Let me start off by saying that I played this game upon release in 2007, and I've beat it about 9 times now.

This has to be my all-time favorite game, no contest.

The atmosphere and the feeling the game gives you is amazing.

The connection to the characters is realistic.

You feel sympathy for even the people trying to kill you.

The dialogue makes you really think about things (internal conflicts, as well as external).

The mechanics of the game? Oh boy.

Though magical abilities and things of the sort are nothing new to the world of video games, Bioshock brings it to a different level.

The combat is fast paced, and the threats, depending on the difficulty played on (I beat the game on survivor, with no vita-chambers), are very real and frightening. Every step you take is a cautious one, every noise makes you jump, and every thing that makes even the slightest movement instantly gets a bullet center-mass. I remember on my first playthrough (8 years old at the time), I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book: Bait. I saw a nice old shotgun laying around in a room. I figured, "That might be useful, let me pick that up." Then the lights went out, and I immediately regretted my decision. Though it was a scripted event and inevitably going to happen, that's only one example of the feelings you experience from playing. From stunning splicers and smacking them with a wrench, to carefully planning out attacks on Big Daddies, every situation you put yourself in forces you to use everything at your disposal. It truly redefined combat for me, being a big fan of older combat games.

I'm rambling. I wanted to write a very structured review, but coming from me, it would be more of this.

20/10, one of the best games I've ever played. If you enjoy jumpscares, intelligent combat, and gut-wrenching gameplay, this is a game you'll want to pick up!

Let me start off by saying that I played this game upon release in 2007, and I've beat it about 9 times now. This has to be my all-time favorite game, no contest. The atmosphere and the feeling the game gives you is amazing. The connection to the characters is realistic. You feel sympathy for even the people trying to kill you. The dialogue makes you really think about things (internal conflicts, as well as external). The mechanics of the game? Oh boy. Though magical abilities and things of the sort are nothing new to the world of video games, Bioshock brings it to a different level. The combat is fast paced, and the threats, depending on the difficulty played on (I beat the game on survivor, with no vita-chambers), are very real and frightening. Every step you take is a cautious one, every noise makes you jump, and every thing that makes even the slightest movement instantly gets a bullet center-mass. I remember on my first playthrough (8 years old at the time), I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book: Bait. I saw a nice old shotgun laying around in a room. I figured, "That might be useful, let me pick that up." Then the lights went out, and I immediately regretted my decision. Though it was a scripted event and inevitably going to happen, that's only one example of the feelings you experience from playing. From stunning splicers and smacking them with a wrench, to carefully planning out attacks on Big Daddies, every situation you put yourself in forces you to use everything at your disposal. It truly redefined combat for me, being a big fan of older combat games. I'm rambling. I wanted to write a very structured review, but coming from me, it would be more of this. 20/10, one of the best games I've ever played. If you enjoy jumpscares, intelligent combat, and gut-wrenching gameplay, this is a game you'll want to pick up!