BioShock Remastered

Gameplay – 9/10

While maintaining the basic gameplay of the original, BioShock Remastered enhances the graphics and performance. Mixing intense gunplay with plasmid abilities, the combat in this first-person shooter offers plenty of ways to creatively use these powers. Electrocute enemies standing in water, set oil slicks on fire, or use telekinesis to bring death to Rapture's beautiful surroundings.

The game rewards exploration; players may find audio logs, hidden rooms, or upgrade stations that will benefit their arsenal. Hacking is one mini-game that gets a bit tedious after a while, even if it's fun at first. The player can take a number of different approaches to a situation-stealth, brute force, or laying traps-making sure that all encounters feel fresh. The downside is unreliable enemy AI, where some later sections are afflicted with repetitive combat encounters.

Moral decisions concerning the fate of the Little Sisters weigh heavily on the game mechanics. Saving them yields comparatively lesser immediate rewards, with greater payoffs delayed, while harvesting affords instant gratification with the heavy price of moral indignation. That the impact of either moral choice remains diluted somewhat, as either choice would still have satisfying resolutions, only adds heft to the player's stake in the role of Rapture.

Graphics & Remaster Quality – 8.5/10

Textures, diffuse lighting, and character modeling are remastered to take Rapture's decayed beauty to terrifying heights. The underwater city comes even more alive in the full view with the reflections, detail, and added particle effects, complimenting the eerie atmosphere.

Saying that, while you can tell the enhancements here and there, BioShock Remastered has not truly reworked the original's visuals. Otherwise, some animations are still stiff, and some character models could still do with some improvements. Additionally, odd bugs and crashes occasionally disrupt the immersion, although patches released since launch have improved stability."

Sound & Music – 10/10

Among games, few can boast of an atmosphere as rich as that of BioShock, and a lot of this may be attributed to the superb sound. The creaks and groans of Rapture's dying infrastructure, the faraway wail of a wandering Big Daddy, and the ominous rants of Splicers hiding in the shadows all come together for a unique immersive horror experience.

Voice acting is first-rate; actors make the twisted world of Rapture become alive. Memorable is Andrew Ryan's speeches. The speeches contain some of the more iconic lines in gaming. The soundtrack, a mixture of 1940s and 1950s jazz and orchestral compositions, matches the ambiance beautifully, adding to the city’s tragic glory.

Story & Atmosphere – 10/10

Bioshock has gifted gaming with one of its most superior plotlines. Through an introduction of players into the underwater utopia/dystopian nightmare with the mysterious Andrew Ryan in charge, the game tells of a fall city that can be discovered by environmental story-telling, snatches of audio recordings, and insanity with a bit of craziness using the following phrases.

The above features philosophy, namely objectivism and free will, mostly beyond the actually known aspects of ordinary gunplay. The mid-game twist in the plot is legendary. You have a change in perception about the nature of your character and the choices that he has made. The third act fails to remain as compelling as the previous sections, but there are hooks enough in the story to keep it alive throughout.

Rapture is a world that really shines in the game, a world realized beautifully to have a feeling of being both alive and abandoned. Each corridor, each neon sign, each bloodstained floor tells a story, making all exploration every bit as compelling as combat.

Replayability – 7.5/10

Although BioShock is, for the most part, a linear affair, the different endings, disparate combat styles, and hidden lore certainly warrant at least one more playthrough. Players may vary their plasmid combination, upgrade route, and moral choices regarding the Little Sisters. However, once the story is done and over with, the game does not really offer any modes or new game plus features to seriously help extend its lifespan.

Final Verdict – 9.5/10

BioShock Remastered is the game for new players as well as for those who have already played the series. Action as well as giving you a very atmospheric world, some of the best from games, find this game to be timeless. While remastered, from the original, improvements of visuals and performance leave the game still as rough around the edges with some technical issues.

Rapture, however, is one of the most unforgettable places in video game history, with the narrative, themes, and gameplay innovations still prevalent today. BioShock Remastered is an experience worth taking, be it for the first time or years later. Would you play it? 🎮🔱