Customer Reviews
Say no to DRM 
2008-10-07
Buyer beware - the product description does not describe some important aspects of the game:
This game requires an internet activation, so if you have no internet connection you can't play.
This game installs SecuROM on your PC - a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) which is controversial - its like a rootkit and can cause problems with your PC. Also uninstalling the game does not remove SecuROM - it remains on your PC permanently.
Awesome action, sound and graphics, but at a cost! 
2008-09-26
This is an incredible game with stunning graphics, sound, and playability. Multiple difficulty levels, ability to save anywhere in the game, a cool story, sets and characters.
However, even though my system met or exceeded all the requirements, I could not play the game when I installed it.
I had onboard sound and a GeForce 7600 GS, but neither of these could handle the game. I upgraded to a SoundBlaster Xtreme Gamer and a GeForce 7950 GT, and now the game screams; but it cost me $300 to get there. :( Still, it has a memory leak somewhere and locks up randomly. A good idea is to stop every so often and reboot.
It takes FOREVER to load (seriously, like 3 or 4 MINUTES), but once loaded, you can play for a long time before you need to load again.
I know there are people out there who are afraid of SecuROM, but it hasn't given me any trouble that I know of.
So if you think your PC can handle it, you will most likely enjoy it.
Still not buying 2008-09-21
I was seriously considering buying Bioshock until I read about the people who recently purchased the game and had problems with their computers. It seems that the company has decided to keep the DRM in the game. Why? The game is not current and I'm sure the sales are not too great. Not a wise decision. Sorry, but I am not going to spend my money on a game that may possibly screw up my new computer. If the powers that be finally got rid of DRM they would get hundreds of people willing to buy their game. Until then my money will remain in my pocket.
Unable to install due to virus 2008-09-18
This game contains a virus called "secuROM" that permanently installs itself into your OS and can disable your drives (as it did mine) and should be avoided at all costs. It's a shame. I played Bioshock on a friends 360 and was blown away. The cool retro 50's look of the underwater city and the music set over the dark and creepy atmosphere made for a great gaming environment. It has an original and thoughtful story and the endless attack combos and multiple endings gives this game a very high replay value as well. I was very exited to get this for PC as mouse/keyboard is the best set up for a FPS by far. I was crushed when I found it had installed a virus that crippled my virtual drives. Removing secuROM from my system was a lengthy nightmare that involved risky registry editing that can damage your system permanently if not done exactly right.
Bioshock is a great game that contains a virus. Buy the 360 version if you want to play it.
5 stars for a fun game
1 star for infecting my computer with malware.
Wouldn't load for me, wasted money 2008-09-16
The game looks cool and I'd love to get it to work, but it WILL NOT LOAD on my hardware. Emails to BIOSHOCK produce nothing, since they say it should run. Emails to Securom blame me for running some program their software doesn't like or say I should change my hardware.
I did my own checking and found a number of complaints regarding the Lite-On DVD writer, which I have in my system. Apparently Securom doesn't like my DVD writer. I suppose I could buy a new DVD writer ($30) just to play a $19 game, but even if I do, how am I supposed to know this is the only thing in my system that Securom doesn't like?
Worse, I PAID my money, but I can neither play the game nor get a refund. When someone takes your money but won't deliver what you purchased, that's called THEFT.
Look, if the game works for you, I'm glad for you. But if you don't want to have your money stolen, I'd give this a pass, at least until the complaints about Securom drop.
We expect food distributors to give us a label telling us what is in our food. It's time protected games were required to have a label telling us what EXACTLY is required and what EXACTLY they are doing with our computer. It CAN'T be being done right, or I'd be playing the game. The only good thing I can say is that I paid $19 for a lesson in why software companies can't be trusted.
DRM needs to be protested 2008-09-15
BioShock lets you do the impossible as you explore a mysterious underwater city. When your plane crashes, you discover Rapture - an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified "splicers" and deadly security systems, you have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. As little girls loot the dead, and biologically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn. Now you're trapped, caught in the middle of a genetic war that will challenge both your capacity to survive and your moral allegiance to your own humanity. Make meaningful and mature decisions that culminate in the grand question - do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture to save yourself - or risk all to become their savior?
Activation limits removed on BioShock for the PC 
2008-09-13
[...]
I played this game when it had 5 activations with no problems. But due to all the customer comments all activation has been removed since August 2007. Due to all the fallout from Spore that has limited activations I hope Bioshock gets some good press for removing any activation limits.
Because Bioshock is one of the best FPS I have ever played.
Wow glad I didn't miss this gem.
I will award it with my first 10/10 ever. Played fine with my older Nvidia 6800 and single core Intel 3.4 GHz CPU at 1024x 768.
