We never get tired of looking at BioShock - the underwater dystopia is literally swimming in evocative ambiance. In this clammy, stifling setting swarming with twitchy Splicers and hulking Big Daddies, it feels as though a few hundred thousand tons of pressure could come crushing in on you at any moment. Until it does, we're more than happy to explore the beautifully vivid horrors of
The concept is unnerving enough. Trapped in a dark and forgotten metropolis, miles below the ocean's surface, you must battle a population of mutated, tormented souls to avoid becoming one yourself. Images and videos of this place - with their hulking mechanical monsters, corpse scavenging children and genetic sideshow freaks - only deepen the dread.
But nothing can prepare you for actually playing BioShock... for walking its murky halls and meeting its demented denizens personally. Nothing
Normally when you shoot someone in the head, youd want that to be the end of it. Within a game, that is. At best youd expect the defeated foe to flash briefly before dissolving into a pile of ammo or health. At worst, theyll remain on the floor indefinitely, their innards staining the nearest textures. But whatever happens, theres one thing you could bank on - once an enemys down, theyre goners. No one will rush to see if theyre alright.
No one gives a
Those that have been following Bioshock as closely as we have might possibly find themselves experiencing an emotion completely at odds with the ethos of Irrationals organic, totally unscripted adventure FPS. You might find yourself a bit bored of it even. For the last year Irrational have been greedily guarding its game, only allowing us to see a select few elements of gameplay. And although we love the Big Daddies, they were starting to feel a bit familiar. It felt like we knew everything
Tuesday 3 October 2006
"The goal of BioShock is to redefine what players expect from a first-person shooter." While we would normally treat such a bold statement with a level of cautionary scepticism, another dip into developer Irrational Games' underwater adventure gives us every reason to believe that the game's creative director, Ken Levine, isn't just blowing fanciful bubbles.
So, how exactly will BioShock make waves in the expansive ocean of shooters? "By giving the player a huge amount
Friday 19 May 2006
Trapped deep beneath the ocean in Rapture, BioShock's wrecked subterranean city. Your primary concern is survival; your second is escape. These brand new screens showcase the game's crumbling, Art-Deco styling, and we've had our own guided tour of the action to see how it all comes together.
The demo we saw began in a wood-panelled corridor strewn with wreckage. The ocean is slowly starting to penetrate the underwater city's defences, and water streams from the ceiling,
