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BIOSHOCK (PS3)
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Publisher: 2K Games.
Developer: Digital Extremes. Released: October 2008. Genre: FPS. Other versions: X360; PC. Posted 19th May 2012. By Tom Clare © 2012 |
In the current financial climate and amidst a sea of generic, brown war simulators, the crumbling remnants of BioShock’s doomed subterranean city seem remarkably ambitious. The console version leaves room for improvement and there are times when its ideas are so numerous that they serve to blanket each other’s qualities, but this lengthy, atmospheric first-person shoot ‘em up serves up numerous memorable moments.
Set in 1960, the game casts you as one of those blank-slate types; a guy who prefers to go about his murdering in a respectful silence, never reacting to other characters, no matter how insulting their comments may be. Following a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean, he washes up at the entrance to underwater city Rapture, with just one objective: to infiltrate the city and kill its leader Andrew Ryan.
The story is predominantly told through (one-way) radio conversations between the player and mysterious freedom-fighter Atlas, as well as via the numerous audio diaries dotted around Rapture. Through these the player learns of the infighting between Ryan and other influential members of Rapture’s power structure, which resulted in something akin to a civil war, the fallout from which is what’s explored during the game. BioShock poses some interesting questions as to the merits and pitfalls of a society built purely on capitalism, with individuals not constrained by morals or laws.
Rapture is BioShock’s crowning glory; if there’s one thing in particular you’ll remember from playing the game, it’s the city itself. Ambling its greenish-blue corridors and interior streets, you’ll witness the kind of rioting that has led to the fall of a majestic city, built on a megalomaniac’s dream. The paranoia of a war nearing its climax is cleverly echoed in the morbid scenery; hangings in Rapture’s main square; the abandoned nature of shops and offices; flooded apartments; people ritualistically murdered in their beds; overturned trams and smashed walkways… the attention to detail is superlative. The goofy, cartoon-like enemies aren’t quite as grand to look at, but are still quirky enough to earn merit from a design point of view. Due to shortages of ADAM, a stimulant allowing genetically-enhanced inhabitants (‘splicers’) to achieve enhanced abilities and traits such as teleportation and super-strength, the people have degenerated into states of violent insanity, and their aggressive tactics make for some lively encounters. It’s extravagant and attractive, and for once the belated PS3 port holds up well, featuring a few little improvements such as a new ‘Survivor’ difficulty setting and loading screens that sport a new, more fitting style of presentation than its 360 counterpart.
Along the way, BioShock gives your moral compass a little work out. You are given the choice of harvesting or rescuing ‘Little Sisters’ – possessed children who syphon the power of ‘ADAM’ from the dead. Harvesting presents more ADAM in the short-term but leads to the ‘bad’ ending, whilst showing mercy gets you a smaller dose but results in a happier finale. Encounters with the Little Sisters are made memorable by the fact each is protected by a ‘Big Daddy’. These giants are designed like massively-armoured diving suits and consist of a giant drill on one arm and a caged, glowing yellow head section. Particularly on the higher difficulty settings, they can be very tough as they are deceptively agile, powerful and can withstand a lot of damage. They’re iconic, formidable contraptions, despite humorously being referred to as ‘Mr. Bubbles’ by the Sisters, and though they tend not to attack unprovoked, the rumbling of the analogue pad that signals their proximity is sure to put you on high alert.
Plasmids grant superhero-esque abilities, which include shooting fire, electricity bolts (useful for dispatching enemies in water), casting forth swarms of hornets. The range is extensive and occasionally inspired, though aside from melting some ice or opening a door with an electric charge, the player is rarely made to be proactive with them, and when parallel with the significantly more potent firearms, they tend to go long stretches unused, and the inability to use them concurrently is and something of an oversight.
The combat itself is sturdy if unspectacular, with aiming and movement seeming a bit cumbersome. Nothing ruinous, but it’s less fluid than titles developed specifically for joypad control, and many encounters are left feeling a touch clumsy. Some of the heavier weapons are fun to use, Quick, react-and-shoot moments rarely feel intuitive and it’s rarely at its best when you’re engaged in combat.
Along the way, BioShock gives your moral compass a little work out. You are given the choice of harvesting or rescuing ‘Little Sisters’ – possessed children who syphon the power of ‘ADAM’ from the dead. Harvesting presents more ADAM in the short-term but leads to the ‘bad’ ending, whilst showing mercy gets you a smaller dose but results in a happier finale. Encounters with the Little Sisters are made memorable by the fact each is protected by a ‘Big Daddy’. These giants are designed like massively-armoured diving suits and consist of a giant drill on one arm and a caged, glowing yellow head section. Particularly on the higher difficulty settings, they can be very tough as they are deceptively agile, powerful and can withstand a lot of damage. They’re iconic, formidable contraptions, despite humorously being referred to as ‘Mr. Bubbles’ by the Sisters, and though they tend not to attack unprovoked, the rumbling of the analogue pad that signals their proximity is sure to put you on high alert.
