BioShock Reviews

BioShock has received a positive response from critics.

Pre-release awards
At E3 2006, BioShock was given the "Game of the Show" award from various online gaming sites, including GameSpot, IGN, GameSpy and GameTrailers's Trailer of the Year.

Reviews
The game has been cited as having an "inescapable atmosphere", "inconceivably great plot" and "stunning soundtrack and audio effects". The gameplay and combat system has been praised for being smooth and open-ended. Overall, reviewers have noted that the combination of the games elements "straddles so many entertainment art forms so expertly that it's the best demonstration yet how flexible this medium can be. It's no longer just another shooter wrapped up in a pretty game engine, but a story that exists and unfolds inside the most convincing and elaborate and artistic game world ever conceived."

A few points of criticism have come across so far. The scarcity of ammunition in the game can deter newer players from the title, (though the developers have indicated such scarcity is by design ) while the recovery system through Vita-chambers, which restores the player's health but does not alter the enemies', may make the game too easy for more experienced gamers.

In the PC version, IGN noted that switching between weapons or plasmids is easier using the mouse than the radial menu in the Xbox 360 version, as well as the graphics being slightly better with higher resolutions.