BioShock Remastered

About BioShock Remastered

BioShock Remastered is a first-person shooter with RPG elements set in the submerged dystopia of Rapture. Developed by 2K Australia and released in 2016, it revisits the 2007 original with sharper visuals, 4K support, and added achievements. The story follows Jack, a plane crash survivor who navigates Rapture’s crumbling utopia while uncovering its dark history. The remaster retains the original’s fixed crosshair combat, environmental storytelling, and moral choices, but adds modern quality-of-life upgrades. It’s a single-player experience focused on survival, hacking, and using plasmids, biological powers, to fight against a cultish regime. Available on PS4, PC, Xbox, Switch, and Mac, it’s a streamlined way to experience the series’ iconic debut.

Gameplay

Combat in BioShock Remastered centers on slow, deliberate aiming with a fixed crosshair. You’ll switch between guns and plasmids like electric shock or fire-based attacks to dispatch enemies. Hacking security systems and terminals is key to unlocking areas and crafting upgrades. Missions often involve stealth or brute force, with story cutscenes driving progression. Sessions typically last 10, 15 hours, with optional collectibles and challenge rooms extending playtime. The world feels claustrophobic and atmospheric, with crumbling architecture and eerie audio logs. Controls are responsive but dated by modern standards, and the lack of quick travel can make backtracking tedious. The game’s moral dilemma system, where you’re forced to choose between two tragic outcomes, adds narrative weight to combat decisions.

What Players Think

BioShock Remastered holds an 82.6 IGDB score from 241 ratings, with 78% of players completing it. Average playtime is 14.8 hours, though 100% completionists spend 25+ hours. Community moods lean nostalgic (32%) and challenged (28%), with 19% calling it “dated but solid.” Critics praise the remaster’s visuals but note it lacks new mechanics. The 107 achievements include 14 platinum trophies, with 12.3% of players hitting 100% completion. Reviews on PlayPile highlight “atmospheric tension” and “a story that lingers,” while some lament repetitive late-game combat. Despite being a decade old, 62% of players rate it as “still worth playing,” with 41% comparing it favorably to newer entries in the genre.

PlayPile's Take

BioShock Remastered is a must-play for fans of atmospheric shooters and moral storytelling. At its current price, it offers excellent value for its polished core loop and iconic narrative. While the combat feels less dynamic by 2024 standards, the world-building and audio design remain top-tier. Achievements add meaningful replayability, especially for completionists. Not without flaws, slow pacing and outdated mechanics, it’s a time capsule of 2007 design that still resonates. Skip it if you prefer fast-paced action, but embrace it for its bold themes and lasting influence.

Storyline

In the year 1960, a plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a man named Jack as the only survivor. He has the apparent luck of resurfacing in front of what looks like a door to an underwater complex. Without hesitating, Jack enters the door and is greeted by slogans that praise the city of Rapture, a paradise of free will built in the 1940s by a business magnate named Andrew Ryan. However, even before he assimilates all this new information, the descent to this supposed paradise ends and he can only see ruins and chaos. Learning about the destiny of Rapture will be now Jack's main motivation while he tries to survive the horrors that free can create.