Bioshock Infinite

I dug it more for the alternate-history and Fortean elements. The idea of this alternate past where a bunch of American jingoists form their own community aboard a floating super weapon that rains hell from the heavens and haunts the skies is already enough to keep me intrigued. Everything else for me was cake.

Maxinquaye said:

First, because I'm not American. Second, because 'American Exceptionalism' as a concept is silly. Third, because it is internal to American culture, and I don't get the nuances.

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Truth be told, I'm American and I didn't get it either. I suppose the concept was interesting somewhat but it didn't really appeal to me that much. I completed the game though. But at the end of the day I felt that the ideals of the earlier entries had a stronger impact.

Finished it today. Loved it. Then this thread reminded me why I usually try to stay out of video game threads during post-credits elation. It brings out my inner little kid self who just wants to will the world into seeing things from my perspective. WHY DON'T YOU SEE HOW GOOD THIS IS, PERSON WHO DISAGREES WITH ME DUE TO THE NUANCED SPECTRUM OF HUMAN OPINION?

But anywho, it was my favorite of the series, I think. Were I to rank the entire series in order of my overall enjoyment, it would go thuslike:

1) Infinite
2) Minerva's Den
3) The Second Half of Bioshock 2
4) The First Three Quarters of Bioshock
5) The Plodding Opening of Bioshock 2
6) The Plodding Ending of Bioshock

I'm glad I enjoyed it so much, cause I'm thinking about taking a hiatus from video games until I get back from Odyssey . . . in late July. It's going to be a long three months.

Why did no one tell me Bioshock was a horror game? I started playing I on my mac in the middle of the day and nearly flipped out. I thought it was going to be similar to something like Mass Effect. Still, it's good. I bought II for my PS3 today, so I'll probably start playing that tomorrow.

I'm going to wait for Infinite to go to greatest hits. I simply can't justify spending 60 on a video game. I'm not a huge fan of the FPS, though. I prefer TPS, tbh.

Because, in the absolutely arbitrary world of video game genre that have more to do with gameplay elements than content, Bioshock isn't horror? Or really that scary if you compare it to it's predecessor, System Shock 2. It's ok; Infinite (barring a few sections *curses the Siren and her necromantic powers*) is lighter on the horror elements.

Meh, it's not that bad. I just wasn't expecting the creepy British voices in the BG. Being prepared vs Not being prepared. I mean, Sinister isn't that scary, but popping it in without any warning in a dark room...

I'm really referring to the people in RL who were telling me to play it without warning me first, though. I assumed it'd be more like Rise of Legends in terms of content—the "happy" steampunk game. Here's to me not reading reviews.

I didn't find Bioshock to be much of a horror game, given that a good deal of it is based around predictable and repetitive jump scares. (Oh, a shotgun, illuminated in the center of a dark room? What could possibly happen when you grab it?)

Also, the Siren sucked, because it was just another annoying damage-sponge and only served to remind me of things from games I would have rather been playing (Arch-Viles from Doom). Also because it had little to do with actual mythological sirens which annoys me because I love sirens.

Zoombie said:

The Siren fights were hard and a bit of a grind, though they get a LOT easier if you use a body-destroying vigor (like firebombs or lightning pew pew).

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I thought to do that based solely on how you'd disintegrate enemy bodies to prevent Cannibals from omnomnoming them in ME3. Spam Inferno Grenade Devil's Kiss on the mooks, then Biotic Charge the Siren.

I probably would have minded the Siren much less if it was less of a damage-sponge—or if there wasn't that "s" at the end of "fights".

thebloodfiend said:

Why did no one tell me Bioshock was a horror game? I started playing I on my mac in the middle of the day and nearly flipped out. I thought it was going to be similar to something like Mass Effect. Still, it's good. I bought II for my PS3 today, so I'll probably start playing that tomorrow.

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Bioshock II is far, far less creepy (to me) than its predecessor. Games that scare me the most tend to be ones that make me fear for the character I'm playing, and by extension in charge of protecting. Playing as a Big Daddy, even if it's an inferior model, gives one a decent sense of security.

I've actually been replaying II recently. It has probably the weakest story in the series, but I actually think it might edge out Infinite in terms of straight blast-em-up combat.

The power of love and freedom?

