Bioshock

Bioshock

Systems:

• Windows PC
• Mac OSX
• Cloud (OnLive)
• iOS
• PlayStation 3
• Xbox 360
• Releases:
  • Original Release: 2007

Publisher:

• 2K Games
• Feral Interactive (OS X version)

Developer:

• 2K Boston
• 2K Australia

ESRB Rating:

• Mature (M)
• Reasoning:
  • Blood and Gore
  • Drug Reference
  • Intense Violence
  • Sexual Themes
  • Strong Langauge

Bioshock is a first-person shooter that follows protagonist Jack through the underwater city of Rapture. Unsure of why he is there or where to go next, he is led by a mysterious man named Atlas, who promises him an escape if he will help Atlas in return. Through various environments, audio diaries, and stunning revelations the protagonist discovers the violent history of Rapture and the truth about himself.

General Comments

This review includes tags for the audio diaries found in-game.

This review does not include any DLC.

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are scattered around Rapture, are mentioned, and you can drink them. The game has a “drunk” effect when you drink a couple, which is a dizzy filter and hiccuping sounds from the protagonist. You are not required to drink them.

The player must visit several places that revolve around alcohol and have more alcoholic beverages scattered around than usual. These are:

• A bar
• A wine cellar and distillery
• A cocktail lounge
• A strip club

Animal Abuse

Dead cats can be found around Rapture, when looked at each has a name. There also is a audio log where a child is commanded to snap a puppy’s neck. The death of the dog is graphically heard. This can be avoided by not picking up and listening to the Mind Control Test audio diary in the Rapture Control Room.

Animal Death

Dead cats can be found around Rapture, when looked at each has a name.

There is an audio log where a child is commanded to snap a puppy’s neck. The death of the dog is graphically heard. This can be avoided by not picking up and listening to the Mind Control Test audio diary in the Rapture Control Room.

Aquatic Violence

The game takes place in an underwater city. The city is under constant threat of breaking, and there are leaks throughout the game where the player can see water coming through. There is also one sequence where debris falls into the room and water starts pouring in. No area ever completely fills with water.

Bigoted Language

Gender-based slurs are used throughout the game.

Race-based slurs are used throughout the game in audio diaries. These include African American, Chinese, and gay slurs.

Blood

Blood is ever-present throughout game environments.

Blood is an unavoidable part of combat. It is produced by hitting enemies and the Player Character being hit.

Body Horror

The main enemies of the game are horrifically malformed. They usually large tumors all over their bodies. Some may have certain parts of their bodies twisted unnaturally.

When the Player Character uses plasmids their hand will mutate. The type of mutation depends on the type of plasmid. The mutation for the Insect Swarm plasmid is particularly graphic.

The first time the Player Character uses a plasmid there is a graphic scene of them reacting badly to it.

There is a cutscene in Andrew Ryan's office where the Player Character brutally beats a man to death. The wounds are graphically shown.

Bones

There is a whale skeleton in a museum near the ending of the game. No human skeletons or bones appear.

Brainwashing

It is revealed that Big Daddies were once human but are brainwashed to only take care of Little Sisters and the city.

Little Sisters are brainwashed to fear everyone but Big Daddies, and to collect and consume ADAM from dead bodies.

Cannibalism

Little Sisters will eat the blood they harvest from dead bodies. This sequence is shown during the Little Sister escort quest, however the player can choose to turn away and not watch.

Claustrophobia

The Player Character crawls through small vents multiple times.

Throughout the entire game the Player Character is trapped in an underwater city. The city feels large but there are glass ceilings and areas that the player can see the sea out of.

The Player Character is required to use small, round submarines called Bathyspears. The Player Character is sealed in these multiple times during cutscenes.

Clowns

The general items vending machine is a clown that loudly says “THE CIRCUS OF VALUES!” when ever you go near it. This is accompanied by tinny circus music. The clown is mechanical and does not move.

Darkness

The game is dimly lit and there are some areas where the lights will flicker so that it is completely black. Enemies can come out of the shadows to attack.

There is a particularly dark scene in the Heat Loss Monitoring area where the lights go out and the Player Character can hear enemies running around them.

Dead Bodies

There are dead bodies littered throughout the game. The main way the player gets health, bullets, etc. is by looting bodies.

Killed enemies' bodies do not disappear.

In Andrew Ryan's office there are dead bodies hung up like trophies.

