BioShock
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About the Game
In 1960 , a plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a man named Jack as the apparent sole survivor. He surfaces near a lighthouse that serves as the entrance to Rapture, an underwater city founded in the 1940s by industrialist Andrew Ryan. Built as a refuge from government, religion, and outside authority, Rapture was intended to be a paradise of individual freedom and scientific progress. By the time Jack arrives, however, the city has collapsed into ruin, and he must descend into its decaying halls while uncovering what happened there and fighting to survive.
Story & Setting
As in System Shock , players explore interconnected areas, searches for supplies, hacks security systems, and gradually customizes the protagonist’s abilities. Afterward, players can harvest the Little Sister for a larger amount of ADAM or rescue her for a smaller immediate reward. These choices affect the amount of ADAM available, players’ rewards, and the ending of the story.
Gameplay & Core Systems
BioShock is a first-person shooter with elements of action-adventure and role-playing games, as well as a storytelling style reminiscent of the System Shock series . Much of the story is revealed through audio diaries left behind by Rapture’s inhabitants, allowing players to reconstruct the city’s history while exploring its abandoned districts. The game is more action-oriented than System Shock 2 , with role-playing elements focused on upgrades and equipment rather than character classes or detailed statistics. Jack fights them with firearms, melee attacks, environmental hazards, and plasmids. They can shock enemies with electricity, set them on fire, freeze them, move objects, command security devices, or otherwise alter the battlefield.
Standout Features
- Combat often rewards combining plasmids with weapons and the environment, such as electrocuting enemies standing in water, freezing opponents before shattering them, or turning Rapture’s security systems against their owners.
- players can equip only a limited number of each, requiring choices about combat style, hacking ability, resource gathering, defense, and exploration.
- Additional slots and upgrades can be purchased as the game progresses.
- Firearms can also be improved at weapon upgrade stations, and most weapons support multiple ammunition types, giving players different ways to handle armored targets, crowds, machines, or more powerful enemies.
- Health kits restore damage, EVE hypos replenish the energy used for plasmids, and vending machines sell ammunition, supplies, and upgrades.
- Components found throughout Rapture can be used at U-Invent machines to create ammunition, tools, and other useful supplies.
- Many machines, safes, turrets, cameras, and security bots can be hacked, usually through a Pipe Mania -style mini-game in which players redirects a flow of liquid through connected pipe pieces before time runs out.
- Successful hacking can reduce prices, disable alarms, open locked containers, or turn hostile security devices to players’ advantage.
Modes & Ways to Play
The PlayStation 3 version adds Survivor Mode, a harder difficulty setting, along with other platform-specific extras.
Presentation & Atmosphere
Radio communication, environmental details, and scripted events also guide Jack through the city and reveal the roles of major figures in Rapture’s collapse. players can also use a research camera to photograph enemies and security devices, gradually unlocking damage bonuses, new tactics, and other rewards for learning more about Rapture’s threats.
Display support includes Progressive Scan (480p), HDTV 720p, HDTV 1080i, HDTV 1080p, and Widescreen (16 x 9). Audio support includes Dolby Digital.
More game data: releases, identifiers & technical details
Regional release records and identifiers for BioShock | Sony PlayStation 3 | PS3.
