BioShock, the genetically-enhanced shooter from 2K Games, is now available. The game is activated and ready to play for those who pre-purchased and pre-loaded the game.

BioShock is one of the most critically-acclaimed games in years, with a 97% average Metacritic rating. Players enter the game as a castaway in Rapture, an underwater utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified "splicers" and deadly security systems, players have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same and no two gamers will play BioShock the same way.

Play the demo to sample the engrossing gameplay and narrative set in a vividly illustrated Art Deco underwater world.

BioShock will be available via Steam and at retail in Europe on August 24.