BioShock

Bioshock

       Development

                      Released on August 21, 2007 by Irrational Games, BioShock, as many games before it, was not the same game that had been worked on in development, Chris Kline, 2K Boston’s (2k Boston is now known as Irrational Games.) Tech Director described Bioshock as being a “Sequence of failures and errors.” So how did a sequence of failures and errors eventually lead to becoming one of 2007’s major releases? Simple really, trial and error, after all it’s the only true way to make a game. When Bioshock was revealed in 2004 the story and setting had changed significantly from what it was originally intended to be, and from its reveal to its release its story received more major overhauls while its gameplay elements would remain similar to what was seen in the released version of the game. According to many developers, Bioshock is a spiritual successor to the System Shock games. Many of the Irrational team had previously worked on the System shock games, and wanted to create something with the same feel, but was different. When the game was released in 2007 not only did BioShock sport a different storyline, but it also changed many concepts of the game to the ones you see and know now, such as “Drones”, “Soldiers”, and “Predators” became the basis for the “Little Sisters”, “Big Daddies”, and “Splicers” which are used in both BioShock, and BioShock 2.

                Settings

                                BioShock is set in the 1960’s, in the underwater city of Rapture, you can learn the history of the city through audio recording found throughout the entire city in the game, or when it’s finished you can read it in my four part blog on Gaming with Dee – Extended Content. IT’S NOT UP YET THOUGH, so relax and enjoy this review of the game. Rapture was created by a business man named Andrew Ryan who wanted to create a Utopia for the rich, or upper class of society, away from the control of the government. For a time Rapture was just that, and scientific discovery blossomed, and eventually they discovered of the plasmid ADAM, created by sea slugs on the ocean floor, which allowed for users to alter their DNA to grant them meta-human powers like shooting electricity from their hands, mind control, and pyro-kinesis.

                        Sadly things didn’t remain peaceful as a power hungry man by the name of Frank Fontaine rose to challenge Andrew. This started a power struggle, As Frank created Little Sister by implanting the sea slugs in the stomachs of orphan girls, and Andrew fought back with his army of Splicers, humans genetically enhanced to be super soldiers. Unfortunately this power struggle was one which Frank eventually lost, as he was presumed dead in a shot out between Andrew’s men, and his own. Soon after a man named Atlas rose to stand for the working class of Rapture, once again turning the utopia of Rapture into a battle ground. Having created Big Daddies to deal with the Little Sisters now under Andrew’s control, the civil war that broke out left Rapture in ruins, with Splicer’s running out of control, killing anyone they could find, and Little sisters patrolling with Big Daddies harvesting ADAM from “angels”, you the main character find yourself thrust into the middle of this civil war by Atlas, who ask for your help to save his family, and to defeat Andrew Ryan.

            Story

(I’m not going to cover the full story in this review as it will be covered on Gaming with Dee Extended Content.)

                        From the start of the game, the player takes control of Jack, the main character in this game. Jack is a passenger on a plane that goes down in the Atlantic Ocean in 1960. As the only survivor he makes his way to a light house off in the distance. This light house holds a Bathysphere which takes Jack to Rapture.

                        After arriving at Rapture, Jack is contacted by a man Named Atlas, and is guided to safety from the Splicers, Deformed, genetically modified super soldiers, who are extremely aggressive. Atlas ask Jack to help him stop Ryan, and help save his family. Yet you can’t shake the fact that something isn’t right. Unless you don’t pay attention to the story, if that’s the case you’re horrible, and should be beaten with a stick. Along the way Jack many different enemies from various types of Splicers to Security drones, Big Daddies, and Little Sisters.

            Game-play

          Bioshock is an Action-Adventure, horror themed First-person shooter with a few interesting elements that aren’t normally seen in first-person shooters, such as the use of Plasmids. Using all the elements at hand you can complete different objectives in a different ways. At times you may opt to sneak around, trying to avoid enemy detection, or you can choose to turn the tables in your favor by hacking the security cameras and automated turrets, or you can opt to do what I did, and shot just about everything that look like it wants to kill you. (Yes I died quite a bit.) While exploring Rapture you should be looting and exploring everywhere, looking for money, ammunition, heath, EVE and additional weapons. You will also come across spare parts that can be used at “U-Invent” to “create” weapons you can’t find in game, or create some usable items. Camera’s, turrets, and Vending machines, safes, and locked doors can be hacked, providing benefits such as Turrets attacking splicers, gaining access to a safe, opening doors (duh) and vending machines selling items to players at a discount. You are also given a Research Camera, which is used to take pictures of the various enemies to help analyze them. After enough analysis of an enemy, the player is granted one of the following benefits such as, increased damage, gene tonics, and other bonuses. . Lastly when fighting enemies, should you die, you will find yourself transported to a Vita-Chamber. You will have all your possessions, but only a portion of your hp, if you so desire you can opt to turn this feature off. If you decide to do that, should you die, you will have to load up your last save.

