if you know me, you know that i have a mind that tends to overanalyze everything i come into contact with. i then start creating this long monologue in my mind, based on the thoughts generated, which can go on for quite a while. therefore i decided to start this blog and get those thoughts out; after all if i'm generating them i might as well use them, right?
to get myself in the swing of things i decided to go back to things i've written in the past, and see if i still agree not only with what i wrote, but also the overall tone of the piece. so, without further ado, here is a "first impressions" piece on the game bioshock infinite, dated 23 september 2010.
"why i already dislike bioshock infinite
so i watched the bioshock infinite gameplay video. was i impressed? to be honest, not really. after all the bold statements about reinventing and reinvisioning, this initial footage strikes me as simply a mod for the existing game. sure it's a new (excessively bloomey) engine and all, but absolutely everything in this trailer (except for elizabeth, but she basically seems like a more interactive version of the little sisters from bioshock 2) has a parallel in the older games. let's have a look at them, shall we?
1-columbia
this is a floating city built on socio-political ideals (here i could make a clever little pun here about it all being "hot air" in reference to the hot air balloons keeping the buildings up). these ideals have come into question and now the 2 factions are openly fighting in the streets for control of the city. the parallels here with rapture are so obvious that, to quote yahtzee, a narcoleptic retard could see them. both are isolated utopias that have failed, both are covered in period-style propaganda and advertising and, despite the endless horizons and open skies of columbia, it seems just as linear and constricted as rapture.
confused? here's why. see, there might not be the implied pressure of the ocean or anything, but by having the city float up in the sky, they managed to create invisible walls. you can't run on over the edge, now can you. so in effect what happens is that each of these floating suburbs, or city blocks or whatever, becomes an isolated little pocket of gameplay just like the areas in rapture. instead of travelling between them by bathysphere or train, you use these skyhook things. at least you seem to be able to travel around these at will, which should open things up a bit. the only real difference between the 2 is that while columbia was built by the american government while rapture was built to get away from it. there's also the fact that the revolt is just breaking out, unlike rapture's which has passed. both differences, however, should be merely cosmetic with no effective difference to the gameplay.
2-alphas
in the original trailer and interviews, they use the symbolism of a big daddy being destroyed in order to make it clear that they're moving in a completely different direction. oh really, irrational games? then please explain the alphas - 2 supernaturally strong well-nigh indestructible constructs chasing you around the city as an overarching threat and plot device. seriously, the one even has eyes that resemble the portal of an old diving helmet with a yellow glow on the inside. i guess when they crushed the big daddy they had no intention of crushing the big sister concept then, since they seem to do the same thing.
also, alpha no1 also has a round cavity in his chest which emits a red glow, just like a big sister.
3-powers
just like the gene tonics used by splicers in rapture, the citizens of columbia seem to able to augment their genetic structure to gain supernatural powers. this is shown in the trailer as the player obtains the "murder of crows" ability by drinking from a fancy bottle. this undoubtedly means resources (like rapture's adam and eve) will be needed to activate and regulate these abilites. there are 3 powers shown here, 2 of which, namely electricution and telekineses, are straight out of bioshock 1 & 2.
now, electrocution here is shown to combine powers with elizabeth when she creates a localised rainstorm which you electrify to shock a group of enemies at once. the only innovation here is that you don't need to wait for a puddle to do it, but i'm sure if you do it'll still work there too.
telekineses has a nifty little feature whereby you can disarm enemies from afar and use their weapons at point blank range. this is a potential gamebreaker though, which is where the need for some form of cooldown or management system comes in.
the 3rd power shown is this murder of crows business, and lets you hurl a flock of crows at your enemy. this seems remarkably similiar to hurling a swarm of wasps at a splicer, does it not?
4-npc's
while the npc's in columbia might not always attack on site, they are just as zealous and one-dimensional as splicers, driven by political and social motivations. this, coupled with the in-your-face obviousness of their propaganda makes it seem like irrational is holding the player's hand and saying look, these are bad people. they are closed-minded bigots. see? there's another poster, just in case you forget
i realise i might be a bit harsh, but i feel that after all the hubbub they made over how this is entirely new and how they showed the big daddy toy being crushed by an alpha you'd expect them to not just create an open-aired version of exactly the same thing.
