There's two things I want to know about that game ...
1) Are the enemy numbers, types and spawning locations along with their "patrol" paths entirely scripted ?
Example: In Half-Life 2, in sections that are irrelevant for story-line and just focused on playing around with the physics or just overall action, you will ALWAYS play against the same number of enemies, at the exact same locations, they will also always use the same weapons against you. There is NO variety, no unpredictability whatsoever. And that's not just the case with H-L 2 but so many others around, if not almost all of them. It's like a book, or a movie. Nothing is different, everything is the same, when you play it for the 2nd, or 3rd time. In other words, there's no point.
2) How long is it ? And is it linear ?
I've heard that Rapture is separated in seven sections and that they load separately. That's cool ... I guess, but are they loading linearly ? Is it like "Level 1", then Level 2, Level 3 and so on, that you're FORCED to take the same route each time, just like Doom back in 1990's, or do we have a MINIMUM amount of freedom of movement within Rapture ?
Example: By "minimum amount of freedom" I could give an example with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s "Zones" (a.k.a levels). There is ten Zones, and when you start, of course, without a problem there, you start at Zone 1 (Cordon). Then, logically (but linearly) you HAVE to go to Garbage (a.k.a Level 2). BUT ... once you're in Garbage you CAN, technically, without any restrictions (although no without risks due to Radiation) go to the Dark Valley (Level 4) OR Agroprom (Level 3). So, it's not entirely, not 100% linear. Ideally you SHOULD go to Agroprom first, but ... well, you get the point ? That's a minimum amount of freedom, even though the Zones in question are quite small and limited by fences not even a meter high that the brutal mutants can't seem to destroy or just jump over, but that's another story.
So, any enlightenment on those two subjects regarding BioShock would be immensely appreciated. So that I know if I'll have to buy an evolution in FPS gaming, or just a linear well-crafted but déjà-vue shooter that's predictable in every sense of the word.