BioShock remastered editions on PC sound worse off than the originals (update)

BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite have been remastered, with all three making their first current-gen console appearances earlier this week. The re-releases for BioShock and BioShock 2 came to Windows PC yesterday, and Steam reviewers have already warned others to heed caution before returning to the Rapture.

Several issues plague the remastered editions, according to user comments. Some of these are carried over from the original PC releases, like mouse acceleration and sensitivity problems, and others have to do with texturing options or lack thereof.

"The game looks like [BioShock] in pretty much most regards, only a better lighting and a VERY slightly sharper texture pack was implemented," begins one negative review of BioShock Remastered by user Hotshot. "The game looks good with 1080p, when it wants to run well, it does so brilliantly. Problem is ... it has stutters, [and] apparently people have crashes (I only played 30 mins but those were fine) as well."

Other problems include random difficulty resets. One person complained that the game won’t launch and that the intros cannot be skipped. Although most praise the new textures, there’s little else that the top reviewers and forum users have found to be worth the purchase. We've reached out to 2K about the complaints and will update when we hear back.

A Reddit user shared a method that should correct mouse issues, which involves messing around with the program files in an editor. There are also ways to change the video settings as well — just not within the game itself.

In a recent interview with gaming site Glixel, original creator Ken Levine said he wasn't involved with 2K and developer Blind Squrrel's ports of the BioShock trilogy.

For many on PC, the remastered version of BioShock and BioShock 2 are available at no cost. Owners of the original PC releases received the remasters for free on launch day. Even as a giveaway, though, an increasing majority of players aren’t happy with how the classic games have been redone.

"This is a crap taken directly in the franchise's face," wrote Hotshot. "A lack of care to detail and optimization that will make us fans of this masterful franchise question everything 2K had in their mind until this release."

We’ve tried out the remastered BioShock: The Collection on console and enjoyed it, for what it’s worth. Read our hands-on impressions before making your own choice.

Update: 2K has heard players' complaints and is looking to address them in an update, according to a post on Steam.

"Since the launch of BioShock and BioShock 2 Remastered, some players have been reporting stability issues, while others have asked for additional feature support," wrote a rep for the publisher. "We hear you and we're happy to report we're addressing this feedback soon."

A patch is in the works that will address the various mouse issues and game crashes, and 2K hopes to introduces 21:9 support, a field of view slider and more speaker options. The update is undated.