BioShock Reviews

• THIS IS THE REVIEW 2K Games DOES NOT WANT YOU TO SEE - REDUX...2

  
  By A74TA8X5YQ7NE on 2007-08-24
  Let's keep this sweet, organized and fair.
  
  UNDISPUTED FACT:
  BIOSHOCK will only install for a limited number of times (it was 3 but - after a deluge of eMails and bad reviews - it was upped to 5). So, if you install it you will be reluctant to uninstall once finished and will have to carry those 9GB on your HardDrive for a long time. On top of that, its resale value is down the drain the moment one pops the box open...
  One has to ask: even after paying $50 for it, WHO ACTUALLY OWNS MY COPY?
  
  UNDISPUTED FACT:
  The game utilizes an overzealous version of SecuROM 7. They either activated all its available options or had a special version custom made. No other game company dared behaving in such heavy-handed way. This means that the game will not even install if you operate virtual drives and will block certain non-DRM certified Drives.
  
  DISPUTED FACT :
  It has been widely reported that BIOSHOCK installs a RootKit. Both MICROSOFT's ROOTKIT DETECTION TOOL and AVG ANTI-VIRUS detected either the RootKit or its actions. Recently, AVG was made to release a special update (just for BIOSHOCK) to ignore this alert.
  In hacker lingo, to "take someone's Root" means to insert a procedure that "will allow the intruders to maintain root access (highest privilege) on the system without the system administrator even seeing them" (Source: WIKIPEDIA).
  Official BIOSHOCK announcements (and their "unofficial" reviewers here at AMAZON) will try to persuade everyone who would listen that there is nothing there, so stop looking and don't even mention it.
  Understandable reaction since, the existence of a RootKit would be a solid basis for class-action litigation.
  Weight the facts and judge for yourself.
  
  UNDISPUTED FACT:
  BIOSHOCK effectively revokes our Administrator rights on our own computers. Here is what happens: even after completely uninstalling the game there is a mystery folder that canNOT be removed, no matter what!
  On WinXP it is located here:
  "C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\SecuRom"
  As administrators, we could (unwisely) delete even Windows System folders - yet BIOSHOCK's mystery folder apparently claims a higher authority level? What this folder does and why should it get placed into OUR computers so that we cannot remove it even as Administrators, is beyond me. And I, for one, do NOT appreciate it one bit. (A quick internet search revealed a number of suggestions on how to get rid of it, ranging from clearly unsafe to catastrophic...)
  True, almost every game leaves one or two folders behind after uninstalled - but this NEVER REVOKES OUR ADMINISTRATOR RIGHTS to delete them!
  
  I do understand that there are production and publishing costs to get recovered as well as profit projections to be reached. Companies that wish to protect their investment will always try to fight piracy. This is only reasonable and expected.
  However, with BIOSHOCK, as it is currently available by 2K GAMES, it gets WAY OUT OF HAND & WELL BEYOND RIDICULOUS!!
  
  No one in the game-publishing industry seems to learn from past mistakes: every security system eventually gets cracked and every "OnLine activation requirement" eventually gets bypassed. So, utilizing an overly intrusive, inconvenient and possibly dangerous security kit only serves in penalizing the people who actually paid good money for their product - and manage to shoot their sales in the foot at the same time.
  Look what happened with HALF-LIFE 2: legitimate buyers still have to put up with activating the game every time we want to play - and of course VALVE paid the price: unprotected HL1 had sold TWICE as many units as STEAM-"secured" HL2 ever did (8million and 4million respectively, Source: THE WASHINGHTON POST)
  
  Since I would NEVER install a contraption such as BIOSHOCK onto my computer and wished to have hands-on experience before I reviewed the game, I asked around and a colleague of mine had already made the mistake of purchasing it and installing on his laptop.
  THIS IS NOT A BAD GAME.
  The environments are well designed and have a pleasant retro patina; the graphics are very nice, even though they do not meet the hype. They are subpar even to older games such as HL2 (not to mention STALKER).
  You see, dark is not always moody, and blurry cannot always be mistaken for dreamy.
  I did love the music though! Both the collection of happy-go-lucky and romantic 1940's songs (contrasting with the bleak environment) as well as their smart timing, added to the overall experience.
  
  It was the gameplay I was the least impressed.
  Totally linear - as it is has come to be expected from any FPS today I am afraid. To be fair, I cannot imagine a Single Player holding a storyline without being more or less linear (even "free"-roaming FAR CRY did not escape this curse) - but then again, that is why I am not a game designer. And unless the publishers release their creative suffocation of the true game artists, there is no hope for a worthy successor to SYSTEM SHOCK 2.
  