In Apollo Square there are dead bodies hanging from nooses.

Death of Family/Friends

One character’s entire family dies in a explosion after you have been working to reunite them. It is revealed later in the game that this is a lie.

The Player Character's father is murdered in-game.

Though the Big Daddies are not friends of the Player Character, the Little Sisters that they protect consider them friends. The Little Sisters will cry and grieve if the Player Character kills a Big Daddy. The player can choose to let the Big Daddies live by not attacking them, but this restricts the amount of upgrade points available and thus makes the game harder.

Dehumanization

Late in the game the Player Character is treated like a tool and has their autonomy destroyed.

In Andrew Ryan's office there are dead bodies hung up on the walls like trophies.

Depiction of Disaster

There is an audio log of a terrorist attack. This can be avoided by not picking up and listening to the audio diary of "New Year's Eve Alone" in the Medical Pavilion.

The game begins with the Player Character struggling in the aftermath of a plane crash. The crash itself is not shown but screams and a plane crash sound is heard over a black screen.

It is revealed in the game that the Player Character hijacked a plane and forced it to crash.

Disease

There is a illness called “ADAM Sickness” which all the antagonists have. It causes tumors and deformation on the body, and causes you to go insane. It is discussed throughout the game.

Disruptive Home Life

It is revealed in the game that the Player Character's family was unkind to them because they were a sleeper agent and thus not considered a real child.

Drowning

The game begins with the Player Character drowning. The Player Character does not die, but choking noises are heard and the screen blacks out a few times.

Electrocution

One of the plasmid powers the Player Character gains is the power to shoot electricity from their hand. This will electrocute enemies, and they will shake and have visible electricity on their body. This power is required to be used in the game. There are some enemies that can also use this power against the Player Character.

There are several areas throughout the game that are strung with electric wires the will electrocute the Player Character if they are touched. They are easily seen and can be destroyed with the electricity power.

The final boss fights with electricity.

Existential Despair

The Player Character finds out that their entire life has been meaningless and they were merely a tool for the main antagonist. Since the Player Character is a silent protagonist, they do not react to this news.

Explosions

Explosions are very common throughout the game, particularly doors exploding.

Multiple enemies will use explosives, particularly Molotov Cocktails, against the Player Character.

The player can pick up multiple explosives throughout the game to be used as weapons. These are not required to be used.

The Player Character is required to construct and use a bomb in the game.

Fire

The beginning of the game there are plane debris that are on fire all around.

Uncontrolled fires are common in most areas in the game. They are used to block paths.

Multiple enemies use fire to attack the Player Character.

The Player Character gains the Incinerate power that sets enemies and objects on fire. This is required to be used to access certain areas but is not required to be used in combat.

There are pools of oil on the ground in most areas that can be lit on fire. The fire will then burn out of control for a while before disappearing.

In the Rapture Records area it appears that there is a fire on the floor above you. Screams of possibly burning splicers can be heard.

The final boss uses fire to fight.

Forced Implantation

It is revealed that the Player Character had mind-control plasmids implanted in their body when they were very young. They were also implanted with growth plasmids.

Dr. Tennenbaum and Dr. Suchong are revealed to have forcibly implanted ADAM slugs in little girls.

Ghosts

There are unavoidable apparitions seen throughout the game. It is unclear whether they are ghosts or just a hallucination as a side-effect of the ADAM, but a loading screen calls them ghosts and they act like ghosts. They do not attack the Player Character.

Gore

Fighting enemies results in gore. All dead bodies appear brutally mauled.

In the Medical Bay area, Steinman graphically mutilates an unwilling patient.

There is a cutscene in Andrew Ryan's office where the Player Character brutally beats a man to death. The wounds are graphically shown.

Graphic Violence

The combat and cutscenes in this game are extremely graphic.

Guns

Guns are the main combat mechanic in the game. They are used both by the Player Character and enemies.

Heights

There are some areas that the Player Character must walk through that are high. The ground below can be seen and the Player Character can fall.

The first cutscene involves a plane falling out of the sky. The crash itself is not shown but screams and a plane crash sound is heard over a black screen.

Insects

The Insect Swarm plasmid caused bees to fly out of the Player Character's hand. This is not required to be picked up or used at all in game.

