# Bioshock: didn't quite deliver?



## bhamgeezer (Aug 17, 2009)

I just finished playing this game through on the medium setting, I thought it was decent, but really had the potential to be great. The artistic design was mindblowing the art deco style and all the iconic sixties stuff was awesome. Also the darkness of made it really feel evil and the backstory was intriguing. However gameplay though felt unpolished however, for example the vita-chamber thing was stupid, why would you use it over returning to your last save game and keeping all your ammo, hp's and eve? 

The rpg side of the game was a let down too, just endless playing that stupid pipe game (abit of variety would have been nice) buying ammo and occasionally making yourself a different type of bullet. I was kind of annoyed that all the ncps were hostile, I realise its an fps at heart, but just afew safe areas with people who weren't spliced up freaks to interact with would have been a welcome break from the monotony of shooting endless mutants. 

Unless you are low on resources then theirs little motivation to actually go and explore the fantastic level design. The backstory was interesting, but was undersold which was slightly unsatifying, actual main plot seemed to get much worse after killing ryan with the golf club (was this orginally the end of the game but they needed more content? ). Personally I wish rather than a sequel to this game they would do a prequel that was more heavily rpg baised that allowed you to explore rapture before it went to hell and then play through the events that occured seeing it progressive become the rapture you play through in bioshock.


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## Fruitloop (Aug 17, 2009)

I hated it.


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## Crispy (Aug 17, 2009)

Didn't get very far before becoming bored. Fantastic looks and art. Very dull game.


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## revol68 (Aug 17, 2009)

what is wrong with you people, I mean I agree with  alot of the Op's post but youse other two saying it was boring or youse hated it need fucking help.


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## Crispy (Aug 17, 2009)

System Shock 2 was vastly superior


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## FridgeMagnet (Aug 19, 2009)

I mostly agree with the first post, but I still don't feel that it was a waste of time or money. Well, I've never gotten around to playing it much after killing Ryan, to be fair, but if I'd not got Fallout 3 I'm sure I would have.

The point about it being a FPS at heart - well, as a game, it's a bit of a cludge of an RPG and an FPS. As it is, the FPS side was sometimes a bit underwhelming. There are definitely scenes where you think "so what's the point here? I can just die as many times as I like and keep coming back". As well as that, the "RPG" part is very linear, more like a JRPG than anything open-ended; there are only a few real choices that you can make, though given the story itself that's not too surprising.

I'm willing to forgive a lot for the story, art and setting though, and the FPS elements are still lots of fun.


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## FridgeMagnet (Aug 19, 2009)

also I am really good at the pipe game


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## The Groke (Aug 19, 2009)

I am staggered that anyone who revels in the hollow "delights" of the Halo series (Crispy ) could find something as lovingly crafted as Bioshock a bore.


Beautifully realised, it puts you in a unique setting and offers genuine choices and variety in how you approach your foes - unlike most FPS games.

Combine that with great voice acting, brilliant characters and a genuine "twist" that transcends the usual expectations of the medium and...well FFS - what more do you want_ morans_?




Is it perfect? No of course not. As FM alluded to earlier, it loses steam after the "big reveal" and the final third of the game is weaker than the rest, with a laughably under-powered final boss. The much vaunted "moral choices" aspect ended up being pretty weak too, but *shrug* - I still played through twice and loved it both times.


To add - I don't think System Shock 2 is directly comparable TBF. Yes the lineage is there, but they are very different games and intended to be so.


Cripsy - Would you kindly just accept that you are wrong.


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## The Groke (Aug 19, 2009)

Oh _fuck_ - I agree with revol.


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## FridgeMagnet (Aug 19, 2009)

Also on reflection it is packed full of atmospheric, affecting vignettes - the first time you encounter a Big Daddy, the garden level which you think is haunted at first, the artist putting together his tableau... actually this is making me want to play it again now. Even if the plot is linear, _at the very worst_ it's a beautifully-put-together FPS that's perhaps not quite as "game challenging" as it could be.

The central conceit is also one of the best meta-commentaries I've seen recently in any medium.


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## dogmatique (Aug 19, 2009)

I never finished it because IIRC, all the little sisters I'd lovingly saved had to be sacrificed one by one each time I failed to get round the final corridor.  It upset me so I stopped.