Up to date beautiful eye candy mixed with cyberpunk. A treasure to explore with a map so you don't get lost if you want it. They even have an optional arrow, which allows you to search the whole place without getting lost.
Many options for difficulty. This game can be too easy on easy with the revitalization chambers and frequent health and bullets. So ramp up the hardness options, there is even a hardness patch. But for weekend warriors, this can be a fun FPS stroll with less concern about mere death.
And a good quicksave, level, and anytime save options.
And don't forget the 5.1 sound. Good voice acting and music complete the scene. This is one of the few games that truly transported me to another world with a good story to boot.
An Honest Review 2008-09-13
Bioshock Review
Story
I found the story in Rapture to be wonderful. It can be a little complicated and confusing at times, and if you really want to find fault you certainly will be able to do so, but that is perhaps the story's biggest problem. It would seem that the story is so good compared with most stories you will find in any PC game that some people inevitably want to raise the bar and judge it on a level that you wouldn't normally judge the story in a PC game. It's not a movie (although it soon will be, apparently) and it's not a book. The characters and voice acting are outstanding. You do not have the usual bad voice acting you find in so many other games that make extensive use of voice acting. Most people are familiar with the general story of Bioshock that is one of an underwater world gone wrong, so I won't go into too much detail. Suffice to say the story has some great characters and plot twists. To appreciate the story you MUST make sure you find and listen to as many of the voice recorders scattered throughout the game world as possible.
Graphics
The graphics in Bioshock are fantastic. From the opening sequence where you crash into the ocean and the underwater trip into Rapture itself, you can sense that you are about to experience a game world that is something special. The graphics are beautiful, and somehow dark and colorful at the same time. The colors and water effects prevent the game from becoming too dark and dreary as seen in some other games where the graphics are dark and so realistic that after a while everything just seems drab and grey. While the colorful graphics in Bioshock might seem silly in a more standard game setting, they fit perfectly in the surrealistic underwater world that is Rapture. The art and graphics capture the forties and fifties time period perfectly. While you will never really leave the underwater world of Rapture for the entire game, there are still a great variety of contrasting and interesting levels to explore. Only towards the end of the game do you get the feeling that the creators were running out of ideas, or perhaps to be fair, time, to keep wowing you with each new level.
Note:
While the graphics in nearly all games are susceptible to settings and the lighting in the room in which you are playing, I don't think I have ever seen a game's graphics affected more by these factors. Make sure you have the right video settings, but even more importantly experiment a little with the lighting in the room you are playing in to get the maximum enjoyment out of the beautiful graphics that Bioshock has to offer.
Sound, Music, and Atmosphere
The sound in Bioshock is excellent, but the atmosphere is extraordinary! The atmosphere varies from eerie and creepy, to dreamy and nostalgic. The music is fantastic and really adds to the great atmosphere. I'm not exactly a big fan of music from this time period, but I now find myself listening to a lot of the music from the game even though I finally reached a saturation point and I'm no longer playing the game. There's a LOT of great music in this game, I even found myself liking songs that I have never liked before such as "Danny Boy". This is the best version of it I have ever heard. I have also gained a strong appreciation for the music of Billie Holiday. Bioshock features two of her great songs. I think one of the reasons her music seems like such a great fit for Bioshock is that her music is shrouded in the tragedy that was her life, and it lends that same feeling of something gone horribly wrong to Rapture. The other music in Bioshock is great and while it is from mostly the same time period, it varies greatly from the melancholy, to classical Tchaikovsky, to jazz, to upbeat. Some of the other greats whose music is in Bioshock are: Bobby Darin with the ever so appropriate "Beyond the Sea", Cole Porter, Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, the Ink Spots, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Mario Lanza, Django Reinhardt, the Andrew Sisters, and more! Quite often during the game I found myself just stopping for long periods of time to appreciate the music, atmosphere and certain scenes in the game. Which leads me to gameplay.