Release and technical facts
| Fact | Value | Release / platform | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published by | 2K Games, Inc. | Germany | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Australia Pty. Ltd | Germany | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Boston, Inc | Germany | MobyGames |
| Ported by | 2K Marin, Inc | Germany | MobyGames |
| Ported by | Digital Extremes, Inc. | Germany | MobyGames |
| Distributed by | Take Two Interactive GmbH | Germany | MobyGames |
| Additional Graphics by | Demiurge Studios, Inc. | Germany | MobyGames |
| Game Engine by | Epic Games, Inc. | Germany | MobyGames |
| Middleware by | RAD Game Tools, Inc. | Germany | MobyGames |
| Published by | 2K Games, Inc. | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Australia Pty. Ltd | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Boston, Inc | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Ported by | 2K Marin, Inc | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Ported by | Digital Extremes, Inc. | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Distributed by | Take-Two Interactive Software Europe Ltd. | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Additional Graphics by | Demiurge Studios, Inc. | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Game Engine by | Epic Games, Inc. | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Middleware by | RAD Game Tools, Inc. | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| Published by | 2K Games, Inc. | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Australia Pty. Ltd | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Boston, Inc | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Ported by | 2K Marin, Inc | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Ported by | Digital Extremes, Inc. | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Distributed by | GameWizz Digital Entertainment | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Additional Graphics by | Demiurge Studios, Inc. | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Game Engine by | Epic Games, Inc. | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Middleware by | RAD Game Tools, Inc. | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| Published by | 2K Games, Inc. | United States | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Australia Pty. Ltd | United States | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Boston, Inc | United States | MobyGames |
| Ported by | Digital Extremes, Inc. | United States | MobyGames |
| Ported by | 2K Marin, Inc | United States | MobyGames |
| Additional Graphics by | Demiurge Studios, Inc. | United States | MobyGames |
| Game Engine by | Epic Games, Inc. | United States | MobyGames |
| Middleware by | RAD Game Tools, Inc. | United States | MobyGames |
| Published by | 2K Games, Inc. | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Australia Pty. Ltd | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Developed by | 2K Boston, Inc | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Ported by | 2K Marin, Inc | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Ported by | Digital Extremes, Inc. | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Additional Graphics by | Demiurge Studios, Inc. | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Game Engine by | Epic Games, Inc. | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Middleware by | RAD Game Tools, Inc. | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| Media Type | Blu-Ray Disc | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Media Type | Download | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Video Modes Supported | Progressive Scan (480p) | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Video Modes Supported | HDTV 720p | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Video Modes Supported | HDTV 1080i | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Video Modes Supported | HDTV 1080p | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Video Modes Supported | Widescreen (16 x 9) | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Sound Capabilities | Dolby Digital | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Input Device Features Supported | Vibration | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Number of Offline Players | 1 Player | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Miscellaneous Attributes | Ethernet Broadband Required | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Miscellaneous Attributes | PlayStation Network compatible | PlayStation 3 | MobyGames |
| Original game disc count | 1 | North America | MobyGames |
| Genre | FPS | North America | PriceCharting |
| Developer | Digital Extremes / 2K Marin | North America | PriceCharting |
| Disc count (PriceCharting) | 1 game disc | North America | PriceCharting |
| ESRB rating | Mature | North America | PriceCharting |
| Model number | #BLUS-30166 | North America | PriceCharting |
| Player count | 1 player | North America | PriceCharting |
| Publisher | 2K Games | North America | PriceCharting |
| Developer | 2K Boston | PAL | PriceCharting |
| Disc count (PriceCharting) | 1 game disc | PAL | PriceCharting |
| Genre | FPS | PAL | PriceCharting |
| Model number | #BLES-00316 | PAL | PriceCharting |
| Player count | 1 player | PAL | PriceCharting |
| Publisher | 2K Games | PAL | PriceCharting |
Regional releases
| Release date | Region / edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2008-10-17 | Germany | MobyGames |
| 2008-10-17 | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| 2008-10-17 | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| 2008-10-21 | United States | MobyGames |
| 2012-09-04 | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| 2008-10-17 | PAL | PriceCharting |
| 2008-10-21 | North America | PriceCharting |
| October 21, 2008 | North America | PriceCharting |
| October 17, 2008 | PAL | PriceCharting |
Catalog identifiers by release
| Identifier | Code | Region / edition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 | 5026555401166 | Germany | MobyGames |
| Sony PN | BLES-00317 | Germany | MobyGames |
| Sony PN | BLES-00316 | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| EAN-13 | 5026555401142 | United Kingdom | MobyGames |
| EAN-13 | 5026555401197 | New Zealand | MobyGames |
| UPC-A | 710425279645 | United States | MobyGames |
| Sony PN | BLUS-30166 | United States | MobyGames |
| ASIN | B001B1W3GG | United States | MobyGames |
| eBay Product ID | 66618962 | United States | MobyGames |
| Sony PN | NPUB-30393 | United States; download release | MobyGames |
| upc | 710425279645 | North America | PriceCharting |
| asin | B001B1W3GG | North America | PriceCharting |
| epid | 66618962 | North America | PriceCharting |
| model | #BLUS-30166 | North America | PriceCharting |
| upc | 710425374944 | North America | PriceCharting |
| upc | 5026555401142 | PAL | PriceCharting |
| model | #BLES-00316 | PAL | PriceCharting |
| ean | 5026555401142 | PAL | PriceCharting |
| ean | 5026555401203 | PAL | PriceCharting |
| ean | 5026555401210 | PAL | PriceCharting |
Data by MobyGames.com · Catalog data: PriceCharting