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This thread has been linked to the game 'BioShock Infinite'.
It was an obvious choice, one that had to be made, one that could not be avoided; the series fans had practically begged for it, Infinite had hinted at it, and the "loose ends" after Infinite's end/beginning/end demanded it. Expected, it might have been, but "Burial at Sea" should never be called predictable.
There are, of course, elements of it that are entirely as anyone would have guessed, it is, after all, a return to Rapture, a place that Bioshock fans are intimately acquainted with to the point where they might feel it could hold no more surprises.
However, this is Rapture as we have never seen it before; shiny, new, populated and busy, a living, breathing jewel of "modern science" and miracle; Whales, turtles and brightly coloured fish swim past and above you as you gaze out on a vast metropolis spread across the deep sea floor, with lights winking from every window; a Big Daddy (bane of your existence if you'd ever played Bioshock 1 or 2) trundles serenely, peacefully around outside, repairing a leaking walkway, doing the job for which he was intended. This is Andrew Ryan's vision in all it's glory, a hidden Utopia for the modern man, paradise for the idealist, the thinker, the artist, the entrepreneur, heaven beneath the waves, away from prying eyes and intrusive government.
This is Rapture before the fall.
But there are hints and signs of the impending doom, not least of which are the somewhat radical jabberings of the general populace. Dissent seems to simmer just below the surface, arguments over the validity of some of Andrew Ryan's policies, the excessive use of Plasmids (even the waiters in one of the bars are "Houdini Splicers"), and, more obviously, the complete excising of Fontaine's shopping empire, a cause of concern to some and delight to others. The sight of a group of Little Sisters will undoubtedly send a chill up the spine of anyone acquainted with the first game, particularly as they gaze collectively at you as you pass. In fact, there is more than enough here to help you understand just why things went so wrong so fast.
But, as you probably suspected, things are going to go wrong for you far faster than they do for anyone else.
Elizabeth (yes, the girl from Infinite) hires you (and, yes, yes you are, mysteriously, Booker DeWitt again) to find a girl (?!.. sound familiar?). Not just any girl, but your daughter (even more familiar, right?) missing, presumed dead, lost in "Sir Prize" while you gambled. Naturally, you're intrigued; this woman, an outsider, seems to know far more than she should.
So you follow her as she leads you to a man who knows more; the infamous Sander Cohen, artist, visionary, lunatic. After a quick trapse around Rapture proper, gathering clues and a necessary item to aid your progress, you'll finally meet the artist and, disagreeable as he might be, he's quite happy to send you where you need to go...
Fontaine's shopping mall...
You'll see "Rapture as it will be" here; leaking, wrecked, looted and full of Splicers. This is where the end begins...
Gameplay is much as you would expect; clear an area, find the clues, progress. It's the same formula used successfully in each and every Bioshock game, complete with voice recordings to find and "Circus of Values" vending machines to replenish your ammo. There are some intriguing new weapons and plasmids, but the core principal is the same; if it moves, it's probably unfriendly and possibly has something you need.
Look everywhere, shoot everything, try all the doors. You'll be amazed at what you'll find. Elizabeth will do her thing, providing clues as well as ammo and health in the nick of time, but not in the sort of quantities and frequency experienced in Infinite. It's almost like she wants you to fail, but grudgingly accepts that in order for her to succeed, so must you. The narrative lends to that feeling too, her comments are terse if not unfriendly, she clearly has little time for you.
The main set-piece fights are tough, really tough. Ammo is in short supply and the enemy numerous. Use of plasmids alongside your weapons is key, it's the only way to win through, and as in Infinite, you'll soon learn the importance of being inventive, of maximising your effectiveness and minimising your reliance on ammo.
Without spoiling the story for those who have not played yet, the ending is surprising to say the least. Think of any possible scenario and you're probably wrong, but then this is only chapter one, with another to follow. The questions left unanswered are numerous, the situation chaotic, and as with any chapter in a good thriller you'll be gagging for more. Chapter two cannot come soon enough.
At only two to four hours, depending on whether you opt to find everything or not, many would argue it's too short. I disagree strongly; this is quality over quantity, no question about it, and I only wish more games developers would take this kind of care over their product. Atmospheric, beautifully crafted and scripted, this is gaming genius, a genuinely well-made story that spans the gap between Columbia and Rapture. It's the best of both with a sprinkling of intrigue and a hefty slap in the face at the end.
