Bioshock (PC/360)

[rock85]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

after playing the game for the last three nights I want to offer two suggestions for getting the most out of this game.

First and in my opinion most important, ignore the vita-chambers (re-spawn points in single player campaign) and instead save often and reload from your last save whenever you die. The way the game is currently set up, when you die, you'll respawn but all the enemies will retain the damage they had before you died. So if you're fighting a big daddy, knock him down to 50% health and then die, when you respawn, he'll still be at 50% health going up against your full health. This really takes the tension out of the game because it makes you play not as smart and it throws strategy out the window. You'll find yourself more prone to running in guns-a-blazing (a sure-fire way to die) against a group of enemies cause you know you'll be able to weaken them and then respawn and finish them off. You can say that you'll just play more disciplined but the big daddy's are so tough and the fights with them are so hectic that your discipline will fall to pieces faster than you'd think.

Instead of using the game's respawn system, I've been saving before big battles and if I die in the fight, I'll reload and try again. The difference this has made in the game is unbelievable. Dropping a big daddy without dying will give you that "video game sense-of-accomplishment" that very few games are capable of doing and has provided some incredibly epic battles. I can't stress doing this enough. It completely changes how you'll play the game and make the use of strategy essential. The difference is huge. I didn't start doing this until the second level and there's a good part of me that wants to go back and replay the first level this way because now using the vita-chambers feels like cheating. It's just that now, I'm so wrapped up in the story that I don't want to go back and start from scratch again.

The other suggestion I would make is to go into the options screen and turn off the navigation arrow. The arrow tells you where to go and makes the game far more linear. It takes away some of the exploration and after the first three levels, some of the places to explore on the maps that are not on the route to your goals have been the coolest parts of the game. Although turning off the nav arrow won't make as big of a difference as ignoring the vita chambers, it will stretch the number of hours you'll get out of the game and boost your experience with it.

A lot of you will be getting the game tomorrow and it is truly a great game. But if you take my advice and not use the vita-chambers and instead reload from your last save when you die, the game will go from great to legendary. Sorry if that sounds corny, but the game is just that good...

Great suggestion that was one of the first things i did was take that arrow off, it wasn't in the demo. And when i started to play the game i saw the arrow and was like WTF i was glad you are able to take that arrow off

[MachoMyers]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

Great, I woke up this morning without even having the smallest inclination of 'playing' this game. Now that I read this whole thread and caught up with the details of the game I am going to bed thinking about how I'll plan my attacks against the Big Daddies and how the story will unfold.

[ODogg]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

Great, I woke up this morning without even having the smallest inclination of 'playing' this game. Now that I read this whole thread and caught up with the details of the game I am going to bed thinking about how I'll plan my attacks against the Big Daddies and how the story will unfold.

I can't remember the last time a game put a genuine scare into me like the demo. I think part of it is the whole 50's vibe, man it's just so creepy. I thank Stephen King for turning the 50's into something "scary" btw...heh..

[Altimus]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

Well in an effort to save some money as I've spent crazy loot this month I decided to rent this... although probably will buy it. LOL

But must painfully wait till Wednesday... oh well at least GF shipped it today.

[tinman]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

I can't remember the last time a game put a genuine scare into me like the demo. I think part of it is the whole 50's vibe, man it's just so creepy. I thank Stephen King for turning the 50's into something "scary" btw...heh..

There have now been three times while playing this game that I have gotten so creeped out that I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight. That has never happened to me during any other video game and I've been playing them since the days of River Raid on the Atari 2600.

The best part about it is that I really don't think that any of them were scripted. It was all from the ai reacting to things I was doing. There have been moments where I've nearly jumped off the couch and yet it felt like what I experienced was completely unique. I could play the game a hundred more times and never recreate the same moment. What they say about how no two games will be the same is true.

Once more people get the game, there needs to be a thread on 'the scary moments' each player experienced, because they will be memorable and everyone will have a different story to tell.

Players that take things slow will be rewarded.

Also, from an overall creep factor, the demo is relatively tame compared to what's to come. I've really never played anything like this.

[Altimus]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

There have now been three times while playing this game that I have gotten so creeped out that I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight. That has never happened to me during any other video game and I've been playing them since the days of River Raid on the Atari 2600.

The best part about it is that I really don't think that any of them were scripted. It was all from the ai reacting to things I was doing. There have been moments where I've nearly jumped off the couch and yet it felt like what I experienced was completely unique. I could play the game a hundred more times and never recreate the same moment. What they say about how no two games will be the same is true.

Once more people get the game, there needs to be a thread on 'the scary moments' each player experienced, because they will be memorable and everyone will have a different story to tell.

Players that take things slow will be rewarded.

Also, from an overall creep factor, the demo is relatively tame compared to what's to come. I've really never played anything like this.

Good to hear!

[tinman]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

I'd say the reports for 20 hours or more is fairly accurate. I only have 2 hours tops into the game. tinman got the game over the weekend, he might be able to answer that question better.

The levels are absolutely huge. I'm taking things slow, searching every nook and cranny, and I'm reloading each time I die rather than respawning and it's taking me somewhere between 2-4 hours to finish each level. I'm sure if people could probably plow through each level in half the time if they just went from objective to objective but I don't see much fun in that. I think the 20 hours is pretty accurate and when it's all said in done, I think it will take me a lot longer. That being said, it's really hard to say because there's really nowhere to look to see how much of the game you've completed. I know this- I've put a lot of time into the game already and I feel like I have a long way to go. The plot is just now starting to come together- the game takes it's time telling a story.

and beware, this one's a time-eater. I sat down at 8:00 tonight to play and figured I'd play for two hours and be in bed by ten. It's 1:00am now and if I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd still be playing.

[WTF]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

You're wasting precious playing time posting... lol.

[Bacardi151]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

There is a visual "bug" or oversight in the game

if you havent noticed anything strange when playing and dont want to know about it, then dont look at link.

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4883

affects both 360 and pc users, but i am not sure if this might only be the demo, or full game, or what.

Again, its a visual "bug", and you might not even notice it if you havent when you begin playing. I know i sure as hell didnt notice in the demo.

[fishepa]

Re: Bioshock (PC/360)

I'm going to create a post release discussion thread for this game, this thread is kind of long, I think it will help out.