Over-Hyped
I had the unfortunte pleasure of being a HUGE Bioshock fanboy before the game was released. I spent my free time reading every article, watching every video interview, and contributing to every forum about what the game might have in store for us hardcore gamers. I was very disappointed once I finished my first play through of Bioshock, and could not complete my second due to the fact that the game was so linear and boring.
You are introduced to many of the games mechanics almost right off the bat, and because of that the first level is enjoyable, but after a while it be comes more of the same over and over and over again.
When I found myself watching videos and other advertisements for the game, I remember hearing "explore and underground world that went wrong". The only thing that wrong was the level design, and the sheer lack of extra "explorable" areas within it. Many of the areas looked a little different, and there were a few little nooks and cranny's but that was all the game really had.
I was hoping for many side quests, and interections with some of the survivors or people who werent gene splicers. An extra story here or there would have broadened my entire feelings of the world and would make it feel real. But in fact all I got from the game was a "shoot everything you see experience". There were some easter eggs with the tape recordings thrown across the world, but after a while it got annoying because certain monsters would attack me while I listened to the recordings, and it would lessen my entire gaming experience. I also had trouble following the story that was being portrayed through many of the tape recordings. I feel that maybe flash backs would have been a better outlet for the creators to display their stories.
The little sisters weren't so much as a moral choice to me rather then a competitive one. Once I choose to use them one way I felt compelled to do more of the same, since I was being rewarded for doing so. I also feel like they were introduced to early in the game to really allow the gamer to make an educated choice about how to make your first move.
The plasmids are also another big feature in the game. Though I found myself only using telekenisis after I first got it, considering its low cost of mana (magic spirit blue goo...stuff) and the fact that it could pick up about anything. Also the fact that it did the most damage didn't hurt it's charm.
Yes there was a plot twist for the ages, and i do say I love me some plot twists. But as me being the main character it really didn't effect game play. It also didn't help me enjoy the plot twist when the level right after the big reveal was raelly quite annoying, and missed its mark of making you feel on the run.
Overall, it had the potential to be a truely immersive world that was "living and breathing" but in the end it just reminded me of a classical shooter like doom where you would run around open locked doors and shoot anything that moves. The story was decent, the concept was great, but the gameplay and the world feel short for me. That is why I only give it one and a half stars.