                        While this game isn’t perfect there are some things that this game does right. One of those things is the ability to hack the automated defenses and turn them to your side. On my first play through I didn’t do much hacking, I did a run and gun to get the story, and oddly enough I spent more time in that play through then I did my second. Needless to say, my second play through I hacked just about anything that could be hacked. Hacking makes things significantly easier on you, giving you a edge in a fight against splicers or Big Daddies, or cheaper items at the vending machines. The Pipe Mania mini-game that is required to hack vending machines was a particular favorite of mine. It reminded me of some games I used to play on the pc as younger where you have to connect, twist, and turn pipes, to make sure the water made it from its starting point to the end point. *Mainly because it was exactly like them lol.* The Research Camera was a fresh new turn on providing upgrades, I liked the concept of snapping pictures of my enemies, in an attempt to understand them, and once completed given a bonus or gene tonic that helped you through the rest of the game. The best part of this game is the Plasmids, you can collect and assign a number of plasmids and gene tonics which will grant you the ability to unleash special attacks or gain passive benefits like extra health or improved hacking skills. “Active” plasmids or the plasmids that you will actively use will require EVE. EVE can be restored via blue syringes, which you will find throughout the game so keep your eyes peeled because if you’re like me, you will use plasmids almost as much as your gun (mainly because gun play is not this’s games strong suit) “Tonics” are passive plasmids that require no EVE, and give you a benefit such as, increased strength, lowering the cost of EVE usage, damage resistance, and more.

                        Plasmids can be found at different points throughout the game/ story-line  but they can also be purchased by the player at “Gatherer’s Gardens” using the ADAM you collect from little sisters. *note you don’t have to kill little sisters to collect ADAM from them.* To collect ADAM from a Little Sister, you have to first remove her body guard from the equation. That’s right you have to kill the Big Daddy first. There are two types of Big Daddies in Bioshock, the Rosie, and the Bouncer. . Within each type there’s a regular and Elite. You will need to kill the Big Daddy to “Harvest” Little sisters, which gives you the maximum amount of ADAM you can get from a Little sister. HOWEVER if you were born with a soul you may choose to opt in for “Curing” the Little sisters. While it does pay less then harvesting them, it has a promising reward in the future. Your choice will influence how the Little sisters react to you at the games ending.

                        Control wise, the game feels fluent, while as stated, gun play isn’t this games strong point, I seldom had issues with it in this game as I compensated with quick reaction times, and covered myself with the use of plasmids. However if you already don’t like FPS’s this one isn’t going to change your mind on the genre, as it does gun play in a fairly decent way. It’s not good, but it’s not bad, at times it can be frustrating if you’re coming into this game not experienced in FPS’s, and at times, the gun play feels perfectly fine. Honestly I believe the controls are fine and that your experience depends on the gun you use, and how you use your plasmids. You can make the game harder or easier by choosing to, or not to take advantage of the plasmids, and vast array of weapons and ammo types at your disposal.

       Level Design

              If you played Bioshock you know one thing, there aren't really levels in this game. Instead you visit various parts of Rapture to be explored, and while the Bathysphere’s my take you to new sections, a lot of Rapture can be revisited throughout the game. Rapture design is moody, dark, and gritty, WHICH IS FUCKING PERFECT. The city is far from a welcoming city, broken pipe lines, flooded areas, shattered glass, and crumbled walls, you get that feeling that you are moving around in someone’s backyard, constantly aware of your surroundings. You get several chances to take a look out of the various windows, to see the city of Rapture in the back ground. It’s kind of unsettling yet at the same time, has this eerie since of peace until it is broken by the screams of a splicer in the back ground.  Rapture is a city meant to be explored, but with caution. It’s got history and you will want to know what happened to make this once beautiful city, a war torn dystopia.

                        Nothing about Rapture was meant to put you at ease, from your immediate surroundings, to world design, Rapture was designed to look like a functioning city from the outside, but be broken within, which it very much is. After all, it has been through not one but two uprisings, the first lead by Frank, and the second by Atlas. *but wait isn’t frank and SHUT IT YOU, BACK IN THE CLOSET.* This city has seen its fair share of hard times, and it’s design is created to make sure it relays that message to you flawlessly. 

            End game

*WARNING THIS SECTION CONTAINS MAJOR PLOT DETAILS AN MAJOR SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED BIOSHOCK AND PLAN TO, I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ THIS SECTION OF THE REVIEW.*

                        The end of the game is by far the most enjoyable for me. Not because the game is ending, but because I had this burning desire to break my foot off in Frank’s ass. *Frank? I thought Frank was dead* oh but see that’s where your wrong my silly little monkey. You see if you played BioShock, you’d know Atlas is none other than Frank Fontaine. You soon learn that you aren’t who you think you are, Jack is the illegitimate son of Andrew Ryan, and Jasmine Jolene, Ryan’s mistress. An Audio Diary by Jolene, some photos found on Ryan’s desk indicate that Jack was purchased, yes bought, by Brigid Tenenbaum on the behalf of Frank himself. Jack was Franks back up plan should he ever be forced into a situation by Ryan, during the ever increasing hostilities leading up to Rapture’s Civil War.

