In 2007, BioShock launched simultaneously on the PC and Xbox 360 to unanimous praise. A spiritual successor to the classic System Shock series, BioShock is a narrative-driven, first person adventure into the depths of social upheaval. With a deep, brooding atmosphere and a focus on flexible combat, BioShock was a hot contender for last year’s game of the year. Now one year on, PlayStation 3 owners finally have a version to call their own, but has it been worth the wait?

Set in a fictional 1960, BioShock is the story of one man’s failed vision to create an undersea utopia, free from the constraints and prying eyes of the established world. As the sole survivor of a tragically downed transatlantic flight, you seek refuge in a mysterious nearby lighthouse. Enticed by the shining Art Deco interior and soothing jazz number echoing from a bathysphere promising journey to a city of absolute perfection, you plunge down into the depths to uncover the chaos that is Rapture. Once seen as a proverbial Garden of Eden, Rapture has fallen into dystopia, populated only by twisted splicers, citizens stricken with an addiction to the genetic altering substance ADAM. With the survivors seeking refuge, behind lock and key, splicers scavenge the world in search of the precious ADAM contained solely within Little Sisters; the possessed young girls, each protected by a hulking Big Daddy. You must uncover the secrets behind Rapture’s fall from grace to stand any chance of escape.

Played from a first person perspective, BioShock goes far beyond your traditional first person shooter. The accumulation of ADAM and tonics, allows you to individually alter and customise your genetic make up and obtain plasmids; impressive power ups, such as the ability to shoot fire, ice, electricity or even insects from your fingertips. Used in combination with your more traditional weaponry, each with 3 firing modes, BioShock delivers a mass of potential through both elemental and coordinated gameplay that encourages you to strategically plan an attack and turn your enemies upon themselves. Strategy aside, screwing around with plasmids is still one of the most satisfyingly enjoyable experiences in recent gaming, made all the more enjoyable by responsive and aware enemy A.I. Enemies respond in a natural fashion, seeking health packs when injured and diving into water when on fire (fortunately, water’s a good conductor of electricity). The basic mission structure of BioShock revolves around travelling from point A to point B, only to be suddenly sent off on a fetch quest to point Z before you can proceed. Wash, rinse and repeat, but to simplify BioShock down to such simple mechanics would be to miss its genius. With an arrow guiding you to your next objective and a vita chamber system that allows you to respawn without penalty, the true enjoyment comes from following your curiosity and straying off the marked path to explore a world that truly feels once inhabited. With each footstep off the guided path you uncover lost audio diaries that explain what went wrong and the tortured souls lost in the chaos. It is the little touches that create a world that is so believable, tragic and downright creepy.


In making the jump to PlayStation 3, BioShock has been equipped with a handful of new features, the most notable of which is the new Survivor Mode difficulty. Subtitled “Every Bullet Counts”, a substantial challenge awaits those that dare to try and tackle it. Not only do your enemies both take and deal a significant amount more damage, but the number of items and weapons is significantly reduced, forcing you to conserve your supplies. Survivor forces you to become less careless and approach every situation with real strategy. You’ll find yourself relying far more upon indirect plasmids like Enrage and Target Dummy to keep yourself safe out of the firefight and conserve your EVE. Survivor not only helps identify the usefulness of lesser used plasmids but also forces you to play the game as it was arguably intended. You really cannot afford to go in guns blazing and expect to survive. Vita Chambers deal significantly less health in Survivor Mode, but if you’re after the full ironman challenge, you can also chose to turn off vita chambers entirely, providing a significantly tougher, if more traditional, experience. Instantly accessible as soon as you start playing (thankfully), Survivor Mode delivers the challenge that many players desired upon the game’s original release.

Although not included on the disc, the other key addition soon to hit the PS3 version of BioShock, are the much-desired Challenge Rooms. These rooms, which will be available via the PlayStation Store in November, promise puzzle-based challenges against the clock, using the power of plasmids. It’s a little poor that these will need to be obtained at a later date, but stay tuned for more information when the pack releases. Full trophy support has also been included with a near identical list of awards to the Xbox 360 version’s achievements. The game also includes the additional plasmids and improvement, available in the other versions via download.


A visual masterpiece upon release, BioShock has made the jump to PlayStation 3 relatively unchanged. Although the game hasn’t undergone any major changes in the graphical stakes, a few higher resolution textures have been introduced. Not all textures have been replaced in the game though, so occasionally you’ll encounter an odd mix between the two. Unfortunately I did notice my fair share of graphical glitches playing the game, when my experiences with the 360 version had been largely trouble free. These glitches included slowdown in high intensity scenarios, characters walking on air and texture pop in. Glitches aside, the differences between BioShock on PS3 and the Xbox 360 version graphically are negligible. Unless you were to play the two versions side by side, you’ll be hard pressed to notice the difference. With a 5GB install and 14 months in the works, I’d really hoped that they’d have at least fixed the existing issues with the title. It mightn’t carry the same graphical edge compared to today’s standards, but BioShock is still a very beautiful game.

One year on, BioShock is every bit the must-play title it was upon launch. PC, PS3 or Xbox 360, it honestly differs little which version you purchase. BioShock may not be the best “shooter” around, nor necessarily appeal to those looking for Call of Duty type action, but it manages to deliver unparalleled atmosphere in spades and offer flexible combat mechanics that deliver freedom unlike any conventional shooter. With Survivor mode the only true addition accessible on purchase as of writing, the PS3 release is really only for the most hardcore of fans, or those new to the franchise, at this point in time. Even amid the countless stellar new releases this holiday season, BioShock still manages to hold its own and is a well-deserved addition to any PS3 owners collection. Now do yourself a favour and give it a go, would you kindly?