Bioshock is a tough game to review for a number of reasons, but arguably the most important reason is that there's a fundamental difference between what Bioshock intends to do and what it actually does. On paper, Bioshock is a sweeping Ayn Rand-inspired epic about the futility of both utopianism and humanitarianism. There are no "good guys" per se in Bioshock; instead, the game attempts to create an atmosphere of moral ambiguity. The only problem is that, like most games with moral choices before it, the difference still manages to be fairly black and white. In terms of gameplay, a similar problem occurs. Bioshock intends the player to think through situations instead of mindlessly pummeling through the game, but renders that kind of playstyle pointless as it offers no penalties for death and few rewards for utilizing the more exotic and interesting plasmid powers. Because of these factors, I cannot give Bioshock the score many readers may have expected it to deserve, but the sheer production values and atmosphere of the game elevate it beyond the sum of its more practical parts.

Graphics:

          Bioshock is unquestionably a great-looking game on Xbox 360, from the excellent art deco style to the technically impressive textures. Unfortunately, Bioshock shares quite a few similarities to games like Oblivion and Fallout 3, namely the strange character animations and oft-questionable hit detection with spells and weapons. Bioshock is nothing if not incredibly stylized, and because of this densely believable atmosphere it succeeds in establishing Rapture as a very spooky, twisted world.

          There are always a few who prefer more technically impressive graphics over artistically inspired graphics, and those may actually be even more impressed with Bioshock. The ambient lighting, textures, water and particle effects are all exceptionally well-done. Weapon models are detailed and much effort was put into making the otherwise very steampunk-inspired weapons look theoretically functional with the technology from the 1940's to the 1960's. Immersion cannot be established in a game as grandiose as Bioshock without a successful fusion of artistic and technical graphics, and in these categories Bioshock shines.

Sound:

          If Bioshock is impressive from a graphical standpoint, it is phenomenal from a sound design point of view. Voicework is excellent with only a few spotty deliveries, ambient music is used rarely but to very psychologically-stirring effect, and the weapon effects are satisfyingly brutal. In all, Bioshock delivers its soundtrack in spades. Because Bioshock is set in the 1960's yet in a city otherwise "frozen" in the 1940's, the voicework and music selection mirrors the rebellious nature of both eras.

Gameplay:

          Unfortunately, Bioshock begins to fall apart in this category. While technically proficient, Bioshock's gunplay is unrefined and underpowered (perhaps to highlight the plasmid system). The plasmid system itself is very limiting, and although the developers may have intended powers to be limited to specific situations, the sheer variety of mostly-useless powers makes the selection of a good combination of attacks arduous and not worthwhile. Many attacks seem outwardly very cool (shooting bees from your hand? Yes, please!) but are otherwise not particularly useful. Combined with a death system that essentially revives you every time you die with absolutely no penalties, Bioshock heavily favors the otherwise weak gunplay.

          Later in the game, a combination of tonics (substances that give you permanent enhancements) can make for some nearly-broken gameplay mechanics. Take, for example, a tonic that heals you every time you use a wrench, combined with a tonic that shocks and paralyzes an enemy every time you use the wrench, combined once more with a tonic that makes wrench attacks considerably more powerful. At that point, literally whacking away at a Big Daddy will result in you having full health and a completely helpless Big Daddy (an enemy that otherwise should be tearing you to shreds). While some may argue that combinations such as these are merely the result of a smart gamer's combination of ideas, it seems these tonics are a bit too powerful for their own good.

          Ironically, the weapon system follows similar conventions to much greater success. Most weapons have alternate ammo for varying situations. As Big Daddies are natively weak to electricity, using a shotgun with electric shells is advantageous, but the game smartly keeps your supply of these electric shells very limited and you'll often be faced with choices as to whether you want to waste your ammo now or save up for later. These choices work well, but are again made almost pointless due to Bioshock's revival chambers. It should be noted, however, that online patches have allowed for a new difficulty mode that eliminates these "vita chambers" altogether and makes the game's survivalist theme much more coherent.

          Overall, Bioshock is a flawed package that delivers on atmosphere and production values but features poorly thought-out powerups that can essentially break the game. Those expecting a challenge may have to intentionally avoid using these powerups. Otherwise, Bioshock is a good game worth any 360 owner's attention.