Despite owning all 3 Bioshock games for the PS3 I simply couldn’t resist getting the PS4 remasters. I will admit that I watched the comparison videos and didn’t spot a great deal of difference but what the heck, it is Bioshock. I will admit that there are cheaper methods of getting my hands on the DLC that I’ve not played but what the heck, it is Bioshock.

The Bioshock games were fine looking games when they were released and they still look good in their original format today so if you are like me, then you might not really notice much difference in the move to 1080p. Perhaps if you played old and new side by side it would be more noticeable but an extra shine on top doesn’t change the gameplay. There are times when I notice things like shadows more than I remember and I suspect they might have improved. The changes in any of the remasters I have played tend to be subtle and I don’t think the Bioshock Collection is any different in that regard.

The Bioshock series has been kicking around for a good few years now and is available on Microsoft, Sony and PC platforms so I’m not going to bother covering the story, I’ll just presume those that are interested in the collection and those that have played the game before.

Bioshock
Bioshock always conjures up a memory of my stupidity. The move from the intro sequence into the game was seamless and it caught me out. There I was in the sea with the flames of the burning plane wreckage all around and we had a stand-off – the game was waiting for me to start and I thought I was waiting for the intro sequence to end.

Rapture is one of my all-time favourite video game locations and the appeal has not diminished with familiarity. I played through Bioshock earlier in the year but arriving back again on the PS4 still raised that ‘it is good to be home’ feeling. The setting and general atmosphere have not been bettered in my humble opinion.

First released in 2007, this game is in danger of having aged more than the others but in my completely biased view, it hasn’t aged at all. I feel it still plays as good today as it ever did which does of course mean, if you didn’t like Bioshcok to begin with then the Collection won’t change your mind.

Bioshock is the only game out of the 3 that comes with any additional content that hasn’t been released before. This is in the form of a director’s commentary but unlike with DVD and blu-ray film releases, you’ll have to find these. A bit like the audio logs, you will have to search each and every corner of Rapture in order to find them all. I admit I won’t actually watch them but it is nice to have something new to search for. The downside is that it seems a shame that the other 2 games don’t have any additional content.

I have been surprised by the fact that Rapture is still creepy. I’ve been through Bioshock 4 times prior to this visit but it still leaves me on edge. The Big Daddy is one of my favourite boss type characters. I know I can beat him but I know he can just as easily beat me and regardless of my experience, the end result could go either way; I still take a deep breath of trepidation before starting the battle.

The other aspect which has surprised me is the challenge. I’ve never found Bioshock an easy game but I’ve never considered dropping the difficulty before. Either the remaster is tougher or I’m just losing my touch. There were several times when I repeatedly died and I was often running very low on health packs due to over use.

In terms of a port I felt I noticed a couple of blips that weren’t there before. There were 2 occasions where a Big Daddy seemed to get caught in the scenery and was walking on the spot. This did work to my benefit of course, especially the 2nd time where I could just take a seat and let the splicers deal with him. The other blip was using my inferno plasmid. The fire still burned in the shape of a splicer long after the person had dropped. Not game breaking by any means, just a little disappointing to see.

Bioshock 2
The sequel to Bioshock sees a return to Rapture but lets us experience a different side to the undersea city. They could certainly make a long running soap opera out of the stories of Rapture. If Bioshock left you feeling like Rapture was an asylum under the sea then Bioshock 2 just confirms it.

This is often regarded as an under-rated sequel and I’d completely go along with that. What has taken me completely by surprise is that after playing both games in a row, I’m tempted to edge this above the original.

It is the same old Rapture but the new locations are more varied and interesting, perhaps it was just simply more detail, I don’t know. The switch to controlling a Big Daddy and looking after the little sisters is still a nice twist which helps keep things fresh, particularly if you’ve just moved from one game to the other.

There are other touches I prefer such as the hacking mini-game. I like the puzzle version in Bioshock but it does become a little tedious by the end. In Bioshock 2, the timing game is over quicker so doesn’t suffer the same fate. I did feel there seemed to be much more audio logs and starting to border on too much but a quick check of the internet suggests I simply didn’t find as many in Bioshock.

The 2nd one perhaps loses a little atmosphere and isn’t quite so creepy so perhaps that brings it back to level pegging with the original.

There are no extras in this game but the story expansion is included. I thought I had played this before but if I have then I certainly seem to have wiped it all from my memory. It is a substantial piece and rather challenging too.

I didn’t come across any blips in this port but it did crash on my and I lost a decent bit of progress. The message about saving was received loud and clear.

Bioshock Infinite
For the 3rd installment we emerge from the sea and head into the clouds. Out of the 3 games, Infinite is the only one I have not replayed since release so my memories of this one are much more hazy.

I still prefer Rapture as a setting but stepping out into Columbia for the first time gave me that wow moment all over again. It is more bright and colourful than Rapture and this does help it become more of a visual delight. I certainly walked round gawping at everything like a first time visitor. It does at least fool you from the start into thinking it is a happy place, Rapture doesn’t bother with the illusion.

The original developers took a break from Bioshock 2 but they return for this one. The theme and atmosphere is very different this time round with religion and racism being prevalent.

It is still very much Bioshock underneath a different coating and whilst they have tried to keep things a little different it is probably marginally the lesser of the 3 games for me. I love the Columbia look but I do miss Rapture and its atmosphere. Burial at Sea will remedy that from what I read though.

There seems to be more enemies when compared to the first in particular. Throwing more enemies into the mix doesn’t always make for a better game and back tracking through an area to find it repopulated with enemies isn’t something I’m a fan of. This only becomes more obvious with more enemies.

Saying that, this is the game that I’ve been most looking forward to replaying due to the story expansions. That pleasure isn’t too far away now.

Happy to report that my time in Columbia seems to have been bug free so far.

Summary
Quite simply, just as good as they have always been. Visual improvements are hard to spot but it all comes in one handy pack now. Which consists of 2 discs so it could actually be handier. Ok, the pack has a nice cover. Of course, if you go digital that is irrelevant.