It was only a few days ago that I was giving the Dead Rising Triple Pack a hard time for its poor efforts at a re-release and I have previously bemoaned the remaster culture we have on the current generation of console. So this review will likely seem (and probably am) like I’m being a bit of a hypocrite. Well I don’t really care, because Bioshock Collection is a great example of what can be done if remasters are handled correctly.
It took a while for me to get round to playing the first two Bioshock games the first time around. In fact I think it wasn’t until Infinite was announced that I sought them out to play. And I’m so glad I did. The first game, set a standard for me in terms of storytelling in a first person shooter. The second wasn’t quite as strong but deserves more credit than it has had. And Bioshock Infinite is one of my all-time favourite stories in a video game. So to see all 3 being released as a package with all DLC, and improved visuals and performance, I couldn’t wait to get back into the universe again.
As these are remasters of games that have been out a while I’m not really going to go into the plot of them all. The likelihood is if reading this you’ll have played some of these before, if not all, and are wondering whether they are worth playing again. If you haven’t played them, then where have you been!? Seriously, have a little look online for a basic premise of the game. But don’t read too much as to spoil the stories. The journey you take, the twists, turns and conclusion are worth experiencing for yourself. Both the first and third game left me with my jaw wide open. Genuinely brilliant.
Anyway onto what you get in this package. Firstly what you don’t get is one place to launch all 3 games. Each game will be installed separately and load from their own icons. It would have been nice to see them all brought together under one roof so to speak, but it isn’t t be. What you do get though is a package with the complete version of all 3 games, which for me is a minimum when it comes to remasters. Along with that there is a very noticeable visual upgrade on 1 and 2, bringing them up to date, while maintaining the same look at feel as before. The start of Bioshock 1 when swimming away from the plane crash demonstrates how much the graphics have improved with the fire brilliantly reflecting off the water in the black of night. Then the introduction to rapture is as captivating as it has ever been, it is still up there with the best intros to a game ever.
It is a shame that Infinite hasn’t received the same treatment. It can be forgiven in a way because the game is not really that old, and it is the PC version that we are getting so it still looks good. But if it looked that little bit better it would be even nicer. I also found that there were some slight frame rate issues with the game. Not enough to spoil it in anyway, but it is noticeable when it happens.
The controls can be a little fiddly for anyone who is used to playing the popular FPS games of today, Infinite defaults to a layout that lends to this, but the first two don’t may require some changing in the menus depending on how it feels to you. This shouldn’t be a major concern though, and will only take a few seconds and you’ll soon be shooting and firing plasmids off like a pro.
If you didn’t enjoy the original release of these games there is absolutely nothing here that will change your mind. There may not even be enough in the package for me to even recommend if to current fans of the game. Unless you missed out on the DLC and wanted to give those a go. What I would say though, is if you have never played these, I implore you to purchase and play through 3 superb examples of what can be achieved in a first person shooter, when story is a primary focus. Pay attention to the details, and enjoy the surprises. Welcome to Bioshock.
