On Bioshock

Bioshock is undoubtedly a really well designed game. It plays like a level 1 all the way from the beginning to end. By level 1 I mean the way most games are rather well designed for the initial levels, then the other levels just fade into a blur as they become quite formulaic. That's surprising considering that Bioshock basically has only one art style.

That said, the atmosphere is absolutely terrific. Subtle sound cues, the sounds of Rapture coming apart, all set to the calm 50's music create a grand contrast to what's going on in the game world. That is, not forgetting the groans and stomping of Big Daddies, of course. Combined with a believable city going to ruins, the levels are really somthing.

The levels are special because of gate events (allowing access to different areas) while having a really handcrafted look throughout the game. There are always items in likely and unlikely places, encouraging and rewarding explorers. The constant respawning of enemies here and there would keep the conquerer types busy. Even achievers and socializers aren't left out, what with the rewards for doing well and the suggestion of sentience in the enemies (while not "real", the illusion's pretty good). Moreover, the key players are fleshed out with the tape recordings that are scattered throughout the game.

The weapon upgrades and "magic" abilites (Plasmids) are also fully customizable to the player's gameplay style, and the weapons system rewards players who go out of their way to explore the levels. More importantly, the game does not force players to move forward, which is a great annoyance in other games where exploration just does not seem worthwhile. A touch of Fatal Frame, with the photography and upgrades is a nice touch, too. Hell, even the hacking is nice in having players playing a minigame, though admittedly it got old after while because I made it a point to hack everything in sight. Who wouldn't =p

What's interesting is how the pacing of the game is so tightly tied in with the tutorials. When something is about to happen, the player is warned in overt and subtle ways. Sometimes the voiceover instructs directly. At other times, the instruction is hinted at in the monologue. Even the game environments start off looking rather pristine (suggesting a rather well-maintained Rapture) and then becoming increasingly torn up as the core areas are evidenced to be sites of great conflict.

I especially liked the twist in the story, and how the player's actions can, to a limited extent, vary the gameplay. Specifically: Will you harvest or save the Little Sisters? Moreover, the madness at the heart of Rapture is rather well played out. Steinman's madness is seen to clearly progress as the player gets closer to him.

Given what's been achieved so far, I really do wonder if Bioshock 2 would be able to repeat the success of its predecessor. There's always the temptation to tweak what already works, and there are always those pesky publishing deadlines... Ah, well. There's just so much to learn from Bioshock.