BioShock - I've never been so scared!

[jonnypez]

I've never been the type of guy to be scared easily in movies. I recall going on dates where the girl would freak out during a scary scene and then hit me because I would be laughing at the movie instead of shitting my pants.

Well, I just about shat my pants playing BioShock!

Its such a thrilling experience to be IN a scary movie. For example, after buying something new from one of the very helpful vending machines in the game I turn around and see a frozen 'splicer'... thinking "was that mannequin there before?"... if I was watching a movie the answer would be obvious, and I would be laughing at how clueless the victim is... but I'm not watching a movie, I'm in a movie... and I really can't remember if that frozen scary creature was standing behind me just before I bought that weapon upgrade.

So I creep up to take a closer look. Perhaps loot the corpse.... AND THEN IT STARTS ATTACKING ME!!! Along with the creepiest sound/music design i've ever heard in a game.

I still have chills running up my spine.

[intima]

Yeah, it was a pretty creepy game. One sequence that really gave me the creeps (without spoiling anything) was when the memories of the farm and your family flashed up for a split second (same thing in Sunshine - I thought the eeriest bits were the 1 frame snapshots of people).

The second most creepy bit (again, without storyline spoilers, but it might spoil a scary moment for anyone who hasn't completed the game) was when you're in this really long room with a few corpses in it, and you start to walk down, reach the first corpse and the lights go out for about 5 seconds - so you're just standing there scared stiff. Then they come back on and the corpse at your feet is gone. Then you walk forward a bit more and theres 2 more corpses at your feet - same thing happens. Then you reach the end, but this time the lights go out and when they come back on all of the corpses are standing right in front of you and start mauling you. I had to burn my boxers after that moment, they weren't fit for wearing again.

[satori]

As a team I think they achieved more with the predecessor SystemShock 2. There were much fewer encounters with agressors so it was a much slower game. Instead the creapiness factor was achieved through lack of an enemy, you didn't know what would be around the next corner etc. I found that far more creapy. Still, as an overall game Bio-Shock is a better experience as it keeps you engaged on so many levels.

[bradschl]

Yeah, although Bioshock was definitely creepier and had the potential to be scarier, there's one large difference between the two.

In Bioshock, with all your plasmids and weapons, I really felt like I was the scariest thing in the area. Especially once I got going, I never felt like something could jump me that I couldn't handle.

I don't remember having that feeling of uber-awesomeness in System Shock 2.

[denmmurray]

Well...I think that's what they want you to feel. They want you to initially feel lost in a world you don't understand but then get to a point where you realize that you can become the master of that world.


On a side note...


I would give my left nut to have a 360 and bioshock right now.

[limeygeeza]

I just finished the game last night (my first run through, plan on doing it again on 'hard').

Truly is an awesome experience, at the beginning I felt overwhelmed by all the splicers, but as mentioned as you progress, you really do become something to be feared yourself.

No doubt one of the best games I have ever played, between this and Gears of War how can anyone not have a 360?

I agree with Jeff though - it comes close to Half Life 2...close (can't wait to experience HL2 again and the rest of the episodes on the 360 now!)

[patch]

The only point were I was really 'scared'. Was in the dentists office. For those who went in there and went up to the desk. You know what I'm talking about. I was chating with a friend when it happend. I actually screamed, it caught me so off gaurd. My friend was yelling at me for hurting his ears. Lol.

Other then that tho. I was just really on edge throughout the game. I HATED when they started to play dead.

[taozoo4u]

i was only seriously scared when you witness the ghost scenes espically the one in the autopsy room with all the screaming. but the game was amazing because everything in the game just played out perfectly. now would you kindly give me free stuff

and remember
A man chooses,
A slave obeys!

[muffins]

lol I tend to listen to podcasts when playing games like Bioshock and Doom III

[bradschl]

The only point were I was really 'scared'. Was in the dentists office. For those who went in there and went up to the desk. You know what I'm talking about. I was chating with a friend when it happend. I actually screamed, it caught me so off gaurd. My friend was yelling at me for hurting his ears. Lol.

Other then that tho. I was just really on edge throughout the game. I HATED when they started to play dead.

Damn you're right. Even when you can definitely tell something scary's about to go down, that part in the dentists office still freaked me out.

Also, towards the end I just started shooting every corpse that looked even remotely alive. A couple times I got lucky.

[no-pulse]

Would you kindly explain what went on in the dentist office?

youre not talking about when the screen turns white and then...

are you?

[tarmanydyn]

Just beat the game 5-minutes ago, I figured I'd post about it in this thread, rather than just make another one.

I'll just address a few points about the game, while they're still fresh in my head.

Note: I beat the game on normal, 'exorcising' the Little Sister'. Opted for the 360 version, since no way in hell am I supporting a Securom game.

- First off, this has already been mentioned previously in this thread, but I'll just reiterate. The game is just too easy, granted I was just playing on normal, but past the mid-game, I haven't died once. The end-boss was just laughable, and that fact alone lessened the ending.

