BioShock

[robdood]

I felt really bad after I saved one and then it died. I was busy searching the Bouncer for cash and a Spider Splicer came in through the door and attacked her, one hit and she's dead.

Um, dunno how that happened, tbh. The little sisters are invincible. There's even a radio log about it.

[Guest]

Edge, in their review, said this did not happen, and it was one of their bugbears.

LOLZ!!

Um, dunno how that happened, tbh. The little sisters are invincible. There's even a radio log about it.

Even after "Rescuing"?

[pledge]

I've got to work through System Shock 2 one of these days but I prefer Bioshock. Anyway, here's a cunt:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=InF4gu45tK4

Oh dear. There's at least 12 parts to that as well.

[dw2k6]

For fun maybe?

The thing is though, At the end of the first playthrough I reckoned it deserved a 9. But the second time through wasn't anywhere near as nice, I think.

So aye, no reason to go back.

[robdood]

LOLZ!!

Even after "Rescuing"?

Oooooooh I get ya! Who knows! Maybe! That will make my 'good' playthrough potentially MORE evil than the 'bad' one

[Pochacco]

A couple of questions:

1) Tea Garden

- the small building in front of you with the arms either side - is it possible to access it or not?

2) Casettes

I noticed in later levels that some cassette recordings are located in safes. At one point I ran out of hacks and it was a bitch to do manually so left it (since I was low on health). If I missed it are the chances that I can't get all recordings there?

3) Splicers

Are there Nitro Splicers about at the apartment stage? I just came out of Tennenbaum's Creche out onto the main road.

Cheers!

Anyone?

[Shindig]

Oh dear. There's at least 12 parts to that as well.

He's one smug, elitist haemmeroid, isn't he? I'm all for personal commentaries on game but not for self-promotion.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h3_0IBWreXg

Your mother never loved you, Daniel.

[deerokus]

Argh, sit down to play for half an hour, end up playing for 3. Last game to do that to me was RE4.

There are a few little niggles here and there, but overall it's just so classy. I've got a few plasmids and tonics now so feel a bit more confident about taking on the big daddies (playing on hard and they're pretty tough, took me an hour or so to take one down there, although most of that was spent exploring the area and finding ammo and things to use)

Just picked up the

chemical thrower

. Really satisfying to use the two different ammo types i've got for it so far in quick succession on an enemy.

Seems like it'd be pretty hard just rescuing Little Sisters (on hard), I feel like I'm just keeping pace with the game by harvesting them.

I'm not certain what I think about the vita-chambers. It's part of the reason it's so immersive, with no break in play you might as well just keep playing when you die, but I can't help feeling a bit cheap when I wear down the last of a Big Daddy's energy simply by dying and respawning several times. On the other hand, It's annoying in games where the damage you do to an enemy doesn't persist if you die.

[Shindig]

The more I think about it, and the more the developers persist in saying so, I'm certain a sequel is on the way. I get the feeling we haven't seen all of Rapture and there was one curious thing that puzzled me. What do they do with Rapture's dead?

We also see a maintenance worker in the journey to Rapture. Why aren't there more of them? I'm being pedantic but it wouldn't surprise me if a sequel came along. Or a prequel dealing with Rapture's early years.

[Vaya.]

While I'm here, I'd like to re-iterate Vemsie's question from a few pages back that I haven't noticed an answer to. Just past

Fontaine Fisheries, where you find the audio diary explaining that little girls were abducted to 'save Rapture'

, I fought a Big Daddy but, by the time I was done with the battle, his associated Little Sister was nowhere to be found.

I assume she retreated into one of the nearby vents. Now, am I right in assuming that she'll be back at some random juncture on the same level - with a fresh protector in tow, or have I lost the chance to get at her now?

depends- maybe you've already 'used' that sister. or yes, they come back with a new big daddy if you kill it when they are hidden.

[Majora]

Just got to the big twist, I assume. Most of it was predictable/10. However I would never have figured out the other part. I've spent the past couple of weeks feeling paranoid about spoiling the story with 3 words, and it turns out that even if I knew those three words I would have been none the wiser Certainly puts the start of the game in a different context, and it was executed quite nicely.

[Sng]

I just completed it...

the ending's a bit abrupt, isn't it? What was all that about?!

[Shindig]

The endings are summarised and brief. According to the developers (talking to Gametrailers), they wanted a frantic dash to the surface but didn't do it.

Pity, that'd be tits. I suspect the segmented nature of the city made that downright impossible. Find the nearest bathysphere,<load>, surface, end.

[Sng]

Does someone wanna summarise the story in a paragraph or two? I wanna know if I got it all. I missed quite a lot of diaries due to me not paying attention.

[Holburn]

We also see a maintenance worker in the journey to Rapture. Why aren't there more of them?

I'd always assumed that was a Big Daddy, although there is a whale passing underneath which I think explains the noise that initially I attributed to the Big Daddy.

[RubberJohnny]

Anyone?

