Straight out of the gate I should say: This port sucks. The positive review I'm leaving is for the masterpiece that is Bioshock, and NOT this shoddy, crash-ridden, un-optimised port. A remaster should mean basic Quality of Life changes which includes stability, and this just isn't it. My recommendation? Don't stop saving the game. Every 30 minutes minimum, make a save, or I promise you'll regret it.
Now that's out of the way, Bioshock is, without a doubt, one of the best story-based shooters to ever exist. Possibly THE best. From the storytelling, to the world, to the beauty of rapture and the unique artstyle, this game is a bonafide masterpiece. The mixture of mid-20s art deco and sci-fi gore means that this will basically be an unforgettable experience to anyone who plays it, even if you don't particularly like art-deco or Americana.
The story is brilliant. You can't say much more than that without giving things away, but what I can say is that Bioshock plays with ideas of physiological augmentation, moral ambiguity, 20th-century corporate espionage, capitalism, communism, and everything in between. It has a lot to say, but never tells you what to think.
There's a major choice you (Jack, protagonist) make pretty frequently throughout the game with the Little Sisters which determines your morality throughout, and I think that system is honestly perfect despite being so simple.
Bioshock combines the best of gaming and 20th century ideals in a 15-hour epic, and that in itself is something to behold.
My only issue with this game is that, to me, it doesn't have much replay value. This is only my second replay in almost 20 years, and although I enjoyed my revisit to Rapture, I don't think it lends itself to being replayed over and over again since the story and world is quite linear. But again, I'm nitpicking.
With the Netflix Bioshock movie apparently in production, I think it's probably one of the best times to play this game if you havent. Whatever comes of that adaptation, this game (and the others too imo) is one of the best of all time. Au revior.
