Just last month, 2K Games released the renewed and remastered versions of one of the most creative and mystifying first-person shooter games of the twenty-first century. “Bioshock: The Collection” once again takes the spotlight as one of the greatest video game stories ever told.

The collection is comprised of “Bioshock,” “Bioshock 2” and “Bioshock Infinite,” each of which earned a 84 percent on Metacritic, a website that creates an average ofthe reviews of other top game critics such as IGN, GameSpot and Game Informer.

The first installment to the series, “Bioshock” takes place in the early 1960s in the underwater metropolis of Rapture. Originally created to be a place free from religion and overbearing government, it becomes clear that Rapture’s glory days have faded into a world of horror. 

The citizens of Rapture began to turn on each other as the use of a powerfully addictive drug called ADAM drives users into a murderous frenzy. The player, known as Jack, becomes stranded in Rapture and has to fight his way back to the surface.

In “Bioshock 2,” the player is a man, called Subject Delta, in the same city of Rapture and has been tasked to protect his daughter who has the ability to extract ADAM from those who have consumed the drug. 

The girl is taken from him in order to be used in lab experiments surrounding the use of ADAM. 

The game then flashes forward 10 years to the main character waking up on the ground in the same place his daughter was taken. He sets out in search of not only his daughter, but his memories as well.

Both “Bioshock” and its sequel match the dark history of Rapture with the melodic yet somewhat menacing tones of 1960s jazz. 

Part of what makes the game so thrilling is the meticulous attention to detail, taking environmental storytelling to the next level.

The final installment takes a whole new spin on the series. “Bioshock Infinite” takes place in 1912 just after the Battle of Wounded Knee in the bustling sky-city of Columbia. 

Held in suspension above the clouds with a special technology, Columbia is a city created by the religious prophet, Zachary Comstock.

“Infinite’s” main character, Booker Dewitt, travels to Columbia in search of a woman but slowly begins to realize that his presence is more than coincidence.

Signs around the city warn of a “false prophet” bearing a brand on his right hand, the same brand that’s on the main character’s right hand.

Now with high definition graphics and bonus content, the newly remastered versions now give players a deeper look into the creative process behind the making of the “Bioshock” universes.

Director’s commentaries are now hidden items within the game accompanied with free downloadable content such as new levels and weapons.

Impeccable sound direction fuses with rich environments to build this epic trilogy. The “Bioshock” games were instant classics when they first began in 2007 but have now been exposed to new audiences to create a whole new fanbase.