BioShock has been severely hyped over the time since it's been released. It got excellent previews, and then equally astonishing reviews. Some reviews said it was one of the top games of all time, some cited the moment of meeting Andrew Ryan to be one of the most pivotal moments in gaming history. Most titles don't gain this kind of prestige until long after they've established themselves; BioShock hit the shelves and hit it hard.

So does BioShock live up to the rave reviews it's garnered nonstop since release? Perhaps this should be addressed bit by bit.

Graphics. Excellent graphics, BioShock creates a timeless look and atmosphere to it. Personally, I'm a sucker for steampunk, and this title doesn't disappoint. It has very sylized environments, it all takes you back to the 1950's, and keeps elements of future tech. It's the damn definition of steampunk in its environmental feel, and it pulls it off beautifully. The graphics themselves are great as well, with very well done water and plasmid effects throughout. Fire looks great, Big Daddies make you want to cry when they don't stop pummeling you into a wall, and everything looks like it was made for another time, which is exactly as it should be.

Sound. Sound is well done in BioShock as well. The sound of the guns, alarms, various sound effects from robots and Big Daddies, the dripping of water and the sound of crackling lightning. Sound was central to this game, as it may not be to all games. BioShock decided to put some actual effort into their sound, and it shows.

Controls. I'm rarely one to complain about controls, so this category isn't that high of a priority to me. Controls only come into play when they're shitty (a la Too Human) or extremely weird (driving in Bad Company).

Story. The story was perhaps the most hyped element of BioShock. It still is the most hyped element. I'll admit that the story of BioShock is above average. It makes you play the story, not play the controls.
Example: There is indeed a story to Halo, and it's very deep and spans more than just the three games, there's lots of stuff going on. They don't force you to play the plot however. Just run and gun and you'll make it through fine.
BioShock really forces you into the story, what is known as immersion. That being said, they get kudos for simply conjoining their story and gameplay, but not necessarily for the story itself. While many reviewers called meeting Andrew Ryan to be one of the most pivotal moments in gaming history, I didn't really find it so immersive. Why is it such a highly regarded event? Is it the revelation that Ryan imparts to you? If this is the case, it's not such a huge revelation. When meeting this ideologically titanic man you're already expecting something to happen. You can't just meet him and....talk and have tea? No, something while happen, so it's not so shocking.
But the shock itself isn't even so shocking. The fact that you're a tool is supposed to be a shock? That in a world of genetic engineering left and right, you're heavily modified? I expected this game to be more ideological and was sort of brought down on this point, after meeting Andrew Ryan the game loses much of its momentum of intellect and becomes the ordinary FPS.
For the record, I saved all the girls.

Fun. Yea, the game was reasonably fun. Kind of grinding at times, though the creation throughout the game was very inspiring. The game allows you to combine certain elements to make new items, weapons, or ammo. It also allows you to choose which powers you will implement, allowing you to switch them out at times to maximize your efficiency. You can also upgrade your favorite weapons, though I was always a sucker for a pistol as I am in most FPS games.

Replay. It isn't high. After beating it once, I don't see a reason to play it again. The game actually disappointed me to a degree; it didn't live up to the reviews. Whether that's my fault for reading them and expecting them to magically come true or the reviewer's fault for earning $1,000 for every point they give the game on a 10-point scale. I really won't play this game again, but it was definitely above average for what it is.