BIOSHOCK-ed!!!

[nick.keane]

The BioShock demo just came out for XBox 360 and is coming out for PC. Anybody play it?

I downloaded the demo after a fortnight to my XBox and it was freaking awesome! If you've never heard of BS (under-rock living is quite the way to live, or so I've heard), basically you get into this nasty plane crash into the ocean and are the only survivor. You find this huge, monolithic tower that takes you down about 18 fathoms (i think it's a bit deeper than that - that was just the last measurement shown) to a huge underwater city and you basically proceed to beat and zap the shit out of everything. It's pretty damn amazing in my opinion - you even get to beat a woman with a baby who is a revolver with a pipe wrench! Finally, a wonderous, highly-detailed game that teaches children how to survive if ever they should be lost in a gigantic underwater city! CRAAAAZY-GOOOD!!!

[Redwall]

No 360, so no demo yet (tomorrow), but I've been waiting for the game since the first announcement (back when it was set in an underground Nazi bunker), and for once it seems to be a game that lives up to its hype. The Eurogamer review is particularly glowing (and Eurogamer, unlike many gaming sites, is not afraid to deliver 1/10s, 2/10s, etc., so its reviews are actually somewhat useful.)

[Domino]

I downloaded and played the Demo on my 360 the other day. I really can't put into words what I thought about BioShock because i was in complete amazement.  I have to say it is one of the best demos i have ever played. Everything from the music to the graphics to the sound effects and overall atmosphere of the game really rocked my world.

The only bad part, was when the demo was over. Luckily i have the game pre-ordered and hopefully will be playing it next tuesday.

Would write more, but i'm at work.

[nick.keane]

My 360 is actually kind of broken and freezes up a lot, so I haven't played all the way through the demo. I got to the part where you first get the revolver and then it froze up a little beyond that. I'm definately going to send it in for repairs, b/c it shouldn't be freezing up at all.

The game starts out a lil' slow but picks up and gets really, really awesome, really really fast. I can't wait for the full version (on my PC of course)!!! I checked out the EG article too, sounds like my opinions are proven for more than just myself now!

[TheJBurger]

I really want to try the demo for this, but I don't have an Xbox 360. Any word when/if a PC demo is coming out?

[Ghost]

I'm sitting it out for the PC version, and, as a great fan of former games by the team (namely the System Shock games) I have great, great confidence that Bioshock will redefine some standards. I can wait for quality. This is no dis against consoles, it's just that for the life of it I can't comfortably play first-person-games with a joystick. I need a mouse and my trusty keyboard.

I saw their site. I saw some screenshots. I tapped some channels of information, surfed the net. I return in the happy hope that this thing will be all the things Doom3 wanted to be, plus a dozen things more.

Also, I can't resist to link this little thing...

Edit: JBurger, rumor has it a demo will be released first half of September. This is stated by a german pc magazine. Wouldn't bet a vital limb on it, though, for said mag isn't exactly known for precise information.

[Redwall]

I really want to try the demo for this, but I don't have an Xbox 360. Any word when/if a PC demo is coming out?

Friday aka tomorrow.

Originally I was just excited for a spiritual sequel to SS, but lots of articles from well-respected people who have played it suggest that it's a hell of a lot more than that. I'm kind of giddy for it at this point.

[nick.keane]

I'm sitting it out for the PC version, and, as a great fan of former games by the team (namely the System Shock games) I have great, great confidence that Bioshock will redefine some standards. I can wait for quality. This is no dis against consoles, it's just that for the life of it I can't comfortably play first-person-games with a joystick. I need a mouse and my trusty keyboard.

I saw their site. I saw some screenshots. I tapped some channels of information, surfed the net. I return in the happy hope that this thing will be all the things Doom3 wanted to be, plus a dozen things more.

Also, I can't resist to link this little thing...

Edit: JBurger, rumor has it a demo will be released first half of September. This is stated by a german pc magazine. Wouldn't bet a vital limb on it, though, for said mag isn't exactly known for precise information.

lol. those freakin' wasps... "And other shit that be freaky." The PC version is going to be $10 bucks less, and Irrational is used to making games for PC b/c of SS and SS2, so BioShock will probably be best on PC. That's my opinion though, some others might like analog control better, I'm fine with either, but I'll probably get it for my laptop, as my XBox is kind of going wacko on me and the XBox version will be more expensive.

BioShock is definately going to be better than Doom 3 - that's a fact!

[ildu]

Edit: JBurger, rumor has it a demo will be released first half of September. This is stated by a german pc magazine. Wouldn't bet a vital limb on it, though, for said mag isn't exactly known for precise information.

Actually, the demo was slated for tomorrow/today (Friday), but they pulled the announcement just hours ago. Anyhow, they've said that it will be released in a couple of days.

http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=48490

You really shouldn't trust magazines for dates in this fast-pace tech world we now live in .

Also, a number of X360 and PC versions of the game have been sold by mistake, by mainly Toys R Us. X360 has also already enjoyed a scene release. People who have bought the PC version commiserate over the fact that you literally can't play the game until the 21st of August, since it does require Internet access to unlock it. Running it on PC right now just prompts a screen that says you have to wait until that date.

[R4L]

The game looks awesome. I think the multiplayer plans are stupid though. I think if a game has such in awesome and interesting story, why drown it out with multiplayer? Halo did that, and no one appreciates the story. That's kind of a bad example, as the Halo 2 story wasn't any good.

I mean, if you can get immersed in the multiplayer experience, then thats good, but developers can't make multiplayer the focus of every game. I mean, could anyone see Silent Hill online? Even if it were great, do you think anyone would still pay attention to the story? (the series is known for it's awesome plots, and disturbing imagery)

Also ildu, can't you just set your computer clock to August 21 and play?

[Domino]

My 360 is actually kind of broken and freezes up a lot, so I haven't played all the way through the demo. I got to the part where you first get the revolver and then it froze up a little beyond that. I'm definately going to send it in for repairs, b/c it shouldn't be freezing up at all.

My 360 has froze so many times that i lost count. Thankfully i haven't received the 3 rings of death, but i am expecting it soon.

[DoorKnobHandle]

Also ildu, can't you just set your computer clock to August 21 and play?

If they went all the way to add in that security-check in the first place, I somehow doubt that works. It probably connects to a company-owned server and checks the date from there.

[ManicMatt]

If you do get 3 rings of death, microsoft increased the warranty to 3 years if your console has that problem. Old news but maybe you didnt know hey!

I played some of the Bioshock demo, looks like I'll buy it, but it just seems like a well polished FPS with cool powers in it to me, nothing revolutionary. 

[Redwall]

The game looks awesome. I think the multiplayer plans are stupid though.

First of all, Bioshock doesn't have multiplayer...?

I think if a game has such in awesome and interesting story, why drown it out with multiplayer? Halo did that, and no one appreciates the story. That's kind of a bad example, as the Halo 2 story wasn't any good.

Arbiter > Master Chief.

Also ildu, can't you just set your computer clock to August 21 and play?

Please read his post again... especially the part about unlocking through the Internet.

I played some of the Bioshock demo, looks like I'll buy it, but it just seems like a well polished FPS with cool powers in it to me, nothing revolutionary.

Die.

(Yes, I'm joking...

Maybe.)

[Domino]

Did anyone here play Prey?

I have that game, and 30 minutes of the BioShock demo trumps the whole game of Prey, which is so sleep inducing it's not even funny. I went back to playing Prey over the weekend and was sick and tired of every level looking the same. I believe Prey is using an enhanced Doom 3 engine, and it shows. Both are boring and repetitive. I'm sick of dark levels with no variety.

If you loved Prey, i'm sorry.
If you loved Doom 3, i'm sorry.

The original DOOM is way better than DOOM 3.

That's my 2 cents.

[Vince Twelve]

Burning desire for game: Check.

Desire to have Ken Levine's babies: Check.

Spare money to spend on console or better computer and a game: Ummm...

Time to play games: Yeah... no.

Shit.

[Stupot]

you even get to beat a woman with a baby...

Where the hell do you get a baby from to do that???

[Evil]

I'm am super hyped about this game! It looks awesome! Is the demo anything like the style of the demo video where they're killing the big daddy with the drill? The concept is superb, and the only thing I can tell might bug me is the low poly counts I've seen in the screenshots.

Domino, tell me more about the demo. I'd download the PC demo, but I'd rather hear what the 360 demo is like.

[nick.keane]

I'm actually hoping Irrational (2K Boston, but they'll always be Irrational to me) makes a patch or mod that adds in multiplayer b/c I would seriously love duking it out in those underwater localities with some buddies. I'm sure that at the very least, if people support Bioshock's release, Irrational will add up loads of new content, possibly even new features and multiplayer.

Where the hell do you get a baby from to do that???

The baby actually turned out to be a revolver (simple mistake  ) - you think it's a baby at first b/c it's in a crib and a crazy, demented soccer mom is talking to it.

I'm am super hyped about this game! It looks awesome! Is the demo anything like the style of the demo video where they're killing the big daddy with the drill? The concept is superb, and the only thing I can tell might bug me is the low poly counts I've seen in the screenshots.

You mean like in the X06 trailer? Well, in one section of the demo, a splicer pisses off a little sister and a big daddy jumps down, throws a chair, punches the f**ker in the face, drills through his chest, and then bashes him into/through the glass window you're standing behind. In other words, hella-f**kin-tight! There's also an entire room where you have to fight a giant mass of splicers - I would recommend hacking a turret you find, seriously. Combat in BioShock is very, very hard.

As for the lo-res screenshots, they're bull. BioShock doesn't look quite like the X06 trailer (seeing as that's a prerendered cinematic), but it's really, really close. Also, game demos usually have a tendency to be more "alpha"-versions of the finalize product - in other words, I doubt Irrational decided to make the demo on august 8th and release it on August 13th, so they probably made the demo out of a build they made, say, in February or March, which means that the final product will more-than-likely look better/different. But then again, I can't really say for sure. Looks fine to me in 32-inch HD!

Also, the game is fought underwater, so I really can't say that there is anything game-wise that I can compare bioshock's graphics to in terms of design. It's like something no-one has done yet...

...

Strangely, I'm getting the feeling that Call of Duty 5 is going to be fought underwater... hmm...

Domino, tell me more about the demo. I'd download the PC demo, but I'd rather hear what the 360 demo is like.

In simple terms, gorgeous and awesome, but it starts out fairly slow at the beginning. Not that it doesn't get faster, but you would think walking into a sheet of flaming debris would kill you outright. Basically, you crash near a huge tower, go down to the city of Rapture, be ambushed by a crazy hook person, get a wrench, beat people with said wrench, get electrical powers, navigate through a glass hallway into which part of the plane smashes into, fight, fight, fight, get a revolver, burn things, fight a load of splicers, and finish the demo! There's more, but I don't want to describe any further than that.

[Vince Twelve]

Also, game demos usually have a tendency to be more "alpha"-versions of the finalize product - in other words, I doubt Irrational decided to make the demo on august 8th and release it on August 13th, so they probably made the demo out of a build they made, say, in February or March, which means that the final product will more-than-likely look better/different.

I would strongly disagree with pretty much that whole paragraph.

The demo is almost certainly created from a near final build of the game by removing all the art/sound/code assets not needed by the demo.  It's a chunk of the whole, not an early version of the whole.  A developer would never release a demo of their soon-to-be-released blockbuster that lacked all the bug squashing, graphical improvements, and general polish that they had done in the past seven months.  The final version that you'll buy in the store will likely be identical to this in every way except for the few ways that they changed it specifically for the demo.

The general public will almost never see a game in it's alpha stage.  Especially since one of the definitions of an alpha release is that it's for internal testing.