The first one I don't know, but the others you can go back after you get the Big Daddy Suit but before you move to the final level. Splicers don't attack so it's good to catch up on everything you missed.

[Kazidoom]

Does someone wanna summarise the story in a paragraph or two? I wanna know if I got it all. I missed quite a lot of diaries due to me not paying attention.

Ryan and Fontaine are involved in a power struggle. Fontaine initially has the advantage but Ryan counters by modifying his commercial plasmids. Free will is eliminated as the plasmids can control minds and this technology is also used to make the Little Sisters and Big Daddies. Ryan regains control and Fontaine fakes his death. Sometime during this conflict a prostitute finds out she is pregnant with Ryan's child and sells the embryo. Fontaine obtains the embryo and has it genetically altered. When the child is two years old Fontaine sends it to the outside world as his secret weapon and back up plan. This is where Bioshock starts.

We see Jack looking at a parcel but it is partially obscured. During the intro all we see is an innocuous "would you kindly not open this package until". The rest of the text is obscured and it is only later during the game a flashback reveals specific coordinates and a pistol inside the package. Jack presumably hijacks the plane and crash lands it in front of Rapture.

When inside he is greeted by "Atlas". Fontaine has been using this false identity to continue his plans. However, he cannot land the decisive blow to conquer all of Rapture. The bathysphere only works for those with Ryan's genetic code. Fontaine is unable to find and finish off Ryan so he has his secret weapon return to Rapture. As Ryan's son you can use the bathysphere to travel freely and Fontaine has you preform various tasks. The most important was locating a submarine that Fontaine hoped to use. Asking you to save "Moira" and "Patrick" you locate the sub only to have Ryan blow it up. Fontaine cries out but makes a slip, he bemoans the loss of the sub first before quickly mentioning his "family". He then orders Jack to kill Ryan and you continue moving forward, tricked into thinking that you have a good reason to do so. During this time Ryan puts all the pieces together and figures out that you're his son. Knowing his death is inevitable he decides to go out on his own terms. He orders you to kill him when you meet and proves that he is a man while you are a slave. After realizing that you were manipulated the whole time you free yourself of the mind control and kill Fontaine.

[Mogget]

I think that I've just about reached the end of the line as far as BioShock is concerned. I forced my way through Arcadia this evening, but I really didn't enjoy it all that much. I feel sad saying it, but the game is far too repetitive and boring. I'm really disappointed, because I was expecting/hoping/praying that Irrational would do justice to the highly original underwater city environment. Unfortunately, this is little more than an arcade blaster

[Duckula]

The game does burn itself out. I'm at the apartment block bit and things are starting to get dull as hell. Shame really.

[Sng]

Yeah, the story should have been tighter and the game shorter. But it was still pretty good.

[Guest]

God, moon-on-a-stick these days isn't it...

[Timmo]

Not at all. I've completed tonnes of games that didn't bore me. I suspect I'm right at the end now. I just want it to end but it's advising me to get a couple of little sisters. For the sake of completion (and possible better ending) I'm gonna have to do it, which means trundling through rooms of tedious enemies. Yawwwn.

[DC]

I've only just got the camera but I'm loving this. The atmosphere is top notch.

[daveodeth]

Finished it, loved it, made me want to play system shock 2 again. Playing that with the upgrades, enemy spawn increase mod and the modified game.sys files. after I finish SS2 I'm gettin on Thief gold and Metal age.

[The Boatman]

Tea Garden:

If it's the small building with only one of the torches lit, you have to light the other torch and then it will open

[Alan Stock]

I'll repost some questions from last night (this thread grows quick!), about the final plot, if anyone's finished the game maybe they could shed some light on these?

Where does Ryan get the recruits to become Big Daddies? Is this explained somewhere I missed?

And it's unclear as to how Ryan knows about your conditioning, when it was Fontaine who privately commissioned it. Unless Ryan can hear Atlas on the radio, which I'm pretty sure he can't?

Another thing which seems weird is how Atlas/Fontaine gets around Rapture, considering he isn't part of the Ryan family? He shouldn't be able to use the subs because they are wired to Ryan's genetic code. You know he must have moved from Neptune's Rapture to at least Promethius Point.

It doesn't really explain whether Big Daddies are still living people or not - one tape says the skin and organs are needed on the inside of the suit, but that could be fueled by the mechanics I guess.

Do you find out what happens to Sullivan, the police guy? I looked through the tape messages I found and couldn't hear any reference to it, and I don't remember finding a body. Also, do you find out what happens to Diane McKintock, after she joins Atlas and starts raiding? Or did I miss a tape or message (don't spoil it for me please!)?

Another thing I don't get, it how the artist freak in Fort Frolic has turned people into stone, yet he doesn't seem to have any similar power when you fight him. Also, can you get him to open the locked chest without killing him? He implies that you haven't done well enough, is it possible to satisfy him? Does killing him affect the game ending, or just this extra room that I hear you all talking about in the flats level?

