Bioshock

BioShock is a first-person shooter video game released in 2007, developed by 2K Boston (later Irrational Games) and published by 2K Games. Set in the underwater city of Rapture, it combines an art deco aesthetic with a dystopian narrative about a utopia built to escape surface-world constraints.

Gameplay blends combat with role-playing elements. Players use traditional firearms alongside plasmids—genetic powers that grant abilities such as telekinesis and Pyrokinesis—and gene tonics that enhance attributes. The game emphasizes environmental storytelling, hacking, gathering resources, and choices that affect allies and endings.

Plot and setting: After a plane crash, a silent protagonist arrives in Rapture, a city submerged beneath the sea. Its inhabitants have been transformed by genetic manipulation; Big Daddies guard Little Sisters who collect ADAM from corpses. The player uncovers the manipulative role of Atlas, a.k.a. Frank Fontaine, and a pivotal twist about control through the phrase “Would you kindly.”

Impact and successors: BioShock received widespread critical acclaim for atmosphere, design, and narrative, earning numerous awards. It spawned sequels BioShock 2 (2010) and BioShock Infinite (2013), expanding the universe with new settings and themes while preserving the series’ emphasis on choice and moral consequence.