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    BioShock

    Game » consists of 33 releases. Released Aug 21, 2007

    Venture into the mysterious, Utopian underwater city of Rapture and discover what has turned it into ruin in this first-person epic.

    Deep Look: Bioshock- Architecture

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    thatpinguino

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    Edited By thatpinguino  Staff

    Hey Bomb-niciates!

    Here is the latest Deep Look! Deep Looks are largely gameplay and commentary like a Giantbomb quicklook; however, I try to cover games that have been out for a while and I intend to use the videos to highlight moments and mechanics that I found interesting. Also I aim to keep the videos under 20 minutes.

    In this Deep Look I show off some of the small architectural details that define the city of Rapture in the early moments of Bioshock. Watch me break down how the values of Andrew Ryan and the city are chiseled into the very walls of Rapture. I only cover the initial level, but there is more than enough to dissect thanks to the dense level design. I leave no wall ornament un-turned in my search for symbolism!

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    thatpinguino

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    #1 thatpinguino  Staff

    I'm not 100% certain if I'm going to do another Bioshock deep look or if I should move on to another game. If anyone would like some other aspect of Bioshock to be spotlighted just let me know!

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    MindBullet

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    I watched it. Not bad, duder. It'd be interesting to see you analyze some of the later environments, especially Sander Cohen's pad and the area around Ryan's educational ride thing. Keep it up.

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    thatpinguino

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    #3  Edited By thatpinguino  Staff

    @mindbullet: I could certainly do those. Playing through the game quickly shouldn't be that bad. By Ryan's ride do you mean the become a Big Daddy part?

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    MindBullet

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    I mean the... I can't remember exactly, but it's the part where he uses animatronics to educated kids about his way of thinking under the guise of a theme park ride or something. It's basically one huge area where you get to see the whole indoctrination aspect of "the great chain" ideology, and one of my favorite bits of the game.

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    Video_Game_King

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    Hashbrowns

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    I mean the... I can't remember exactly, but it's the part where he uses animatronics to educated kids about his way of thinking under the guise of a theme park ride or something. It's basically one huge area where you get to see the whole indoctrination aspect of "the great chain" ideology, and one of my favorite bits of the game.

    Is it possible that's from Bioshock 2? I didn't play it myself, but there was footage similar to what you're describing in the Giant Bomb Video Review of the game. Is this some of what you're referring to?....

    Loading Video...

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    thatpinguino

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    #7  Edited By thatpinguino  Staff

    @hashbrowns: Dang the people making Bioshock games have had a ton of fun turning Rapture's core values into absurd landmarks. Those exhibits are great.

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    Slag

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    #8  Edited By Slag

    Your signoffs are getting better all the time man, easily your most natural sounding one yet. I didn't even notice it this time.

    I like the direction you've taken your series, (analyzing systems and environments) that seems to be an area few dabble in.

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    thatpinguino

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    #9 thatpinguino  Staff

    @slag: Thanks a bunch for all of the feedback! I'm trying to use the analytic mindset that I think sets me apart, and I hope that helps me stand out!

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    Slag

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    @thatpinguino:

    my pleasure man, making creative stuff on the internet is a bit of a hard thankless art where it's really hard to tell how it's being received or valued so I was always try to give people feedback when they want it. Let' em know it's being seen by actual ppl ya know?

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    crithon

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    #11  Edited By crithon

    wow, that was excellent. Actually you thought about it more then I did. Great work.

    You know, you should take a stab at bioshock 2, at some point it feels almost a parody at how they synthesize the bioshock aesthetic. But then Minerva's Den they actually did an better job creating the whole 1950s tech world.

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    thatpinguino

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    #12 thatpinguino  Staff

    @crithon: Thanks! I've never played Bioshock 2 since it seemed a bit like a retread of 1 except with a communist figure replacing Andrew Ryan. But it seems like that game might have been better than that. I've been meaning to play Minerva's Den. I guess the 2K humble bundle that is running right now would be a good place to pick it up.

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    crithon

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    #13  Edited By crithon

    @crithon: Thanks! I've never played Bioshock 2 since it seemed a bit like a retread of 1 except with a communist figure replacing Andrew Ryan. But it seems like that game might have been better than that. I've been meaning to play Minerva's Den. I guess the 2K humble bundle that is running right now would be a good place to pick it up.

    Oh it totally is, and like Hashbrowns posted up the best scene where it feels like a parody of itself. This is what bioshock 2 is "here's the symbol of the level." Even Minerva's Den is Guilty of that with the Rodin's" the Thinker" in the middle of the first level but then the game starts to really craft and built itself slowly till the end your like "Okay, Gone Home makes sense these guys have talent."

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    thatpinguino

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    #14 thatpinguino  Staff

    @crithon: Are the actual ideas expressed in Bioshock 2 worth seeing though? Or are they just more versions of the same symbols?

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    crithon

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    #15  Edited By crithon

    @thatpinguino: hmmmmm, it's interesting. As a fan of Bioshock it kinda gets it right, but half the time it does feel like cynical synthisis of the first games design. And it's not as good as Minerva's den.

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    but Minerva's Den really is smarter, like the amount of detail is totally worth analyzing.

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    But like Bioshock 2 really embodies that whole "Amusement park level design" everyone kept complaining about Infinite.

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    thatpinguino

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    #16 thatpinguino  Staff

    @crithon: Well I bought the 2K bundle so Bioshock 2 is on the docket!

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    crithon

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    @thatpinguino: cool beans, yeah, I noticed that was going on I bought it last year's summer sale when they were taking out the GFW off of Bioshock 2

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    Jazz_Bcaz

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    Man, Infinite fell so short of what made the first Bioshock work so well. The symbolism holds some sort of logical context instead of being tokenistic and gross.

    Keep youtubing as well with this sort of stuff. I'm really fond of this medium and it's accessibility so huge props to anyone willing to put the effort in. I presume you've seen Extra Credits and Errant Signal as well, great channels. You've always got to experiment with the format that's right for yourself and your audience but it'll keep getting better.

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    thatpinguino

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    #19 thatpinguino  Staff

    @jazz_bcaz: I think Infinite's biggest problem is that it is beholden to two masters: the city of Columbia with Comstock as its Andrew Ryan figure and the multiple universes. Bioshock's major plot twist was constantly happening in the background of that game, but it only barely had to take up audio logs or screen time. As a result Rapture and its cast of characters stood front and center with the commentary on choice in games being a great piece. The twist in the original was set up without seizing the story or the setting. Infinite has to set up Columbia and then start setting up its twist, and once the twist happens most of the political and social commentary in the game falls away, replaced by the multiple universe stuff. I think that lack of focus makes strong symbols seem tokenistic. Had the focus stayed on Columbia, I think we would hold the world of Columbia in as high a regard as people hold Rapture.

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