You explore two ruined, once-beautiful cities, an underwater one and a floating one, shooting enemies while using strange powers that let you set things on fire or control machines with your mind. Both games hide their real ideas in the environment as much as in the story you are told directly, so exploring corners of each level pays off. This collection bundles in all the extra content released for both games originally.
Gameplay video
More BioShock: The Collection gameplay on YouTube →Ready to play BioShock: The Collection?
Grab a physical or digital copy from Amazon — prices and availability update live.
This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Screenshots & review notes
Why it lands
Both Rapture and Columbia remain landmark settings, and having them together confirms just how special this series was before the genre moved on without it.
How it plays
Combat feels clunkier than modern shooters, plasmid powers and gunplay occasionally fighting each other, but the level design and twists still land with real force.
Style and score
Art deco decay and gilded skyline architecture are rendered with real care, and the soundtrack alone justifies revisiting these worlds on the go.
Who it's for
A must for anyone who missed these the first time; returning players may find little new beyond convenience, but that convenience is considerable.
Frames captured from the gameplay video above; notes are our own take on the game.
What it's like to play
All three Bioshock games remastered: the original's descent into Rapture remains one of gaming's great settings, a ruined objectivist utopia dripping with atmosphere. The plasmid-and-gun combat of the first two games still feels distinctive, and the stories, especially the first game's famous twist, hold up. Infinite's floating Columbia and the Elizabeth partnership round out an ambitious trilogy.
The collection includes all single-player DLC, including the excellent Burial at Sea episodes that tie the worlds together. Rapture and Columbia are two of the most memorable places in games. The Switch ports run well considering the scope.
Bioshock 2's inclusion is the weaker middle chapter, though still good, and Infinite's combat is more conventional than its story ambition. Visuals show their era despite remastering. As a trilogy of story-first shooters with real ideas, it is essential playing, and portable Rapture is a treat.