Roll on Chapter 2....
There are, of course, elements of it that are entirely as anyone would have guessed, it is, after all, a return to Rapture, a place that Bioshock fans are intimately acquainted with to the point where they might feel it could hold no more surprises.
However, this is Rapture as we have never seen it before; shiny, new, populated and busy, a living, breathing jewel of "modern science" and miracle; Whales, turtles and brightly coloured fish swim past and above you as you gaze out on a vast metropolis spread across the deep sea floor, with lights winking from every window; a Big Daddy (bane of your existence if you'd ever played Bioshock 1 or 2) trundles serenely, peacefully around outside, repairing a leaking walkway, doing the job for which he was intended. This is Andrew Ryan's vision in all it's glory, a hidden Utopia for the modern man, paradise for the idealist, the thinker, the artist, the entrepreneur, heaven beneath the waves, away from prying eyes and intrusive government.
This is Rapture before the fall.
But there are hints and signs of the impending doom, not least of which are the somewhat radical jabberings of the general populace. Dissent seems to simmer just below the surface, arguments over the validity of some of Andrew Ryan's policies, the excessive use of Plasmids (even the waiters in one of the bars are "Houdini Splicers"), and, more obviously, the complete excising of Fontaine's shopping empire, a cause of concern to some and delight to others. The sight of a group of Little Sisters will undoubtedly send a chill up the spine of anyone acquainted with the first game, particularly as they gaze collectively at you as you pass. In fact, there is more than enough here to help you understand just why things went so wrong so fast.
But, as you probably suspected, things are going to go wrong for you far faster than they do for anyone else.
Elizabeth (yes, the girl from Infinite) hires you (and, yes, yes you are, mysteriously, Booker DeWitt again) to find a girl (?!.. sound familiar?). Not just any girl, but your daughter (even more familiar, right?) missing, presumed dead, lost in "Sir Prize" while you gambled. Naturally, you're intrigued; this woman, an outsider, seems to know far more than she should.
So you follow her as she leads you to a man who knows more; the infamous Sander Cohen, artist, visionary, lunatic. After a quick trapse around Rapture proper, gathering clues and a necessary item to aid your progress, you'll finally meet the artist and, disagreeable as he might be, he's quite happy to send you where you need to go...
Fontaine's shopping mall...
You'll see "Rapture as it will be" here; leaking, wrecked, looted and full of Splicers. This is where the end begins...
Gameplay is much as you would expect; clear an area, find the clues, progress. It's the same formula used successfully in each and every Bioshock game, complete with voice recordings to find and "Circus of Values" vending machines to replenish your ammo. There are some intriguing new weapons and plasmids, but the core principal is the same; if it moves, it's probably unfriendly and possibly has something you need.
Look everywhere, shoot everything, try all the doors. You'll be amazed at what you'll find. Elizabeth will do her thing, providing clues as well as ammo and health in the nick of time, but not in the sort of quantities and frequency experienced in Infinite. It's almost like she wants you to fail, but grudgingly accepts that in order for her to succeed, so must you. The narrative lends to that feeling too, her comments are terse if not unfriendly, she clearly has little time for you.
The main set-piece fights are tough, really tough. Ammo is in short supply and the enemy numerous. Use of plasmids alongside your weapons is key, it's the only way to win through, and as in Infinite, you'll soon learn the importance of being inventive, of maximising your effectiveness and minimising your reliance on ammo.
Without spoiling the story for those who have not played yet, the ending is surprising to say the least. Think of any possible scenario and you're probably wrong, but then this is only chapter one, with another to follow. The questions left unanswered are numerous, the situation chaotic, and as with any chapter in a good thriller you'll be gagging for more. Chapter two cannot come soon enough.
At only two to four hours, depending on whether you opt to find everything or not, many would argue it's too short. I disagree strongly; this is quality over quantity, no question about it, and I only wish more games developers would take this kind of care over their product. Atmospheric, beautifully crafted and scripted, this is gaming genius, a genuinely well-made story that spans the gap between Columbia and Rapture. It's the best of both with a sprinkling of intrigue and a hefty slap in the face at the end.
