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BioShock

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BioShock
File:Bioshockcoverfinalcropped.jpg
Developer(s)2K Boston/2K Australia
Publisher(s)2K Games
Designer(s)2K Boston/2K Australia
EngineCustomized Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s)Xbox 360, PC (Windows)
Release




[1]
Genre(s)First-person shooter, Adventure, Action RPG, Survival horror
Mode(s)Single player

BioShock is an action-adventure, survival horror first-person shooter video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia (previously Irrational Games.)[5] The game is an Xbox 360 and Games for Windows title.[6] The release date is August 21 2007 in North America and August 24 2007 in Europe.[7]

The game is based on exploring the dystopia of an isolated underwater city called Rapture in 1960 and surviving the mutated beings and mechanical drones within it. The architecture and society of Rapture was strongly inspired by the works of Ayn Rand, while the game itself is described by the developers as a "spiritual successor" to their previous PC title System Shock 2.[8] BioShock has received several positive reviews and is currently listed as the highest rated 2007 video game by collective game rating sites GameRankings and MetaCritic.

Gameplay

BioShock is a first-person shooter with some RPG customization elements to the game, similar to that found in the spiritual predecessor, System Shock 2. A 14 minute video showing, for the first time to the public, gameplay and some of the game's AI was released on September 20, 2006.[9]

The player collects weapons, health packs, and Plasmids that give the player special powers such as telekinesis or electro-shock, while fighting off the deranged population of the underwater city of Rapture. The player at times will need to use stealth to slip by security cameras and foes, and can also hack into security stations to turn automated drones to his side.

The main resources in the game are ADAM, EVE, and money. ADAM is used for character growth, EVE allows the use of Active Plasmids (similar to "mana" in fantasy RPGs) and money allows the purchase of weapon upgrades and ammunition as well as 'buying off' security bots and turrets.

To adapt and advance their character, the player can spend ADAM to gain Plasmids to modify themselves and give themselves new and/or enhanced abilities and weapons. These are grouped under trees that are Weaponry, Engineering, Active, and Physical. The "Active" Plasmids are essentially alternate weapons, activated by the player in order to be used. The other classes of Plasmids (referred to as Tonics) are passive ability-boosters. One Tonic (Camouflage) causes the character to become invisible when he isn't moving.

The developers encourage the player to use their imagination. Plasmids are versatile, and the player can use them in concert with each other and the environment to great effect. For example, one of the first bosses the player will face is a crazed surgeon. The player can use Incinerate to set him on fire, then as he tries to put himself out in a pool of water the player can use ElectroBolt to electrocute the water. While he is stunned and convulsing, the player can hack a nearby medical station so that it will poison the surgeon when he tries to heal himself. Telekinesis can be used on anything not nailed down; not only can the player catch grenades and throw them back at an enemy, one can also pick up a burning object and throw it to set an enemy on fire, or even defuse and re-set traps. The user has a limited number of slots to use on different types of Plasmids, so they have to decide which ones to arm themselves with and which to discard.

It is hinted that some (if not all) Plasmids alter the character's appearance (some screenshots show the character's hands with a texture similar to some of the splicers' skin), keeping up with the theme of "sacrificing your humanity" referenced by Ryan in one of the game's trailers.[10] In all, there are over 70 plasmids and tonics.

There is also weapon customization. The player can alter weapons to hold bigger magazines, to augment firepower, etc. The player can also equip each weapon with three different kinds of ammo (for example, the revolver can shoot normal, anti-personnel and armor piercing bullets) as well as one the player has to invent for themselves. There is also a camera in the game that can be used to learn an enemy's weakness.

The player also has access to a type of vending machine called U-Invent, where the player can combine bits of scrap found around Rapture to create ammo, traps, hacking devices, etc. Instead of reloading a saved game state if death occurs, the player will simply respawn at the nearest Vita Chamber.[11]

Story

Setting

The underwater city of Rapture

The game takes place in 1960 in a fictional large underwater metropolis called Rapture. Built in 1946 by Andrew Ryan, Rapture was designed to be entirely self-supporting, with all of its electricity, food production, water purification and defense systems powered by undersea volcanic openings. At one point, it is learned that Rapture's population numbered several thousand at its peak during the early 1950s, composed of those people Ryan viewed as the best examples of mankind. A large and tiered economy grew among the people, catering different quality products to different levels of the society.

