Did the Bioshock Demo Change Your Mind? (POLL!)

Did the Bioshock Demo Change Your Mind?

I was very excited to play Bioshock's PC Demo today. I jumped onto Fileplanet right at 7:00 PM EST, and started downloading within 20 minutes. I saw the size of the waiting list grow from 64 to over 1500 in less than ten minutes... INCREDIBLE!

Now that I've played the demo, however, I will NOT be buying this game. Believe me, I am even more surprised about this than you are. I was really hoping this game would rock; I haven't had a great single-player FPS experience in quite some time. The demo itself is a technilogical marvel - the graphics are stellar and the game runs quite smoothly in Vista on my 8800 GTS at 1920 x 1200, everything maxed. Sound is great, production values are high. So what's the problem?

The main thing I dislike about Bioshock is the combat: the enemies felt a little stupid, and I really don't like the "run 'n gun" shooting style anymore. I don't want a true-to-life combat sim, but games like Far Cry and FEAR managed to strike the balance between balls-to-the-wall blasting and more conservative, precise gun battles. In Bioshock, I would zap a dude and hit him with a wrench, and he'd go down. Some creatures I had to shoot over and over again. I would be attacked by a half-dozen enemies all at once and it was nothing but a frantic spray-and-pray - and that gets old quick.

Anway, what do you all think?

This has been the most anticipated game of my life, long before the reviews started coming out. I loved System Shock 2, so it was only natural to hype this since SS2 was one of my favorite games of all time. Bioshock is definitely a lot more RPG-light than SS2 was, but still, this game could end up being one of the best games any of us will ever play in our lives.

And I don't understand the ragging on the game's gameplay. Honestly, it's a friggin' blast. I guess people are so used to having the same drivel gaming ideas shoved down their throats that they don't want anything that tries to stray from the norm.

runs good on my 2 year old rig, but I'll wait for it to come down in price, $50 for a FPS with no multiplayer will be just as good when it cost $20.lordkosc

Excellent point.

And I don't understand the ragging on the game's gameplay. Honestly, it's a friggin' blast. I guess people are so used to having the same drivel gaming ideas shoved down their throats that they don't want anything that tries to stray from the norm. GlenQuagmire

Not at all, my friend. Bioshock has much richer gameplay (due to plasmids and the like) than most games, but it's still the case that you can walk into a room with 10 enemies and just start shooting and still win the fight - in that way, Bioshock's gameplay feels just like Doom 3, Quake IV, Half-Life 2 - that's why I got bored with those games, and that's why I'm waiting until Bioshock is $20.

The stupid download keeps timing out or something, but yeah I was really interested in this game anyway. If you are a gamer and you own a PC or Xbox 360, I think this game is a must-play.PCgamerX

Maybe try fileplanet? I am a non-subscriber, but I was downloading at 2.5 MB/sec after a twenty minute Q.

If the developers had added multiplayer into Bioshock the single player game wouldn't be half as good as it is. Developers should ONLY develop for one side of the spectrum or the other: single player or multiplayer. Stop kidding yourselves by saying otherwise. Look at games like: Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, Far Cry, Soldier of Fortune 2, command & Conquer: Renegade, Call of Duty 2 (the multiplayer is awful), Unreal Tournament 2004 (they claimed it had SP and MP, which it did, but SP was basically training for online), Star Wars: Jedi Knight 2. All of those games either suffer from weak SP or MP, and some even suffer from both.

Anyone who was hoping for multiplayer in a game like Bioshock would have been completely let down by one side of the spectrum, or both sides.

[QUOTE="GlenQuagmire"]And I don't understand the ragging on the game's gameplay. Honestly, it's a friggin' blast. I guess people are so used to having the same drivel gaming ideas shoved down their throats that they don't want anything that tries to stray from the norm. Jack_Summersby

Not at all, my friend. Bioshock has much richer gameplay (due to plasmids and the like) than most games, but it's still the case that you can walk into a room with 10 enemies and just start shooting and still win the fight - in that way, Bioshock's gameplay feels just like Doom 3, Quake IV, Half-Life 2 - that's why I got bored with those games, and that's why I'm waiting until Bioshock is $20.

Wow, comparing Bioshock to Doom 3 and Quake 4? No, that's completely wrong. Half-Life 2 was an absolute borefest, and Doom 3 and Quake 4 were two of the most disappointing games of my life. Bioshock may not have reinvented the FPS genre, but at least it tried something different, something which turned out very well.

I thought COD2 MP was pretty good, so does a bunch of people that play it making it number two on xfire's top hours played

But really, the mods and rifles feel good but I do feel CSS and BF2\BF2142 are better

Well the demo was limited to normal mode so it will probably be more difficult in high. And not to mention, the demo was supposed to give you a taste of what the combat and mechanics are like not to seriously challenge you. I loved the gameplay and cant wait to use all of the weapons and plasmids you can use in the full version. We barely got to scratch the surface in the demo imo.

I'm not worried about the replaybility issue due to no MP. imo, the SP story will be that good. I really felt like I was apart of a movie sometimes. imo, your being a tad bit picky, just pick the game up at circuit city for $40(that is what it said in my paper) and have fun.

[QUOTE="Jack_Summersby"]

[QUOTE="GlenQuagmire"]And I don't understand the ragging on the game's gameplay. Honestly, it's a friggin' blast. I guess people are so used to having the same drivel gaming ideas shoved down their throats that they don't want anything that tries to stray from the norm. GlenQuagmire

Not at all, my friend. Bioshock has much richer gameplay (due to plasmids and the like) than most games, but it's still the case that you can walk into a room with 10 enemies and just start shooting and still win the fight - in that way, Bioshock's gameplay feels just like Doom 3, Quake IV, Half-Life 2 - that's why I got bored with those games, and that's why I'm waiting until Bioshock is $20.