Roll on Chapter 2....
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It was an obvious choice, one that had to be made, one that could not be avoided; the series fans had practically begged for it, Infinite had hinted at it, and the "loose ends" after Infinite's end/beginning/end demanded it. Expected, it might have been, but "Burial at Sea" should never be called predictable.
There are, of course, elements of it that are entirely as anyone would have guessed, it is, after all, a return to Rapture, a place that Bioshock fans are intimately acquainted with to the point where they might feel it could hold no more surprises.
However, this is Rapture as we have never seen it before; shiny, new, populated and busy, a living, breathing jewel of "modern science" and miracle; Whales, turtles and brightly coloured fish swim past and above you as you gaze out on a vast metropolis spread across the deep sea floor, with lights winking from every window; a Big Daddy (bane of your existence if you'd ever played Bioshock 1 or 2) trundles serenely, peacefully around outside, repairing a leaking walkway, doing the job for which he was intended. This is Andrew Ryan's vision in all it's glory, a hidden Utopia for the modern man, paradise for the idealist, the thinker, the artist, the entrepreneur, heaven beneath the waves, away from prying eyes and intrusive government.
This is Rapture before the fall.
But there are hints and signs of the impending doom, not least of which are the somewhat radical jabberings of the general populace. Dissent seems to simmer just below the surface, arguments over the validity of some of Andrew Ryan's policies, the excessive use of Plasmids (even the waiters in one of the bars are "Houdini Splicers"), and, more obviously, the complete excising of Fontaine's shopping empire, a cause of concern to some and delight to others. The sight of a group of Little Sisters will undoubtedly send a chill up the spine of anyone acquainted with the first game, particularly as they gaze collectively at you as you pass. In fact, there is more than enough here to help you understand just why things went so wrong so fast.
But, as you probably suspected, things are going to go wrong for you far faster than they do for anyone else.
Elizabeth (yes, the girl from Infinite) hires you (and, yes, yes you are, mysteriously, Booker DeWitt again) to find a girl (?!.. sound familiar?). Not just any girl, but your daughter (even more familiar, right?) missing, presumed dead, lost in "Sir Prize" while you gambled. Naturally, you're intrigued; this woman, an outsider, seems to know far more than she should.
So you follow her as she leads you to a man who knows more; the infamous Sander Cohen, artist, visionary, lunatic. After a quick trapse around Rapture proper, gathering clues and a necessary item to aid your progress, you'll finally meet the artist and, disagreeable as he might be, he's quite happy to send you where you need to go...
Fontaine's shopping mall...
You'll see "Rapture as it will be" here; leaking, wrecked, looted and full of Splicers. This is where the end begins...
Gameplay is much as you would expect; clear an area, find the clues, progress. It's the same formula used successfully in each and every Bioshock game, complete with voice recordings to find and "Circus of Values" vending machines to replenish your ammo. There are some intriguing new weapons and plasmids, but the core principal is the same; if it moves, it's probably unfriendly and possibly has something you need.
Look everywhere, shoot everything, try all the doors. You'll be amazed at what you'll find. Elizabeth will do her thing, providing clues as well as ammo and health in the nick of time, but not in the sort of quantities and frequency experienced in Infinite. It's almost like she wants you to fail, but grudgingly accepts that in order for her to succeed, so must you. The narrative lends to that feeling too, her comments are terse if not unfriendly, she clearly has little time for you.
The main set-piece fights are tough, really tough. Ammo is in short supply and the enemy numerous. Use of plasmids alongside your weapons is key, it's the only way to win through, and as in Infinite, you'll soon learn the importance of being inventive, of maximising your effectiveness and minimising your reliance on ammo.
Without spoiling the story for those who have not played yet, the ending is surprising to say the least. Think of any possible scenario and you're probably wrong, but then this is only chapter one, with another to follow. The questions left unanswered are numerous, the situation chaotic, and as with any chapter in a good thriller you'll be gagging for more. Chapter two cannot come soon enough.
At only two to four hours, depending on whether you opt to find everything or not, many would argue it's too short. I disagree strongly; this is quality over quantity, no question about it, and I only wish more games developers would take this kind of care over their product. Atmospheric, beautifully crafted and scripted, this is gaming genius, a genuinely well-made story that spans the gap between Columbia and Rapture. It's the best of both with a sprinkling of intrigue and a hefty slap in the face at the end.