                        Jack was “born” and raised in Fontaine Futuristic, by scientist that include Dr. Yi Suchong and Brigid Tenenbaum *WAIT WHAT, HOW THE FUCK, WHAT FUCKERY IS THIS.* If you would kindly let me finish, you know if you haven’t played the game maybe you shouldn’t be reading this eh. *DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO* chill out, just a suggestion. Like I was saying, According to Audio Diaries by Dr. Suchong Jack Weighed Fifty-six pounds and had the muscular development of a fit nineteen year old at the age of one thanks to Lot 111. *note Lot 111 was created by Dr. Suchong to speed up the growth process in children.* Another Audio Diary Reveals that Dr. Suchong is also responsible for the mind control imprinting that Frank Fontaine requested. As if I needed any more reason to fuck Frank the hell up.

                        Jack’s similar genetic structure to Andrew’s would allow him to use bathyspheres that were in lockdown, be resurrected at Vita-Chambers, and the automated security of Rapture wouldn’t be as effective against him. Sometime in 1958 Frank found himself in a situation where he was backed into a corner; he faked his own death in a shoot-out with Sullivan’s forces. During this time Jack was smuggled out of Rapture in a bathysphere and sent to the surface as a sleeper agent.  He lived out a pre-programed life as Frank had planned. When the time came Frank now under the alias of Atlas *HA I FUCKING KNEW IT, FRANK WAS ATLAS.*… “activated” Jack, upon Atlas command using the trigger phrase “would you kindly” Jack boarded a plane in 1960 that passed over Rapture’s location, he then hijacked the plane and forced it to crash near the lighthouse, thus leading him to Rapture.

                        If you’re anything like me, after finding all this out, you already want to violently murder Frank Fontaine; opps let me reverse that for those parents who blame video games for their children’s behavior and not their lack of parenting. If you’re anything like me, you want to teach Frank a lesson in toying with people’s lives, even if you are a puppet’s whose sole purpose was to help Frank defeat Ryan and take control over Rapture. Lucky for you, you get a chance to do just that. I wish I could tell you that I’ve seen both endings; sadly I could never bring myself to harvest the Little Sisters. When you finally make your way Frank, you find him hooked up to this machine that is pumping ADAM directly into him. That’s right Frank has become a living breathing weapon. I hope you’re ready for your first and only really challenge in this game, because Frank is no push over.

                        Frank goes through 3 forms Fire, Ice, and then Lightning. He can be a pain in the ass, but if you came prepared, and know how to use your weapons in combination with you plasmids you should be ready for the long haul. Here are a few steps I took on my second play through of Bioshock. 

While still in the Proving Grounds grab a needle from the Little sister to the right of the Elevator, DO THIS BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTHING ANYTHING ELSE, as I’ve found that exiting this level cause a glitch at times where the little sister won’t be holding the Needle.

Make sure your weapons are fully stocked, If low on cash or ammo back track to previous area’s and kill big daddies and splicers for cash and ammo.

I used the following Plasmids Electro Bolt (got attached to it sorry lol) Security Bull’s-eye, Incinerate, Winter Blast and Telekinesis.

Use antipersonnel rounds in you pistol and machine gun, Electric buck in the shot gun, and trap bolts in the crossbow. I’m sure guides are out there that go into deeper detail but this is what I did.

Select Human Inferno and Electric Flesh 1&2 for tonics, and replace everything else with combat-oriented tonics.

SAVE THE DAMN GAME before going in the elevator.

While Frank is in the ADAM Inducer, select traps and hack the heath station. I noticed Frank will only get out of the Inducer if you stick him with the needle; this gives you plenty of time to set up the playing field in your favor.

Once you manage to get him in the final stage, stick him with the needle one last time, and enjoy the final cut scene. Depending on your choice to “Harvest” or to “Cure” the Little Sisters the ending may be different. I saved every Little sister in the game. While the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped. In the end everything came to a close, and what’s more is that I had Bioshock 2 and even further still, Bioshock Infinite just waiting for me, calling me to come play them, and I could never resist the temptations of one great game, let alone the temptations of two. Excuse me where are my manners… 

                        Over all, I found Bioshock to be an amazing game, and couldn’t for the world of understand why in the past I never gave this game a fair shot. There aren’t many games out there like Bioshock, and while Bioshock isn’t perfect, it excels at what it does best, and that is tell an interesting story, along with satisfying game play elements, as using Plasmids is a kin to having magic, yet is done in a unique way that one would actually believe the concept is entirely new. While the thought concept behind Plasmids is new, the concept of having the control of powers beyond human limitations literally at ones figure tips isn’t. Again like I said It was an Amazing game, and if you haven’t I suggest trying it. If you jumped in at Bioshock Infinite, it’s fine, just back track to one, and give it a go. There are some Easter Egg’s in Infinite that will are just waiting to be found.