Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

shane86 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:44:08 GMT

now I know why the show was delayed

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Xmastree X — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:44:08 GMT

Thanks Major, D/L now.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

SarcasticITGuy — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:39:16 GMT

Bioshock Demo

Well, I was anticipating this game before playing the demo, but nothing like I am now. This game is simply stunning. The environments live, breathe and beg you to explore them. The enemies aren't your standard cannon fodder and take on a dark and disturbing personality, yet also tragic. You almost feel bad for killing them. The weapons and plasmids at your disposal show the promise of an intricate, complex way of disposing of your foes, unlike your standard point and shoot FPS. Everything adds to an immersive experience that promises to be unlike anything else out there.

Demos have made me want to buy a game before, but never like this.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

joeyriz — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 22:11:53 GMT

As soon as I began playing the demo I was impressed by the realism of the water spots on the screen. However my real joy came when the music started to play once inside the building. The score really set the mood for traveling to Rapture. The game impressed me with its graphics and gameplay. I liked the way you could use combo moves combining plasmids followed by weapons. The demo has convinced me to buy the game.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Sendell1 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 22:07:17 GMT

I LOVE the show, LOVE you, LOVE e, and I even LOVE trixie. Oh, and I LOVE my Xbox360 because of this little game they call Bioshock.

So, with the obligatory fanboyish praise out of the way...

I posted my demo review on p. 14 of your "Demo: BioShock" blogpost. I wasn't sure where to post it.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Judge Verbose — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:26:26 GMT

The demo has done it's job. I just finished pre-ordering my copy of Bioshock. The one fault I find with the demo is that it perhaps gives away too much. I enjoyed the atmosphere, but I worry that the first section of the game has now been ruined because of the cut scenes from the demo. Hopefully I am wrong.

Every publisher should look at this demo release and learn see how effective a selling tool a demo can be.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Specterno1 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:07:37 GMT

By now anyone who has heard about BioShock would know that it has beautiful graphics. This is to be expected with any high profile next gen game. Where BioShock sets itself apart from other is how it uses the power of next gen to enthrall the imagination in an apparently complex and chaotic world. The first and only thing the main character says in the demo is probably one of the best intro lines i have ever heard. The power behind the words sent chills down my back and spawned a premonition of wonderous things to come. This fantasy was further facilitated with the dialog and introduction of the underwater city by its creator. The wonders dont stop there. The first time I played through the game I nearly killed myself hacking and learning the ropes but by second time i was hacking and the third i was barricading myself with defensive machinery. Every time I play the demo I have another experiance. With a demo that is so replayable I can only imagine what the retail release will hold in store. The seamless gameplay, eyewatering visuals and entrancing and thought provoking lead in for the story are sure to make BioShock must have come Aug 21.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Zanthis220 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:30:47 GMT

Bioshock Demo Review

I booted up the bioshock demo expecting to get just a taste of a game that I thought would already be amazing. I didn't expect to come away almost needing to play this game to completion the first sitting. The demo's surreal opening is wonderfully crafted to show you why your in rapture and what rapture is.

My hands had a death grip on the controller the entire time I played this demo. I was amazed at how the world of rapture sat waiting for me to explore is the moment I exited the elevator that whisked me to the underwater marvel. The game's enemies, the splicers, were an exiting change from the usual terrorists or aliens, and seemed life like in their inhumanity. Without even letting you fight them, the demo already has me scarred of the big daddies. Just seeing them in action has me ready to try and avoid them at all costs.

Even without them the game seems like it would stand up just fine but the plasmids give this game another dimension. Instead of just gunning down all the enemies I was given the option to either electrocute or burn enemies, coupled with the tenacity that the splicers seemed to have for killing me it led to some strategic planning to make the most of my newfound powers without ever having to fire a shot.

The game sets itself up so well in the fact that it seems so real. While the demo was only about 20-30 minutes long it succeeded in doing its job. Ending on what seemed to be the most tantalizing scenario in which I need to know the outcome, this demo is single handedly the best I have ever played. There is nothing more I want to do right now than play the full game. Bioshock I will see you on the 21st.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Mark P — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:12:50 GMT

My Bishock demo review:

As the plane crashed and the main character was over the water, i had no idea i was supposed to control him. i thought it was still in the cutscene. the game looks fantastic.