Plasmids grant superhero-esque abilities, which include shooting fire, electricity bolts (useful for dispatching enemies in water), casting forth swarms of hornets. The range is extensive and occasionally inspired, though aside from melting some ice or opening a door with an electric charge, the player is rarely made to be proactive with them, and when parallel with the significantly more potent firearms, they tend to go long stretches unused, and the inability to use them concurrently is and something of an oversight.
The combat itself is sturdy if unspectacular, with aiming and movement seeming a bit cumbersome. Nothing ruinous, but it’s less fluid than titles developed specifically for joypad control, and many encounters are left feeling a touch clumsy. Some of the heavier weapons are fun to use, Quick, react-and-shoot moments rarely feel intuitive and it’s rarely at its best when you’re engaged in combat.
BioShock’s deranged cast of characters is great, even if the
dialogue strays into ‘Allo ‘Allo! territory a bit at times with regards
to some of the voicing. Fontaine’s laboured New York drawl and Suchong’s
clichéd ‘sly Jap’ routines are hackneyed, but Andrew Ryan makes for an impressive
villain, his approach being a mixture of mockery and preaching over the radio.
In all the chaos, Ryan clings to his principals, and is a deep enough figure that
you may feel a little differently about him after a second play through.
Rapture’s most memorable inhabitant however is undoubtedly Sander Cohen; a mad ‘artist’
who takes the term to its gruesome extremes. His quest for perfection is
predictably fraught; he tasks you with killing specific individuals, photographing
their corpses and placing the pictures in an elaborate frame that he hopes will
form his masterwork. He is symbolic of the grandeur, decadence and grotesque undercurrent
that passes beneath Rapture’s finery – a brilliantly colourful showman-cum-psychopath.
In many respects, BioShock adheres to the FPS ‘old-skool’; health does not regenerated over time but rather through the use of first-aid kits and the various food and drink found about Rapture, and you’re able to carry a whole arsenal of weapons around with you, not being limited to just a couple. This can of course become a touch fiddly, as whilst PC users can quickly select a specific gun with the number keys, the console editions require considerable cycling with the shoulder buttons. On top of this, each gun has multiple ammo types which accessible via the D-Pad. Some of these are good; the Chemical Launcher with its lethal mix of liquid nitrogen, napalm and electric gel are marvellous fun to use, whilst others, such as the machine-gun and pistol, have a range of unremarkable variants which seem a little unnecessary.
The superbly designed locations are rather more cutting edge. Highlights are plentiful; there’s the stylish theatre and mall segments of Fort Frolic laced with reminders of Cohen’s madness in the form of the occasional, necro-art corpse statues. Elsewhere, you can explore the ransacked apartments of Rapture’s former top-brass; peruse the fisherman’s wharf or explore the vibrant gardens which are especially pretty. Mission objectives tend to involve either collecting or killing; finding parts to assemble a bomb, or ingredients to revive the trees in the botanic section, or taking down specific targets that act as mini-bosses. The game plays to its strengths by placing emphasis on exploration; there are great rewards to be found combing through shelves, barrels, desks and the like, though because your character doesn’t automatically collect items from dead enemies, a lot of time is spent looking at the ground, which again, isn’t a habit native to many console games. The player is encouraged to delve a little deeper, which is a good thing given how detailed each area is and the quantity of secret rooms that can be found with a bit of snooping.
Very occasionally, it even shows off some horror nous, such as a brilliant moment whereby, following the collection of an item, you turn around to find a dentist splicer right in front of you, simply staring in all his blood-soaked finery. It can be very effective at these ‘jump’ moments, but the loud, riotous nature of Rapture’s public means they’re few and far between, which is a shame. As FPSs go it has decent legs, taking around 15 hours to complete, and when the different endings and four difficulty settings are added to the equation, there’s a few weeks of action to be had even in the absence of a multiplayer suite.
BioShock is an imaginative and engaging adventure, and PS3 gamers can for once rejoice in having a high-quality port. It isn’t the most playable FPS the system has to offer; the tacked-on plasmids and passable but not-especially-satisfying shooting mean there are better alternatives if it’s strictly combat you’re after. For innovative, atmosphere and an intriguing story however, it’s hard to beat a trip to Rapture.
