So the official release of Bioshock is just hours away. Are you prepared? I know your type. You are one of those people who just assumes that they are ready for, what many consider to be, the Biggest release for FPS fans this year. Not to worry, I have a rather detailed list of the things you need to do to be ready yourself, just as I am.

So what platform are you playing on? PC or Xbox 360? I would recommend that unless you have a pretty nice computer, you settle for the Xbox 360 version. I personally have an AMD 4200 X2, 2GB of XMS memory, and an 8800GTX. I will be fine, and to take advantage of the extra graphical beauty of the PC version, have purchased that version. Most people don’t have the PC to run this title. As such, stick with what you can play.

Second, have you secured a copy? I recommend you get the special edition if able. This included the 6 inch tall Big Daddy action figure, the ‘Making Of’ DVD, and official OST. If you are unable to secure this, then go ahead and settle for less. You may consider checking out http://www.gamestop.com who will ship this baby overnight for you, although it does not look like they are selling the special edition any longer. So what platform are you playing on?

If you are an Xbox 360 gamer, you basically can stop here. You secured your game. Kudos. Now go pick it up tomorrow and play. For PC players, there are a couple more steps I would like to walk you through prior to feeling good about being able to play this come release. First and foremost, prior to the PC demo’s release today, Nvidia released their new beta drivers specifically addressing the performance of Bioshock. Nab these and install. The version is 163.44 which I downloaded from http://www.gamershell.com/. Make sure to get the correct version of drivers. There are XP and Vista drivers in both the 32 and 64 bit varieties. Next of course, install these drivers.

The final step for PC players would be to ensure that their rig plays the game at an acceptable frame rate. Grab the demo from http://www.gamedaily.com. Don’t even bother with FilePlanet. I spent well over 2 hours waiting in line to download. Game Daily will start your download for free, immediately. I was downloading at about 800KBps, so definately not shabby. Finally install the demo, and ensure everything is working. You’re done. Relax. Go stock up on enough junk food and caffeine to sustain you through the next day of gaming.