- Honestly, I tried to have an emotional response to the game, I wanted to feel some sympathy over the Little Sister's but given the repetition of the 'exorcising', it seemed to relegate the LS's as no more than plot devices. The simple fact that I've equated them to the precious Adam, made any emotional connection impossible. That would have been fine, if I was harvesting them, but 'saving' them gave the same effect. I was simply doing it for the Adam.
With that said, the developers have failed in making the LS aspect of the game compelling. I've exorcised at least 10 of them, two words: diminishing returns

- Past the early mid-point of the game, I've pretty much had too much money, I constantly kept hitting the money cap in the game. And same with many of my different ammo. Considering the fact that supposedly "ammo conservation is stressed as "a key gameplay feature"", the amount of supplies you get is simply ridiculous, I never once thought that I needed more ammo. The only times I really purchased ammo, was just to make room for more money, because I hit the max cash... again.

- The amount of similarities to System Shock 2 is pretty astounding, yet sadly, it seems to discredit the game, as it's a fairly watered down version. Bioshock is certainly much simpler, getting rid of having to fumble with an inventory system, the new research system, and completely getting rid of the equipment wear/tear. But I say that almost as a negative, I liked the complexity of SS2. Nothing was more terrifying than having your gun jam on you in the middle of a heavy firefight, and having to repair your weapon, while they were all still hitting you. It was those "Oh shit!" moments that made SS2, and not once did I get that in Bioshock, my experience with it was unfortunately lax.

- However, not to be completely negative, even the research system has changed, I think I like the new one better, although I'm still having some contention. The old system required you to a) have the necessary component from an enemy (random after you kill one), b) the necessary chemicals, c) the necessary research skill, and finally d) spend some time actually doing the research. The system was cumbersome to say the least, while the new research system is much more dynamic. While you could progress slowly by taking pictures of corpses, you had the choice to boost progress substantially by taking pictures while you were in combat, which made it a little more exciting than the old system.

- I'm extremely disappointed by the small number of enemies in the game, there are about 5 different splicers, 2 different Big Daddy types, and one end boss... considering the length of the game (which I find is fairly long... it's a good thing), combat can get fairly dull. Even with some of the mini-bosses, or the enemies with plasmids, fights become routine fairly early on.

- Pacing was decent enough, but Satori hit it on the nail. Some of the creepiest moments in SS2 were the parts with no enemies at all, when you've gone for a while with out a fight, you become relaxed enough to the point where your paranoia wears off. By the time an enemy is around the corner, you probably didn't expect one to be there.
Bioshock does the same thing in principle, but because the game throws enemies at you constantly, it doesn't let your adrenaline wear off from the last fight, and you're never caught off guard. Not only that, but the respawning of enemies is incredibly predictable, mainly because it ALWAYS DOES IT. I don't think I've ever backtracked to an old area, to find that it's still abandoned, there are always enemies lurking about, which completely destroys any suspense.

- Another note I completely agree with is brad's, the feeling of being uber-powerful. But I think this is related to how much supplies you're given. You certainly had powerful weapons and abilities in SS2, but it was a matter of whether you could spare using them! It's one thing to have a BFG, a completely different issue is getting ammo for it. I remember several moments in SS2 where I thought, "god damn it, why did I use X, I should have saved it", then reload an old save. In fact, I reloaded saves a lot of times, either because I used up too much ammo in a fight, lost too much health, etc.
In Bioshock, I'd just spray with whatever weapon I had, didn't matter if I was low on that particular ammo, because I likely had $500 on me anyways...

That's it... for now, lol.

[patch]

Would you kindly explain what went on in the dentist office?

youre not talking about when the screen turns white and then...

are you?

When you walk up to the desk in the 'examination' room, loot it and turn around and, not only you in real life, but your character too. Piss your pants.

EDIT: tarmanydyn, you need to go back and play it on the hardest setting. Then you are always strapped for ammo and cash, and you won't feel as uber.

And as for being pulled into the game on an emotional stand point. Well, I think thats just you, because I was. I, like the splicers, became addicted to Adam and I also came to feel sad when I had to kill a Bigdaddy. All they were doing was protecting little girls. They wouldn't mess with you if you didn't mess with them or their little sisters and I felt bad for the little sisters. They didn't decide to splice like everyone else. They were forced to become what they were. when I finally got to Ryan and everything flipped on its head, I was totally taken aback.

SPOILER!!!




When Ryan started saying how I wasn't making the choices, I was thinking "Yes I did, I chose to come kill you to save Rapture. I chose to come get revenge for Atlas because you killed his family." When he acused me of being with the CIA or the FBI. I thought "Ha! Shows what he knows!". I took the role of Jack. I was Jack, and so, I thought as Jack.

[kilroyperrywinkle]

Too easy.

Concept was great, the "dairies" were awesome. Great music and voice acting.

But...


It turns into a FPS version of Megaman.

Defeated it in days, and found the whole ending lackluster and left me wanting and not in the good way.

[tarmanydyn]

Just a little addendum:

- I've since restarted the game on the hard difficulty, and my play time has been more enjoyable, if just because it's a bit more challenging. Certainly nothing ball-busting, but, just difficult enough.

- But just to get back to my criticizing of my first go around. Just to reiterate, the path I chose was to 'save' the Little Sisters and for those of you who have played that story arch know that (*SPOILER ALERT*) you become a Big Daddy. The major thing that irked me so much was that the whole process was done incredibly unceremoniously, it was literally played out as follows:

"Now you're a big daddy, here's some damage resistance and a goofy giant helmet."

For christ's sake, even after 'fully transforming', i.e. putting on the suit, the graphics for your hands stay the same. This last one is just a little annoyance, but if I was immersed in the game at that point, I would have been drawn out by the little detail. Further more, you aren't even given the chance to use the Big Daddy abilities. It would have been an incredible moment in the game to mow down some Splicers with the Bouncer's drill, or the Rosie's rivet gun, or even go toe-to-toe with several Big Daddies, as opposed to the hackneyed duel.

[tarmanydyn]

Sorry to keep resing this dead thread but I found this interesting, from The Escapist forum:

---

Phew, finished it today. Overall, I loved it. The atmosphere, the story, the characters, the art direction, the gameplay -- oh wow, the gameplay!

I do, however, have a quibble. I was promised an ethical dilemma: harvest the Little Sisters for a rush of power, or rescue them but have a harder time getting by? I didn't get it.

Harvest = 160 ADAM per Little Sister
Rescue = 80 ADAM per Little Sister + 200 ADAM from Tanenbaum every 3rd Little Sister saved + other rewards

Over time, the difference between harvesting and rescuing, expressed as a percentage of the ADAM obtained by rescuing, looks like this:

http://www.strobelight.ca/misc/LSvsTPA-3.png

Added: Oops, hit "post" instead of "preview."

Yes, I sat down and figured this out. ;) What twigged me to this was that I exclusively rescued Little Sisters, and wondered why I wasn't feeling constrained by a lack of ADAM. Turns out that rescuing rather than harvesting doesn't particularly cost you -- the difference trends toward 10% of what you get by rescuing. For instance, after 16 Little Sisters rescued the player has accrued 2280 ADAM. After 16 Little Sisters harvested, the player has accrued 2560 ADAM, a difference of 280 (12%). Also, you get the Hypnotize Big Daddy plasmids, which are extremely valuable and can't be acquired any other way, along with other ancillary benefits (various gene tonics, ammunition, health kits). Given that, I think you're actually better to rescue than to harvest, which makes me wonder why this was presented as an ethical dilemma. The only reason I can think of is that you don't know the rewards at the outset; Tanenbaum doesn't tell you what she's going to give you for rescuing the Little Sisters. But if harvesting is a less effective game strategy overall, I can't help but think that it breaks the dilemma.

I originally thought it was 4 Little Sisters rescued per reward, but I think I somehow got an extra one in Neptune's Bounty (some others have reported this as well), which threw me off. Even if it's 4, the difference only trends to 25%:

http://www.strobelight.ca/misc/LSvsTPA.png

That's better, but it's still a far cry from the 100% ADAM gain you initially see when you start harvesting over rescuing. At least 25% is enough to make the choice ambiguous; with 10% rescuing is the clear winner.

Like I said, though, this is a quibble. I just started thinking about it and got curious enough to figure out what the actual difference in ADAM is between the two choices.

[guagloves]

the last game to scare me this much was F.E.A.R. This is mostly due to the fantastic sound design in the game with makes it quite creepy

[7h0m45]

this game did not scare me nearly as much as Condemned.

[satori]

I don't know if the 360 has this option but you can turn off the arrows and the shiny inventory items options on the PC to make the game much more difficult. I almost wish they had of left these off as default as it would of really made the game much more challenging.
Even with the complaints I have I love this game and think that it's how all games should be designed.

[MaxTheSilent]

Best Review Ever: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1394-Zero-Punctuation-BioShock

[tarmanydyn]

Best Review Ever: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1394-Zero-Punctuation-BioShock

ROFL, I had no idea The Escapist did video, by far the best Video Game publication out there, or at least the most aesthetically pleasing.

Two words: Spot on

[kickarse]

I really wish there was a SM2.0 patch that worked well... I really don't want to upgrade to play this...

Anyone?

[fieryfrog]

As for the scared part....I get more freaked out playing COD2.

I will be trying to sneak around a building in crouch. and an enemy will come around the corner and scare the crap out of me. or I'll be doing the same..it will be all quite...and there will be one shot from who knows where...that will also scare the crap from me.

[macguffin]

Dentist's office. Definitely the most horrifying.

[fashiondr]

Too easy.

Concept was great, the "dairies" were awesome. Great music and voice acting.



Damn, you get to milk cows in this game? Sweet.

[kiey]

Dentist's office. Definitely the most horrifying.

I think it's definitely one of the creepiest parts of the game, and a perfect "first level." Especially if you pick up the diaries as the level progresses since you start to see Stienman slowly go insane through them.

I think that the early part of Fort Frolic is really creepy, because at that point I had stopped being, in general, freaked out by the game. So after you fight that wave of Spider Slicers there isn't another enemy for a long while, and that creeped me out. Since there hadn't been an empty areas like that at all since the first part of the game. And just sort of the waiting for someone to pop out was creepy.