  The controls are not hard to get used to; if not, they are remapable; nevertheless, I would love to have an inventory: cycling between which plasmid and which ammo for which gun can get pretty frustrating. Fast.
  And, finally: dying. Regeneration chambers turn the game into a check-point one - and I hate checkpoint-games. Most often than not, they are chosen in order to artificially augment the gameplay duration (having us replay the same segments over and over - instead of saving wherever we feel like it). Moreover, when progressing, you usually end up getting killed just before the next regeneration chamber (and having to repeat quite a distance from the previous one) whereas, when facing a Boss, regeneration takes away all the suspense. Keep respawning, you will eventually get him, his health does not increase if you do.
  
  So, all in all, BIOSHOCK IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH WORTH ITS TROUBLE.
  It is only a slightly above-average game; and if 2K GAMES did not have the guts to publish it for PCs (and is hiding it within an intrusive security Kit) it should have stuck with X-BOX.
  
  Even BIOSHOCK designers acknowledge there is a serious issue with the security measures forced upon them by the publisher. These measures are hurting their game and, so, THERE IS AN UPDATED VERSION COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO FIX THIS!
  Don't take my word for it. Google for "Ken Levin-Interview" and "BIOSHOCK-Fixed-Version" and see for yourself. (I tried to add links but Amazon, apparently, does not allow them)
  
  BIOSHOCK has it all: temperamental and Limited number of Installations, overzealous Drive-Blockers, possible cloaked RootKits, irremovable folders...NONE of which is Clearly marked on the product description!!
  
  As it is, it will come NOWHERE NEAR MY SYSTEM!
  
  I would advise waiting for 6 months, they will either clear it up or it will find its way to the clearance bins...Just last week I bought RISE & FALL: CIVILIZATIONS AT WAR for $2.99 (less than 8 months after its release) - and that nugget featured STARFORCE of all things!
  - -- --- ----- -------- ------------- --------------------- -------------------------
  UPDATE:
  By now there are over...130(!) Comments on this Review (pages 1-2 & 9-10 are especially...informative). Over these weeks, there have been numerous attempts to suppress my review with either negative votes (that appear overnight in bursts - over...140 in the last three days alone!) or overly insulting comments - with my replies to them "mysteriously" receiving enough negative feedback to get folded as "not helpful" within minutes. The same happened as well to supportive comments posted by other customers.
  When this was not enough, a "shady character" (who constantly changes his/her nickname) managed to become enough of a nuisance to have AMAZON REMOVE this review...TWICE(!).
  At the end, AMAZON tried to split the baby in half: it restored the Review - but made sure to keep it away from the first page (neither the absolute number of positive votes, nor the helpful/not-helpful ratio is corresponding any more).
  
  Even after the restoration of this Review, AMAZON's voting system is still getting abused in order to hide as "not helpful" comments posted by anyone else even remotely mentioning the serious issues of this game.
  I can only guess what affiliation this individual has with the game...
  
  My special THANKS to: H.LE, BIBLE&SWORD & SEGA-SLAYER - and to ALL OF YOU ANONYMOUS FRIENDS who supported this review during the weeks the Dark side seemed to prevail (and managed to bury it in the last pages) - and continue to do so.
  
  Do not hesitate to let them know what you think of their methods...
  
  

• Installs hidden ROOTKIT on your computer...

  
  By A3V9ZQ7GGN56VJ on 2007-08-23
  The Bioshock DVD installs a hidden rootkit on your system. There is no way to remove it once the installation is complete. The process will run forever and will cloak itself from your task manager.
  
  The game itself only allows you to install the game twice. Ever. You have to have an internet connection and allow the game to "phone home" to get permission to play.
  
  I don't care how good the game is, I'll pass.
  
  

• "I Chose... Rapture"

  
  By A29BQ6B90Y1R5F on 2007-08-21
  Bioshock, without a doubt, is one of the video game events of the year. A first person shooter that is more than just a first person shooter. Not only is this game fun, but the storyline is thought-provoking and philosophical. This is more than just a game. This an interactive storybook of epic proportions.
  
  After being the only survivor of a plane crash in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, your only chance of survival is to seek refuge in the nearby lighthouse. The moment you step inside you're greeted by a banner which states: "No Gods or Kings. Only Man." Going further into the lighthouse you're soon taken to the underwater city of Rapture. A place where religion and morality do not rule the decisions of mankind. Where every man does what he chooses for his own selfish gain. The city is run by a man named Andrew Ryan. When you arrive in the city, however, its quite clear that Andrew Ryan's perfect world wasn't so perfect. The city lies in ruins and chaos runs rampant as a form of genetically mutated people called splicers roam the streets. With the help of a man named Atlas who guides you through the twisted city of Rapture, you'll have to survive long enough to get out.
  
