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Bioshock and Stuff Rant

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:07 am
by Ollie Saunders
Mmmmm my copy arrived today.
So I tore open the packaging, slammed the disk into my drive, powered up the install and assumed the brace position. Only to find this


Uhh.

I've been waiting for this game for a long time. Seriously I actually completed System Shock 2 forty times or more. Some with coop, several times on impossible difficulty. I was as obsessed as you could get. And generally I don't play games that much at all. So needless to say this is a disappointment.

Anyway I'm off now to go look at Dali Exhibition at the Tate Modern. And I took a Driving Theory Test earlier this morning and passed, with perfect marks on the first part of the assessment. It's shaping up to be quite an eventful day and it's only 10:07AM. I hope I don't get mugged or something.

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Sorry I had to let all that out. Ciou!

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:44 am
by feyd
Heh. Halo 3 will undoubtedly be bigger (at least in sales.) I'm happily waiting. :)

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:47 am
by CoderGoblin
For me it Guild Wars... Awaiting Eye of the North expansion.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:07 am
by superdezign
Hehe. I'm all for GTA IV. Heading back to Liberty City.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:13 am
by TheMoose
I snagged Bioshock also, but for Xbox360 instead because I hate all the crap I have to deal with when it comes to installing and patching. Amazing game so far.

I'm also waiting for Halo 3. Already have my copy preordered (I'm a Halo nerd, so I ordered the Legendary edition :P)

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:49 am
by Ollie Saunders
superdezign wrote:Hehe. I'm all for GTA IV. Heading back to Liberty City.
Hmm that interests me a great deal.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:55 am
by feyd
Too bad it's six months away. Image

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:02 am
by John Cartwright
I couldn't get a copy of bioshock anywhere :(

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:11 am
by JayBird
Played the Bioshock demo on the 360...didnt like it. Impressive looking but i prefer a more realistic shooter i.e. Rainbow Six Vegas

P.S. Love Dali...Went to the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain. Brilliant!!

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:07 pm
by Arawn
I use to work next door to the Salvador Dali Museum here in St. Petersburg. Dali is definitely one of my favorite artists. Best Cheese Burgers in town right next door at the marina.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:25 pm
by Ollie Saunders
Jcart wrote:I couldn't get a copy of bioshock anywhere :(
You need the potent power of preorder. :)
Played the Bioshock demo on the 360...didnt like it. Impressive looking but i prefer a more realistic shooter i.e. Rainbow Six Vegas
I'm gonna go and play some more now; the jury is still out for me. One of the things I'm noticing with all modern game is that it takes much longer to identify individual objects in the world, especially when they are unfamiliar looking and there's mist and darkness. I think the increased poly count, the extra detail and contrasty textures everywhere is a real problem with the fluidity of the gaming experience and to counter-act that a lot of the games have been slowed down or made easier. It's a bit like trying to tie a knot whilst wearing gloves. Does anyone else feel this?
P.S. Love Dali...Went to the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain. Brilliant!!
Yeah I went there several years ago, really really good. The exhibition is saw just today wasn't really that impressive. Nice pictures and some films too, one recently made Disney thing was really engrossing but nothing compared to the sense of being part of the paintings that you experience in Figureres.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:15 pm
by pickle
My roommate works at a movie store. He can always get a copy. I'm (I think) over 1/2 done Bioshock. I love it.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:30 pm
by superdezign
ole wrote:One of the things I'm noticing with all modern game is that it takes much longer to identify individual objects in the world, especially when they are unfamiliar looking and there's mist and darkness. I think the increased poly count, the extra detail and contrasty textures everywhere is a real problem with the fluidity of the gaming experience and to counter-act that a lot of the games have been slowed down or made easier. It's a bit like trying to tie a knot whilst wearing gloves. Does anyone else feel this?
I think it's only a 'problem' when games have a lot of interactivity, and then suddenly have a bunch of object with absolutely no meaning. I like detail and appreciate the work that's been put into it, but I hate to have an indestructible crate among destructible crates. When they have a lot of unimportant objects in the world, it does make it harder to keep up with what the developers were actually intending for you to do. I think it's a issue of going after realism in appearance rather than game play.

Only so many games have risen above those limits though. Deus Ex (the first one) was a huge step in that direction, making pretty much every object and person able to be interacted with, and Half-Life (moreso the second than the first) added a lot more realism to actual game play. Now though, it seems like the only games that are really after the game experience rather than the game's appearance are games that claim to be open-ended (and FEAR... wow. :)).

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:57 pm
by vigge89
I'm aiming for a PS3 purchase somewhere around/after christmas when the price has (hopefully) dropped some. As a huge Metal Gear Solid fan I just can't keep my hands away from MGS4, even thought the console is pricey...
Although; LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet & Clank along with UT3 and Call of Duty 4 (will probably get the last two on PC though) looks very promising and will make the console purchase worthwile :)

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:50 pm
by Ollie Saunders
I wrote:I'm gonna go and play some more now; the jury is still out for me.
Well I think I'm a satisfied customer. Unfortunately for BioShock I can't help comparing it to SS2 in every way. If I treat it as it's own independent game I'm pretty sure it's really brilliant. The atmosphere is just fantastic.
I think it's only a 'problem' when games have a lot of interactivity, and then suddenly have a bunch of object with absolutely no meaning. I like detail and appreciate the work that's been put into it, but I hate to have an indestructible crate among destructible crates. When they have a lot of unimportant objects in the world, it does make it harder to keep up with what the developers were actually intending for you to do. I think it's a issue of going after realism in appearance rather than game play.
That not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how it's much harder to discern an a fast moving enemy in this environment
Image
compared with this one
ImageAnd it's mainly down the capabilities of better engines.