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## revol68 (Aug 20, 2009)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Also on reflection it is packed full of atmospheric, affecting vignettes - the first time you encounter a Big Daddy, the garden level which you think is haunted at first, the artist putting together his tableau... actually this is making me want to play it again now. Even if the plot is linear, _at the very worst_ it's a beautifully-put-together FPS that's perhaps not quite as "game challenging" as it could be.
> 
> The central conceit is also one of the best meta-commentaries I've seen recently in any medium.



Yes the fact that its all an attack on Ayn Rand and the nihilistic nature of infinitely transgressive capitalism.

What other game has a mad doctor making women into cubist works of art?

I wish more games had it's level of atmosphere, detail and narrative.


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## treelover (Aug 21, 2009)

thanks for the 'reveal' spoiler, eg, killing Ryan


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## Kid_Eternity (Aug 21, 2009)

Crispy said:


> Fantastic looks and art. Very dull game.



I only played the demo but that's the impression I got off it too...


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## oicur0t (Aug 22, 2009)

I gave up half way through. Just got a bit bored.


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## skunkboy69 (Aug 22, 2009)

Looked great.Sounded good.Great atmosphere.Sadly the game was the worst I've ever played on a PC.Really really the worst.


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## revol68 (Aug 22, 2009)

skunkboy69 said:


> Looked great.Sounded good.Great atmosphere.Sadly the game was the worst I've ever played on a PC.Really really the worst.



oh please stop talking shit.


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## Dandred (Aug 22, 2009)

revol68 said:


> oh please stop talking shit.



I have to agree


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## Gromit (Aug 22, 2009)

I liked the game. So there 

I finished it rather quickly though and there was no reason to play it again afterwards (unless you want to do it once saving and once killing all the sisters), no multiplayer or anything like that so my main criticism is the fact you pay all that money but it has few hours of play.


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## The Groke (Aug 22, 2009)

skunkboy69 said:


> Looked great.Sounded good.Great atmosphere.Sadly the game was the worst I've ever played on a PC.Really really the worst.




Is Bioshock the _only_ PC game you have ever played?

That is about the only way any sane person could even begin to accept that comment as valid.

If you didn't like it, then fine - but the _worst_ PC game you have played?


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## Vintage Paw (Aug 28, 2009)

I didn't get very far with it. Not so great at fps, plus I can't handle being on edge constantly. That said, I've heard so many great things about it and it is visually wonderful. I hope to return to it eventually.


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## skunkboy69 (Aug 28, 2009)

The Groke said:


> Is Bioshock the _only_ PC game you have ever played?
> 
> That is about the only way any sane person could even begin to accept that comment as valid.
> 
> If you didn't like it, then fine - but the _worst_ PC game you have played?


 
No it's not.I'm a huge shoot em up fan.COD,Counterstrike and all those kind of games.I hated the control system and found it repetitive.I was happy I never paid for it.I didn't finish the game (got about half way) and gave it back.I found it dire and honestly think it IS the worst paid for game I've ever played on PC.


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## rikwakefield (Sep 3, 2009)

The first half of the game is one of the best ever.


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## futha (Sep 7, 2009)

Great game, looking forward to the new one!


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## Boycey (Sep 7, 2009)

the groke is a bioshock fanboy  *points and laughs*

it had some nice elements, zapping a room full of splicers in water with an electric blast was fucking awesome, there were just too many aspects of the game that irked me:

-arbitrarily increasing the enemy's health is bang out of order and lacks imagination.

-once you figure out a certain combination of plasmid things you become practically invulnerable, poor design right there.

-the last boss is a joke.

-as mentioned the respawning aspect is SHITE and strips the challenge from the game, anyone can complete it with enough bloodyminded button mashing and the telekinesis ability.

-it's not as good as halo:combat evolved let alone it's successors.

it is a good game but it could just be so much better.


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## Gromit (Sep 7, 2009)

Boycey said:


> -as mentioned the respawning aspect is SHITE and strips the challenge from the game, anyone can complete it with enough bloodyminded button mashing and the telekinesis ability.


 
Pretty much standard feature of most of these kind of games. I'm playing Dead Space at the moments and it has save points. The difference with Bioshock is that they've tried to Role Play the save points with a bit of plot relevant pseusdo science.