The gameplay with the plasmids and powers is fun and very original for an FPS. After i finished the demo i wanted to continue but ofcourse i could not. going to need to buy the final game which will be amazing

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

ODST_Marine — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:06:59 GMT

Bioshock Demo Review:

Ken Lavine and his team at 2K Boston (previously known as Irrational) have created an incredibly intelligent game. This game surpasses expectations by delivering an incredibly atmospheric surrounding that just begs to be explored. Unlike traditional games Bioshock uses the environment as the story telling device. The game relies on the player’s comprehension and ability to read into the after affects of this dystopian society gone wrong. One of Bioshock’s greatest achievements is its approachability. Whether you’re an RPG fan or a traditional FPS fan this game has the best of both worlds. The controls are simple and have the same halo-like feeling that most FPS’s have adopted in the last couple of years. Although the RPG elements are decisively sparse in the demo they are none the less apparent. The inclusion of plasmids switches up the traditional run and gun gameplay and adds a breath of fresh air to this somewhat oversaturated genre. Speaking of which, fresh air is something you won’t have the luxury of in the game. Instead there is water, and lots of it. By far Bioshock has the best water effects I’ve seen in a game. Water drips, ebbs, flows and gushes forth as one might expect in a run-down underwater city. One of the best things about Bioshock’s spiritual predecessor, System Shock 2, was the fact that almost any gameplay encounter could be approached several different ways. The same remains true in Bioshock. You can wait until the enemies are in the water and shock them with electricity or set them on fire and then as they jump into the water end their lives with electricity. We’ve been given an incredibly small taste as to what the final game might be and that taste has left us gamers wanting more. We’ll have to wait until the 21st before we can once again visit the city of Rapture.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

Furio311 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:57:43 GMT

Here is my thoughs/review of the Bioshock Demo

First and foremost I need to talk about the graphics and atmosphere of the game. Simply put, it was incredible. The water effects were truely amazing. From the opening scence, to the water puddles inside of rapture, and the view of the ocean from inside of rapture were some of the best I have seen. Being able to look out a window and see schools of fish or a whale floating by was beautiful. The graphics of the game demostrate the capabilites of the 360, and blow every other games visuals out of the water.

The atmosphere of the game was another fine detail that 2k Boston added to the game. The art style, the character & level design, the structures were simply amazing. One could just wander throughout Rapture to look at the beautiful art that they placed into the game.

The controls of the game, is the only area where I would knock off some points. Maybe it was due to the lack of time with the control scheme/setup, and after playing games like rainbow 6 and transformers recently I just need to adjust to the new aiming style. I found the aiming when shooting the guns to be very twitchy. It only took me about 20 min to go thru the demo, so it wasn't enough time to really get adjusted to the controls espically considering the game should take about 20 hours to complete. Another possible issue on my end, is that I just got a new elite system to replace my red ringed premium system. While playing pac man ce, I have found that the right analog stick appears to be a lot more sensative then my previous controller. Taking all of that into account, the controls did feel twitchy to me. The button layout was great.

The story of the demo really can't be judged as we didn't get enough of it. From what I have read/heard about the storyline it should be very strong.

The audio of the game really shines, and in my opinion it was done better then the graphics. That is saying a lot considering the level of polish that was placed into the graphics. The sound of the water and the ripples are great. Listening to the background music and having the 30's 40's big band sounds was music to my ears. I am looking forward to the soundtrack that I will get included with my LE preorder from gamestop. The variety of sounds coming from the various characters was refreshing. Usually one will hear similiar canned responses. The sound of the thud of the big daddy moving in ones directions was startling espically with a subwoofer set up giving you a nice shake with each footstep. This game is an audiophiles dream.

The fun factor of this demo is threw the roof. I have played it twice and have yet to get board with the short demo. You really can go through each situation a variety of ways, which enables you to replay the demo over and over to try out different things.

Overall I give the demo a 92%. With no real storyline to report on, and the fact I found the controls somewhat twitchy are the only reasons for the lower then perfect score. Usually I have Mondays off, but I might have to rearrange my schedule and take tuesday off to get into the world of Rapture.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

FireItUp2006 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:03:14 GMT

I have been anticipating the release of BioShock since I saw the first video footage of the game. As a result, I was thrilled to find this demo on XBox Live Marketplace!

