Bioshock
Bioshock might not have won our GOTY 2007, but it still holds a special place in our hearts. From the spooky atmosphere to the downright perfect gameplay approach, this 2007 gem will be remembered for eternity. And as we all know it, it looks great. The Unreal 3.0 engine with some modifications depicts an underwater world that is both easy on the eyes and surprisingly forgiving when it comes to hardware.
Bioshock was one of the first DX10 titles out and going by the performance drops experienced when switching from DX9 people were quick to dismiss the extra eye candy. Now, with cards like the HD3850 even the lower framerate under DX10 is acceptable. Don’t worry, we haven’t gone mad. We obviously recognize the merits of playing a game at 53fps over playing it at 36, but when you consider the high resolution, smoothed out particle edges and detailed shadows the difference suddenly doesn’t seem that big anymore. And even though Bioshock is a shooter first, RPG later, the 30+ framerate is more than enough to play the game the way it was meant to be played.
A careful eye might spot the very low 17 figure under DX10. Before you start freaking out let us reassure you that the dips under 25fps were rare and far apart. They mostly occurred when there were several enemies on screen with simultaneous particle effects around the screen. At worst these drops in framerate lasted a second or two, but they were noticeable enough that they might bother those who expect a totally smooth experience.
