BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K Games. Released initially on August 21, 2007, for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows, it later came to PlayStation 3 in October 2008. The game is set in 1960, in the underwater city of Rapture, a failed utopian society created by the industrialist Andrew Ryan.
BioShock integrates elements of role-playing games with its narrative-driven storyline, allowing players to make moral choices that affect the game's outcome. The gameplay revolves around exploring Rapture, combating Splicers (humans mutated by genetic modifications), and using Plasmids, which grant the player superhuman abilities like telekinesis or electrokinesis. Players also use weapons and can combine them with plasmids for strategic advantages.
The story follows Jack, the player's character, who is on a plane that crashes near Rapture. After entering the city, Jack discovers its dystopian state, resulting from the societal collapse due to the widespread use of ADAM, a substance derived from sea slugs that allows genetic modification. Key characters include:
The narrative explores themes of free will, objectivism, and the consequences of unchecked scientific progress. One of the game's most famous plot twists involves the revelation of Jack's origin and his connection to Rapture's creator, Andrew Ryan.
BioShock received widespread acclaim for its innovative gameplay, atmospheric setting, and philosophical narrative. It was praised for its art deco aesthetic, which reflects the time period in which Rapture was built, and for its music, which includes jazz and big band numbers from the 1940s and 1950s.
The game has spawned a franchise, leading to:
Here are some external links for further reading: