Bioshock: Convince me to play it and like it!

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 22-05-2015 12:50am #1

I have always been fascinated by the Bioshock Trilogy. I have all 3 games on Steam, and I have yet to play any of them properly.

I cannot seem to pull myself into the game! I have a very similar feeling towards Half Life but as of this moment I can't be bothered with that franchise.

What is so good about Bioshock that it drives such popularity among gamers? What sells it? I'm told it's the story, but how good is the story? Here's what it looks like from my outside, narrow-minded perspective.

It's a first-person shooter with small horror elements and a good story.

My girlfriend finished all three games and told me she loved every minute of it. And she is a very picky gamer, she plays the smallest handful of AAA titles and her favourite game is The Last of Us. So if she is convinced by Bioshock, surely I should be as well?

Long story short: What is good about Bioshock and why should I play it, now? I'm intrigued but have never been fully interested in playing it..

(P.S. Motivation gets me in the mood to play certain games, this is basically what I'm fishing for :P)

pablomakaveli · 22-05-2015 12:59am

It has some of the best settings in gaming history. Rapture ,in particular, and Colombia are oozing with great atmosphere and history.

The story in the first Bioshock is great with a famous twist that provides a "holy ****" moment when it occurs. Bioshock 2 is a probably the weakest in the story department. Bioshock Infinite has a great story too though i felt it was overrated massively.

In terms of gameplay they're not massively original but i did find them fun to play.

It is a great trilogy overall though and worth giving a go.

swine · 22-05-2015 1:08am

If the demo to BioShock 1 doesn't sell you (first half hour or so) then I wouldn't bother. BioShock is all about the atmosphere and the setting. Years after playing it I still have vivid memories of outstanding parts of it. Gameplay wise it's not re-inventing the wheel or anything. The plasmids are pretty fun to play about with. For what it's worth I never got on with the HL games.

Damn it, now I want to play BioShock again.

dreamers75 · 22-05-2015 1:24am

Play 1 and 3.

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 22-05-2015 1:30am

See my problem is I have a lot of trouble immersing myself into a game on PC. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and, of course, Boards (lol) distracts me and my monitor is too small for my liking (23").

I have over 100 games in my Steam library (most of them are AAA titles, I think) but the only game I seem to keep looking at and hesitating to click 'Play' on is this game.

I really want to get into this game's setting and story. It takes me a while before I find that *ding* moment where I finally sink into a game and I don't want to turn it off.

No game has done it for me this year so far, much to my surprise, as last year was a great year for me.

I will download all three games and try it out over the course of the week.

Watching trailers helps me get into a game as well.

Cheers for the hype ride, lads

dreamers75 · 22-05-2015 1:32am

Would you kindly play bioshock?

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 22-05-2015 1:32am

dreamers75 wrote: »

Would you kindly play bioshock?

On it :P

J. Marston · 22-05-2015 1:34am

dreamers75 wrote: »

Play 1 and 3.

Play 2 as well. 2 gets too much criticism, it's not on 1 and Infinite's level but is still a quality game.

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 22-05-2015 1:36am

J. Marston wrote: »

Play 2 as well. 2 gets too much criticism, it's not on 1 and Infinite's level but is still a quality game.

Chances are I probably won't notice any bad points. I'm oblivious to things like that sometimes. I suppose that's the best way to be!

Potential-Monke · 22-05-2015 2:01am

Whatever about the atmosphere, the setting, the story, etc. Just play it for one of the best "HOLY SHEIT" moments in entertainment history. Up there with The Usual Suspects for that!

YouSavedMyLife · 22-05-2015 2:44am

Bioshock 1 is pretty amazing. 2 was pretty good also. Infinite got rave reviews but i had to uninstall it about 3-4 hours in, It just bored me to tears.

Play 1 and 2, skip Infinite :cool:

CianRyan · 22-05-2015 3:29am

I think I've made a big mistake but I've played 2, got about halfway through, put Destiny back in and haven't thought about bioshock since.
I was enjoying it to an extent but it always felt a bit clunky to me and the story wasn't doing much for me either. Rapture had me a little depressed too...

I don't know, I'll probably finished it at some stage but I feel like I'm forcing it.

crybaby · 22-05-2015 7:47am

YouSavedMyLife wrote: »

Bioshock 1 is pretty amazing. 2 was pretty good also. Infinite got rave reviews but i had to uninstall it about 3-4 hours in, It just bored me to tears.

Play 1 and 2, skip Infinite :cool:

Thought infinite was incredible but I never played one or two...

Skerries · 22-05-2015 7:48am

I take it you have played other FPS games and enjoyed them, so what is putting you off this one which actually has a good story compared to the multitude of other series of FPS games that are churned out with barely any story?

Sephiroth_dude · 22-05-2015 9:25am

Infinite I loved ,i loved the setting,couldn't get into 1 or 2 at all though.

22-05-2015 10:54am

Bioshock was one of the first games I played on my Xbox 360 and was also one of the first games where I became fully immersed with everything - the setting, the mood, the characters. Bioshock 2 wasn't a bad game, but it just was nowhere near as good as it's predecessor. Having said that, the DLC for 2, Minerva's Den, is just as good as the first game so I've heard - I haven't played it. With regards to Bioshock Infinite - I loved it. Sure the combat was repetitive and each fight felt more like a stage than actual combat, but it was the music, the atmosphere, the story that drew me in and still grabs me.

I often say that Last of Us and Infinite are very similar games - let's have it, LoU was quite repetitive in many aspects and had way too many convenient things to hide behind, but peoples always rage about the story, not the gameplay.

The thing with Bioshock is that I'm not sure how effective it would be to play now for the first time - back then, there just weren't many games like it. It still looks beautiful despite its age.

Generic Dreadhead · 22-05-2015 11:01am

OP: just play it, if you don't like it after say, 8 hours, just move along, not every game is to everyones tastes.

Everyone else:

Even alluding to the twist is not cool

XVII · 22-05-2015 11:25am

Get a bottle of wine, and play the third one.

CatInABox · 22-05-2015 11:29am

As has been stated, the setting and theme of Bioshock is probably the best thing about, I found the mechanics of it to be "not great".

As for taking time to get sucked into it, I had the same problem, just didn't click for some reason, at least until you get to a certain point in the story and everything that you just went through is put in perspective.

Also, I really love level design, and this has some absolutely brilliant ones. The guy that did "Cradle" in thief did a few of the levels in this, one in particular that sticks in my mind constantly is the ballroom, where there's enemies coming from all sides, with classical music blaring out at you, until finally you realise that you're not dodging enemies or strafing sideways, you're in a vicious, violent dance to the death. Pure class.

steve_r · 22-05-2015 11:54am

I'd add another option - System Shock 2.

I'm working my way through the series. Bioshock 1 was my favourite, original story and atmosphere.

I think Bioshock 2 suffers as the gameplay is more or less the same, the story and atmosphere aren't as strong or compelling. On it's own it would be considered a very good game.

I've mixed feelings about infinite - halfway through at the moment. Gameplay appears the same (bar the skylining) and the story isn't grabbing me. The environment is very expansive and it seems like a gigantic world. I'll stick with it.

Overall I think they are very good games, but not quite as good as the critics might make them out to be. Certainly playing all three back to back shows the flaws in the gameplay. I'm not a good gamer but I never get stuck on anything and it all seems to be more linear than it should be. The "Leveling up" aspects seems to come a bit too easy and there's no real hard choices to be made.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 22-05-2015 12:14pm

Its been about a week since I finished Bioshock infinite and I'm still thinking about it. what a great story.

Bioshock has always for me been a game that somehow elevates itself above the sum of its parts, the shooting / puzzles / graphics (on console anyway) are propped up by consistent art design, story, and atmosphere.

Its worth remembering that not all games appeal to all men though, so if you're not enjoying it after 6 or 7 hours, you're not going to enjoy the rest they have to offer.

TerrorFirmer · 22-05-2015 2:24pm

I thought Bioshock Infinite was a pretty good game but it didn't capture the imagination like Bioshock and Bioshock 2 did - Rapture was just a much more immersive, hauntingly fascinating world. The DLC for Bioshock Infinite is good though.

The original Bioshock is hands down the best of them by a long shot though - belongs on any 'must play' list, which can't be really said of the other two even though they are good games too.

Bioshock 2 gets stick but the problem was that it was just more of the same rather than something new - I personally loved it all the same and thought it was a very good game, wasn't made by the same people as Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite though. Just a very 'safe' sequel.

I'd still rate them Bioshock, Bioshock 2, Bioshock Infinite.

wotzgoingon · 22-05-2015 3:34pm

I played the first Bioshock when it first came out on xbox and it was ok never bothered getting the rest. I may do in the future if I finish playing my back log. Another series I played the first but not the rest was Assassins Creed.

Midkemia · 22-05-2015 3:43pm

I played bioshock infinite and thought it was incredible. Lack of ammo really forces you to use a variety of weapons and the vigour aspect is really cool. Story is gripping and after I was finished I was thinking about it for weeks afterwards on par with the last of us single player for me.

friend and foe · 22-05-2015 4:21pm

i absolutely adored bioshock 1 after giving it a bit of time.. i was intrigued by the setting and atmosphere, which i grew to love, but what got me completely hooked was after unlocking a few plasmids fairly early on.

messing about with those was great fun, and the mechanics worked well together i though.. set a guy on fire,and watch him run to a water leak to put it out. then, as he's standing in the puddle of water from the leak, it's shockingly good fun to watch him dance as you electrocute him, with extra damage for the fact he's in a wet zone.. finally, the icing on the cake is when you then freeze him solid to within an inch of his life and shatter the bugger with one lovely thwack of the wrench...

seriously, that just never gets old

also, i might be in the minority here, but i really enjoyed the whole 'hacking' scenario puzzles

Joshua J · 22-05-2015 4:38pm

Got the 3 in a steam sale about 6 months ago. Played 1 and spent about 2 hours setting up and killing a big daddy and a load of other bad dudes and finally did it was delighted. Moved on a bit and forgot to save got killed and rage quit. Not touched it since.

22-05-2015 5:27pm

What I would give to play Bioshock 1 for the first time with headphones on and a projector....

Play Bioshock 1
Bioshock 2 (Bashed for ridiculous reasons)
Bioshock 2 Minervas Den (Finest DLC ever released IMO)
Bioshock infinite dlc 1 & 2 (Link in Bioshock 1) not so much infinite main game

Icaras · 22-05-2015 7:07pm

J. Marston wrote: »

Play 2 as well. 2 gets too much criticism, it's not on 1 and Infinite's level but is still a quality game.

Another shout our for 2. Its a different type of game - your prepping, hacking and getting organised before battles rather than running and gunning.

Oafley Jones · 22-05-2015 7:54pm

Icaras wrote: »

Another shout our for 2. Its a different type of game - your prepping, hacking and getting organised before battles rather than running and gunning.

Didn't like some of the story retcon that was in 2, but it's a better game than Infinite. It is easy to understand why it's viewed as disappointment though, it feels more like a huge piece of DLC instead of a whole new game. The setting in Infinite is wasted. So much potential for a much more interesting experience.

ZeroThreat · 22-05-2015 8:01pm

This song sums up the first 2 bioshock games.

Kirby · 22-05-2015 8:15pm

This one is better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIwC9_VCZCY

penev10 · 22-05-2015 8:25pm

I only played Bioshock for the first time this year (just too many other games got in the way, I'm looking at you Demon's/Dark Souls!)

Found it excellent. One of the most atmospheric environments I've encountered with an engaging storyline and interesting characters. It feels old but I liked that - it takes ages to reload your gun for instance which slows down combat and resources are scarce so you need to be inventive with ammo etc.

I'm about half way through Bioshock 2 and it's inferior in most ways, still worth a play but its more like an epilogue to the first game. Also the combat has been modernised and thus feels like every other shooter

I still plan on finishing it as the world is one I'm invested in now and I want to see how the third game pans out.

Kirby · 22-05-2015 8:34pm

Infinite will blow you socks off. The DLC is particularly good.

gaius c · 22-05-2015 10:55pm

All three games are excellent. Story is strongest in 1 and 3 but 2 has the best gameplay.

Treat yourself and play them all in order. I'm jealous because I'll never get to play BioShock for the first time again.

ZeroThreat · 22-05-2015 11:47pm

gaius c wrote: »

All three games are excellent. Story is strongest in 1 and 3 but 2 has the best gameplay.

Treat yourself and play them all in order. I'm jealous because I'll never get to play BioShock for the first time again.

Don't have time to play games atm, but I played through 1, 2 and infinite back last December, started to play through the infinite expansion set in Rapture but never finished it.

Right Turn Clyde · 22-05-2015 11:48pm

I played Infinite recently and I packed it in after a few hours. I was spending way too much time either searching cabinets, or feeling like I was missing out by not searching through them. I can handle that in an RPG, but not in something that works best as a straight up shooter. I felt the same about the original Bioshock. Ultimately I think it's a fascinating series, but that aspect of the gameplay is not for me.

Retr0gamer · 22-05-2015 11:55pm

Bioshock is a very hard game to go back to a play these days. After the hype I'm not sure if it's even a fun game.
and from one controversial opinion to a correct one, infinite is kind of poo.

dreamers75 · 23-05-2015 12:01am

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Bioshock is a very hard game to go back to a play these days. After the hype I'm not sure if it's even a fun game.
and from one controversial opinion to a correct one, infinite is kind of poo.

Theres always one and its usually retro

Retr0gamer · 23-05-2015 7:52am

Well I adored the game when it came out but tried to play it again recently and just put it down after a few hours because I just wasn't enjoying it. Maybe I burned out on it.

I'll stand by what I said about infinite though, it's a poor shooter and the story is nonsense. The second piece of DLC was surprisingly great, lots of fun to be had there. The story retconning of infinite though is embarrassing.

penev10 · 23-05-2015 12:58pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Bioshock is a very hard game to go back to a play these days. After the hype I'm not sure if it's even a fun game.

I played it for the first time this year and I liked the "dated" feel. The slow reloading/switching weapons just felt more realistic and added an extra element of strategy (alongside the scarce ammo) to combat. The figure-it-out-yourself nature of some of the missions was like a breath of fresh air. The levels organically join up and are well designed to give a feeling of space and size (even if its mostly smoke and mirrors)

The second game undoes all of these "flaws" with faster combat and linear levels. The story is wafer thin also.

Retr0gamer · 23-05-2015 2:13pm

I probably spoiled myself with System Shock 2 which I played after Bioshock and found it to be a far better game.

Free Hat · 23-05-2015 2:21pm

I have only played the first Bioshock.

I was like the OP in that I had it on my console for ages and played the first 30 mins but abandoned it and couldn't bring myself to get into it.

Eventually, I got back to it and began playing through it. I would say it is in my top 5 games of all time. Probably remember more scenes from Bioshock than any other game. The story is gripping and the gameplay is actually excellent I thought. Brilliant, brilliant game. Played through it again about 2 months after and enjoyed it even more!

Riesen_Meal · 23-05-2015 9:31pm

BioShock 1 and Infinite for me, picked up all 3 for a tenner today on the humble bundle, will be getting the content for Infinite now soon, will be playing that....

Mal-Adjusted · 24-05-2015 8:56pm

Gamer Bhoy 89 wrote: »

I have always been fascinated by the Bioshock Trilogy. I have all 3 games on Steam, and I have yet to play any of them properly.

Bioshock is good but probably a little bit dated now. The style and level design is top notch, as is the whole steampunk weapons and setting. It's far from perfect though, the pacing is fairly poor and it throws in one too many fetch-quests. It has some interesting characters and a decent story but nothing special. A lot of people will tell you that the story is great, I suspect what they mean is that the twist is great, but i can't really say anything more there...

overall, it's a damn good shooter and well worth your time, even if it's cheerleaders probably praise it a bit more than they should.

I have Bioshock 2 on PC and haven't gotten around to it yet, haven't touched Infinite either.

Gamer Bhoy 89 wrote: »

I cannot seem to pull myself into the game! I have a very similar feeling towards Half Life but as of this moment I can't be bothered with that franchise

I love Half-Life. It's also an imperfect gem. There's feckall story to worry about while you have fun mowing down almost everything that moves. The platforming sections are poor (like all first person platforming) but the combat is challenging, especially with the soldiers.
Half-Life 2 is meh though. (yes, i went there!)

marco_polo · 25-05-2015 2:14am

Unfortunately it's very very hard to go back to BioShock 1 having played the second game as the gameplay mechanics/controls which were mildly irrating first time around get a promotion to uber frustrating in hindsight. Most everything else is vastly superior in 1 though. The level design and all round ambience are still right up there IMO, and the story ain't half bad either.

25-05-2015 12:58pm

I loved the first one but got bored of the third one after an hour or two. Just felt like a generic shooter. I didn't like Columbia at all.

Potatoeman · 25-05-2015 2:06pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I loved the first one but got bored of the third one after an hour or two. Just felt like a generic shooter. I didn't like Columbia at all.

It gets lots of praise but I wasn't a fan. One was great and two was good (the combat was improved but nothing new in the story).

In three I didn't like only having two weapons. I found I just used the rocket launcher and rifle but not much else.
I really liked the Rapture setting but Columbia just wasnt scary. The big Daddy knock offs were a pain. They just jump out of nowhere and charge you. The old ones needed planning. I just didnt care for the gameplay.

Bioshock: Convince me to play it and like it!

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