BioShock is a retrofuturistic video game series published by 2K Games and developed by several studios, including Irrational Games and 2K Marin. The BioShock games combine first-person shooter and role-playing elements, giving the player freedom for how to approach combat and other situations, and are considered part of the immersive sim genre. Additionally, the series is notable for exploring philosophical and moral concepts with a strong in-game narrative influenced by concepts such as objectivism, total utilitarianism, and American exceptionalism.
The series consists of three main games. BioShock and BioShock 2 were released in 2007 and 2010, respectively, and take place in 1960 and 1968 in the fictional underwater city of Rapture. BioShock Infinite, released in 2013, is thematically and narratively tied to the first games, but takes place in 1912 aboard the floating city of Columbia. Combined, the three games have sold more than 34 million copies as of December 2019,[2] making the series one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.3 A motion picture based on the first game had been planned but was ultimately cancelled