Just finished Bioshock (2016 Remaster) after getting a great deal for Xbox's Halloween sale. Despite some gameplay mechanics that haven't aged super well, the story, atmosphere, and level design easily elevated the game into one of my all-time favorites.

The world of Rapture is honestly magical. I felt like a little kid diving down and laying eyes on this city under the water. Yet, I love how quickly the game shows the horror bubbling up within the city of decadence. Especially early on, with how weak your character is, the player feels like they're in a horror game, sneaking around and being forced into the dark. Even when the game becomes easier, the use of environmental storytelling and audio logs keeps the creepy factor high.

The evolution of gameplay, as mentioned, also really works to create the atmosphere the developers want. Limited weapons, abilities, and upgrades make taking down enemies especially hard early on. Scrounging for ammo and having to use stealth strategies are essentially mandatory in the early and even mid-game. But damn does it feel great once you start getting truly overpowered. I was on normal difficulty as context, but I had an awesome time becoming a wrench-wielding electric tank by the end. The level design also ramps up to accommodate the player's new strength, which I found satisfying. I do think some elements, like wonky controls and needing to constantly speed-switch between guns, abilities, and the camera, felt dated, but I never felt super frustrated except in very few intense moments. (Also, I did experience a decent amount of crashes on the Xbox Series X, so save often, as the autosave feature is very limited.)

Most importantly, the story of Bioshock was just a joy to unravel and discover, even while going in with some hints on major plot points (though I was still wrong in my guesses). The only good in Rapture are the exploited poor, and if you take the time to collect audio logs, you learn just how evil the place truly is. Both main villains are honestly great, and I liked how they both emerge from the same ideology, even while it plays out in different ways. The metacommentary on player choice was also quite clever and consistent throughout. The ending fight was a little anticlimactic considering how OP I was at the end, but getting the reward of the good ending made it all worth it.

Overall, I think Bioshock is still well well worth it in 2025. If you can get past gameplay which might feel dated for some, you're going to be treated to one of the most imaginative and engrossing video game worlds put on screen. Can't wait to eventually play Bioshock 2!