BioShock

BioShock hits the PS3.

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Novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, whose work served as one of the inspirations for BioShock, preached that, no matter the circumstances, "A" would always equal "A". Well, it would appear that whether it's on the Xbox 360, PC or PS3, BioShock will always be BioShock, and that is a good thing indeed. Debuting on Sony's monolithic system over a year after it hit the 360, BioShock remains an engaging and utterly breathtaking experience from beginning to end and it gives PS3 owners the chance to see what all the commotion was about.

Pros

  • The same breathtaking experience from yester-year, now on the PS3

Cons

  • Nothing too new and won't change your mind if you didn't enjoy it the first time

Bottom Line

PS3 owners have waited over a year for the chance to visit the underwater utopia (or is it dystopia?) called Rapture, but they can finally stop holding their breath and plunge head first into the amazing depths of BioShock. But if you've already plumbed the game's depths, there's no real compelling reason for a return voyage — at least, not until the DLC content releases.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 109.95 (AUD)

"I Chose... Rapture!"

I won't rehash the story of BioShock since it's been so well documented already, and I won't waste too many words telling you how awesome the game is, since it's a pretty straightforward port (it's still awesome, though). Instead, I'll focus on extras that PS3 owners have to look forward to.

First, this port contains all of the 360 updates, so don't worry about missing out any content like the new Plasmids and Tonics. But PS3 owners also get a brand new difficulty mode that cranks the game's toughness up to eleven. If you thought taking down a Big Daddy on Hard was challenging, wait until you go toe-to-toe with the metal behemoths in the aptly named Survivor mode with nary a Vita Chamber or First Aid Kit in sight. Thankfully, you can change difficulty levels on the fly, which is a nice touch.

Would You Kindly?

Also integrated into BioShock is the PlayStation 3's new Trophy feature, which opens up a whole new array of achievements for you hardcore gamers. Then there are the Challenge Rooms, which will be downloadable via the Playstation Network soon; these chambers of death will allow hardened gamers the chance to tackle brand new levels featuring an array of enemies, puzzles and obstacles.

From a presentation standpoint, BioShock feel right at home on the PS3 and the port retains the stellar sound design, gorgeous visuals and tight controls of the previous versions. There's no doubt that BioShock is one of the finest FPS games ever made and the PS3 port is stellar through and through. I recommend it to anyone who has yet witness the majesty of Rapture firsthand.

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