A scientific discovery upset the balance of the society. Two scientists studying ocean-floor dwelling creatures discovered a species of sea slug that could secrete stem cells. These could be used to enhance one's body, improving physical or mental capabilities, curing diseases and healing injuries. A young German scientist named Bridgette Tenenbaum invested early on in the research to gain control over the material. The substance, dubbed "ADAM", became so sought after in the society, that it became the dominant currency of the city. A "full-scale genetic arms race" broke out between Ryan and Tenenbaum as Tenenbaum's monopoly on ADAM threatened the current social structure. Ryan eventually won, but everyone in the city was permanently changed. During the war, it was discovered that ADAM could be used to modify one's body, combining technology and mutations to adapt and survive the conflict, but losing their humanity in the process. During the conflict, all natural sources of ADAM were destroyed, which eventually resulted in a major shift in the "ecology" of the city, as all inhabitants had become biologically dependent on ADAM to survive. On New Year's Day in 1959, attacks with biological weapons lead to the downfall of Rapture's society, and the city fell into a state of disrepair.

Plot

The game opens in 1960. The player assumes the role of Jack, a passenger on an aircraft that crashes into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Jack swims for the only structure he sees, a lighthouse that serves as the above-surface entry point into Rapture - a grand metropolis under the water. Descending into the city using a bathysphere, he learns of the original prosperous history of Rapture through a pre-recorded film, narrated by the founder of Rapture, Andrew Ryan; but upon arrival the Player discovers that the once-prosperous city has decayed into a shadow of its former self. He is quickly led to safety by an Irishman named Atlas, who communicates to Jack over a short-wave radio; Atlas believes that Jack is his only hope in reuniting with his wife and child. After moving through several levels of flooding infrastructure, the player is discovered by Andrew Ryan, who communicates with the player, assuming him to be an intelligence officer sent by either the KGB or the CIA.

Enemies

Four main categories of enemies are encountered:

