Scene from “Bioshock 2”
The original “Bioshock” was released in 2007 for the Xbox 360. It was critically acclaimed for its morality-based storyline, an immersive underwater city and satirization of political ideas like isolationism and class segregation. The original “Bioshock” also won several game of the year awards including British Academy Games Awards and IGN. A direct sequel, “Bioshock 2” was released in 2010; this game was criticized for being a bit too much like the first but was still praised for its narrative, artistic style and improved gameplay. The franchise provided a third installment called “Bioshock: Infinite” and was lauded by fans and critics alike (awarded 2013’s game of the year by the Associated Press and CNN).
In September, the entire game franchise was remastered and released for current generation consoles in “Bioshock: The Collection.” This remaster features upgraded versions of the first two games that support higher display resolutions and higher frame rates. “Bioshock: Infinite” was not remastered due to its fairly recent release and was instead ported over from PC to support full high-definition and 60 frames per second.
Despite its shortcomings this collection is a great way for people who didn’t experience the games the first time to play a couple of great games.
In “Bioshock” you play as the sole survivor of a plane crash in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean named Jack Wynard. Looking for safety, you’re forced to swim to a mysterious lighthouse. You quickly discover it isn’t a normal lighthouse when an underwater elevator takes you to the submerged city known as ‘Rapture.’ Trapped in an underwater city filled with genetically altered monsters and untrustworthy businessmen Jack is forced to use the game’s vast array of weapons and strange powers known as ‘plasmids’ to escape.
The first two games look amazing. However if you are a big fan of the “Bioshock” series the games might look exactly how you remember them; nostalgia gives every great game an HD filter. Putting this aside it’s great to reexplore the underwater city of Rapture. I remember when I first played the game in 2008, I wanted to discover all the collectibles that were hidden in the city. I doubted that when playing the game a second time I would be compelled to do so. I was mistaken; the developers have even made re-exploring the city worth it to returning players by adding findable in-game documentaries about how the game was made and the concepts imagined.
However, the remaster isn’t perfect. ‘Rapture’ may look really pretty but the original “Bioshock” is almost 10 years old, and this shows in some of the gameplay. I was disappointed with the removal of the multiplayer mode and I often found myself wishing that they would have updated some of the combat mechanics to accommodate newer players. This is very much a remaster of an old game and you shouldn’t expect “Bioshock” or its sequel to play like more detailed and polished shooters that have come out recently such as “Star Wars: Battlefront” or the “Farcry” games. I was also disappointed at the lack of new content for both “Bioshock 2” and “Bioshock: Infinite.”
Despite its shortcomings, this collection is a great way for people who didn’t experience the games the first time to play a couple of great games in a $60 package. The game’s remastered graphics, inclusion of all downloadable content and newly added developer interviews make it worth your time and money. If you are a returning veteran to the series, or someone who is interested in playing one of the games, “Bioshock: The Collection” is simply the best way to play.