I first played through the demo on Easy difficulty prior to listening to the Major Nelson podcast. After hearing the interview with Mr. Levine, I re-played the demo at the Medium difficulty. I am glad I had the opportunity to experience the game without any real knowledge of the demo but I found that following the interview, it made the experience even better.

With that in mind, here is my BioShock demo review:

The BioShock demo drops the gamer into an immersive story set in another time/place. The idea of cut scenes and gameplay are immediately blurred. At times, I found myself anticpating the need to take control before the cut scenes would end and at other times, I ended up staring at the screen not realizing that I was expected to take control. Without need for directional beacons, the demo initially guides the user to his destinations through effective visual clues. The graphics/lighting and sound design, provide an eerie atmosphere which creates tension for the user. I routinely found myself scanning the current room for the best places to remain out of sight while trying to determine where the next attack might come from. The explanation of the background story is done via in-game movie reels and a voice-over instructs the user with additional explanation and guidance. This method of presenting the story further heightened the tense environment. The interactivity with elements in the environment was both suprising and rewarding. Since I did not follow the same path each time I played, I cannot comment on how items change but I definitely found different items each time.

Although the game is being described as a "genetically enhanced First Person Shooter (FPS)" I did not find myself playing it with the same style that I use when playing an FPS. The atmosphere and tension did not lend itself to that style for me. At no time did I feel like I was late to accomplish the next step in the story when I chose to progress slowly through an area. I found myself stopping to take in the surroundings within the game on more than one occasion.

The lasting impression for me from this demo was the idea of "choices" within the game. The demo ends with a video segment showing a more expansive look at the story and the video further supported that feeling. This demo provides the player with the opportunity to choose how to react in various situations. As I played through the BioShock demo, I felt like there was no one 'right' answer; no single path to success. It is this idea of choices that provided a level of interactivity with the time/place/story/environment that I have not experienced to the same level in other games.

The wait will soon be over, a wait for me which started many months ago, and I am looking forward to the upcoming release of the full game.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

jose contreras — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:46:06 GMT

My ifo from the review above:

jose contreras

Live: Marungo DaMayor

email: marungo12@yahoo.com

need that faceplate!!!

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

jose contreras — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:33:49 GMT

My Review: 9.9/10

This game is Halo, mixed with some Half-Life with a dash of Condemned. It takes the best of Halo controls, Half-Life storytelling and Condemned combat puts it in blender and pours out Bioshock. From the vibrant colors to creepy sound effects it keeps you at the edge of your seat. You will never look at a 8 year old girl the same ever again!! Game of year potential!!!!

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

David Pikelny — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:10:09 GMT

My quick bioshock review (gamertag - Starlin, e-mail - david_pikelny@hotmail.com

It's hard to say things about Bioshock that are unique, fresh, and not previously said with others reviews, write-ups, and blog posts. I'll try, though. :)

The few descriptive things that immediately jump to mind are 'WOW', the water is unbelievably gorgeous, the fire on the water (in the very opening scene) is breathtaking, and going from room to room, it's like you're truly walking in a unique city - not just some 'copy/paste' job from room #41 to room #58. Every room, lair, corridor was there for some reason - and the level of detail shines through.

For whatever reason, young girls (in the 8-10 year old range) doing 'horror-esque' things ALWAYS gives me goosebumps. The end of Halloween 4 - when she puts on the mask, FEAR - the voice, The Grudge... well, you get the picture.

Bioshock pulls the 'spooky' factor of the girls (and the big daddy's) off SO well that while I'm writing this at work, I can't wait to go through the demo a 2nd and 3rd time.

Far and away, this is a system seller - Halo might have the name recognition, and to a point, so does *shock, but if any game should be shown off, this is it.

Anyway, that's my $.02

Thanks

Dave.

re: Show #239 The one about the BioShock demo with Ken Levine

psychoticpuppyy — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 07:45:52 GMT

i just downloaded the game and the first thing i noticed was the visual apperance. i could just stare out the artwork and the background for hours. i also love how the game gives you feeling like whats going to happen next. everything just flows naturally nothing seems out of place its like the picture has a reason to be there i cant wait until the game comes out i preordered the limited edition and i can wait to see that big daddy figure