Comments on: Bioshockette redux ++

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:28:40 +0000

The arrow can be turned on in the PC though, and off in the 360 version. What’s different is the /default/.

By: Alec Meer

Alec Meer — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:17:23 +0000

The PC version looks better without a doubt (presuming you have a relatively decent graphics card). It also sports extra options like being able to disable the (slightly overdone) ‘loot glint’ that places a shimmer around important items. According to Kieron, it also doesn’t have an annoying giant arrow on-screen that tells you where to go at all times. So, in terms of immersion and appearance, PC wins. There’s also factors like patching and fan mods that could improve and further it far beyond the set form of the 360 version.

The bugs, though, may be another matter. We’ve some 360 copies of the game kicking about but not full PC code – hopefully tomorrow. I’ll report on any technical probs on in it if and when I encounter them.

By: John Hummel

John Hummel — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:09:25 +0000

@Jamie: I’m in the same dilemma, save I’m considering buying a 360. So far, the PC Demo seems to run “OK” at 800×600 on my computer (P4 2.4 Ghz), which is fine – I might miss 1024×768, but I’m not going to weep over it.

I’m just worried about these reports of crashes and the like on the full version, so maybe I’ll wait until I get back from my trip to decide.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:25:27 +0000

Hmmmm I am undecided as to what version of the game to get on Friday….. PC or 360 ? Are there any major differences ?

Would normally default to PC for the mouse keyboard combo, but am worried that most of the hype (I have read) has surrounded the 360…

What do you think PC or XBox 360 ?

By: faceometer

faceometer — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:23:01 +0000

“Fourthly: Over half a dozen flushable toilets! Just in the demo alone! They’re even better on the PC because the swirling water’s incredibly detailed. The Looking Glass/Irrational family tree has always been great for toilets, and I’m happy that fine tradition continues.”

I’m glad somebody else knows the drill on toilets. Myself I spent much of my BioShock Demo time in these fantastic 50s facilities – they bode well for the game! Was disappointed by the lack of urinals in the mens, however..

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:32:28 +0000

In order: Yes, there’s a fair bit of health and Eve. Not as much as the demo, but a fair bit. You do tend to burn through them though.

No, there’s not a regeneration chamber in every room. I’d say they were about as common as Shock 2’s.

I don’t consider it enormously less difficult than Shock 2, though it’s hard to tell. I’m a much better gamer – especially of Shock-esque games – than the first time I played Shock 2. And I think in terms of the difficulty curve, they got it a little smoother than Shock 2 – there’s no actual vicious spike like when you went down into the storage. Put it like this: I didn’t find it too easy. I died regularly. The only time I felt actively powerful was near the close, where I had started being a bit clever and carefully milking the various ways of producing the relevant ammo with plasmid-combos. For most of the game I was having to consider what I was going to spend every penny on – and it was usually health and eve packs. In fact, I feel I spent a lot more money on the pair of them than I did in Shock 2, actually…

That said, if you’re a really experienced Shock-head, you may want to just turn the dial to hard to begin with. How hard do you want it, y’know…

By: Pidesco

Pidesco — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:48:32 +0000

One thing that worried me about the demo that you guys haven’t mentioned, is the over abundance of health and eve recovery items. Does the same thing happen in the full game?

Also, there seems to be a regeneration chamber in almost every room. Again, is it the same in the full game?

Fianlly, isn’t the game way too easy when compared with System Shock 1 and 2?

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:04:28 +0000

No, they’re only in the demo.

By: Turin Turambar

Turin Turambar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:58:09 +0000

So now we have another doubt. Are the changes (ie. more action) only in the demo, to give the people a more intense experience in the short length of the demo, or are they representative of the overall changes done in the pc version developed by 2k Australia, because they thought the pc crowd needs more shooting?

I hope that’s not the latters case.

By: arqueturus

arqueturus — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:26:50 +0000

I’m so glad to read Kieron’s comments on this. One of the things that struck me after downloading and playing the demo through was the sheer pace of it, almost to the the point it felt like running and gunning. I was expecting something more along the lines of SS2’s measured pace.

The ‘consoliness’ of it is both a blessing and a curse, I miss miniscule PC text and maps but love the over all slickness of the controls (switching between plasmids and weapons is a joy) and the overall polish.

cheers arq

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:30:30 +0000

You just don’t know how to party, Dan.

Meer: People are talking about it online simply haven’t played the game. They’re arguing a conceptual thing. While I’m normally all for the Halo-approach to health, I think a Call of Duty approach just won’t have worked at all in a game like Bioshock. It’s a game about managing resources. In a truly non-linear game like Bioshock, the ability to retreat to just return to maximum ability reduces that aspect hugely. In any real fight in Bioshock – i.e. a big daddy – you’re going to blow through about four or five health packs. “Just” regenerating isn’t really good enough in the game – you have a depleted health bar, etc. It’s not like Prey where you die and just go back in at your maximum power.

By: Dan Hockley

Dan Hockley — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:19:38 +0000

I was surprised at how eager the protagonist was to plunge a 1 inch needle containing a mystery red substance into his arm.