[JoeK]

I honestly think the game feels slightly rushed. I'm fairly sure MS must have been pushing them to get the thing out, but whilst the game itself is absolutely sound gameplay-wise (inasfar as it goes), the comments about the bathosphere travelling (lacking some sort of transition cut scene) seem spot on. The whole

dress yourself as a big daddy and zoom about the place

felt slightly tacked on, if truth be told. I think that possibly could have been something that was make a bit more explicit - possibly like that 'twist' in Quake 4...

When Fontaine mumbles to me something along the lines of "you've got all that Big Daddy stuff on, there ain't no going back from there", I honestly thought that I was going to become a complete Big Daddy, and that would see me down to the end of the game

For me, it's a game of huge contrasts - I thought the bit

where you meet Ryan

was really, truly brilliant. Yet I thought the end of the game was pretty poor if truth be told.

Would a few more months' work on it have given it that little bit of extra polish? God knows, but I just think it could quite easily have been up there with HL2 in my eyes. But it doesn't get there.

Still good though...just...y'know...

Hmm. I do want the moon on a stick.

[Alan Stock]

Finished it, loved it, made me want to play system shock 2 again. Playing that with the upgrades, enemy spawn increase mod and the modified game.sys files. after I finish SS2 I'm gettin on Thief gold and Metal age.

It's definitely worth pointing out to people that if you liked Bioshock, you'll probably enjoy:

Deus Ex

Thief 1 and 2

System Shock 1 and 2

The Thief's and System Shocks all have the explorey, atmosphere, open style gameplay, reveal plot through letters/diaries things, and all the above games had some of the same staff. And they're all ace!

[dw2k6]

Ryan and Fontaine are involved in a power struggle. Fontaine initially has the advantage but Ryan counters by modifying his commercial plasmids. Free will is eliminated as the plasmids can control minds and this technology is also used to make the Little Sisters and Big Daddies. Ryan regains control and Fontaine fakes his death. Sometime during this conflict a prostitute finds out she is pregnant with Ryan's child and sells the embryo. Fontaine obtains the embryo and has it genetically altered. When the child is two years old Fontaine sends it to the outside world as his secret weapon and back up plan. This is where Bioshock starts.

We see Jack looking at a parcel but it is partially obscured. During the intro all we see is an innocuous "would you kindly not open this package until". The rest of the text is obscured and it is only later during the game a flashback reveals specific coordinates and a pistol inside the package. Jack presumably hijacks the plane and crash lands it in front of Rapture.

When inside he is greeted by "Atlas". Fontaine has been using this false identity to continue his plans. However, he cannot land the decisive blow to conquer all of Rapture. The bathysphere only works for those with Ryan's genetic code. Fontaine is unable to find and finish off Ryan so he has his secret weapon return to Rapture. As Ryan's son you can use the bathysphere to travel freely and Fontaine has you preform various tasks. The most important was locating a submarine that Fontaine hoped to use. Asking you to save "Moira" and "Patrick" you locate the sub only to have Ryan blow it up. Fontaine cries out but makes a slip, he bemoans the loss of the sub first before quickly mentioning his "family". He then orders Jack to kill Ryan and you continue moving forward, tricked into thinking that you have a good reason to do so. During this time Ryan puts all the pieces together and figures out that you're his son. Knowing his death is inevitable he decides to go out on his own terms. He orders you to kill him when you meet and proves that he is a man while you are a slave. After realizing that you were manipulated the whole time you free yourself of the mind control and kill Fontaine.

Ah, I knew Jasmine was the characters mother, but for some reason I never assumed Ryan was the father. Despite seeing the board with the photos on near his office. And cheers for managing to catch what it said on that parcel letter, and what was inside.

We really should make a thread for people who have completed Bioshock, its getting out of hand now.

[Kazidoom]

I think that I've just about reached the end of the line as far as BioShock is concerned. I forced my way through Arcadia this evening, but I really didn't enjoy it all that much. I feel sad saying it, but the game is far too repetitive and boring. I'm really disappointed, because I was expecting/hoping/praying that Irrational would do justice to the highly original underwater city environment. Unfortunately, this is little more than an arcade blaster

I agree with you on the setting and environment. The original trailers and previews made a big deal out of it "LOOK! OMG! YOU ARE UNDER WATER" but it doesn't even matter when you play. Almost as if the devs were perfectly satisfied with the bare essentials, in fact.

"So where are we gonna put this city?"

"Underground?"

"It's supposed to be during the 50s."

"Space?"

"..."

"Fine, underwater."

"Cool. Put a couple fish or sumthin'."

I would have enjoyed this game more if it didn't have any enemies and all you did was explore a ruined underwater city but I snapped back to reality after playing it for 10 minutes. It's a shooter. It could have been a next gen ICO set in Rapture but I enjoyed Bioshock for what it is. You shoot stuff, you back track, there's fetch quests and maybe the game isn't as amazingly innovative as everyone said it would be but I still loved it. Just in a different way than I thought I would.