  Throughout your adventure there are plenty of things you can do to advance the story. You'll find radio diaries that give hints to the downfall of Rapture. You'll meet people who will tell you things about Rapture. Some of these things, such as the radio diaries, are optional, but if you don't listen to radio diaries you'll not only miss out on some of the complex and absorbing storyline, but you'll also miss out on some of the game's better features. The voice acting contained within each radio diary is fantastic. You'll learn not only about Rapture, but Andrew Ryan and other characters who play a major role in the story. There are other things that move the story along as well, like running into ghosts who will give you more insight. Some of the mutated denizens give you hints (before you have to do away with them). There's a lot to piece together here. If story and character development are your thing: Bioshock delivers.
  
  As far as gameplay goes, Bioshock is a game that presents some complex things, but it's easy to play overall. Splicers are the most common types of enemies encountered in Rapture. You'll need an arsenal of weapons to take them on. As you progress through the game you'll have splicers that simply attack melee style, others that shoot at you and even some that throw explosives. When you first begin you only have access to a wrench. But along the way you'll pick additional weapons like a pistol, shotgun, machine gun and a few others that you can use to decimate your enemies with.
  
  Despite how difficult things might be, Bioshock doesn't penalize you much should you die. If the worst should happen you'll respawn from a Vita Chamber (basically a checkpoint) with some health and everything you had at the time of your death. The enemy also keeps the same amount of health lost. So even if you die over and over again, you'll eventually be able to kill whatever it is that's giving you trouble. Despite the challenge of the game, the simple fact that you can't die permanently does take away some of the challenge.
  
  The enemy AI is also pretty good. While they never stop attacking once they've found you, they do act the way you expect them to. If they're firing at you and suddenly run out of ammo, they'll run away from you to reload. If they hear your footsteps, they'll investigate. Your adversaries are no dummies in this game.
  
  There are also machines like gun turrets and security cameras around. You can keep out of the way of security cameras easily, but sometimes turrets can be a pain. However, despite how tough gun turrets and rocket launchers can be, the game allows you to short circuit them and hack them. Hacking is a little mini-game in which you must lead a fluid through a series of pipes to the exit. Most of the hacking mini-games aren't hard. Successfully hacking a gun turret or rocket launcher turns them on your enemies.
  
  There's more to Bioshock than simply killing your enemy, though. You'll also want to search the dead bodies of those you kill. Usually enemies carry ammo, money, first aid kits, EVE Hypos and some will even drop weapons. You can also search more than dead bodies. You can search any containers scattered throughout the game. Trashcans, cabinets, virtually anything that sits idly by. Sometimes you'll find money, ammo etc.
  
  Aside from searching corpses and containers you can also pilfer any food or drinks that are lying around. Food often restores health, while drinks will restore health yet take away a bit of EVE. Most of the drinks you come across are alcoholic drinks, and if you drink too much alcohol it will register and your vision will actually be impaired and you'll start to stumble around.
  
  In addition to all that searching, there are also vending machines scattered throughout the game where you can buy healing items, drinks, ammo and more. It'll cost you money. Like some of the machines you'll encounter, you can also hack into a vending machine, and you'll want to do so. Doing so lowers the prices on the items and makes more available.
  
  As you go through the game you'll also come across Plasmids. Plasmids give you powers. At first all you get is electricity, but later on you'll be able to command fire or even use telekinesis. There are several plasmids in the game, with their own little benefits. Electricity, for example, will let you activate switches and short circuit machines. You cannot use Plasmids limitlessly, though. Plasmids consume EVE and once you run out of EVE, you can't use Plasmids.
  
  In addition to Plasmids you'll also find tonics which grant you everlasting effects so long as you have it equipped. There are tonics which improve your physical attributes, engineering skills to make hacking easier, and your combat abilities.
  
  Throughout the game you're also given chances to upgrade your weapons. You can also shoot off stronger ammo as you get further, and at some point you'll have to. Some enemies are immune to standard shots but can easily be taken down with armor piercing rounds.
  
  The game doesn't just put most of these things there for your benefit, but actually expects you to use them effectively. For example, if there are a bunch of enemies standing in water, you're encouraged to electrocute the water. If there's an oil spill you're encouraged to set it on fire. You can put together lots of great strategies when it comes to your Plasmids and Weapons. Even better is that you can switch between them on the fly. Your plasmids occupy your left hand and your weapons occupy your right. You can't use them both at the same time but the game allows you to switch between them rapidly enough to the point where it doesn't matter.
  
  Finally, the game allows you to invent and construct items for you to use a long the way. You'll need to find components to invent items, though, and that's easily done through searching all those basic containers.
  
