BioShock Game Options





Main Menu
This is the main menu of BioShock. On PC you can control it with the mouse. The Xbox 360 version of the menu is a little bit different as you can see. You can navigate with the controller and when you highlight an option the game makes the sound of a piano (this piano sound can be found in the game in Olympus Heights, in Anna Culpepper's apartment.).

Continue

Only available if you've started a new game. You can continue your last saved progress.

New Game

You can begin a whole new game, by selecting your preferred difficulty (Easy, Medium or Hard) If you're using a controller, the game first asks you to set the brightness level.

Load Game

You can load up a save game.

Options screen

Takes You to the options screen, where you can set many different options.

Credits

Watch the creators of BioShock.

Exit

Exits to Windows.

Options Screen


If you click on "Options" in the main menu, this screen pops-up. Here you can set different options.

Graphics Options

If you have performance problems with the game, here you can solve them by turning some graphical options off.

Customize Controls

Here you can bind the keyboard keys, and turn on the XBOX360 controller.

Audio Options

You can increase, decrase the music, sound volume of the game, turn on EAX.

Gameplay options

You can fine tune BioShock gameplay here.

Audio Options


Here you can set all the audio-related settings in BioShock.

Audio Mode

You can choose what kind of speaker setup you have. (Mono, Stereo, Quad, Surround, 5.1, 7.1, ProLogic) Note: By changing this option you must restart the game!

Use Reverb

Turn this option on if you want to have reverberation effect through the game. Turn it off if you have audio related problems. Note: By changing this option you must restart the game!

Use Creative EAX Audio

If your sound card supports Creative's EAX then you can turn this on to make the sounds in the game more realistic. Note: By changing this option you must restart the game!

Sound Effect Volume

All the weapons, turrets, explosions volume can be decreased/increased with this slider.

Music Volume

You can decrease/increase the volume that can be heard in the game with this slider.

Voice Over Volume

You can set the volume of your shortwave radio with this slider.

Graphics Options


Here you can set all the video-related things in BioShock.

Resolution

You can choose the game's resolution with the slider. Note: if a widescreen resolution is chosen, you may have to toggle the horizontal FOV lock to see in a true widescreen FOV.

Windowed Mode

Turn this on if you want to run the game in windowed mode. Playing in windowed mode requires more computer resources.

Vertical Sync

Turn this on to eliminate any image tearing in the game. The game's FPS will be locked at the refresh rate of your monitor.

Shadow Maps

Turn it on if you want every actor in the game to cast real time shadow.

High Detail Post Processing

When turned on the game will apply HDR lighting/Bloom effects.

High Detail Shaders

Increases amount of reflections on surfaces.

Real Time Reflections

Turn this on so the water in the game will reflect every surface and actor.

Distortion

Turn this on for heat and water distortion effects.

Force Global Lightning

Turn it on to force global, generic lighting sources instead of lighting coming from individual sources.

Directx10 Detail Surfaces

You can only turn this on if you have Windows Vista and a DirectX 10 compatible video card. The game has some differences in DX10 mode: The trail you leave behind in water looks more realistic, and the game will soften the shadow maps and creates soft edged particles. Note: It seems that these effect are automatically turned on if you have Vista and a DX10 card.

Horizontal FOV Lock:

Turn it off if you are playing on a widescreen monitor. Note: This option is only available if you have the 1.1 patch installed.

Graphics Quality

Allows you to set three generic performance presets: high, medium, and low graphic details.

Texture Detail

Allows you to set three generic texture quality presets: high, medium, and low.

Gameplay Options


This is the gameplay options screen, where you can set gameplay related options. Note: If you're using the Xbox 360 controller, you won't be able to reach these options from the main menu, you can only reach them when you are in-game.

Difficulty

You can set the game difficulty anytime during the game using this slider.

Adaptive Training

It gives you helpful tips during the game,("You are low on health but wealthy...") but it can be annoying during the 2nd time through the game.

Dialog Subtitles

Puts subtitles in the game whenever a dialog is heard.

Art Subtitles

If an art in the game has writings on it and you have this option turned "on" you will see the writing pop-up on your screen.

Quest Arrow

This arrow is located on the center-top of the screen. It shows where you must go, to finish your active quest.

Item Shimmer

This option makes all items in the game to make a flashing effect, so you can easily spot them.

Usable Object Highlight

It's the same as item shimmering, but this applies to usable objects only.

Disable Vita Chamber

This option was added in the 1.1 patch. If you turn it "on" and you die in the game, you will be brought back to the main menu. Turn this on if you want real challenge.

Customize Controls


Mouse Sensitivity

This changes the sensitivity of your mouse. Basically it changes the speed of looking around in the game.

Invert Look

Inverts the up and down looking in the game.

Vibration

If you want your controller to make vibration effect in the game, turn this on

Use Xbox 360 Controller

Turn this option if you want to use your controller. Only Microsoft XBOX360 controller is supported (both wired, and wireless). If you turn this on you can control the whole game (including menus) with the controller.

Customize Keys

You can bind your keys here. If you choose this the game will notify you about losing all the changes you made on this screen.