Gameplay
I am going to start with the flaws and perceived flaws since it has been a long time since the game was released and I have read a lot of confusing comments about the game.The gameplay in Bioshock is not going to appeal to everyone. This is NOT your typical first person shooter. If you do not play the game the way the creators intended for you to play it, you will very likely be disappointed and or frustrated. If high speed run and gun, a la Unreal Tournament and many other typical first person shooters is your thing, you will probably want to pass on this game unless you are flexible and willing to adjust your approach. I'm sure you could play the game like a typical FPS but it would be like chugging down a fine wine when you are really thirsty. Pointless and a waste. If you read some of the comments made by some people it's pretty easy to determine how they are playing the game. When you hear "I can't find any ammo!", "It's too complicated!", "It takes too much ammo to kill the monsters!", "It's too hard!", "There's not enough weapons!", "There is no story!", or "The story doesn't make any sense!", etc., it's highly likely they are not taking the time to understand how the game works or are just trying to play run and gun and really don't want to think too much. This is not to say that the game is overly complicated because it is not. It is also not hard by a long shot. In fact this game has the easiest "easy" level I have ever seen in a game. Play the game on at least the "normal" level. Another likely hindrance to your enjoyment of the game is the inclusion in the game of the vita chambers. Including these was not a good choice by the developers. I HIGHLY suggest you avoid using these by ignoring them. Unless you are not much of a gamer and just want to be a tourist and appreciate the other aspects of the game, when you die just reload with the function key instead of allowing yourself to be brought back in one of these chambers. Thankfully, in the patch there is now a setting to turn them off. Use it! Another down side to the game for some people is that there is a limited variety of enemies. Unless the developers got really silly this was probably unavoidable since the setting is a city with just people who have become mutated through overuse of mind and body "enhancing" drugs.
All this having been said, I think if you play the game the way it was intended the game play is excellent. There are many ways to kill an enemy. You have most of the standard weapons plus tonics and plasmids which are nothing more than mind and body altering enhancements that can give you a wide range of powers from defensive to offensive. It's highly recommended you experiment with all of your options, including using the environment to help you dispose of your enemies. You will find that certain weapons and approaches to defeating your enemies feel almost useless against an opponent. However there are many ways to kill EVERY enemy in Bioshock, and always at least one that will defeat any opponent with ease. Just grabbing a gun with standard ammo and firing blindly at a splicer, for instance, is not recommended. In addition to the different weapons you use, you need to use the appropriate type of ammo. There are three types. One is effective against armor, another is effective against splicers (flesh), and a standard type which is really only worth using when you have run out of the other ammo. If you are one of those people who like to use the simple wrench to clobber with, you can certainly do so, and when upgraded in the right way the wrench can be a lot of fun and a very powerful weapon.
This game has some truly special moments that are amongst the best in gaming
Perspective
This game was a no brainer for me once I found out it had good reviews. I have been waiting for a sequel to System Shock 2 for a long time. This is not it, but there are a lot of similarities such as the great story, atmosphere, and isolated original game world. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this game right from it's release because of the very unfortunate decision to include securom and the infamous limited installs form of copy protection. I was waiting for this game so long I jumped right in and bought it without too much consideration, which is not the norm for me at all. Overall, I didn't have too many problems with the game working properly due to the securom or limited installs, but in certain circumstances it can definitely be a hassle! After I played the game more than I played any other game in my life, I sold it used as a form of protest against the limited installs. About a couple of months ago they removed that restriction, so I bought it back much cheaper than what I sold it for. I understand completely anyone being against buying any game that contains internet activation, and especially limited installs, such as this game does, or did in the case of the limited installs, but I still like to consider the game SEPARATELY from the copy protection unless it directly interferes with the game itself while I am playing it. In my experience it has not ruined the game for me at all, excepting the principle involved with the limited installs and internet activation. Each person has to make up their own mind. I just wish people would not try to tell people they are not allowed to say anything about the game itself that is positive because it has restrictive DRM incorporated. Obviously a LOT of people have played and enjoyed this game tremendously even though I'm sure the sales were hurt by the DRM. I look at it this way. The distributor, who is responsible for the DRM scheme deserves 0 stars. Unfortunately, the developers who made this great game had no say and were not responsible for the travesty of limited installs, and are pretty much at the mercy of the distributor who swallowed up these fine developers. One final thing, a lot of what has been said about the game has been just a bunch of lies. Apparently people who say they are looking out for other people and are indignant from a violation of rights point of view, have no problem viciously attacking people and spewing all kinds of lies in their "just" cause. There was never a root kit, there is no spyware, and if anyone should have experienced problems with their PC because of this game, it should be me, and I have NOT. I never even bothered to remove the securom after I was done with the game. (It's a pain, but it can be done.) I was a PC Technician for eight years and have real PC threats to worry about other than the so called bogeyman that is supposed to be hidden in this game.
Death of PC Gaming 2008-09-12
Good Game, but installs a virus that is hard to remove from your PC and can open security holes in your system.
Excellent FPS 2008-09-12
I am running this game on an older XP computer with a 7600GT video card at pretty high settings and it looks and runs fantastic. Gameplay, controls, story, music, special effects are all top-notch. Loads of fun. Installation and patching was smooth. I am using a "no-dvd" executable and all is well without having to keep the DVD in the player all the time. This game often goes on sale at Amazon for $19.99, which is a good deal. Highly recommended.