  As far as the game looks it is by far one of the most detailed and beautiful games out there. Everything about the game is given a fantastic look to it. From what your enemies look like to the vast city itself. The walls are detailed, the water is detailed all the flames and vending machines are detailed. Even better, the physics and other mechanics in this game work divinely. For example, if you bump into a trashcan, it falls over. If you're stepping over something, you'll find yourself walking a bit slower and stumbling over it.
  
  There are few differences between the PC and XBOX360 versions. The controls in the PC version are much easier to grasp and switching between plasmids and weapons is also much simpler. The game also runs slightly better on the PC than it does the 360. Some reviewers have noted that the PC version is a pain to install and some people just haven't been able to run it. As of writing this review, I've only suffered one crash and haven't suffered any other major problems.
  
  Bioshock is a stunning game. The long wait was well worth it. Tight controls, lots of variety in the gameplay and an absorbing storyline is what keeps this game afloat and makes it fun. It is without a doubt one of the best games of 2007.
  
  The Good
  
  +Enticing storyline full of philosophy and intrigue
  +Fantastic voice acting brings the already fantastic story to life
  +Lots of variety in the gameplay
  +Great sound effects
  +Great music score
  +All around beautiful game
  +The atmosphere of the game never settles
  
  The Bad
  
  -While it's nice that you don't get penalized or ever have to reload when you die, it brings down the difficulty of this game a bit. However, as I said, it's a good and bad thing
  
  

• Great Game - Too many problems running it

  
  By A1B0LNUCV2U75C on 2007-09-06
  I'd have to say, one of the best games in a long time. Great story, great features, weapons, enemies...yada yada yada. The game itself is amazing. UNFORTUNATELY, the game is written so poorly or was rushed or whatever, but it crashes like you wouldn't believe. You can have a fully loaded system, and it still finds a way to crash. I have Windows Vista Ultimate (no, that's not the problem), 2GB of DDR2-6400 RAM, Nvidia 7900GT, Tons of SATA Drives, onboard HD sound...etc. All the latest in DirectX and RealTek audio drivers, and still no luck. It's probably crashed 30 times in the first week of playing the game. Yes, there are people out there who are lucky, but it's rare. Just check out the 2k forums and other blogs/websites, and you'll see pages of complaints. Some people recommend lowering the resolution, some say the sound... nothing works. Imagine having to lower the graphics quality down lower, and the detail lower, to play a PC game in 2007 with PCs that are well-equipped for the current software? Joke and a half. They'd better come out with a patch or fix soon. Very disappointing!
  
  

• DO NOT BUY THIS GAME - Draconian DRM Warning!!!

  
  By A2JQ3OFWOH6KX4 on 2007-08-23
  The PC version of Bioshock is the most DRM'd game ever released, no joke. It runs a new version of the Sony Rootkit known as "SecuROM" and will refuse to run if you have any kind of software installed like virtual drive software, AVG virus scan and who knows what else. It even refuses to run if you have Process Explorer running on your PC. That's right, the MICROSOFT product Process Explorer is some kind of evil big bad program that makes Bioshock refuse to run.
  
  On top of that you are only allowed TWO installs total. 2K claims that if you uninstall the game it will allow you to reinstall somewhere else, but the system is currently bugged. After you install two times the game will refuse to register and you have to take pics of your CD and manual and mail them in.
  
  I'm sure Bioshock is a great game, but DRM is making the PC release a disaster. Even the editors at PC Gamer are having a hard time getting the game working with all the restrictions. If you want to play Bioshock for PC you have to jump through all kinds of hoops and are severly limited as to what you can do with the game you purchased. Therefore I am giving Bioshock a one star rating.
  
  
• Fun game but annoying as hell to install properly
  By A2YVFB41B7Y5LD on 2007-08-26
  The game is fun but only if you are able to get it to install properly. My PC hangs after trying to install and run this. It took me a day to get the activation working after trying to contact 2k/securom. I have heard reports of other gamers with similar problems because of the rootkit/securom affecting their system. The game looks great but all this BS they put around it to prevent legit users from playing it is really a shame. I hope they can learn from their mistakes (and Sony's a few years earlier) and fix it. Until then it's going back to amazon.
  
  
• Very Cool Game, but one with some serious DRM issues
  By AFJZI3SDFFWUO on 2007-08-29
  Take a look around at Tom's Hardware Guide as well as the company's game forum. They are in the middle of a very large DRM screw-up that is locking alot of customers out of their games. I'm not saying don't buy the game, it's a kick-butt game, but make sure you go check things out so you understand what is going on and can avoid the problems these people are having.
  