Roll on Chapter 2....
There are, of course, elements of it that are entirely as anyone would have guessed, it is, after all, a return to Rapture, a place that Bioshock fans are intimately acquainted with to the point where they might feel it could hold no more surprises.
However, this is Rapture as we have never seen it before; shiny, new, populated and busy, a living, breathing jewel of "modern science" and miracle; Whales, turtles and brightly coloured fish swim past and above you as you gaze out on a vast metropolis spread across the deep sea floor, with lights winking from every window; a Big Daddy (bane of your existence if you'd ever played Bioshock 1 or 2) trundles serenely, peacefully around outside, repairing a leaking walkway, doing the job for which he was intended. This is Andrew Ryan's vision in all it's glory, a hidden Utopia for the modern man, paradise for the idealist, the thinker, the artist, the entrepreneur, heaven beneath the waves, away from prying eyes and intrusive government.
This is Rapture before the fall.
But there are hints and signs of the impending doom, not least of which are the somewhat radical jabberings of the general populace. Dissent seems to simmer just below the surface, arguments over the validity of some of Andrew Ryan's policies, the excessive use of Plasmids (even the waiters in one of the bars are "Houdini Splicers"), and, more obviously, the complete excising of Fontaine's shopping empire, a cause of concern to some and delight to others. The sight of a group of Little Sisters will undoubtedly send a chill up the spine of anyone acquainted with the first game, particularly as they gaze collectively at you as you pass. In fact, there is more than enough here to help you understand just why things went so wrong so fast.
But, as you probably suspected, things are going to go wrong for you far faster than they do for anyone else.
Elizabeth (yes, the girl from Infinite) hires you (and, yes, yes you are, mysteriously, Booker DeWitt again) to find a girl (?!.. sound familiar?). Not just any girl, but your daughter (even more familiar, right?) missing, presumed dead, lost in "Sir Prize" while you gambled. Naturally, you're intrigued; this woman, an outsider, seems to know far more than she should.
So you follow her as she leads you to a man who knows more; the infamous Sander Cohen, artist, visionary, lunatic. After a quick trapse around Rapture proper, gathering clues and a necessary item to aid your progress, you'll finally meet the artist and, disagreeable as he might be, he's quite happy to send you where you need to go...
Fontaine's shopping mall...
You'll see "Rapture as it will be" here; leaking, wrecked, looted and full of Splicers. This is where the end begins...
Gameplay is much as you would expect; clear an area, find the clues, progress. It's the same formula used successfully in each and every Bioshock game, complete with voice recordings to find and "Circus of Values" vending machines to replenish your ammo. There are some intriguing new weapons and plasmids, but the core principal is the same; if it moves, it's probably unfriendly and possibly has something you need.
Look everywhere, shoot everything, try all the doors. You'll be amazed at what you'll find. Elizabeth will do her thing, providing clues as well as ammo and health in the nick of time, but not in the sort of quantities and frequency experienced in Infinite. It's almost like she wants you to fail, but grudgingly accepts that in order for her to succeed, so must you. The narrative lends to that feeling too, her comments are terse if not unfriendly, she clearly has little time for you.
The main set-piece fights are tough, really tough. Ammo is in short supply and the enemy numerous. Use of plasmids alongside your weapons is key, it's the only way to win through, and as in Infinite, you'll soon learn the importance of being inventive, of maximising your effectiveness and minimising your reliance on ammo.
Without spoiling the story for those who have not played yet, the ending is surprising to say the least. Think of any possible scenario and you're probably wrong, but then this is only chapter one, with another to follow. The questions left unanswered are numerous, the situation chaotic, and as with any chapter in a good thriller you'll be gagging for more. Chapter two cannot come soon enough.
At only two to four hours, depending on whether you opt to find everything or not, many would argue it's too short. I disagree strongly; this is quality over quantity, no question about it, and I only wish more games developers would take this kind of care over their product. Atmospheric, beautifully crafted and scripted, this is gaming genius, a genuinely well-made story that spans the gap between Columbia and Rapture. It's the best of both with a sprinkling of intrigue and a hefty slap in the face at the end.
Roll on Chapter 2....