BioShock is a first-person shooter video game, developed by 2K Boston/2K Australia — previously known as Irrational Games — designed by Ken Levine. It was released for the Windows operating system and Xbox 360 video game console on August 21, 2007, in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. A PlayStation 3 version of the game, which was developed by 2K Marin, was released internationally on October 17, 2008 and in North America on October 21, 2008 with some additional features. A version of the game for mobile platforms is currently being developed by IG Fun. A sequel, BioShock 2, will be released in 2009.

Set in an alternate history 1960, the game places the player in the role of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. The game incorporates elements found in role-playing and survival horror games, and is described by the developers and Levine as a "spiritual successor" to their previous titles in the System Shock series.

The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ranks as the twenty-second highest rated video game on Game Rankings based on reviews from critics. It was particularly well-reviewed in the mainstream press where its "morality-based" storyline, immersive environment and Ayn Rand/George Orwell-inspired dystopic back-story were all singled out for praise.

Gameplay

left|thumb|The hacking-minigame in BioShock, which requires the player to construct a complete pipe system between two points while avoiding obstacles. BioShock is a first-person shooter with role-playing game customization and stealth elements, and is similar to System Shock 2. The player takes the role of Jack who aims to fight his way through Rapture, using weapons and plasmids, in order to complete objectives. At times, the player may opt to use stealth tactics to avoid detection by security cameras and automated turrets. While exploring Rapture, the player will collect money, which can be used at various vending machines to gain ammunition, health, and additional equipment, or can be used to improve their existing weapons. The player will also come across spare parts that can be used at "U-Invent" machines to create new weapons or usable items. Cameras, turrets, and vending machines can all be hacked to the player's advantage, such as turning on enemy foes or purchasing items at a discount. Hacking requires the player to complete a mini-game similar to Pipe Dream in a limited amount of time to be successful. The player is given a "research camera" early in the game, allowing them to take photographs of enemies to help analyze them, with better quality photographs providing more beneficial analysis. After performing enough analysis of an enemy, the player is granted increased damage, plasmids, and other bonuses when facing that type of enemy in future battles. Glass-walled "Vita-Chambers" can also be found throughout the game, which the player does not use directly. Instead, should Jack die, his body is reconstituted at the nearest one, retaining all of his possessions, but only a portion of his full health. In a patch for the game, the player has the option to disable the use of these Vita-Chambers, such that if Jack dies, the player will need to restart from a saved game.