I almost went back on my word and didn't do Bioshock this week and went with Castle Crashers (which is consuming most of my game time this week), but something within me (or maybe Kent) just told me to do Bioshock and get it done with. That last sentence makes it sound like going over Bioshock is a bad thing but I can assure you, it's not. Bioshock was one of the first games I played when I bought my 360 last year, and still holds up as one of my favorite first-person shooters.
Like all other FPS games, you walk around a set environment and blow the crap out of whatever comes racing towards you. So, what makes Bioshock any different? For starters, the atmosphere is perfect. The game sets you in a city under the sea named Rapture, that was built by an entrepreneur named Andrew Ryan, who wanted a place where the government wouldn't interfere with art or science or money. However, now that the people of Rapture have had the ability to alter their genes to become more "perfect," things have begun to turn a bit sour. The creepiness of the game sets in as soon as you enter Rapture and the entire game just doesn't let go of your nerves. Since the game is set in the 1960, the entire soundtrack is music from the 50's, but music doesn't just play from your tv's speakers, instead you only really hear it when you walk past jukeboxes or speakers in the city. When you mix the happy, sweet music with the incredibly disturbing atmosphere, it really makes for a cool experience.
As you progress through the game, you have the opportunity to alter your own genes to become more powerful and use abilities like shooting lightning or fire from your fingers. However, in order to gain these powers, you have to either harvest or rescue Little Sisters. The Little Sisters are creatures that have been changed by ADAM (the gene-altering element) and are each protected by a Big Daddy. Big Daddies are my favorite part of the game, they are basically huge, lumbering creatures with a drill for an arm and they won't attack you until you start to mess with them. The problem is that there is no other way to harvest ADAM outside of killing the Big Daddy to get to the Little Sister he is protecting. After you kill the BD, you get the option of rescuing the LS (for less ADAM) or harvesting her to make yourself more powerful. It's a small choice, but your decision is what picks the ending of the game.
The story twists and turns as you wander your way through Rapture until you have your confrontation with Andrew Ryan, which still stands as one of the biggest story twists in a game I've ever played. I can't think of another time during a game when I've put down my controller and said "Holy S***, I can't believe that just happened." I don't want to spoil it for you here, but I'm sure if you are dying to see it, you can search youtube for it, although I don't recommend that because it really is something you've got to build to.
There is tons more to say about the game, about how much fun it is to upgrade your shotgun and invent new bullets, about the hacking minigame, etc. Instead, I'll just say that it's a game to experience (whether you play or watch someone else play - it's fantastic).
Like all other FPS games, you walk around a set environment and blow the crap out of whatever comes racing towards you. So, what makes Bioshock any different? For starters, the atmosphere is perfect. The game sets you in a city under the sea named Rapture, that was built by an entrepreneur named Andrew Ryan, who wanted a place where the government wouldn't interfere with art or science or money. However, now that the people of Rapture have had the ability to alter their genes to become more "perfect," things have begun to turn a bit sour. The creepiness of the game sets in as soon as you enter Rapture and the entire game just doesn't let go of your nerves. Since the game is set in the 1960, the entire soundtrack is music from the 50's, but music doesn't just play from your tv's speakers, instead you only really hear it when you walk past jukeboxes or speakers in the city. When you mix the happy, sweet music with the incredibly disturbing atmosphere, it really makes for a cool experience.
As you progress through the game, you have the opportunity to alter your own genes to become more powerful and use abilities like shooting lightning or fire from your fingers. However, in order to gain these powers, you have to either harvest or rescue Little Sisters. The Little Sisters are creatures that have been changed by ADAM (the gene-altering element) and are each protected by a Big Daddy. Big Daddies are my favorite part of the game, they are basically huge, lumbering creatures with a drill for an arm and they won't attack you until you start to mess with them. The problem is that there is no other way to harvest ADAM outside of killing the Big Daddy to get to the Little Sister he is protecting. After you kill the BD, you get the option of rescuing the LS (for less ADAM) or harvesting her to make yourself more powerful. It's a small choice, but your decision is what picks the ending of the game.
The story twists and turns as you wander your way through Rapture until you have your confrontation with Andrew Ryan, which still stands as one of the biggest story twists in a game I've ever played. I can't think of another time during a game when I've put down my controller and said "Holy S***, I can't believe that just happened." I don't want to spoil it for you here, but I'm sure if you are dying to see it, you can search youtube for it, although I don't recommend that because it really is something you've got to build to.
There is tons more to say about the game, about how much fun it is to upgrade your shotgun and invent new bullets, about the hacking minigame, etc. Instead, I'll just say that it's a game to experience (whether you play or watch someone else play - it's fantastic).
2 comments:
Nice Bioshock-related post, Nate. I haven't played it yet (at this point just waiting for the PS3 release) or even seen much video for it, but I really get a feel for the game through your post. Especially how you described the eerie feeling of listening to oldies like Django Reinhardt and such while walking around this underwater city... sounds creepy yet so awesome.
By the way, did you know the PS3 release is coming out soon and there's some additional content in it? If you don't have a PS3 to go along with your 360, I suggest you take a look at this Stacker 2 contest going on right now where you can win the system of your choice just by designing a 6 Hour Power t-shirt (which is surprisingly easy to do online). Right now there are less than 300 entrants, and there are weekly prizes to win too such as Rise of the Argonauts and some 6 Hour Power energy shots (which are great for gaming sessions). Check out the details here: http://www.brickfish.com/Entertainment/Stacker2?tab=overview
By the way, I hope you don't mind me commenting on your blog... I work with Stacker 2 so if you have any questions about the contest or the drink itself just let me know. Let me know if you enter too, and I'd be happy to vote for your design. Good luck.
Franklin Keane
www.6hrpower.com
Franklin6hrpower@gmail.com
That's right, Continue to Blame me for your awesomeness.
Also, the comment above.... Random, but cool.
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