now that you've read my little rant, here's the video in case you haven't seen it
...bioshock infinite. how apt, since they seem intent on remaking the same game over and over"
1-columbia
this is a floating city built on socio-political ideals (here i could make a clever little pun here about it all being "hot air" in reference to the hot air balloons keeping the buildings up). these ideals have come into question and now the 2 factions are openly fighting in the streets for control of the city. the parallels here with rapture are so obvious that, to quote yahtzee, a narcoleptic retard could see them. both are isolated utopias that have failed, both are covered in period-style propaganda and advertising and, despite the endless horizons and open skies of columbia, it seems just as linear and constricted as rapture.
confused? here's why. see, there might not be the implied pressure of the ocean or anything, but by having the city float up in the sky, they managed to create invisible walls. you can't run on over the edge, now can you. so in effect what happens is that each of these floating suburbs, or city blocks or whatever, becomes an isolated little pocket of gameplay just like the areas in rapture. instead of travelling between them by bathysphere or train, you use these skyhook things. at least you seem to be able to travel around these at will, which should open things up a bit. the only real difference between the 2 is that while columbia was built by the american government while rapture was built to get away from it. there's also the fact that the revolt is just breaking out, unlike rapture's which has passed. both differences, however, should be merely cosmetic with no effective difference to the gameplay.
2-alphas
in the original trailer and interviews, they use the symbolism of a big daddy being destroyed in order to make it clear that they're moving in a completely different direction. oh really, irrational games? then please explain the alphas - 2 supernaturally strong well-nigh indestructible constructs chasing you around the city as an overarching threat and plot device. seriously, the one even has eyes that resemble the portal of an old diving helmet with a yellow glow on the inside. i guess when they crushed the big daddy they had no intention of crushing the big sister concept then, since they seem to do the same thing.
also, alpha no1 also has a round cavity in his chest which emits a red glow, just like a big sister.
3-powers
just like the gene tonics used by splicers in rapture, the citizens of columbia seem to able to augment their genetic structure to gain supernatural powers. this is shown in the trailer as the player obtains the "murder of crows" ability by drinking from a fancy bottle. this undoubtedly means resources (like rapture's adam and eve) will be needed to activate and regulate these abilites. there are 3 powers shown here, 2 of which, namely electricution and telekineses, are straight out of bioshock 1 & 2.
now, electrocution here is shown to combine powers with elizabeth when she creates a localised rainstorm which you electrify to shock a group of enemies at once. the only innovation here is that you don't need to wait for a puddle to do it, but i'm sure if you do it'll still work there too.
telekineses has a nifty little feature whereby you can disarm enemies from afar and use their weapons at point blank range. this is a potential gamebreaker though, which is where the need for some form of cooldown or management system comes in.
the 3rd power shown is this murder of crows business, and lets you hurl a flock of crows at your enemy. this seems remarkably similiar to hurling a swarm of wasps at a splicer, does it not?
4-npc's
while the npc's in columbia might not always attack on site, they are just as zealous and one-dimensional as splicers, driven by political and social motivations. this, coupled with the in-your-face obviousness of their propaganda makes it seem like irrational is holding the player's hand and saying look, these are bad people. they are closed-minded bigots. see? there's another poster, just in case you forget
i realise i might be a bit harsh, but i feel that after all the hubbub they made over how this is entirely new and how they showed the big daddy toy being crushed by an alpha you'd expect them to not just create an open-aired version of exactly the same thing.
now that you've read my little rant, here's the video in case you haven't seen it
...bioshock infinite. how apt, since they seem intent on remaking the same game over and over"
so, what is my standpoint 2 years later? firstly, i still agree with the content and points made based on the available information. i make this distinction for a specific reason: i don't care enough about this game to keep myself informed of its development and progress, therefore i don't know if any of the related points have changed. this is very much down to my general disinterest in today's triple-a gaming titles, and the fact that there are very few games being produced with actual substance. that, though, is a topic for another post.
secondly, i am a but more critical of myself in terms of the tone and presentation of this piece. besides the fact that i noticed 3 spelling mistakes (go me), there is no clear mood. i start out fairly level-headed and objectively, but towards the end i start ranting, making things a bit disorganised. i also feel i could have taken more time to explain some of my points a bit better.
all in all, i'd score myself well on the argument and supporting premises, but not on their presentation. this poor presentation would however lead to a poor argument, so my overall mark would be poor...oh well, live and learn eh?
that was fun...not only did i get myself writing a bit, but i also have another potential topic, so good job everyone.
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