BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite (SPOILERS)
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
I agree with you that, if Grace were a real person, she might well have been shocked into rethinking her ideals and suddenly deciding to help you. My problem is that that's not a great conceit from either a narrative or a gameplay perspective. It's the same with Sinclair - it's entirely plausible that being as blandly helpful as he is throughout the story is in his best interests, but it's not interesting. It doesn't add anything to the story and it doesn't provide gameplay opportunities. It's just a bit meh.
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Regarding Minerva's Den,I myself didnt know about the history of Alan turing before playing it I dont know if knowing it would affect me more but going blind I didnt find all that amazing to be honest,the story of the thinker is interesting and I liked it but I could see could see where the story was going so it didnt have the same impact as the bioshock twist for example.It's a good small story and maybe bioshock 2 could've benefited from a similar structure but I just cant say anything mroe than that unfortunaly.
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Have to agree with Todinho, as much as I love Minervas Den the actual impact was lessened because I could see where we were headed.
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Right, just seen talk about recording Bioshock 2 show tomorrow so need to get my thoughts down...
Bioshock 2:
While there are improvements over the first game I still enjoy that more overall.
The combat is definitely improved over the first game. The ability to have a weapon in one hand and plasmid in the other leads to a quicker more varied combat experience. Which is more enjoyable than the combat in 1.
I feel though that the atmosphere and story are not as good in the second game. I think the main problem is that it's Rapture again... Very similar environments (if my memory is correct, only played it through once) and combat areas. When in the first game it was all new, so think it's just not as impressive as it's the sequel.
The story is interesting but didn't have the lasting impression that I received from 1. But Lamb as a character was very interesting especially as a counterpoint to Ryan. It was missing that big twist to stick in the memory. Also, the character interactions felt very carefully designed and implemented in the first, the second game fall a bit flat for me...
I know I'm coming off very down on this game and that's really just because I'm comparing to the first. I think this game is great! It's has great environments, story is good as are the characters it's just not as special as the first for me.
Minerva's Den:
This is my favourite piece of DLC ever.
It's the perfect microcosm of what a Bioshock game is. Tracking through interesting environments, interesting and engaging narrative, receiving instructions via radio and killing splicers with plasmids/weapons all in a few hours, keeps it feeling fresh!
The story and character interactions are what seal it for me though. I liked the conflict between Reed Wahl and C.M.Porter around the use of The Thinker. It gives an overall sense of how the people of Rapture interacted with it and how it was designed/developed.
The audio diaries surrounding Porter and his wife were very moving. Listening to their life before/during the war and then the after effects of her death. His attempts to 'resurrect' his wife through The Thinker, but realising that the construct of her is worse than being without her.
The audio diaries surrounding Alan Turing were very interesting to me. I have a lot of respect for him; a great mathematician, scientist, the father of modern computing and ultimately a gay man who after arrest and chemical castration took his own life. A sad end for a brilliant man. It's nice to see him mentioned, especially if it introduces him to those who didn't know who he is! Definitely a figure people should know about (especially if they are interested in technology).
Twist and ending:
Bioshock 2:
While there are improvements over the first game I still enjoy that more overall.
The combat is definitely improved over the first game. The ability to have a weapon in one hand and plasmid in the other leads to a quicker more varied combat experience. Which is more enjoyable than the combat in 1.
I feel though that the atmosphere and story are not as good in the second game. I think the main problem is that it's Rapture again... Very similar environments (if my memory is correct, only played it through once) and combat areas. When in the first game it was all new, so think it's just not as impressive as it's the sequel.
The story is interesting but didn't have the lasting impression that I received from 1. But Lamb as a character was very interesting especially as a counterpoint to Ryan. It was missing that big twist to stick in the memory. Also, the character interactions felt very carefully designed and implemented in the first, the second game fall a bit flat for me...
I know I'm coming off very down on this game and that's really just because I'm comparing to the first. I think this game is great! It's has great environments, story is good as are the characters it's just not as special as the first for me.
Minerva's Den:
This is my favourite piece of DLC ever.
It's the perfect microcosm of what a Bioshock game is. Tracking through interesting environments, interesting and engaging narrative, receiving instructions via radio and killing splicers with plasmids/weapons all in a few hours, keeps it feeling fresh!
The story and character interactions are what seal it for me though. I liked the conflict between Reed Wahl and C.M.Porter around the use of The Thinker. It gives an overall sense of how the people of Rapture interacted with it and how it was designed/developed.
The audio diaries surrounding Porter and his wife were very moving. Listening to their life before/during the war and then the after effects of her death. His attempts to 'resurrect' his wife through The Thinker, but realising that the construct of her is worse than being without her.
The audio diaries surrounding Alan Turing were very interesting to me. I have a lot of respect for him; a great mathematician, scientist, the father of modern computing and ultimately a gay man who after arrest and chemical castration took his own life. A sad end for a brilliant man. It's nice to see him mentioned, especially if it introduces him to those who didn't know who he is! Definitely a figure people should know about (especially if they are interested in technology).
Twist and ending:
- Spoiler: show
- mikeleddy83
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Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
From the looks of twitter a whole bunch of people here seem to be enjoying the new game (Bioshock Infinite), can't wait to start reading through your collective opinions once you're done. I'll no doubt be reserving my thoughts for now as I'd deem anything and everything a spoiler.
I'm also curious if anybody intends to switch off the router for a week as I'm expecting it to be a case of an excited fan posting just 3 or 4 words on twitter to absolutely ruin the mystique of the title.
I'm also curious if anybody intends to switch off the router for a week as I'm expecting it to be a case of an excited fan posting just 3 or 4 words on twitter to absolutely ruin the mystique of the title.
