Late to Rapture: Bioshock

Bioshock approaches the way you play through video games in a way many of us have never seen. Well, at least it did when a lot of gamers played it two years ago. The problem with being late to the party for a particular game is that if you're the kind of person who likes to keep up with everything related to video games, you can't help but hear about some of the best details about popular and well-received games. Not to say that people started freely discussing spoilers about the game, assuming that everyone played it (which would be discourteous even at this point), but people can't help talking about why they liked that game. Though they're mentioned casually and with the best of intentions, they sure can tarnish the experience somewhat for someone who hasn't ventured through the game.

It's nice to be able to keep track of everything gaming related, especially if you're making blog posts on a site like this. But it sure has some irritating setbacks.

But it's not all bad, though. Bioshock is the kind of experience that shines while you're playing it. The subterranean city of Rapture as a place that exists in 1960 is bizarre and creepy enough that you can't help but be entranced at its aesthetics and unnatural happenings as you venture through it. Who the heck are these "Splicers," and why are they intnet on shooting me to death? And what the heck is a Big Daddy? The combination of both the enemies and environments that seem to crumble around you makes for an involving and creepy atmosphere, the likes of which you've probably never experienced before.

(Well OK, unless you've played System Shock.)

The story is also told in a way that really puts you in the game as well, and leads you through a tale of deception and overcoming yourself. The game works in a way that makes you challenge what you're doing in terms of morality, and makes you skeptical of the people you meet along the way. Who knows what their real intentions are, but without them, you'd have no guidance. You don't really have a choice, and it leaves you with no other option but to press on.

It also presents you with the ability to question your own sense of morality, the outcome of which will alter people's perception of you and radically change the ending. Bioshock actually incorporates the notion of the usual through-the-motions gameplay inherent in so many games -- this one included -- as a major plot point. It's also possible to get so emotionally attached to some of the games thematic elements so much that you could genuinely feel bad afterward.

Bioshock really don't have a soundtrack of its own, but it doesn't need one either. All of the sounds you'll hear doing the game -- well, the ones that aren't enemies, gunfire, etc. -- are all sounds you'd expect to hear from the period. It's a treat for anyone who remembers TV shows, movies, and music from that time; for anyone that wasn't around then, and that's probably the majority of you, it all adds to the mood and environment the game exudes.

Plenty of people around the internet complained that the game was a little too easy thanks to conveniently-located Vita Chambers. But no, they actually help balance the difficulty pretty well. If not for their convenient locations, the quality of the overall game would've diminished because of how frustrating it would have inevitably been. Even if you're experienced with shooters, you'll die quite a bit while enemies sometimes get the jump or you, especially if they're of the Big Daddy variety.

It's a testament to how great Bioshock is, given that even from hearing people gush about it ad nauseam (especially at the end of 2007), it's still a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Note the use of the word "experience," because it's not particularly memorable solely because of its gameplay experience. No, it's the entire package that you'll still think about for years to come; it's different from most other games because of usually dissonant elements that all need to work together cohesively to form something special. And that's what Bioshock is best at.