Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 26651
Joined: May 2004
Posted on: Aug. 05 2014,07:49
That was a lot of words and most had nothing to do with the game, but was a criticism of game reviews.
To summarize: People should have different opinions. He's right, but at the same time, he's wrong. People should have differing opinions, but in the case of reviews they're looking at a product through a specific prism. That prism was crafted through experience, customer needs, requirements of a genre, and where technology current exists. It's one that he admits he won't look through.
He assumes we should be outraged that the gaming media has similar scores for Bioshock Infinite, yet never considers that the game is being reviewed by professionals who are looking for certain things in a certain genre, and it's a genre they probably enjoy. Meanwhile, it's one he doesn't enjoy.
Not saying he doesn't have a point buried in that article, but he certainly hasn't thought the whole thing through.
In other B:I news, did you know Valve was offering refunds for this game? Basically, there's a scene where the main character has to get baptized (not the Christian version) to progress the story. Apparently, that was offensive to some gamers and they refused to play any further. Because you wouldn't want to simulate a sin with your simulated person as you run around murdering simulated people... (Stealing is a big part of the game too.)
Yeah, I know that's old news, but I'm just going through the game now. It's pretty good. I'll review it in the next few days as I'm thisclose to the end.
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 26651
Joined: May 2004
Posted on: Aug. 06 2014,07:19
I know two things after playing through this game: 1. The guy Malcolm linked is a self-important asshole who doesn't have the slightest idea what he's talking about. 2. Ken Levine doesn't enjoy happiness.
When this game was announced I wasn't really looking forward to it. I had just finished Bioshock 2, and it was very meh. It just seemed like more of the same, and it wasn't very appealing.
I was wrong. B:I is fantastic, and the best way I can describe it without spoilers is to say that this is Bioshock taken to a whole new level. "Without spoilers" is key there because I don't know if I've ever played a game that demands a spoiler ridden discussion until now. Again, if you remember Bioshock, the choices you had to make with the Little Sisters and the tragedy of the Big Brothers is child's play compared to the themes played out here.
Yes, there is strong religious symbolism throughout the game, but there's also a lot covered on racism, patriotism, class based societies, etc. The racism amazed me the most. I'd love to detail why, but I can't without revealing a major plot point. I will say that I believe I saw racism within the racism, and nobody else appears to have noticed or I haven't found any article that mentions what I saw. Hell, I even see racism outside of the racism in the game. I see black people writing articles about the racism against blacks in this game, yet they never mention the Irish who are equally oppressed and slandered within the game.
The funny part is that the racism isn't even part of the main plot! Like I said, there's a LOT going on here.
The story is the main draw, and it's very well done. You play Booker DeWitt, a former soldier who is in serious debt. You get hired by a mysterious man to go to Columbia, find a girl named Elizabeth, and bring her back to New York. Columbia is a city that floats high in the sky. (Don't worry, it gets explained.) I believe the game is set in the 20s?
It should be obvious that the blurb I just wrote about the story barely scratches the surface of the actual story. Still, that's as far as I'm willing to go because everything else will spoil the experience.
Beyond that, Columbia is a cool place. It's much more than Rapture in the sky. Aside from the location, the biggest difference between Columbia and Rapture is that people still live in Columbia. The streets aren't deserted with only splicers and Big Daddies walking around. This is a living breathing city. There are people shopping, children playing, conversations being had, etc.
Look, I'm not going to pretend that the game's citizens live as freely as people in Skyrim or even GTA. However, they're there and this is an FPS. That's a point the clown Malcolm linked doesn't seem to comprehend. You expect different behaviors from the people in an FPS because you're not spending 15 minutes in their neighborhood interrogating them for quests and whatnot. They're scenery. It's the same reason the environments aren't more interactive. I'm not playing this game because I can hit "E" at a toilet and see a stream of piss or press "E" in front of a stripper to see my characters hand waving money. I'm playing this game for the FPS action, and to be told a story. The interactivity of the story is what's important in the FPS genre.
Long story short, like Rapture, Columbia is pretty a very interesting set piece. Although, the biggest sin of it is that while you can fall from Columbia, you take no damage and just get placed back on ground like nothing happened.
Beyond the story and set, the game is traditional Bioshock. No Little Sisters to harvest this time, but the same sort of "powers" system is in place. There are secret areas to discover, there's a lockpick/safe system in place, upgrades to purchase, etc. There's also a new element added at a certain point in the game which will allow you to add things to a fight or an area. I know that's vague, but again, no spoilers.
The recordings have returned, which help fill in the details of the story. As has the endless search for lootable containers.
I also want to note that the skyhook is fucking awesome. Riding the rails with it, and fighting from there is a blast.
Oh, and there's a LOT of game here. Don't expect a 4 hour play through.
If you're a fan of the original Bioshock this game is a no brainer. I'd even say that Bioshock was a concept demo for this game.
I'd also say this is a must play for FPS fans. No, it doesn't have the hundred enemies at once like Serious Sam or DOOM, but the action is solid even late game when you're maxed out.