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## Boycey (Sep 7, 2009)

i've not played deadspace- when you respawn do the enemies still carry the damage you dealt before they offed you?


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## GarfieldLeChat (Sep 7, 2009)

Bioshock 2 is out soon and you'll be a Big Sister or a Big daddy....


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## treelover (Sep 7, 2009)

I have just bought Deadspace on PC, very disappointed:, very poor controls, naff over the shoulder view, blocky graphics at times, monsters not detailed enough, stinks of consolitis...


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## Gromit (Sep 7, 2009)

Boycey said:


> i've not played deadspace- when you respawn do the enemies still carry the damage you dealt before they offed you?


 
Well no its a complete reset to how it was when you saved so I see your point.


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## Me76 (Sep 7, 2009)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> Bioshock 2 is out soon and you'll be a Big Sister or a Big daddy....



Not so soon.  I have it pre-order with Amazon and it was originally Nov but has been put back to March


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## GarfieldLeChat (Sep 7, 2009)

Me76 said:


> Not so soon.  I have it pre-order with Amazon and it was originally Nov but has been put back to March



farking xbox delays  

steps away from format console wars flamefest


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## The Groke (Sep 7, 2009)

Me76 said:


> Not so soon.  I have it pre-order with Amazon and it was originally Nov but has been put back to March




TBF Amazon release dates for games are often wildly speculative at best.

 I am pretty sure that neither the publisher nor the developers have previously offered a release date.


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## FridgeMagnet (Sep 7, 2009)

I'll agree on a lot of the game elements, as I've said, but tbh they don't cripple it as an experience, and if you look at it just as a FPS with cutscenes, really I have to say that's sort of missing the point.


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## revol68 (Sep 8, 2009)

treelover said:


> I have just bought Deadspace on PC, very disappointed:, very poor controls, naff over the shoulder view, blocky graphics at times, monsters not detailed enough, stinks of consolitis...



Use anxbox360 controller you noob, or failing that turn of the V synch it fucks up the mouse aiming and makes it laggy.

Blocky graphics my arse, you must have the settings set to shit or something, also the over the shoulder view is good, it gives it the survival horror feel as you can't see everything at once.


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## Boycey (Sep 9, 2009)

what about the way when you go to 'hack' something every baddie pauses till you're finished?


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## Awesome Wells (Sep 9, 2009)

Dead Space is more repetitive than Bioshock ever was. Fighting the SAME monster every time in the SAME circumstance got a bit tiresome. Bioshock is much better, so would you kindly play it?


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## Chester Copperpot (Sep 9, 2009)

Vey enjoyable game but got bored of fighting the big daddies. It just seemed a bit pointless as you could keep chipping away at them slowly each time you respawn.


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## Gromit (Sep 9, 2009)

You just needed the right tactics for Big Daddies. I never died fighting them.

Lay mines or trip wires or whatever they were.
Shoot Daddy for attention, run away and repeat.


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## Boycey (Sep 9, 2009)

Gromit said:


> You just needed the right tactics for Big Daddies. *I never died fighting them.
> *
> Lay mines or trip wires or whatever they were.
> Shoot Daddy for attention, run away and repeat.



i'm guessing you're somewhat liberal with the truth 

the big daddies were pretty tough but far from invincible. they became pretty pathetic with wrench jockey 2/3 + the plasmid that replenishes health in when you make hits with it.


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## bhamgeezer (Sep 9, 2009)

Gromit said:


> You just needed the right tactics for Big Daddies. I never died fighting them.
> 
> Lay mines or trip wires or whatever they were.
> Shoot Daddy for attention, run away and repeat.



I never technically died the whole game due to creative use of the load last save function  stupidly the first big baddies you meet I found hardest as I had not yet discovered all the OP abilites and weapons yet.


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## fen_boy (Sep 9, 2009)

Boycey said:


> i'm guessing you're somewhat liberal with the truth
> 
> the big daddies were pretty tough but far from invincible. they became pretty pathetic with wrench jockey 2/3 + the plasmid that replenishes health in when you make hits with it.



Yeah, in the end I could just steam around with the wrench and kill everything pretty easily.


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