This game is an interesting case. I enjoyed the first Bioshock greatly and was less than happy with Bioshock 2. Going into this game, I knew what I was getting but I didn't realize just how in depth they thought about the history and setting. They took the time to look back at the time the game is set in and draw upon that. Despite not being able to go back in time, they captured it and made the world feel alive.
Every area in this game feels alive and vibrant. No matter what you are doing, there is something there that makes the town feel lived in. Sure sometimes the combat gets in the way and there is often so much going on you miss some of the interesting pieces of the city. This just leads to having great replay value. Every time you play it, you will see something new or notice something you have never noticed before.
The combat in this game is as fluid and there are multiple approaches to each confrontation. You can try to be stealthy, you can try to just blast your way through. You can usually be succesful. Some of the vigors that you get are useful in certain situations and will definitely fit different play styles. You are never pidgeon-holed into a certain way to complete something. This is good for me cause well, I am terrible at stealth.
The story is great and definitely fits the whole universe. I only wish I could have spent more time in this world. The game is rather short and at times feels rushed. The last section of the game is decent and definitely better than Bioshock 2, it just doesn't hit the major climax like Bioshock does. Even the twist wasn't that great. The game does get very heavy in the end and definitely leaves the player thinking what happened. A great game and definitely worth playing. I wasn't originally going to buy the game but couldn't resist. I am glad I didn't it.
