As much as I love playing older games, I have to admit that is rare for them to reach the heights of many modern titles. 17 years later and Bioshock can still stand toe to toe with modern AAA experiences and outclasses quite a few of them.
The game isn’t perfect. The hacking minigame quickly grows stale, the escort mission has all the frustrations that type of level are infamous for, enemies towards the end start to become bullet sponges, and I did experience some technical issues that managed to damage my immersion. However, this all pales in comparison to everything else the game does so well. So many issues I have with games are handled perfectly here.
The combat sandbox is one of the most engaging and rewarding I have experienced since Halo 3. Managing weapons, ammo types, plasmids, eve, health, enemies, and the environment all at once may sound daunting but in practice it all feels so natural and builds so gradually that it never truly overwhelms. By the end you are switching between weapons and plasmids at lightning speed as waves of splicers and flying turrets push you to the brink. The game’s balancing definitely helps this. So many games have frustrating difficulty spikes that stop you in your tracks and ruin the pacing as you are forced replay a section over and over. Not once did I become stuck or was I forced to save scum, but I still felt challenged.
The game’s story is also incredibly well told and paced. Cultural osmosis has made me aware of the game’s major twists and endings for years, but that didn’t make learning the history of Rapture and it’s characters through audio logs and environmental storytelling any less engaging. It is incredibly well written and acted and thankfully does not over extend itself like so many other games.
Bioshock is remembered as one of the greatest games of all time and I can say that it’s a well earned reputation.