  • Aggressors (Splicers): Deformed, genetically modified Rapture citizens who are now remnants of Ryan's army, the Aggressors cannot survive without ADAM due to their extensive biological modifications. Early Splicers seem to be referred to according to their weapon preference, such as "Leadhead" for those who prefer guns. They wear little or no armor, and normally roam the levels of Rapture, searching for other inhabitants to kill and steal ADAM from. As their name would suggest, they are aggressive and quick to attack, and will use their enhanced physical strength, group tactics and, sometimes, semi-biological weapons to kill all in their path. Most of the Splicers are wearing the masquerade ball masks that were worn during the 1959 New Year's Day party. (One character muses, "I wonder why they wear the masks? Maybe it's because they have a shred of humanity left, and they're ashamed of what they've become.")[12]
  • Gatherers (Little Sisters): The Little Sisters, genetically modified prepubescent girls, were originally conceived as slug-like sea creatures.[13] The Gatherers, whom Dr. Tenenbaum created as a solution to the ADAM shortage, extract the inert ADAM from the dead (which they call "angels") using retractable needle syringes and then consume it, their bodies reprocessing it into a usable form. The BioShock team designed these characters in order to draw out an emotional response from players, who face an ethical choice between saving or murdering little girls to obtain a much-needed resource. Nevertheless, doing so is severely difficult, due to their symbiotic relationship with the Protectors. According to lead designer Ken Levine, the Gatherers have a direct link with the main character. In a recently released audio file, Levine clarifies that the player cannot physically harm a Little Sister directly, but can "harvest" the ADAM from them (a process which they will not survive), by forcibly extracting the sea slug from within their bodies. This will be presented via audio, and a black screen.[14] Players are also given the option to "rescue" the Gatherers, which nets only half the ADAM of a harvest, but makes an ally of their benefactor, Dr. Tenenbaum, who presents herself early in the game, providing the tools needed to rescue these creatures, along with promises of future compensation. This compensation, among them plasmid upgrades few other inhabitants of Rapture possess, makes rescue a desirable long-term strategy. Ultimately, the player's decision vis-à-vis the Little Sisters will influence the game's ending.
  • Protectors (Big Daddies, or Mr. Bubbles and Mr. B as the Gatherers call them, also called Metal Daddies by Splicers): Mute, lumbering bio-mechanical monstrosities, created to protect the Gatherers. They are heavily armored and wield high-powered weaponry, usually including a large drill. Their armor somewhat resembles a large diving suit. Most of the inhabitants stay out of the way of the Gatherers and Protectors. They will not attack the player unless provoked and according to lead designer Paul Hellquist: "Once you mess with them, you find out why no one messes with them." In a recent trailer/commentary for BioShock, it was revealed that, despite their size and typically slow movements, they become incredibly fast once engaged, in some cases quicker than the player character. However, the player can defeat them easily enough if the correct plasmids are used, such as shooting bolts of lightning at a Big Daddy standing in a pool of water. There are so far two known types of Big Daddies: Rosies and Bouncers; Bouncers are the close combat type with different detachable arm-mounted weapons, one of which is a drill. Rosies attack from long range due to the large rivet gun they are armed with.
  • Security Bots: Throughout the city of Rapture, they are called via alarm by various security cameras. Security bots hover and fly using rotors and are armed with machine guns. When disturbed, the security cameras' siren will sound and an unlimited supply of security bots will pour out for a limited time. There are three ways of taking down security bots: the player can attempt to destroy them, shut off the security system by paying the money demanded to access a Bot Shutdown switch, or manually hack into their systems. Hacking bots and other mechanical devices prompts a mini-game resembling Pipe Dream. The security system can also be suborned by the player, either by "hacking" it or using the "Security Bullseye" plasmid on an enemy.

Development

Influences

Levine has stated in an interview with gaming website IGN that the project has drawn on many influences, mostly from utopian and dystopian literature; "And I have my useless liberal arts degree, so I've read stuff from Ayn Rand and [George] Orwell, and all the sort of Utopian and dystopia writings of the 20th century, which I've found really fascinating." He also states that he wanted to confront challenges that face the modern world such as, "stem cell research and the moral issues that go around it".[15]

In an interview appearing in gaming magazine EGM, Levine says:

As a kid, I was obsessed with 1984 and Logan's Run. I love exploring what happens when good ideas fall apart. [...] This world is self-contained. It has its own products, its own culture, its own movies ... even its own advertising. Rapture is populated with real entities who do their own thing. They have their own goals. Take the Big Daddies and Little Sisters: all they care about is harvesting genetic material from corpses. If you do not get in their way, they will not bother you. Live and let live. But if you mess with them - watch out. The Big Daddies aren't the forgiving type.

Engine

BioShock was originally going to run on an enhanced version of the Vengeance engine, the highly modified version of Unreal Engine 2.5 technology used by previous Irrational titles, Tribes: Vengeance, SWAT 4, and SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate. In an interview at E3 in May 2006, Levine revealed that "we've moved to Unreal Engine 3.0, we've done a lot of modifications on top of it," particularly to the way the engine handles water effects, which he claims will be very impressive, "We've hired a water programmer and water artist, just for this game, and they're kicking ass and you've never seen water like this."[16]

BioShock will utilize the DirectX 10 feature set when available, but it will also run on older DirectX 9 hardware.[17]

Official requirements

Announced on BioShock's official site and at E3 2007, the official system requirements[18] for BioShock are as follows.

