October 3, 2007

More on BioShock

Yes, I know you've heard far too much regarding BioShock already, you know that everyone thinks that it is the return of Jesus sheathed in a blood-spattered mask of psychotic shadows.

And it is all this, to be sure. What it is not, however, is everything that it was cracked up to be.

I finished the game on the hardest setting this past weekend, on my PC, here is what I got from it:

Good Things (you've heard these before):
  • Fighting things is a lot of fun (seriously, there's no other way to say it)
  • Amazing environments
  • No inhibition with visuals
  • Great style, steampunk is a lot of fun.
Bad Things (You might not have heard these):
  • The game was surprisingly easy, even on Hard
  • Your character can end up doing pretty much everything, there is no real specialization, no chance to really excel at any specific thing.
  • Very linear for a game billed as "Wide Open"
  • Limited number of encounter types, there are none of the three or four way battles that were suggested during development
  • Hard to suspend disbelief - the plot is pretty unbelievable, even for a video game.
All of this leads me to one conclusion:

I should have played this on the Xbox 360. The game would have been harder, it would not have needed an intense RPG element, it would have been scarier, and it would look and sound ten times better on a home theater system.

So there, if you haven't played this game yet, good, don't play it on the PC, do the Console route with this game. From here on out, anything that seems like it would be better on the console probably is. These days the PC is really only good for very complex games like RollerCoaster Tycoon or SimCity, which is fine by me!


Comments:

I might have to get this game now.
 

It would be well worth it on the 360. Well worth it. You also wouldn't have to deal with any SecuROM bullshit on your computer.
 

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