Back to Rapture!
BioShock has finally come to the PS3. The game that helped legitimize the 360 in 2007 is back for more. PS3 owners who don’t own the Microsoft console and never bothered to pick up the title for PC will be happy to know their patience has been rewarded.
The PS3 version is the best BioShock release to date; the inclusion of sharper and more stable visuals and a new difficulty setting have made the experience a bit better. However, the much-vaunted, PS3-specific Challenge Rooms are not included with the retail release. As a result, BioShock PS3 is the definitive version of the title, but it is not as stellar a showing as was initially hoped for.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of BioShock, it takes place in 1960 and follows the trials and tribulations of a survivor of a trans-Atlantic plane crash. Lost and stranded, and surrounded by flaming jet-fuel, Jack quickly finds a towering entrance to the secret, underwater city of Rapture amongst the airliner’s wreckage. Initially constructed by the aloof eccentric Andrew Ryan as a utopian metropolis where the elite of humanity could come to practice their talents, free from the constraints of governance, society, and the weak, Rapture soon began to fall apart due to societal “Parasites” and the onset of mass insanity from the use of genetics altering “Parasites.” With this as the background, players will have to work their way through the many beautiful yet hellish levels, gaining powers, choosing their path, and uncovering the mystery that is Rapture.
Gameplay in BioShock relies heavily on standard first-person shooter combat and interesting environmental puzzles. Often, players will have to use their unique Plasmid abilities (genetically enhanced powers) in interesting ways to massacre their foes and find the solution to the many obstacles presented. Moreover, there are many ways to skin a Splicer in BioShock. Players, for the most part, are not railroaded into resolving levels a certain way. The myriad abilities at your disposal can and should be used creatively; no two players will play the game the same way.
Additionally, enemies in BioShock have very unique characteristics that help tell the tale. Other than the array of insane human Splicers intent on your demise, there are uber-baddies called Big Daddies that thwart your ability to harvest ADAM (a material that allows you to alter your genetic code to increase your power) from the Little Sisters (macabre little girls that cull ADAM from dead bodies). These Big Daddies mean business, and they will readily sacrifice themselves, putting a serious hurt on you in the process, should you decide to threaten their charge. However, it’s worth risking a showdown with a Big Daddy, as the ADAM acquired from the Little Sisters is imperative for advancing through the perils of Rapture.
If the previous story and gameplay summaries were truly new to you, by all means, pick up the PS3 version. However, if you are already a veteran of BioShock, the PS3 version probably doesn’t provide enough incentive or compelling new features to truly rekindle your interest. In fact, what the PS3 version offers is a shinier, more stable set of visuals, Trophy support, a new level of difficulty, and, of course, the ability to play the game on the PS3.
Graphically, BioShock on PS3 is improved. A lot of care went into the game’s already beautiful, Art Deco-inspired levels, making them even more striking. However, upon first glance, the overall look is identical to what was offered in the original releases; that’s a good thing. What are readily noticeable are the incredibly shiny surfaces; the textures in the PS3 version are quite astonishing. Also, the cinematic cuts are very sharp. Moreover, players familiar with the game will notice that the humorous “twitch glitch” among the corpses of fallen Splicers, so prevalent on the 360 and PC, has been largely done away with this time around. All in all, the game is more stable on the PS3, thanks to the extra year of development. The 360 version especially, was plagued by framerate cascading; every turn you made caused the screen to ripple ever so slightly. This cascading problem has been essentially eliminated, and the game is significantly better for it. Unfortunately, not all the framerate issues were resolved though. When you get into encounters with multiple grenade-toting Nitro Splicers, the ensuing explosions still cause unruly shuddering and freezing. These enemies are tough enough as it is; getting caught in a freeze-frame is brutal!
Trophy support is also a novel addition, though 360 owners used to achievements won’t find any bonuses here. Nevertheless, considering the lack of Trophy support for PS3 software, it’s great that 2K Games was nice enough to oblige our Trophy addiction. For those who already know their way around Rapture, you might want to show off to your friends and go for a Platinum.
The biggest addition to BioShock has to be that of Survivor difficulty. The subtext associated with this difficulty choice says it all: “Survivor – Every Bullet Counts.” This difficulty setting remains largely the same as Hard, however, you will not be coddled by frequent ammo, health, EVE, and cash drops. You will have to make do with much less, and, as a result, will suffer your way through fights, relying heavily upon Plasmids and liquor (alcohol slightly buffs your EVE meter at the cost of Health). This difficulty setting can get very frustrating, but is definitely a nice challenge.
The most disappointing aspect of BioShock for PS3 has to be the inexplicable absence of the touted Challenge Rooms. At E3 2008, I sat in on 2K Games’ presentation of the Challenge Rooms, and I was really impressed. Challenge Rooms, according to the presentation, were extravagant mini-levels. The Challenge Room featured at E3 had Jack trying to free a Little Sister who was stuck at the top of a Ferris Wheel. The goal in the room was to find a way to get her down before it was too late. The demonstration had players seeking out various electrical sources and items strewn throughout the level. However, Jack was never directly given the Electric Plasmid. Nevertheless, with the meager tools provided, he was able to dismantle traps and get the job done. The demo took us about half way through the level when, all of a sudden, a ton of Splicers flooded the room right before the demo ended. This hinted at a huge amount of variety and replayability for the PS3 version that is simply not available out of the box. This is very unfortunate, as Challenge Rooms seemed like a dynamic feature that was truly going to set the PS3 version apart. Consequently, I would venture to speculate that the Challenge Rooms will no longer be free or exclusive to the PS3. Challenge Rooms will likely be a tacked on DLC with a limited window of exclusivity. We’ll have to wait and see, but the grayed-out “Downloaded Content” option on the main menu seems to confirm this assumption.
In conclusion, BioShock for PS3 may not be as impressive as I thought it was going to be, but that’s not to say it isn’t the definitive version; it is. And the definitive version of one of the best console games ever made spells “must-buy” for the uninitiated. Nevertheless, the lack of Challenge Rooms was rather disappointing, but, thankfully, many of the glitches have been resolved. Additionally, the visuals are even better than ever (if that’s possible), and the Survivor difficulty setting should have Sony fans tearing their hair out.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.8 Graphics
The visuals are absolutely stunning! Although, framerate issues are still a problem if you don’t unlock them in the options menu, which then leads to reduced quality. 4.8 Control
Controls are excellent, as they are unchanged from those of the 360. 4.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
As with controls, the mid-20th century tunes, creepy voice work, and gory and powerful effects are as good as ever. 4.7 Play Value
If you’ve never played BioShock, you’re in for a real treat. However, the absence of the touted Challenge Room feature was very disappointing and hurts replayability. 4.7 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
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