, taking my time. Definitely one of the more unique experiences I’ve had on the PS4.

(Chosen from backlog using a random number generator)

So, I slept on this game for well over a decade, which flew by quicker than I’d like to admit. After having it collect dust since 2008, re-purchasing it as a trilogy in 2016 and then receiving it as a digital download with PS+, I figured it was about time to give it a go.

The first hour or so was by far the best. I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of gameplay. Introducing enemies with freaky silhouettes was hair raising and seeing the first Big Daddy got me pumped for a 1v1. Sadly, this didn’t last. The gameplay grew a little stale and after I got used to the surroundings nothing was really grabbing me in terms of action (aside from a couple of the boss battles), I was pushing on because I wanted to see more of Rapture. Ultimately, this game turned out to be a slew of fetch quests with some trickled variety here and there. I can’t recall the amount of times I rolled my eyes at having the trek back through environments just to rescue Little Sisters, because the game implied it’s importance.

Gameplay wise, it took a short time to get used to the controls, but sometimes button prompts wouldn’t register, making certain parts difficult to navigate. Occasionally I’d be clicking L3 multiple times to just to crouch under a live wire. Other times I’d try quick-swapping between weapons and the button was too sensitive. A regular glitch I often experienced, would occur whenever I was walking through an area that I’d previously cleared. If there were still weapons on the ground and I “miss-stepped”, I’d get flung several meters away.

The character designs are fantastic and some are incredibly detailed, notably Big Daddy’s and boss encounters. The effort shows more in the design of Rapture itself and is really, quite breathtaking. Everything from the sights and sounds to the steaming cogs spinning inside showed that this monstrous city was alive and breathing. I don’t think there’s a single window I didn’t look out of for a breather myself between bullets. The atmosphere was brilliant and reeked of rust and saltwater.

I’d say my play time was somewhere around 12-14 hours, stopping every now and then to read the many posters and listen to all the tapes I could spot, soaking up lore whenever possible. I could’ve breezed through it and shaved off a few hours gunning for the end and ignoring the whole “you need adam to survive” mentality, sure, but I like to give games a chance and see everything they have to show at a leisurely pace.

Overall, Bioshock carries a solid theme and atmosphere, let down slightly by character development and performance issues. Despite it’s repetitiveness, I wouldn’t be surprised if I come back for a second go, just to explore Rapture.