Minimum Recommended
Operating System Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista
CPU Pentium 4 2.4 GHz (single core) Intel Core 2 Duo Or AMD Athlon 64 X2
System RAM 1 GB 2 GB
Video card DirectX 9.0c compliant card with 128 MB RAM
(NVIDIA 6600/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550) 		DirectX 9.0c compliant card with 512 MB RAM (NVIDIA 7900GT or better)
or DirectX 10 compliant card (NVIDIA 8600 or better)
Sound card 100% DirectX 9.0c compliant card Sound Blaster X-Fi (Optimized for EAX ADVANCED HD 4.0/5.0 compatible cards)
Internet connection Required for activation
Hard disk space 8 GB of free space

Demo

A free demo was announced with a new trailer at the conclusion of The Kill Point on Spike TV, and was released on Xbox Live Marketplace on August 12 2007.[19] The PC demo was officially released at exactly 7 PM EST on Monday, August 20th, although a copy was leaked to filesharing networks several hours earlier.[citation needed] . The legit version of the PC demo is available for download from both FileFront and FilePlanet (subscribers only), as well as available for download for free through the digital distribution program Steam (download and activation required).

Larry Hryb (also known as Major Nelson) chatted with Ken Levine on his podcast about the BioShock demo.[20] The demo contains the first 45 minutes of the game, and includes a beginning cinematic that established a setting and beginning plot lines. The demo also introduced a few weapons, such as the pistol and the machine gun, along with powers that can be used by the main character, such as ElectroBolt and Incinerate; some of these were added in the demo but would normally be found later in the game in order to give players a taste of the full game.

Limited edition

On March 29, 2007, Take-Two Interactive responded to a fan-created petition for a special edition of BioShock, stating that if the petition received 5,000 signatures, they would publish a Special/Collector's edition. Five hours later, the petition met that number and reached 14,000 by the next day. Soon after the petition reached its requirement, a poll on the Cult of Rapture website was posted where visitors could vote on what they would most like to see in a special edition, and the developers would take this poll into serious consideration with their final verdict. On April 23, 2007, the Cult of Rapture website confirmed that the Collectors Edition (UK)/Limited Edition (NA) would include a 6" tall Big Daddy figurine, a "Making Of" DVD and a soundtrack CD, with the box featuring an embossed graphic designed by a graphic competition winner. On May 18, the design by Adam Meyer was named the winner. [1]

Similarities to System Shock series

The game is a spiritual successor to the System Shock series, and is being developed by former developers of that series. Levine pointed out many similarities during his narration of a video initially screened for the press at E3 2006:[21] There are several comparable game play elements: "Plasmids" serve the same function as Psionic Abilities from System Shock 2; the player will need to deal with security cameras, turrets, and drones with the abilities to hack these; ammo conservation will be stressed as "a key gameplay feature", and audio recordings serve as the same storytelling device that email logs did.[21]

Early release

On August 14, 2007, some copies of the Xbox 360 version were sold before release date at Toys-R-Us stores in the United States, and the commercials on TV changed to 'available now'. In response, 2K games sent out internal e-mails reminding stores of the official street date, and the game was taken off shelves.[22] Additionally, an official 2K Games company response to the incident stated that the company was committed to the August 21 and August 24, 2007 release dates for North America and Europe, respectively.[23]

Reception

Reviews
Publication Score
Xbox 360
1UP.com 10/10[24]
Eurogamer 10/10[25]
GameSpot 9/10[26]
Game Informer 10/10[27]
IGN 9.7/10[12]
Official Xbox Magazine UK 10/10
PC
PC Gamer UK 9.5/10[28]
PC Zone 9.6/10[29]
IGN 9.7/10[30]
Compilation review site Aggregate score
Game Rankings Xbox 360: 97% (based on 14 media outlets)[31]

PC: 96% (based on 3 media outlets)[32]

Metacritic Xbox 360: 97 out of 100 (based on 18 reviews)[33]

PC: 97 out of 100 (based on 4 reviews)[34]

Pre-release awards

At E3 2006, BioShock was given the "Game of the Show" award from various online gaming sites, including GameSpot,[35] IGN,[36] GameSpy[37] and GameTrailers's Trailer of the Year.

