Final Thoughts: Bioshock

So, I finished Bioshock a few days back and have been thinking about where it  sits among other FPS games of today and all time.

I wouldn’t hesitate to say that Bioshock has one of the best stories I’ve seen in a non-RPG game. Some people would categorize it as an RPG, but I think it’s just an FPS with some skill development.

Gameplay-wise, Bioshock didn’t really hit me as the best it could have been. The Big Daddy battles, the splicers, and the plasmid/tonic uses are fun. The main problem is that the game doesn’t really evolve well alongside the storyline. At the end of the game, you’re fighting the exact same enemies that use 80% of the same tactics that they did on the first few levels. Using the proper plasmids, even the Big Daddy fights become a practice in patience at best, and a simple chore at worst.

Don’t get me wrong. Even with some repetitious gameplay, Bioshock still shines when compared to 95% of the games out there. Souring gameplay has become the norm in games today rather than the exception.

The Orange Box, or… Five Scoops Just Taste Too Good

Title: The Orange Box (Half Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal)

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Valve

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Genre: FPS

Setting: Near-Futuristic. Robots, aliens, gravity guns. All the things that we could see being invented or discovered relatively soon are here. Whether the world is being run by alien lifeforms who subjugated Earth (Half Life 2) or you’re playing a test subject for a new teleport gun (Portal), there’s no doubt that this setting is derived from modern Sci-Fi.

Mood: Tense / Comical. Half-Life (and expansions) sets a very tense, dramatic mood with its setting and constant threats from around the next corner. Portal and TF2, on the other hand, are more cartoonish and comical in respect.

The Challenge: Survive? Find the exit? Capture the flag? Lots of options here.

Memorable Moment: Portal is worth finishing just for the music in the closing credits. A robot’s final message to a rebellious slave never sounded so sweet.

The Verdict: Definitely worth a rental if you’ve played Half-Life 2 before or just want to experience Portal. If you’ve never touched any of the games in this box and are a fan of FPS of Half-Life and any of its spawns, it’s a must buy.

Bioshock, or… Just Stick It In Your Palm

Title: Bioshock

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Irrational Games

Publisher: 2K Games

Genre: Action RPG / FPS

Setting: Pulpy. An underwater city built to escape both Capitalism and Communism… complete with genetic manipulation gone horribly wrong. Think Sky Captain under the sea.

Mood: Somewhat of a mix between a “horror in the darkness” game (ala Doom 3) and a “look what I can do with these awesome toys” game (ala Half-Life 2).

The Challenge: Survive in this underwater playground for freaks, biological nightmares, and giant brutes in antique dive suits (and with demonic little girls that they protect).

Memorable Moment: Why the hell did my character just pick up a hypodermic needle and inject in into himself without any idea of what was in it? Followed closely by the “Toaster in the Tub” achievement.

The Verdict: Definitely one of the finer FPS/RPG hybrids to come out in a long time. Unique environment and many, many interesting encounters in the first few moments of the game. Lack of multiplayer makes this one rent-worthy.

Greetings

I am Rob, 24, soon to be happily married and 25. I am a gamer. Video games are my main hobby and the main thing I do in the small amount of time that I have between real life responsibilities.

I created this site as a place to post my initial impressions about the various games that I play. I’m not going to be going into any more in-depth reviews of those games, because there are already plenty of good sources for such things. I hope that this blog can be a resource for others like me who don’t have a huge amount of time to spend playing games, and want to make the most of it.

You can check out the About page if you’d like more info on my (mundane?) life. Happy surfing!