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Just finished Minerva's Den in preparation for Infinite coming out. I can see why this nugget of Bioshock got the reaction it did - it's basically perfect. Perfect length, perfect size, excellent story, all the gameplay additions are excellent and it never ever outstays its welcome.
If I have one regret, it's that I'd have liked to have played it pre-hype and gone into this with the same low level of expectation as I did Bioshock 2. As it was, the praise was so superlative that I found myself looking for twists, and that lessened the impact of the climax a little for me.
Bioshock Infinite tomorrow though! Wetting myself with anticipation
If I have one regret, it's that I'd have liked to have played it pre-hype and gone into this with the same low level of expectation as I did Bioshock 2. As it was, the praise was so superlative that I found myself looking for twists, and that lessened the impact of the climax a little for me.
Bioshock Infinite tomorrow though! Wetting myself with anticipation
- AndyKurosaki
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Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Very nearly picked this up today, as I love Bioshock. On one hand I thought "I've 4 days off over Easter, get it bought". On the other I thought "I shouldn't as I'm off on a 2 week cruise in less than 3 weeks".So I didn't get it. Yet...
- mikeleddy83
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Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
So. Just finished this. Unquestionably one of the best games I've ever played.
Story beats as far as I'm aware of them - chime in if I've got anything wrong but DON'T LOOK IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED BIOSHOCK INFINITE
Story beats as far as I'm aware of them - chime in if I've got anything wrong but DON'T LOOK IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED BIOSHOCK INFINITE
- Spoiler: show
- mikeleddy83
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Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Elizabeth's powers are never really explained.
I will say that I was surprised at how many of the same story beats Infinite shares with Bioshock 2, at least superficially. A religious zealot imprisons their gifted daughter and experiments on them to further their own ideological ends only to be stopped by
Things I loved:
- Spoiler: show
I will say that I was surprised at how many of the same story beats Infinite shares with Bioshock 2, at least superficially. A religious zealot imprisons their gifted daughter and experiments on them to further their own ideological ends only to be stopped by
- Spoiler: show
Things I loved:
- Walking through Columbia in those opening sections and hearing the opening strains of barbershop "God Only Knows" was actually gave me goosebumps.
- I was profoundly disappointed when the game ended because it means I'll never get to go back to Columbia. This is a living, breathing city in a way that Rapture never was. Imagine seeing Rapture before the fall!
- Elizabeth! Her design and animations put me in mind of a Pixar film - her expressiveness, her character, and the fact that you're never ever given a reason to resent her presence. It's as much her story as it is Booker's, and contrary to what a lot of people have said about this game, I never saw myself as protecting her - she was my partner in crime.
- Speakin of Pixar, the world of Bioshock is the kind of inventive marvel you'd expect from someone like Pixar. You would never ever be able to convey the vast sense of wonder and the depth of the world of Columbia in anything but a video game though, and that's why I love gaming. THIS GAME is why I love gaming.
- All the clever little fakeouts that make you think "oh, here's another Bioshock convention I guess" before subverting it.
- Spoiler: show
- The whole "consequences for stealing" mechanic feels half-baked. It's only OK to pillage some things, but not others? And then the consequences are... you get attacked. So you blast them apart, and now you're a murderer AND a thief, but you've killed enough people so everyone goes about their business. What?
- Game was occasionally buggy on PS3. Couple of areas I'd be wandering through, only to hear one enemy still alive and out of sight that I'd have to kill before the scripting would kick in.
- Didn't get enough time in Columbia before things went to hell and that makes me sad.
- The sidequest stuff feels underdeveloped. Find a key and bring it to the chest! Find a codebook and bring it to the cipher! It's all very simplistic and doesn't feel as high-quality as basically everything else in the game.
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Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Yeah, not to start on the hate wagon as I'm very happy with it's inclusion on my top 10 list and have no doubt (even in the face of GTAV) that it will most likely be this years GOTY. My negative points were:
- It's simply too easy for all hell to break loose, I'm not sure how others played the past games but the natural camouflage tonic played heavily into my enjoyment of the first game and at points it felt like stealth would be an amazing prospect but it just didn't seem possible here.
- I too feel foul of a bug where Elizabeth failed to follow me after a (albeit complex) series of Tony Hawks style transfers between sky rails, she reappeared after the next area loading screen and I can only hope no important dialogue was missed.
- I've got mixed feelings about
- Spoiler: show
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
My understanding of the Infinite 'verse:
Don't really want to get into nitpicking though. Literally every other part of this game is amazing and I'm still drooling from having finished it this morning. I want there to be DLC so, so much
- Spoiler: show
Don't really want to get into nitpicking though. Literally every other part of this game is amazing and I'm still drooling from having finished it this morning. I want there to be DLC so, so much
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
haha yep i was the same my hardrive is exploding with screenshots I usually dont bother with DLC that doesnt already comes with the game but im looking foward to see what they can come up with.
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Oh Christ! My Mrs has just bought me Infinite for Easter! shall I jump straight in or play the original first?
- ratsoalbion
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Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Jump straight on your missus.
Re: BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite
Yep Dead Space 3 for valentines now this. She's a keeper!ratsoalbion wrote:Jump straight on your missus.
Bioshock Infinite - Only after Completion
Sorry for new thread but I am very anxious that people don't stumble upon details of the game in the other thread. (As much as I appreciate Todinho's spoiler tags) I feel Personally that the game is much like the movie 'Audition' in that it is best experienced largely cold and unaware of details, expectations and opinions.
There is a lot to talk about and I am literally just about to begin my second playthrough because not sure If this was my favourite experience or biggest disappointment in gaming.
Looking forward to everyone's thoughts.
There is a lot to talk about and I am literally just about to begin my second playthrough because not sure If this was my favourite experience or biggest disappointment in gaming.
Looking forward to everyone's thoughts.