Some people, usually those that know nothing about the subject, claim that gaming has grown up over the past decade. In all fairness, they have been elevated in recent years by mature story themes, higher production values and sophisticated technology, but the design tends to remain the same. Players have identical gaming experiences. The story is told through a series of elaborate cut-scenes. The setting is determined by what sells – the Middle East, for example. BioShock is spectacular because it bucks all of these trends, and confidently runs amok with its wild, unique design and thoroughly absorbing back story. Now, PS3 owners get to discover the 360’s most desirable exclusive for themselves, in this commendably high-end port.

BioShock’s set in an underwater, Fifties Chicago-style dystopia called Rapture. Once a haven created by preachy philosopher Andrew Ryan to escape the trappings of government, it all went awry when a substance called ‘Adam’ destroyed the minds of its people. Your character, seemingly a faceless American called Jack, comes across this sprawling, undersea metropolis when his plane is downed in the middle of the ocean. As the only survivor, you spot a solitary lighthouse in the distance, enter a bathysphere and are dragged into this failed metropolis.

In case you’re new to the game, BioShock hit the 360 first last year, and was widely hailed as one of the best FPS titles of all time… yada, yada, yada. In many ways, the game justifies that reputation. BioShock is from the same school of titles as Deus Ex and System Shock, rather than Medal Of Honor and Call Of Duty. It thrives on depth and an adventure-based structure. Alongside regular weapons, like the Tommy gun and the Sawn-off, the game puts a supernatural power called Plasmids under your control, which fundamentally transforms the way you tackle enemies in a videogame. Plasmid powers are numerous in amount, and while you begin with only electricity bolts and fire blasts, you’ll eventually be able to control your enemy’s minds and unleash hordes of insects in the name of violence.

Until the last third of the game, when the relentless stream of ideas appears to dry up, BioShock is a superbly paced, detailed and set-piece-heavy adventure. Rapture is one of the best game environments we’ve ever explored, and almost all of the rooms have been treated to some sort of neat touch, be it ideological graffiti, propaganda posters or simply a hideously disfigured dead body. Every room in BioShock has a reason to be. If you’re in a funeral parlour, the game will illustrate this with the appropriate decoration and atmosphere. The sheer range of props in BioShock is unprecedented, from the jolly statues to the giant, neon signs that light up this formerly populated world. Despite the fantastical storyline and wacky mythos, though, BioShock is still believable and absorbing – the constant sense of foreboding is the perfect contrast to all of this happy imagery.

Really, it’s a game we could analyse for ten pages. BioShock is high concept stuff and tremendously ambitious, but the gameplay is strong enough to keep it all afloat. Were it not for the Plasmids or the ability to augment your basic abilities, it would, admittedly, be a pretty stale and basic first-person shooter. The outdated animation means that the game feels just a little over-cartoony, at times, even though the various inhabitants of Rapture are supposed to be scary.

… continued