E3 Impressions: Bioshock
- August 06, 2007 10:18 AM PST
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We got an in-depth look at one of the most hotly anticipated titles around and here's a shocker: it looks damn good.
Don't let the cute mask fool you: this enemy is out for your blood.
Mention the name System Shock 2 and you're likely to get one of two reactions: half the people you ask will say "OMG, best game evar," while the other half will say "What's a system shock?" The cult-hit shooter from Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios is widely considered to be one of the finest FPS games ever produced but not every gamer has experienced the thrill of battling through the ghostly halls of the Von Braun and the UNN Rickenbacker.
This is a shame but luckily, Irrational Games' latest effort, Bioshock, will get to play to a far bigger audience. Due to hit store shelves in late August, Bioshock promises to shock and amaze gamers much as its spiritual predecessor did so many years ago. GamePro was treated to an extended demo of the game at this year's E3 and here's what we learned (spoiler: the game looks like it's going to be awesome).
Darlin' It's Better Down Where It's Wetter...
Our first trip into the underwater city of Rapture was guided by the steady hand of a member of the Bioshock dev team. We were shown a level that takes place a few hours into the game and while we don't want to ruin the premise of the mission, we will say this: an underwater city needs a constantly renewing source of oxygen, right? Well, let's just say that in this mission, you're left a little breathless and you have to work to get it back.
As the mission progresses, you're slowly besieged by a small army of foes known as Splicers. You're safe for a little while behind steel doors...until the Splicers start cutting their way in with torches, of course. The person running the demo took this opportunity to setup a few traps for the incoming enemies and we got a taste of the inventive and unique methods of destruction that the game would put at our fingertips.
Here's a prime example: the game will give you access to a variety of powers called plasmids. In one memorable sequence, the player used a telekinetic flamethrower power to set one of his enemies on fire. The enemy AI was smart enough to hurl itself into a nearby pool of water to douse the flames; unfortunately for the enemy Splicer, the player had access to yet another plasmid that allowed him to throw electricity from his fingertips. Our junior high science teacher taught us that water is an excellent conductor of electricity, a fact that the enemy Splicer found out firsthand.
This is just one example--another involved a landmine attached to the top of a doorway under which a cyclone trap (it shoots enemies upwards when triggered) was placed--and the entire demo did a fantastic job of demonstrating the tactical freedom that the developers are stressing.
The Big Daddy has become the unofficial mascot of the game and with good reason: it looks awesome.
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