  
• Game cannot even install
  By AMXLGVHW7HUDV on 2007-08-23
  This review has nothing to do with the game content, as I have not been able to even load the game. The low rating is my complaint against 2k and the "install" procedure. I spent fifteen minutes waiting for the game to load itself onto my PC. The game then attempted to auto-update itself. Since the 2k servers are down, and have been for hours, the game failed to update. As a result it totally removed itself completely from my hard drive without notice. What sort of nonsense is this? I buy an expensive game and it can't even install itself? The 2k web sites are down. Fine. That should be irrelevant to the install process. In the future I will boycott any game that requires that it contact the company before it can even install itself.
  
  
• Kids, just say no to DRM and Sony rootkits
  By A34E2DIWNBEJ19 on 2007-09-01
  Wow, Sony just can't seem to get enough of the rootkits. CD, USB, and BioShock (SecuROM). For anyone who installed the game or demo (yes, even the demo has the exact same draconian drm/rootkit combo) get a rootkit revealer and clean up your system. Even with all this DRM, I bet a hack will still come out. If so, the pirated version of BioShock will be the best one. Go figure?
  
  
• miserable experience trying to get the game to run!
  By A3IRO01Y2XA9HE on 2007-08-24
  This is not a review of the gameplay, because I can't play the game!
  
  The "online activator" application does not accept the serial number printed on the back of the manual. I sent email to their support department yesterday and still do not have a response. I called their USA tech support number (800)638-0127 and receive a strange phone company message "this number can not be reached from where you are calling".
  
  This is ridiculous. I don't expect to pay almost $50 for a game and have it not work.
  
  
• YOU NEED INTERNET CONNECTION FOR PC GAME
  By A16UR1TGIAHPBN on 2007-09-19
  I bought this for my husband and we'd love the say that the PC version of the game is excellent. However, I saw no notation on Amazon stating that you needed an internet connection in order to install this. Hence the low overall score.
  
  Like I'm going to hook up a land line and download an internet program just to install the game. Who at 2k thought this was a great idea?
  
  I looked on the 2k website (at work) hoping there would be a patch that I could download on to a flash drive to install on the home computer but NOOOO...they didn't even think of that.
  
  Now, we have two options...to take apart the home computer and install our board in my mom's computer, which has an internet connection - who thankfully lives across the street. Or I can send the game back to Amazon and get a refund.
  
  AMAZON - please note that the PC version of Bioshock NEEDS an internet connection to install.
  
  
• Windows Vista is poison for this game
  By A1D0WC60CLLEPQ on 2007-08-23
  I got this game and was unable to run it because of Windows Vista. The sound was choppy and full of static, although they list Vista as a supported OS. Forget it.
  
  
• SecurRom is not for me
  By A3ESZ103WLMYEH on 2007-08-25
  As much as I enjoyed the Bioshock demo, (Which installed SecurRom in C:\Documents and Settings\...\Application Data and my registry) I won't be buying this game. If I buy something I won't be told how I use my property. Sorry.
  
  
• DO not purchase
  By A1L52G2TN0DZ5U on 2007-09-14
  Because of the copy protection used avoid this product to make a statement. It is a bogus system. limited reinstalls and securom features that are making the game crash often.
  
  POS copyright protection means no sale.
  
  
• Problems
  By AE1A1JXEQK4M7 on 2007-11-09
  I rarely write reviews but thought I should let potential buyers know about my issues. First the game would not download an automatic update that is required to run the game for the first time. The error told be to remove the copied Bioshock disk and insert the original. That's a tough job when you are using the origninal. It then told me to check the DMA settings. I could not find those in Windows Vista and don't know if Vista even uses those settings. I restarted and put the disk in the other DVD drive and the instlation started again. This time I could not unlock the game with the number that came with the game because it was not in their data base. Their game their # and not in thier data base. Wow! What's next. Guess I should have quit while I was ahead but I didn't. Tenacity.
  
  Had to email tech support and they responded promptly wihth some new unlock code that worked! Well I thought all is well now...but alas it was not.
  
  I played the game for about 10 minutes exited it and went back to work. Never install a game on a computer you really need for your business!
  
  I tried to print and found out that all 3 of my printers had been deleted! So I decided enough is enough. I did a restore from before I loaded the game and the printer drivers came back. Great! Oh, not so quick.
  
  
  
• Research before you purchase!
  By A2DYDK67ADA2RX on 2007-12-14
  I already had Bioshock in my shopping cart, when I learned about its 'copy protection scheme' and how it requires its installation to be verified through the Internet. This process prevents the game from being installed more than 5 times, which is something unnacceptable in my opinion. Buy at your own risk.
  