The Player Character must visit a beehive sanctuary in the Farmer's Market area. There are swarms of bees that will attack the Player Character. They can be temporarily pacified via a gas but they will wake up once the timer runs out and attack. The room and the room before it have loud buzzing noises.

Jump Scares

A sense of tension is created in multiple areas when the lights shut off and enemies are heard, however when they come back on there are no enemies to be seen.

Enemies can jump out at the Player Characters around corners.

As the game progresses, enemies will start to pretend to be dead bodies. They will lie perfectly still and jump up and attack the Player Character when they are approached.

Kidnapping

The player can find audio logs of a family whose child has been kidnapped. This can be avoided by not picking up and listening to the audio diaries "Masha Come Home" and "Saw Masha Today" in the Upper Wharf and Fighting McDonagh areas respectively.

Medical Malpractice

Dr. Steinman is revealed to have force surgery on his patients to make them "perfect". There is a cutscene of him forcibly operating on a splicer.

There are audio diaries of Steinman talking about his malpractice. These can be avoided by not picking up and listening to most of the audio diaries in the Medical Pavilion.

Dr. Tennenbaum and Dr. Suchong are revealed to forcibly have planted mind-control plasmids in the Player Character. They are also revealed to have forcibly implanted ADAM slugs in little girls.

Mind Control

The Player Character is mind controlled via plasmids. It is revealed that he has been controlled the entire game. They manage to get rid of the mind control late in the game.

Murder

The splicers were once human and are still sentient, so killing them constitutes murder.

Splicers murder one another on screen throughout the game.

The Player Character is forced to kill several non-splicer humans in the game.

Mutilation

Some splicers and dead bodies appear mutilated.

In Andrew Ryan's office there are mutilated dead bodies hung up like trophies.

Needles

The plasmid replenishment animation is the Player Character violently stabbing a needle into their wrist. This will happen multiple times throughout the game.

Little Sisters use giant needles to extract ADAM from dead bodies. These needles are shown in detail several times in the game.

To defeat the final boss the Player Character must stab him with a Little Sister's needle. The death sequence for the boss is Little Sisters stabbing him multiple times with their needles.

Offensive Language

Multiple character swear throughout the game.

Parental Abandonment

It is revealed that the Player Character's mother sold them to someone else as a embryo. This can be avoided by not listening to the "Pregnancy" audio diary found in Eve's garden.

Psychological Horror

The Tea Room section functions similar to a psychological horror game, using shadow, enemy sounds, and music to create a sense of tension and paranoia.

Psychological Trauma

The splicers are clearly traumatized both by the rotting and twisting of their bodies and by their complete addition to ADAM. All of them have been driven insane by this trauma.

Racism

The bullet buying stations have a racist caricature of a Mexican bandit.

There is an undertone of eugenics throughout the game.

Sexualization/Objectification

The Player Character must enter a strip club. No women are seen.

Multiple audio diaries objectify women verbally.

Slavery

The Player Character is revealed to have been mind-controlled into being the antagonist's slave. They are used by the antagonist as a tool to capture Rapture.

Substance Abuse

It is revealed that ADAM is highly addictive. All splicers are suffering due to their addiction to ADAM and throughout the game are desperately trying to get more.

Suicide

A character commands the Player Character to kill him. He uses the Player Character's mind control to die by the Player Character's hand.

Unreality

It is revealed that the Player Character's past was not real and that the choices the Player Character made were not choices, but orders. The entire game up to the point of this revelation is, essentially, a lie.

Vehicular Trauma

The beginning of the game involves getting into a bathysphere (a small submarine) that appears to malfunction when the Player Character reaches the bottom of the ocean. The bathysphere that a character's family was in is destroyed on screen, killing the people inside. It is later revealed that the bathysphere was empty.

Verbal Abuse

Enemies and antagonists will verbally abuse the Player Character throughout the entire game. They call the Player Character a parasite, useless, worthless, etc.

Violence Against Children

The player can choose to murder Little Sisters, genetically altered little girls, via “harvesting” their Adam. They will cower and cry when the Player Character gets near them and struggle when picked up. Their death is not shown on screen. The player can choose to “rescue “ them instead.

If the player chooses to harvest one Little Sister, the game will end with the Player Character murdering all the Little Sisters.

There is a Little Sister escort quest towards the end of the game where the Little Sister can be harmed and die.

Weapons

Weapons are ever-present throughout the game. They are used by the Player Character and enemies.

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