I know some of you may think this is a little late and people seemed to have stopped talking about it regularly, But I recently picked the limited edition copy the day after playing the demo. I finished Bioshock on saturday night after playing through extremely slowly in normal mode. I was really soaking up the atmosphere whether it be reading posters, searching every possible nook and cranny or avenue available for exploration. Like many before me I found it to be one of the most immersive, gripping and enjoyable gaming experiences I have ever had. The fact you are kept at arms length from the story for majority deepens your sense of isolation and magnifies the wonder of the new submarine world you have plunged into. It had a very unique stylisation and the mood was really set off by the inclusion of period music and decor. I`ve explained my experience of the large majority of the game as it is in contrast to my feelings about the latter part of the game, the final boss battle including the endings. The horror that struck me when I entered the final chamber in the proving grounds to find what looked like an extra from the Cho Aniki series encased in a metal scaffold like structure. It added insult to unjury that the mastermind behind the fall of Andrew Ryan in such a clever way had overdoes on 'Adam' to the point of resembling a Herculean behemoth of a man which had the movement of any other final boss in the last 10 years of FPS games. Cycling through the archaic and overused game device of the varied stages or attacks that a final boss goes through. It appeared to me as if the universe I had grown accustomed to had come crashing down around me my experience that had transcended a normal gaming experience had plummeted down to earth. I`m admittedly not the greatest gamer out there but I definitely don`t consider myself to be worst but completing a final boss battle in one go is quite depressing. It`s supposed to be a struggle and take a few or more attempts to bring down the final adversary that stands between you and the end of your journey. I had over half my life left and hadn`t even broken a proverbial sweat. Then I was confronted with what would be best described as the most disappointing and anti-climactic endings I have seen in years. An ending which is barely over a minute long (whether good or bad), an ending which has the an unbearably cheesy hollywood ending which I believe was badly paced. It was a slow graceful game and we deserved the same in the ending. Being a fan of all types of films and very fond of minimalistic, obscure productions with little dialogue but powerful emotive acting and storytelling I was hoping for a little more. Not in the way of tieing up loose ends or anything like that as i really enjoyed the fact we were only spoon fed small amounts of information. Please don`t mistake this for a rant against the game, It is just simply stating with all things considered I and many others probably felt a little bit cheated by the handling of the ending. I`m sure the developers did their best and were working to time constraints etc, I read some 'suits' made the decision about the alternate endings which is a shame but the money men rule the roost in the gaming world. The ending a game as spectacular as Bioshock needed and deserved just wasn`t present. P.s. God It was only a game!
The ending boss sucked and so did both of the endings. The game was marvelous, though, and that's all that really matters to me.
The way to think about it is that the encounter with Andrew Ryan is the ending and taking down Atlas/Fountain is just wrapping everything up.
That is a very interesting way to look at it, because the story arc is completed in that section of the game. The gameplay after could be seen as a bonus and time to lark about with the various plasmids. I would`ve preferred something more slow moving for the cut scene ending however and slow rolling credits like a classic movie with one of the songs of the period being played. Fontaine`s overdose on plasmids should of been complete detrimental deformtion physically and mentally.
Personally I loved the ending(s) to Bioshock, they fitted the context of the story perfectly, defining not the end but the beginning, pure class, pure, pure class.
please elaborate, sureley you didn`t find the final boss sequence fitted with the context of the story (a story admittedly we weren`t really privvy to). My real gripe is with the speed in which the ending cut scene unfolded at. in a game which gave you chaotic gameplay and a high level sense of anxiety a quick ambiguos ending semi fits but then again i`m one of those people that get irate when TV channels cut out the end credits, for me its a time to reflect on the story etc.
Thats exactly the reason I didn't elaborate, its a personal opinion, just like your review was. ...I could spend 2 hours writing a detailed breakdown of the story(s) but I fear it wouldn't make any real difference, as you (not you personally) either 'get' the story, or 'want' to get the story, or you 'don't' and may never 'want' to. ...Like I said its a personal thing, not a meant as a put down or smugness personified! (*least said soonest mended scenario I fear*)
Either way I am jealous as I had to trade mine in :crying: The wife found it incredibly dark so I couldn't play it anywhere near her, can't play it near the kids which left me a window of about 2hrs between 5-7am lol. I'll re-purchase it once the kids are a bit older.
I was interested in someone elses opinion as other peoples ideas as part of a it discussion can open your eyes to things you had missed or other avenues of interesting thought centred around something we have mutual interest in. It`s strange because when I watch foreign or arthouse films I tend to not over evaluate or think in too much depth about what i`ve seen or heard as I think it takes away from the experience. Bioshock has become one of my favourite games of all time and i`m only discussing it`s shortcomings as i`m so fond of what it is and has acheived. @Parris: If at all possible you have to try and play it this generation while the graphics still induce awe.
I've played it from start to finish several times now and still need to run through it at least a couple more times, I've yet to come across any "shortcomings", it just gets better everytime for me
Hopefully if I run through it again i`ll agree. Perhaps it was the pace I played the game at. It sounds like I didnt like the game, which I really did. I`m still thinking about the game throughout the day even though I havent played it since I completed it. How much more of a challenge would you say the Hard mode is as I guess that is the next step. I`m very interested to see what the DLC brings.
I just finished the game last night. The Fontaine was battle was really easy. I wish he would have been more aggressive like the first Big Daddy you fight. Remember that? I yelled out a few times, it took me like three lives to beat him. The first time i shot him and he charged me, I just about wet myself! I think fontaine should have mind controlled a couple of Big Daddys (preferably the drill ones) and sent them after you during the boss fight rather than the one or two splicers that were killed with one shot from the shotgun. Now, THAT would have been in insane boss fight! I can imagine it now... I would just be yelling the whole time I can gaurantee it. About the cutscene. Really short, too short. I was expecting a longer ending after putting that much time into a game. But the rest of it was still amazing. I'm glad I'm up at school, I wouldn't have been able to play it at my house. xD