Reviews

BioShock has received a positive response from critics. The game has been cited as having an "inescapable atmosphere",[38] "inconceivably great plot" and "stunning soundtrack and audio effects".[39] The gameplay and combat system has been praised for being smooth and open-ended.[27][12] Overall, reviewers have noted that the combination of the games elements "straddles so many entertainment art forms so expertly that it's the best demonstration yet how flexible this medium can be. It's no longer just another shooter wrapped up in a pretty game engine, but a story that exists and unfolds inside the most convincing and elaborate and artistic game world ever conceived."[25]

A few points of criticism have come across so far. The scarcity of ammunition in the game can deter newer players from the title,[40] (though the developers have indicated such scarcity is by design[41]) while the recovery system through Vita-chambers, which restores the player's health but does not alter the enemies', may make the game too easy for more experienced gamers.[42]

In the PC version, IGN noted that switching between weapons or plasmids is easier using the mouse than the radial menu in the Xbox 360 version, as well as the graphics being slightly better with higher resolutions.[30]

References

  1. ^ Next-Gen This Week In Japan
  2. ^ "Blue Dragon and BioShock Given ESRB Rating". Retrieved 2007-06-15.
  3. ^ "BBFC Rating Page". Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  4. ^ steampowered.com BioShock on Steam
  5. ^ On January 9, 2006, Take-Two Interactive announced that they had acquired Irrational Games, and would be publishing BioShock under their 2K Games publishing label. See: "Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Acquires Irrational Games". 2006-01-09.
  6. ^ "X06: BioShock Exclusive to 360 and PC". 1up.com. 2007-2-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "BioShock street date is August 21". The Cult of Rapture, 2kgames.com. 2007-03-01.
  8. ^ "GameSpy: BioShock Preview". 2006-05-10.
  9. ^ "Developer Commentary video at IGN". 2006-09-20.
  10. ^ "X06 Trailer".
  11. ^ IGN BioShock June 8 2007 preview
  12. ^ a b c Onyett, Charles (2007-08-16). "BioShock Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  13. ^ IGN Blog 05-23-07
  14. ^ IGN Blog 05-23-07
  15. ^ "The Influence of Literature and Myth in Videogames". IGN.com. 2006-05-17.
  16. ^ "E3 06: BioShock Interview Transcript". 2006-05-18.
  17. ^ "DX10 Update". The Cult of Rapture, 2kgames.com. 2007-05-06.
  18. ^ 2kgames.com "Finalized PC Specs are here!"
  19. ^ majornelson.com BioShock Demo
  20. ^ majornelson.com The One About The BioShock Demo
  21. ^ a b "E3 06: BioShock Gameplay Demo Impressions". Yahoo! Games. 2007-01-07.
  22. ^ "BioShock Early Release". 2007-08-14.
  23. ^ Mullen, Michael (2007-08-16). "2K Replies to UnOfficial BioShock Sales". GameDaily BIZ. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  24. ^ Pfister, Andrew (2007-08-16). "REVIEWS: BIOSHOCK "We emerge from the deep for our BioShock review."". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  25. ^ a b Reed, Kristan (2007-08-16). "Reviews = BioShock // Xbox 360". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  26. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (2007-08-20). "Reviews = BioShock // Xbox 360". CNet. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  27. ^ a b Reiner, Andrew. "BioShock review". Game Informer. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  28. ^ Francis, Tom. "Review: BioShock". PC Gamer Magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  29. ^ Hogarty, Steve. "PC Review: BioShock". PC Zone Magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  30. ^ a b Onyett, Charles (2007-08-17). "BioShock Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  31. ^ "BioShock Reviews (Xbox 360)". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  32. ^ "BioShock Reviews (PC)". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  33. ^ "BioShock (Xbox 360: 2007) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  34. ^ "BioShock (PC: 2007) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  35. ^ "E3 2006 Editors' Choice Awards". 2006-05-20.
  36. ^ "IGN's Overall Best of E3 2006 Awards". 2006-05-19.
  37. ^ "E3 2006 Best of Show". 2006-05-18.
  38. ^ Granziani, Gabe (2007-08-16). "BioShock (X360)". Gamespy. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  39. ^ "Metacritic webpage which cites the review and gives sources". Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  40. ^ Cite error: The named reference TeamXbox review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  41. ^ "Official movie 1 at Gamespot".
  42. ^ Cite error: The named reference Xbox World 360 review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).



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