In many respects, BioShock adheres to the FPS ‘old-skool’; health does not regenerated over time but rather through the use of first-aid kits and the various food and drink found about Rapture, and you’re able to carry a whole arsenal of weapons around with you, not being limited to just a couple. This can of course become a touch fiddly, as whilst PC users can quickly select a specific gun with the number keys, the console editions require considerable cycling with the shoulder buttons. On top of this, each gun has multiple ammo types which accessible via the D-Pad. Some of these are good; the Chemical Launcher with its lethal mix of liquid nitrogen, napalm and electric gel are marvellous fun to use, whilst others, such as the machine-gun and pistol, have a range of unremarkable variants which seem a little unnecessary.
The superbly designed locations are rather more cutting edge. Highlights are plentiful; there’s the stylish theatre and mall segments of Fort Frolic laced with reminders of Cohen’s madness in the form of the occasional, necro-art corpse statues. Elsewhere, you can explore the ransacked apartments of Rapture’s former top-brass; peruse the fisherman’s wharf or explore the vibrant gardens which are especially pretty. Mission objectives tend to involve either collecting or killing; finding parts to assemble a bomb, or ingredients to revive the trees in the botanic section, or taking down specific targets that act as mini-bosses. The game plays to its strengths by placing emphasis on exploration; there are great rewards to be found combing through shelves, barrels, desks and the like, though because your character doesn’t automatically collect items from dead enemies, a lot of time is spent looking at the ground, which again, isn’t a habit native to many console games. The player is encouraged to delve a little deeper, which is a good thing given how detailed each area is and the quantity of secret rooms that can be found with a bit of snooping.
Very occasionally, it even shows off some horror nous, such as a brilliant moment whereby, following the collection of an item, you turn around to find a dentist splicer right in front of you, simply staring in all his blood-soaked finery. It can be very effective at these ‘jump’ moments, but the loud, riotous nature of Rapture’s public means they’re few and far between, which is a shame. As FPSs go it has decent legs, taking around 15 hours to complete, and when the different endings and four difficulty settings are added to the equation, there’s a few weeks of action to be had even in the absence of a multiplayer suite.
BioShock is an imaginative and engaging adventure, and PS3 gamers can for once rejoice in having a high-quality port. It isn’t the most playable FPS the system has to offer; the tacked-on plasmids and passable but not-especially-satisfying shooting mean there are better alternatives if it’s strictly combat you’re after. For innovative, atmosphere and an intriguing story however, it’s hard to beat a trip to Rapture.
PIXEL SECONDS: BIOSHOCK (PS3)
The first thing to note about BioShock is its setting. Rapture is an absolute masterpiece of game design. The underwater landscape and fifties décor make for an enthralling visual experience that frequently distracts one from the splicers looking to cave your head in. It’s an utterly beautiful FPS environment. Alongside this, the dynamic of telling the history of Rapture through recordings picked up throughout the bowels of the city makes for an involving plot, keeping the player hooked when things could otherwise become quite derivative. And it’s a good thing the plot is immersive as BioShock, unfortunately, does get a little derivative after a while. Once you’ve killed one splicer, you’ve pretty much killed them all, the only real variation coming from the enthralling battles against the Big Daddies. The gameplay is also lacking in consideration of the much vaunted moral choice of relieving the Little Sisters of their ADAM. Apart from the game being slightly easier if you’re a total bastard, the implications of such choices have no real impact on the game design whatsoever, apart from the alternative endings. As such, unlike the marvellous Deus Ex, Bioshock is disappointingly linear. Still, Bioshock remains a compelling old-school shooter with some inspired moments, it just drags its feet a little which stops it from being a real classic. Bonus points for the Pipemania styled mini-game when hacking terminals; that should give old Amiga fans a little jangly spine-tingle! [7] - Alan Passingham © 2012
The first thing to note about BioShock is its setting. Rapture is an absolute masterpiece of game design. The underwater landscape and fifties décor make for an enthralling visual experience that frequently distracts one from the splicers looking to cave your head in. It’s an utterly beautiful FPS environment. Alongside this, the dynamic of telling the history of Rapture through recordings picked up throughout the bowels of the city makes for an involving plot, keeping the player hooked when things could otherwise become quite derivative. And it’s a good thing the plot is immersive as BioShock, unfortunately, does get a little derivative after a while. Once you’ve killed one splicer, you’ve pretty much killed them all, the only real variation coming from the enthralling battles against the Big Daddies. The gameplay is also lacking in consideration of the much vaunted moral choice of relieving the Little Sisters of their ADAM. Apart from the game being slightly easier if you’re a total bastard, the implications of such choices have no real impact on the game design whatsoever, apart from the alternative endings. As such, unlike the marvellous Deus Ex, Bioshock is disappointingly linear. Still, Bioshock remains a compelling old-school shooter with some inspired moments, it just drags its feet a little which stops it from being a real classic. Bonus points for the Pipemania styled mini-game when hacking terminals; that should give old Amiga fans a little jangly spine-tingle! [7] - Alan Passingham © 2012