BioShock PC Demo

[Ronin]

I downloaded the demo on Steam (and as a stand alone) but it appears that I may never buy the game if it has this stupid activation garbage in it.  I'm done letting game companies treat me like a criminal.  If they want my money, they have to not only deliver a quality product but they have to acknowledge that we are PAYING customers, not criminals.

[Aramis]

Activation has been loosened as MO reported. I couldn't really comment on it past that since I've only played it for 360.

Lemme just say that this is the best game I've played in a long time, and one of my instant favorites. A great setting based off of Aynd Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", beautiful graphics, great gameplay variety with traps, plasmids and upgradeable weapons, and a satisfying length.

What more can I really say? If you liked the demo at all or at least saw the potential in it, I highly recommend it. It's far better than the demo.

[MONOLITH]

I bought the PC version. Had no security issues, and been playing it for several days. I was up til 4 Am last night with it.  Awesome game.


Oh, and I'm saving all the little sisters. Haven't killed one of them of them yet.

[deadsanchez]

I just installed the demo. I played it... uninstalled it. I can't get past the bad lighting. All the oddly colored lights. It is not realistic lighting.

I never bought into the scary children (the omen, children of the corn) while singing children songs scarily thing it has going on. I think that is a major part of it's appeal. Also, the animation is a bit too exaggerated for my tastes.

Interesting idea, I do like art deco.

I am most excited about how smooth this ran 60-40fps @ max settings @ 2560x1600. Go unreal GO!

[Lostroth]

i bought a 360 couple weeks ago and picked up Bioshock soon after.

my god what an awsome game. as Talon said Game of the Year!. i saved all the Little Sisters and the ending was pretty cool! i have to play it through and harvest all the Little Sisters to see what's different.

all the different abilities you get are just amazing. i always forgot to take pictures of my enemies tough hehe, i just enjoyed killing them too much.

[MONOLITH]

I've been playing the PC version. I'm about 80% through it.

Bioshock rocks. Period. But it's one of those games that has such a great deal of depth, that isn't always noticed the first time through. A lot of people are saying there is so much you can do in this game, the first time through is almost a learning experience, and the second time through is when you really get it all.

From some conversation somewhere...

IMO, the demo definately isn't enough to give you a real sense of the gameplay later on ingame.

I was 4 levels in before I really started to 'get it'. There's an amazing depth and variability to the available strategies, that you don't fully realize or have access too until you've gone through a bunch of the game.

I'm probably 3/4 of the way done, and just now realised the full potential of playing the game stealthily.

Learning to use the Big Daddies as your allies, learning to hack all the security devices in the area to work for you before you engage the splicers, learning to set up traps and ambushes, learning to fully utilize all the tonics and plasmids to your greatest advantage... The depth of what you can do is not readily apparant at first, but amazingly deep once you discover it all.

The demo doesn't come close to showing any of this; it seems to merely give you a taste of the environment.

I definately recommend really getting to know this game at least once. If you decide you don't want to play it again (although this will have amazing replayability), the price you paid will be well worth the ride you got.

I would say this is far superior to Half Life 2, in terms of 'what you can do' with it. I compare it to HL2 because it has that same "stick you in a completely different and massive world" feel to it; but the linear gameplay of HL2 becomes glaringly apparent after playing through a few levels of this. This has an RPG element to it that will keep you coming back to try things in different ways, over and over.

This is definately a great gaming experience. Not very many shooters have this level of depth, variety of gameplay options, and replayability. Not to mention an awesomely bizarre atmosphere that makes you want to explore more of it.

If you ever played Dead Rising on the 360 (a great game) this has many similar aspects of that gameplay in it. Lots of weapon variety, lots of gameplay choices, lots of cool atmosphere.

Go get it. It will take you 3 or 4 levels to figure everything out, and you'll suddenly go "Holy Crap, I get it!", and you'll want to restart the game with your new understanding.

[farmboy]

but the linear gameplay of HL2 becomes glaringly apparent after playing through a few levels of this.

Very, very true.  It was the number one thing that got on my nerves playing through it.

[Ronin]

My wife got me this game for our anniversary (today).  I've played a couple of levels so far.  I _really_ like this game.  I still detest the "activation" stuff but it hasn't been a hassle (yet?).

There really is a great deal of depth and variety to the game play although the levels do seem a bit linear.  But that's probably unavoidable if you want the player to have some idea what to do next.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Fontaine...  

[MONOLITH]

There really is a great deal of depth and variety to the game play although the levels do seem a bit linear.

The maps are linear, yes. It is after all, a rail shooter.

However, the large variety of tactics you can use, and the random appearance/movement/behaviors of the Splicers and Big Daddys, keep it extremely replayable.


Happy Anniversary.

[Ronin]

Finished Bioshock last night.  I saved all the little sisters so I got the "good" ending.  The ending was really short.  Or, at least, it seemed that way.

Either the movie was reversed or in that universe people wear their wedding rings on their right hands...

I'm going to go back and replay the game and harvest the little sisters this time.

There are a few things in the game (controls mostly) that you can use that I have no idea why they are there (the flame controls in the control rooms in the Big Daddy assembly area for example).  And there were a few places in the game I did not figure out how to reach.  I'll have to go back and hit those, too.  Not to mention trying out some of the other plasmids (cyclone traps).

There were some weapons I never used, too.  The trap bolts are one of those.  The only time I ever used one, I blundered into it later on looking for Big Daddy boots... :/

Still, the game was a lot of fun.  It is one of the few games in the last few years I never found myself cursing the people who made it because of AI cheating or sections that were just far too hard and took all the fun out.

The story is rather bizarre.  I still don't really understand Fontaine's motivation.

This game is the most fun I've had on my computer in years.  Two thumbs up!