Organized Chaos

Those many PlayStation 3 owners, myself included, who had to hear Xbox 360 owners yap about BioShock now know what all the talking was about.

BioShock, the critically acclaimed game released in 2007 for the 360 and personal computers, was then what was deemed an exclusive title. However, more and more games are receiving limited exclusivity, much to the chagrin of owners of one system or the other who feel they have an edge over the competition.

Game companies aren’t like failed banks. There aren’t a bunch of idiots running the show, and BioShock’s developer, 2K Games, saw an opportunity on a new system to make some more dough.

The PS3 version is virtually the same as the others, but with a few tweaks. There’s a new level, called Survivor, which ramps up the difficulty. There also will be downloadable content in the near future, which is always a fine addition to any game.

For those unaware of the story, BioShock takes place in the underwater world of Rapture. What was once a breeding ground for strong minds in science and art quickly became a world bent on drug addiction, gene modification and a perverted pursuit of perfection.

You find out more of how things went terribly wrong through diary entries you pick up along the way. The local folks you meet, all of them angry by the way, also gives a glimpse into how twisted Rapture has become.

Battles with general enemies are fairly difficult, with the use of simple weapons such as a pistol, shotgun and machine gun. The key is using Plasmids, which allow the use of your body as a weapon by utilizing electricity, fire or ice, for example. Apparently, the 360 version required a download of more Plasmids, but all of them are available from the start in the PS3 version.

BioShock plays out like a typical first-person shooter, though the addition of using more than just bullets to destroy your foes is appealing. You can choose to blast your way though, but that often leaves you respawning again and again. BioShock makes you think more, which is a bonus.

The boss battles are plenty, and most surround the mysterious Little Sisters and Big Daddies, who protect them. This was all anyone heard about when the game came out last year, and how the Big Daddies were quite difficult. It’s more than true, and I found myself anticipating and also dreading the many encounters.

But, like all good games, there’s a reason to defeat the Big Daddies. You receive a force called Adam from the Little Sisters, which can be used for additional powers in the game such as telekinesis. The more Adam you gain the better chance you have of surviving.

BioShock is decently rendered for the PS3. Playing at 1080p full HD was a letdown, as other games, such as Resistance: Fall of Man, looked better. Many of the textures aren’t too deep and there is plenty of framerate hiccups. Again, I understand this same problem occurred on the 360, so it isn’t an isolated issue.

Rendering aside, BioShock is an exhilarating game and worthy of your PS3 collection. This is the tip of a string of great games to be released on all platforms in the next two months, and it shouldn’t be missed.

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