The “BioShock” series is among the high points of the first-person shooter genre, and now all three games are available in one package with upgraded visuals in “BioShock: The Collection.”
For anyone who has yet to venture to the decaying underwater city of Rapture in the first two “BioShock” games or the xenophobic floating city of Columbia in “BioShock Infinite,” the greatness of the series lies in its immersive storytelling experience and array of superpowers. Don’t expect a finely-tuned shooter on the “Call of Duty” or “Battlefield” level. However, these games are worth experiencing at least once, so would you kindly play them?
But for those who’ve been through the series before, “The Collection” adds little more than a fresh coat of paint in the form of upgraded 1080p visuals over the initial, last-gen releases. Nine-year-old “BioShock” benefits the most, given its age and the general advances in tech over the years.
That’s about all that’s new, save for some hidden collectibles that unlock a set of retrospective videos with the minds behind the franchise. Also of note, the multiplayer mode from “BioShock 2” has been left out. It won’t be missed.
Most of these types of last-gen collections don’t go to the trouble of fixing minor annoyances from the originals, such as the inability to track which collectibles were found in “Infinite.” It’s a shame, but it’s not outside the norm.
Available now
“BioShock: The Collection,” published by 2K Games and developed by Blind Squirrel Games, is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC, $59.99 3 stars