  
• Great game if you have the computer for it.
  By AIBRTGBN07D6A on 2007-08-21
  This game has some very high system requirements, and most people with a computer older than 18 months old will not be able to run it. You're going to need 2 Gb of RAM and a fairly high-end video card made in at least the last two years with a min of 256Mb of RAM, preferably 512. It plays on 256Mb of video ram, but I noticed a big increase in performance by switching up to 512. Do not try to play on the minimum requirements because you will only be frustrated
  
  MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
  
  CPU - Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processor
  System RAM - 1GB
  Video Card - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).
  Sound Card - 100% direct X 9.0c compatible sound card
  Hard disc space - 8GB free space
  
  
  RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS
  
  CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo processor
  System RAM - 2GB
  Video card - DX9 - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT or better) / DX10 - NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or better
  Sound Card - Sound Blaster X-Fi series (Optimized for use with Creative Labs EAX ADVANCED HD 4.0 or EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0 compatible sound cards)
  
  
• This game won't get anywhere near my system.
  By ASP5A3N383RUF on 2007-12-07
  After I heard from a couple of friends and read some reviews on other sites I decided that this game is worth a try and to buy it. After I decided to buy it I wanted to see some more reviews and found out about the draconic rights management and protection issues. In my opinion if after I pay about $50 the game needs to connect to the Internet to allow me to play it then that game won't get near my system!!! Plus all the other stories I've read about unreliability, limited activations and files that cannot be deleted from your system. LIMITED NUMBER OF ACTIVATION!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Games like Unreal Tournament, Warcraft II or Warcraft III (which I still play). I bought them and installed those countless times after I bought new machines or reinstalled for whatever reason the operating system on an existing machine.
  
  It may be argued that it is unfair to write a review about a game that I did not play but I think that is not so in my case. I have all the data that I need to decide not to buy and play the game and that makes it fair to express my dissatisfaction in a review.
  
  This game won't get anywhere near my system.
  
  
  
• basically you are renting this for $50
  By A1FZYGS1FHD1MG on 2007-08-25
  2 installs means no reformatting no installing it on your future computers i think 360 owners should go with that version as i have both but have yet to install this on my pc i will play the 360 version because i feel like i actually own what i paid for and the 2 stars is for each install if i ever bother
  
  
• Awesome game - HIGH SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
  By A2U4KXG7J5DFMK on 2007-08-21
  The game is fabulous - I have played it on the XBox 360 because my PC can't play it.
  
  IMPORTANT: make sure your PC system can run it. I have a pretty powerful, albeit older, video card, a Radeon X800XT, and I can't run the game.
  
  I payed $320 for my video card around 2 years ago and I can play many other high end games decently. That doesn't matter, this game will not play on my system.
  
  This game requires a feature on your video card called Shader Model 3.0.
  
  If your video card only supports SM2.0, you will not be able to run this game.
  
  **There are no drivers that can add support for SM 3.0. SM 3.0 has to be built into the design of the card. (added in response to driver updates solving this problem)
  
  
• Stop the hype, please
  By A2QTE97A7GSXDO on 2007-08-27
  Have you ever felt really stupid, being punished for buying a brand new game off the shelves? I did, more often than not. I'm really tired of being a paying beta-tester. As many others, I had the same trouble with online activation, it was really tedious and reminded me of the trouble with HL2 and Steam some years ago.
  
  Despite new drivers and a 3 months old machine (AMD 64 X2 5000+, 2GB RAM, GeForce 7600 GS), the performance and framerate on 1024x768 wasn't exceptional, it felt tiring for the eyes after a while. Actually I'd read announcements about "performance optimization even for mid-range-pcs" and I thought, well, perhaps they should ask the Valve guys how to do this...
  
  Now, what is it like to actually play it? Be forewarned, this is no System Shock 3, it's more like DOOM 3 with LOTS of eye candy. The gameplay is very linear despite the astonishing variety of weapons. Personally, I'd prefer less gore. And evil little girls are *really* nothing new (remember Project Eden?). Compared to the nice athmospheric setup, after about 10 hours of play, the storyline feels conventional and a bit of a letdown. Ask honestly yourself, apart from the Art Deco design and nostalgic soundtrack, concerning the AI and variety of foes, the physics, the actual gameplay, do you still feel this is a major breakthrough in computer gaming? I don't know. At least it's not another WW II-stealth-rambo-clone.
  
  My recommendation: Try the demo, and then wait another year to let these guys sort out their securom, hardware and gameplay balance issues, and then buy it at 75 % of today's price ;-)
  
  
  
• Pile of festering consolitus
  By A2J6CU6VA3ZH56 on 2007-12-14
  
  To claim that this game is the "spiritual successor" to System Shock is akin to claiming that Doom is the spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld.
  
  The gameplay suffers from so much consolitus, from the low quality blurry graphics, to the console style arcade action, you might wonder why they brought this console game to the PC in the first place. Yes, yes, they try to claim it was "co developed" for both, but those of us with intelligence understand that it's a console game shlocked onto the PC with all the giant kiddy buttons taking up the screen and the lame controls.
  
