The player hears about Rapture's golden era-and the events that led to its demise-through a series of audio logs that serve as diary entries for the past inhabitants of the city. The player does not directly see any of the coup of Rapture in BioShock, instead arriving sometime afterward in the year 1960, discovering a desolate city filled with insane, drug-addled citizens. BioShock is also well known for not taking player control away during scripted events (with one notable exception), allowing the player to experience literally everything through the eyes of the protagonist.
At times, ghosts will also appear, showing very brief fragments of their past actions. BioShock uses audio diaries narrated by different characters through the rise and fall of the city of Rapture. At the time of its release, BioShock was lauded by critics for its peerless storytelling and fascinating story. BioShock is inspired by themes in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged.