Seriously, though, I love that this has made me revisit the wackiness that is Ayn Rand and objectivism.

Zoombie said:

That was one thing that always bugged me.

If you were an inferior Big Daddy, why did it seem like you were faster...more adaptable...hit harder...have better guns, more guns, and can use plasmids?

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Eh. I try not to hold that sort of gameplay vs. narrative inconsistency against most games, unless it's particularly egregious. You could point out those flaws in any of the Bioshock titles. If I could choose between narrative fidelity and being able to throw bees and electrified whirlpools at my enemies, I'm taking bees and electrified whirlpools all day, every day.

Zoombie said:

That was one thing that always bugged me.

If you were an inferior Big Daddy, why did it seem like you were faster...more adaptable...hit harder...have better guns, more guns, and can use plasmids?

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My thought on that? Free will.

The other Alpha series Big Daddies were essentially robots who could only follow their programming. They could use the plasmids and weapons they were assigned and no more.

The character we play has gotten their free will back. So they can use new things.

Personally, Bioshock 1 and 2 showed how similar the Objectivists and the Marxists are. They intend to implement their beliefs no matter who gets hurt.

Zoombie said:

The Siren fights were hard and a bit of a grind, though they get a LOT easier if you use a body-destroying vigor (like firebombs or lightning pew pew).

But the bits BETWEEN the fights were eerie. Columbia, to me, was way creepier than Rapture because you saw it alive. Seeing it dead has the power of contrast there.

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I tend to agree with all of this (Though I felt stupid at not figuring out the burn-the-bodies thing as soon as they rose the first time - it seems so obvious in hindsight, if something won't stay down, you make sure it *has to* )

I did love the growing gloom and darkness though as things fell apart. It really helped drive the game, in a way. Like it added to the imperative of doing whatever you were doing. In Bioshock 1, much as I loved it, I rarely felt much of a need to hurry anywhere. Everything was already bad, and it was going to stay bad, and the bad would wait for me.

Zoombie said:

If you were an inferior Big Daddy, why did it seem like you were faster...more adaptable...hit harder...have better guns, more guns, and can use plasmids?

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When it comes to mecha and mobile suits, older and inferior, especially if it's the first model or a prototype model, is always code for stronger and better. Have you not watched enough anime to know this?

Dammit the Mac version of Infinite needs to come out soon so I can play it.

kuwisdelu said:

Dammit the Mac version of Infinite needs to come out soon so I can play it.

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I'm waiting with bated breath myself.

Okay, so Infinite came out for the Mac…

…and I'm already on my third playthrough. I love it.

The setting is great. The start of the game creeped me out in Body Snatchers kind of way. Everything so perfect and nice. The developers did a wonderful job of using the racism and classism of early 20th Century America to set my teeth on edge.

I also liked, as in Bioshock 1 and 2, that the opposing ideology leads to exactly the same sort of horror that it is fighting against.

Personally the ending made sense to me, and it was enjoyable to watch. The part where you go from Columbia to Rapture made me laugh.

I quite enjoyed that British couple that showed up on occasion. They added flavour to the game, advanced the story and filled in the background.

I still haven't figured out what my favourite weapon is yet. Although the Crank Gun is really useful against the big bads. Some, like the Hail Fire, are tricky to use but really effective when used just right.

So far my favourite Vigor is Bucking Bronco. But I'm finding that I use all of them in Infinite, unlike the others where I had just a couple that I used. I'm experimenting with some of the Vigor combinations. I'm looking for a chance to set fire to someone with Devil's Kiss and then Charging them. I've also found that the traps you can set with Vigors are very helpful in the tougher battles.

Overall the game reminded me of a Michael Moorcock 'Eternal Champion' story with its multiversal twists and turns. Although it just occurred to me it might be similar to Roger Zelazny's Amber series.

I'm glad I bought it because the game is a hoot.

I've discovered I'm not so fond of the final battle. It's way too tough for me.

After going back to the last autosave for the fourth time and dying an average of four times per attempt I simply can't handle the adrenaline rush. There's too much for me to handle.

I could dial the difficulty back, but then I'd lose the achievement I'm going for. But I seriously doubt I'll ever win at the level I'm currently playing at.

Sigh. This will probably become one of those games I'll play until this point but it's unlikely I'll ever see the ending cutscene except on YouTube again.