  This game does not feel like System Shock or System Shock 2. It feels like low quality consolitus.
  
  
• Good game, but too many quality issues in windows version
  By A2D37EP9KT2E3D on 2007-08-28
  I bought the windows version of the game. In terms of production quality, its a total failure. There seems to have been little (if any) testing and no quality control on the PC version at all. Meeting the system specs does not ensure that the game will (a) start without crashing and (b) be playable without crashing. The publisher didn't do even basic checks for system compatability within the software. Now if I mess around with it long enougn, I could probably have got it to work. But why bother? The easy solution was to ditch the PC version and go to the 360 version.
  
  The game itself is really good. Its a game with a great story and its highly playable/replayable. The graphics and attention to design detail in the game are probably beyond anything else out there at the moment.
  
  The only places where it falls short is that it was over-advertised in some respects. For example, "moral" choices in the game don't mean as much as I was led to believe by the ads and some previews/reviews.
  
  In short, its a great game. A game of the year contender for sure. But forget the PC version.
  
  
• Buyer Beware
  By A1WDCFS9GEI0HI on 2007-09-05
  WARNING! This game may cause hardware malfunction!
  
  The game comes with copy protection malware called "SecuROM" developed by Sony. After installation, my Sony DVD-CD R/W drive (DRU-810A) started making a "clack" sound like you hear when a HDD starts going south. The drive would no longer read any CD or DVD and the CPU took a lot of cycles for some reason. I uninstalled the game, and bought a new LG DVD. Even though the BIOS found the drive, Windows wouldn't recognize it. After searching the internet on how to uninstall SecuROM, I was able to get my new drive working.
  
  Google "wombat2 securom" for instructions how to uninstall. Beware, make sure you read the article and completely understand the syntax of the commands before doing anything. I made a mistake in not removing some extremely hidden files (still hidden after "show all files" and "attrib -a" commands) with the "del /F /AH *" command on the \Application Data\Securom (hidden) folder, and I could no longer boot in normal mode and had to fix it through safe mode (the AT service doesn't work in safe mode, but apparently, that bit about scheduling the delete command wasn't needed).
  
  The best thing would be to stay far away from this game on the PC. Don't even download the demo (because apparently, the demo is copy protected too for some reason and installs SecuROM as well!!).
  
  I played the game on the Xbox 360 prior to buying it for the PC, and found it kind of interesting, but since it was a FPS, I needed a keyboard & mouse, so I bought it for the PC. I will be sending the game and my dead DVD drive to Sony.
  
  
• RIP Irrational...err, 2K boston
  By A3JNDZVLD6EVIL on 2007-12-23
  What a shame. This game started out with so much potential. I'm a huge fan of System Shock 2, so when this game was billed as it's spiritual successor by the people who created it, I was definitely interested. Let me get this out of the way first, because it seems to be the first defense fans of the game jump to... no, I did NOT have too high expectations. In fact, I did my best to stay away from information on the game so I could experience it as "fresh" as possible. What did I conclude? It was a waste of $50 and my time.
  
  The gameplay is uninteresting and repetitive, the characters are outlandish and completely overdone, the environments do nothing to sell the idea that being in an underwater city is effectively any different than being anywhere else, and there's no internal consistency within the gameworld, which makes for a lot of loose ends that never really add up (why again are there vending machines handing out ammo and illicit items in a supposedly utopian society EVERYWHERE? Why don't the enemies actually USE the supernatural abilities the game has claimed they gained? etc.)
  
  ...and say what you will about the "deep" story and "amazing" narrative style, but I thought BioShock's story seemed completely tacked on, told in very unnatural comic-style exposition ("haha, these fools will never know my REAL identity!!!")and the "philosophy" was completely cookbook and completely failed to captivate me in any way. Any claims of "moral ambiguity" or morality must have ignored the fact that there is NOTHING AMBIGUOUS about the game. The one actual choice in the game is presented as "Rescue" or "Harvest". Gee, I can't seem to figure out if the option to "rescue" someone would inherently be good or not.
  
  Not to mention that the interface is very flawed and cumbersome, the shooting feels rigid and unresponsive, there are sound issues, install issues, and the game lacks certain basic movement functions that are pretty bog standard with any shooter these days. I also thought the graphics looked cartoony and terrible, but that's just me.
  
  Essentially, I was hoping for a great game made by the same people that made one of my favorites, I was expecting a more mainstream product that probably made some compromises for marketing purposes, and I got a game completely dumbed down to cater to the lowest common denominator. It may be your thing, if you enjoy dispatching the same enemies over and over again (maybe using different methods only to spice things up) while occasionally hearing something truly profound like "a man is what he chooses"...
  
