BioShock: The Collection recently released for Nintendo Switch, and I’m here to tell you that if you own a Switch, you should be playing it. The collection packs in three phenomenal games for the price of one. Sure, it’s more than you’d expect to pay for a remaster, particularly on the Switch, but it really is worth it, even if you’ve played the games before.
Incredible Stories
Each of the three BioShock games tells a story that constantly twists and turns, to the point that you don’t know where you are with it at times. However, they always end with a fantastic crescendo that leaves you reeling. I’ve never recovered from the endings of all three games, and still think about them as some of the best in my gaming history. Anyone who hasn’t experienced the story of the BioShock series needs to rectify that immediately, and this collection is the perfect way to do that.
Unique Gameplay
The BioShock games are well-known for blending science fiction with dystopian fantasy, and I’d honestly say that each one has a world that hasn’t been matched yet. Some games have returned to the bottom of the ocean, but they’ve never captured the awe and wonder of the first two BioShock games, and no other game has managed to beat the fantastic city of Columbia in BioShock Infinite. In each game you’ll be shooting your way through swathes of enemies, using both weapons and Plasmids/Vigors. The mutation-inducing tonics of the BioShock series are what it’s most famous for, because they give you a plethora of options for every combat situation. With every game I’ve played since, more often that not I’ve found myself questioning why the combat isn’t as open as it is in the BioShock games.
Endless Replayability
Each BioShock game can be played through in a crazy number of different ways. You can go all out with Plasmids/Vigors, or avoid using them entirely. Sneak around and avoid combat as much as possible, or go in all guns blazing, and there are various different nuances within each of these. On top of each base game there is DLC though, which adds even more to do. There are challenges to complete, which are fun for a while, but it’s the story add-ons that really bring the collection to life.
BioShock 2 Minerva’s Den, and BioShock Infinite’s Burial at Sea episodes are the highlight of the collection in my opinion. They always played like a love letter to the games they’re a part of, but in the remastered versions they feel more like the passion projects that the developers built after the main game. Getting into these after the core stories is a joy today, as much as it was when they first launched. Don’t do yourself a disservice, play this collection on Switch of you get the chance, you won’t regret it.
