Spawn Kill Favorites: BioShock

Few video games arouse genuine nirvana in players, but even less promise a blossoming underwater world only to swallow gamers whole and leave them wanting more wretched decay, both lovely and sanguine. BioShock is one such praised gem, and experiencing the game without feeling like the developers literally poured their souls into its creation is virtually impossible. Indeed, BioShock at its very core flourishes as a polished experience, and quite a mighty one at that.

As a first-person shooter rookie, I was a bit nervous about tackling such a beloved colossus. But my fear of uncomfortable playability—and not to mention the Splicer-infested dystopia overseen by a corrupt leader named Andrew Ryan—was quickly embraced and assimilated into the multi-tiered edifice of Rapture, whose condition suggests a disfigured and brutal defiance toward its own meaning. In the ruins of the utopia-envisioned city, only the desperate but stalwart survivors resist, but madness infects each of its inhabitants. BioShock jubilated in my uncertainty and ignorance of the depths it had sunk to despite its ocean location and all too kindly opened its treacherous doors.

Disorder might replace the joy and freedom bonded to Rapture’s origins, but there’s no dearth of weapons to go around. Stunningly, BioShock maintains a capable balance between heart-pounding survival instinct and a lavish stream of supplies. Aside from your standard weaponry, the invention of Eve fuels your more magically, albeit in this case genetically, inclined offensive and defensive pursuits called plasmids. In conjunction with physical tonics, the machine-focused engineering tonics, and damage-centric combat tonics, the player can tap into near limitless possibilities as to powers and abilities in the scramble to overthrow the dominating power, guided only by an enigmatic man known as Atlas.

But the real bounty lies with the collection of Adam, found in the near indestructible bodies of Little Sisters—who are well-protected by formidable Big Daddy creatures. BioShock grants the player considerable wealth in options ranging from purchased or redeemed inventory to an array of treasures big and small to be discovered in Rapture, machine and environment interaction, and the choice to harvest or save Little Sisters from their own corruption. In any avenue, there are material rewards aplenty. And when you get stuck, the temptation of a free hint will surpass wasted hours of frustration.

Whether it’s navigating the easy-to-read map, maneuvering the user-friendly plasmid and weapon reels, swapping cash for items or assigning different tonic slots, everything about BioShock runs smoothly. My only complaints are the few lethargic errand runs, minuscule subtitles, and auditory messages, which are difficult to understand over the cacophony of a regular combative day in Rapture.

Of course, there’s more to a game than technicality. BioShock proudly unleashes its eerie potential with not only inventive methodology, but an enticing storyline and more than a few wild cards hidden up its sleeve. The decomposing society nurtures countless issues relative to humanity and morality around every corner, and the game lets you carve your own mark in Rapture. As it paradoxically combines 1950s lifestyle and music with an edge of degraded nostalgia, you’ll venture through Rapture murdering deranged citizens while “Beyond the Sea” fills the room and remnants of love and future rot abandoned in the background. BioShock never affords you the pleasure of forgetting the tragedy of perfection destroyed from the inside—victim to man’s injustice unchained by normal society’s rules.

A rare feat, Bioshock proves simultaneously heartbreaking and frightening in both its story and interaction, becoming a vigorous epitome of the power of the medium while never losing its underlying grace. Once you master the gameplay system and learn of Rapture’s dreadful secrets, you’ll want to explore its wasted empire all over again.

[Ed. Note: WITA. also known as Stephanie Carmichael, is currently a guest writer at Spawn Kill! We can guarantee you'll want to sink your teeth into more of her work, which you can find here at her personal blog, Impulse Creations, RadNerd, and now at OneMetal! Thanks for stepping in, Stephanie!]