  For anyone expecting a more thoughtful and immersive experience, I strongly suggest something else. This is without a doubt one of the worst games I've played, and certainly the worst that I've completed.
  
  
• 5 stars for fun, 0 stars for Gestapo practices
  By A2PK4P3R9SUIWE on 2008-04-22
  This is a fun game, no doubt. But it does create a counterfeit-protection registry alteration the you cannot get rid of. While it's not really a root-kit, it is darn close. I don't pirate games and I don't appreciate my system being infested with gestapo software to foil a few pirates.
  I would have bought this game today if it was clean. Since it isn't, the game stays with them and my money stays with me.
  
  
• Game will exceed the capacity of your machine to run it successfully
  By A10M4YNI47USJU on 2007-08-23
  This game was built for only those customers that have the newest (less than one year old) and most expensive graphics cards. Do not buy it unless your PC's capabilities can exceed the recommended requirements. Minimum requirements don't matter, it will be so slow and lacking in detail that you will be unsatisfied. There are also hidden graphics requirements (like the shader problem) that could make it impossible even to play the game at all. As someone that has bought over 250 games over the past 20 years, I was sorry to see that 2K software didn't understand understand the basics about shipping software that meets customer needs.
  
  
• Bioshock is the best game in 8 years
  By A23HT0GB2SEDXY on 2007-08-23
  Since System Shock 2 came out in 1999, I've seen plenty of decent games. Games that looked good, played good, and were pretty cool...
  
  Bioshock puts them all to shame.
  
  If you would like to enter a world where amazing things happen, where you won't get bored for a minute, and where you get everything that you ever wanted out of a game, this is it folks.
  
  I bought it, and I'm loving life. I'm actually excited to go home and play it!
  
  
• Great Game, Horrible Bugs - Would not recommend buying until 2K Provides patch and takes accountability
  By A2OIVY0IAZTF6W on 2007-08-31
  I have tried to get this game up and running multiple times. When I have, it is phenomenal. However, the bugs, quitting to the desktop, crashes are UNFORGIVABLE for something costing me 50 bucks and hailed as the second coming.
  
  I had seen Ken Levine speak where he wondered how he could get this game to the masses. For one thing, roll out a decent product. I do not know who is running quality assurance at 2K, but this has been perhaps one of the worst software experiences I have had.
  
  Now, the gameplay is great, but anyone who has a life outside of games buys games to escape. They do not want to spend hours with tech support, hours of personal time trying to get the game running or time trolling forums to figure out fixes. If 2K had perhaps stepped off the 1st year MBA marketing wagon for a second and deployed even 1/10th of the marketing budget to quality assurance, perhaps this would have been a success. Unfortunately, I can not even get my money back for this time wasting product.
  
  
• Crash and Burn (update)
  By A1Y07LIQ3BNY2A on 2007-09-08
  I'll start with an update. Nvidia recently released new drivers which included updates to deal with some of Bioshock's bugs. I had high hopes since the beta version did help somewhat - the game was a little more playable but always had a blue screen of death when you exited the game. I loaded the new drivers, ran fine for a while and then crashed when loading the next level. I have a machine that is well within the requirements of this game but is not exotic in any way (e.g. no overclocking). Some people say they have had no problems with this game but this seems to be the exception by far. If it works 100% then lucky you.
  
  For comparison here is a basic description of my box. Pentium 2.6Gz HT 1GB memory, Nvidia 7800GS (bitchin' card), and a Creative Extreme Gamer sound card. Bioshock is the only game I have ever had issues with.
  
  I just got Half-Life 2 Episode 2 this week and it really underscores the lameness of this game. Bioshock is pretty (when it works) but is not in the same league as Valve's stuff. When you see that Bioshock costs as much as the Orange box you realize what a burn this game is.
  
  Bottom line, if you still are interested in this game, wait until January, you'll find it in the bargain bin next to Leisure Suit Larry.
  
  Hope this helps
  
  --- Old comments follow ---
  
  Overall this is not a bad shooter - it's kind of linear, but there is enough glitz and variation to make it interesting.
  
  Now the bad news - the quality is the pits. I would not even consider buying this game until it gets fixed (wish I had known this before I forked over the bucks) It will not run for very long without crashing. If you Google this game you will see it is not just me, everyone is having trouble with this thing. I have a machine with enough snot to run the game (it plays smoothly between crashes) and I'm not overclocking or running obscure hardware. I updated drivers, etc with no luck (there is even an Nvidia beta driver that is supposed to help with this game).
  
  In a nutshell, pretty good game with unacceptable quality problems - this is my first 2K game, it may be my last.
  
  

• BioShock Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature)
• PC Gamer (1-year)

• Crysis
• The Orange Box
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
• The Witcher