As I Emerge from the Deeps of Rapture

Bioshock is definitely impressive. In fact, it ALMOST lived up to my expectations. The game is stunning from many standpoints. Graphically it is one of the prettiest games released for the Xbox 360. Atmospherically it is unrivaled. When it comes to gameplay, the near unlimited combos utilized in combat is astonishing. And now that I have almost run out of adjectives I will explain Bioshock in more detail, as I am sure 50% of the bloggosphere has already done.

Following up to my demo review, the game immediately throws you into action as you try to help some guy find his family. Due to cave ins and locked doors you must take a super-round about way of getting to the desired location and you get an introduction to the flora and fauna of the underwater hell. It is hard to say much about your objectives under water without giving away some plot points in the very secretive story, suffice it to say that the fantastic story telling keeps the play from getting boring.

I found myself wandering around Rapture for fun while the game's help mechanic tried to get me to move on in the mission. I would be exploring and enjoying myself when a message would come up telling me how to access my map. I am sure there is a way to turn that function off, but it was a little intrusive while I tried to delve deeper into Rapture.

The combat and the intuitive weapon system didn't disappoint at all. In fact I really enjoyed how you had to prepare for a fight a few minutes before hand. It made the combat seem more deliberate and fulfilling when you finished a fight victoriously. The best example I have of this is found when trying to take down a Big Daddy. The behemoth can't be taken down by simply emptying bullets into it. Before initiating combat with a Big Daddy I would set traps and map out an escape route and load up all of my gun's armor-piercing rounds to maximize damage. It made the game seem like a steampunk hunting sim at certain points.

One of my favorite parts of the game is found once you finally DO slay a big daddy. Without the giant guardian, the little girl that he protects is defenseless. The Little Sister carries a substance needed by all denizens of Rapture called ADAM. Once you vanquish a Big Daddy you can choose whether to kill the Little Sister and receive the maximum amount of ADAM or you can use a special device (given to you in a very ambiguous plot point) and let the Little Sister live and only receive a fraction of the ADAM. "What the hell would you take less ADAM for!" say the heartless. "For humanities sake!" I reply. Letting the Little Sister live awards with with half the ADAM, but the "Mother" of the Little Sisters rewards you for every three Little Sisters you save. I prefer being a nice guy, even in video games, so I let the Sisters run free in Rapture.

My few qualms with 2K's nautical odyssey are as follows. The game REALLY isn't that open-ended. Yes you can go wherever you want, but you must follow the one plot line. I was hoping for the option to give my loyalty to whatever side I chose in Rapture's civil war, but I was conscripted to a static side. Another problem of mine is that the game is too easy! There is no consequence of dying at all. If you perish in combat you are automatically reborn a few yards away at a Vita-Chamber. Apart form being a bit of a nuisance, dying is no big deal! Also, you are never lost in Rapture because you have a very nice, complete map and an arrow that leads you to your next objective. I am kind of put off at the ease of the game, but in all Bioshock is such an enjoyable experience that ease is no problem.

I love Bioshock. I really do, and I would recommend it to anyone who has a 360. And if you don't have a 360 I would recommend you go buy one and Bioshock 'cause it is a great experience that everyone should enjoy. Go out and get Bioshock despite the lack of multiplayer and its ease. They are not a detriment to the game at large.

Until next time, Live Long and Prosper _\\//
~Mike

Scratching Rapture's Surface

Sorry for the delay, but I am back!

The Bioshock demo was released a few days ago on the Xbox Marketplace, and I must say I am impressed. I had very high expectations for the game and the demo only affirmed my suspicions of greatness. I would recommend that anyone with an Xbox 360 download the demo and try it out with an open mind.

The demo starts off with a bit of background on the, until now, hazy story. The main character is sitting on a plane, talking about something that I am sure will end up a big part of the plot. The plane crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. The player gains control of the protagonist after the planecrash in the ocean. Being surrounded by flaming wreckage, you are forced to swim to an odd looking edifice, sticking out of the water. Stairs lead up to a door which, in turn, leads into the ominous entrance of Rapture.

After a short walk, the player enters a small submersible that leads into Rapture Major. But before you can get to exploring you are given a short introduction on rapture via a projector and record from the mysterious creator of Rapture, Andrew Ryan, which lays down the objectives and philosophy behind rapture.

I was stunned by the attention to detail graphically and otherwise. The game's atmosphere really makes the player believe that they are in the 1960s with a sort of claustrophobic, panicked feel. I really dug the ambiance and the creator's ability to convey it without taking control from the player. There were no cut-scenes in a traditional sense in the demo (Apart from the opening title-sequence), but I still received all of the story elements that were intended for me to understand.

The gameplay was fun, but I can see a little bit of repetitiveness arising later in game. I hope the game doesn't fall to a
"explore the level and collect a power-up" formula, but I feel the story will carry it above that. The combat delivers a visceral, panicked feel especially when armed only with a wrench. The insane citizens of Rapture (or Splicers are they came to be known) are a perfect enemy as they deliver small bits of dialog as they charge towards you with murderous intent. "I didn't mean to kill her! I Swear!" Shouts one Splicer as he rushes towards the player while wielding a lead pipe.

The real meat and potatos of combat is reached a few minutes after the demo begins. The character finds a syringe with a "Plasmid" in it. After injecting himself with it, he is empowered with the ability to shoot electric shocks from his hand. The game boasts many different kinds of Plasmids that players will be able to discover and implement into combat.

Plasmids require a substance called EVE to work. EVE operates in a similar fashion to mana in any other game. Upon using a Plasmid, your EVE bar lowers. After multiple casts of any Plasmid, the bar becomes totally diminished and requires another syringe injection. EVE hypos are found in a multitude of places from the corpses of Citizens to trash cans. Certain other, single-use, items such as Pep Bars and Cigarettes also increase EVE slightly and can be found strewn across Rapture's barren surfaces.

I read somewhere that players will be able to find different types of ammunition for guns found in Rapture, but there were no instances of the weapon upgrades in the demo. Other, non-upgraded weapons, include a wrench, a revolver pistol, and a Thompson "Tommy Gun" machine gun.

Playing the demo, I can't wait until August 21st when it is released. I will see if I can tear myself away from the game to write a review once I get it. The next update will include some sort of music or movie review. Hopefully I see something standout soon.

Until next time Live Long and Prosper _\\//,
~Mike