Bioshock (XBox 360)

Following on from the post about movie tie-ins, I thought it might be a good idea to play and write about a game that is having a movie made based on it. And seeing as I've had Bioshock sitting there since my birthday in 2007 without having touched it (yeah, ridiculous, I know), I thought now would be the perfect time to start it.

Did I say perfect time? Sitting here in the dark, late at night? I'm really creeped out now, and I haven't even been playing it for that long. It's the atmosphere, see? I can't think of the last game I played that sets the scene as well as this... I probably haven't played one. Right from the legendary opening plane crash, you're drawn in very deeply indeed.

I'm glad I waited until I had a HD telly before I started playing this... it's truly stunning, and I don't think it would have had quite the same impact on my old box. I'm sure it looks stunning on anything, but HD really brings it home. But it's not just about looks... the voice acting is fantastic too, and that helps to no end with the atmosphere.

It's funny how some games can ooze atmosphere while others, although they might have amazing-looking graphics, can feel quite bland. But Bioshock is set in a world that's so vivid, you can't help but be thoroughly involved. The way it plays with shadows and creepy voices just sets you up for shocks, which it then delivers. And the characters are really well-defined, too.

Aside from this, the game has a really well thought-out "extra weapons" system, with which you can get creative and come up with the combinations that work best for you. I'm not yet far enough into the game to have been able to experiment much, but I can see the potential at this point in time.

I really don't know why I've left Bioshock on the shelf for this long. The reviews have been universally glowing, and the word-of-mouth from friends equally so. Even though I'm not far into the game yet, I can see that it's stunning in every way, and even though it's got me a little bit jumpy, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the story turns out. I can't help but wonder if this will finally be the game that sees the movie do it justice.