Wow, comparing Bioshock to Doom 3 and Quake 4? No, that's completely wrong. Half-Life 2 was an absolute borefest, and Doom 3 and Quake 4 were two of the most disappointing games of my life. Bioshock may not have reinvented the FPS genre, but at least it tried something different, something which turned out very well.

Holy crap - YOU THINK HL:2 WAS A BORE FEST??? And DOOM 3 and QUAKE IV were DISAPPOINTING?

If it weren't for this Bioshock dispute, I would think we were long lost brothers!!! ;)

No, my complaint with Bioshock's gameplay is that it feels cartoonish. It's really a matter of personal preference, that's all.

I couldn't disagree more about HL2 being boring, but I do agree that Quake 4 (in fact just about the whole series) was. The thing I like about both HL2 and the Bioshock demo is the thing that is missing from most games anymore (not just 1st person shooters), ATMOSHPERE! The sounds, sights, etc. are what makes these games great to me. Grim Fandango had it as well. Of course, if the gameplay entirely sucked atmosphere wouldn't save a game, but I'll forgive a lot if the game creates an environment that I can lose myself in. That being said, I'm also going to wait on the game until I can upgrade my videocard (geforce 7600GT). It runs ok at high settings, but I want to play through the first time on high with a good framerate. Incidentally, I'm using Vista 64 with 4 gigs of ram and a Core2duo 6600 and averaging around 15 fps at 1680x1050.

I couldn't disagree more about HL2 being boring, but I do agree that Quake 4 (in fact just about the whole series) was.

The sounds, sights, etc. are what makes these games great to me. Grim Fandango had it as well. Of course, if the gameplay entirely sucked atmosphere wouldn't save a game, but I'll forgive a lot if the game creates an environment that I can lose myself in. That being said, I'm also going to wait on the game until I can upgrade my videocard (geforce 7600GT). It runs ok at high settings, but I want to play through the first time on high with a good framerate. Incidentally, I'm using Vista 64 with 4 gigs of ram and a Core2duo 6600 and averaging around 15 fps at 1680x1050.

perti

I agree with you about the atmosphere of Bioshock and HL:2. HL:2 felt like a living, breathing world, and no doubt the full version of Bioshock will too.

I couldn't disagree more about HL2 being boring, but I do agree that Quake 4 (in fact just about the whole series) was. The thing I like about both HL2 and the Bioshock demo is the thing that is missing from most games anymore (not just 1st person shooters), ATMOSHPERE! The sounds, sights, etc. are what makes these games great to me. Grim Fandango had it as well. Of course, if the gameplay entirely sucked atmosphere wouldn't save a game, but I'll forgive a lot if the game creates an environment that I can lose myself in. That being said, I'm also going to wait on the game until I can upgrade my videocard (geforce 7600GT). It runs ok at high settings, but I want to play through the first time on high with a good framerate. Incidentally, I'm using Vista 64 with 4 gigs of ram and a Core2duo 6600 and averaging around 15 fps at 1680x1050.

perti

Get rid of that 64bit OS. Problem solved.

we can relate to some of the negative reactions from the run 'n gun genre lately, but we're wondering is this demo even worth downloading? does it paint a pretty good picture of what the game will probably be like? was it a naughty naughty tease? we've seen the screenshots, we're sure it's gonna look nice. as much as some of you have knocked the thread starter's critique, is it true? are the shootouts cartoonish as was described? is it fair comparison to doom 3, quake 4, hl 2, ect?

not wanting to shell out more than $20 for a game doesn't really say anything negative about the game. pretty soon it'll be cheaper to fill your computer with gasoline.

we can relate to some of the negative reactions from the run 'n gun genre lately, but we're wondering is this demo even worth downloading? does it paint a pretty good picture of what the game will probably be like? was it a naughty naughty tease? we've seen the screenshots, we're sure it's gonna look nice. as much as some of you have knocked the thread starter's critique, is it true? are the shootouts cartoonish as was described? is it fair comparison to doom 3, quake 4, hl 2, ect?

not wanting to shell out more than $20 for a game doesn't really say anything negative about the game. pretty soon it'll be cheaper to fill your computer with gasoline.

MichaelMorbid

IMHO, the gameplay is very cartoonish, a la Quake IV, but that is the ONLY real complaint I have. It's enough for me to wait for it to go into the bargain bin, but some people may be persuaded by the graphics, story, etc.

Well, my original intent was to pick it up if it ran well on my computer (my specs range from the minimum to the recommended, so I didn't know what kind of performance to expect).

Now that I've played it, I did feel that combat was a bit lacking. There was just something that wasn't as satisfying about it than what I thought would be the case. Everything else about the game was just amazing (though I am assuming the demo was linear because it was a demo and the full game won't be so much).

The problem for me is, if I don't buy it this week while I'm in the US, I'll have to buy it off Steam if I want to play it in the next year. It's $40 at CC this week, and given how slow 2K is at lowering their prices on Steam, it could be ages before the game goes below $40. Really, 2K, Civilization IV is almost 2 years old now...it can't support a $40 price tag. Same with Jade Empire- at the store, it's $30 but $40 on Steam.

So I don't know if I'm going to pull the trigger on this one. I'm not saying the game is crap by any stretch of the imagination, but I worry that I'm going to be less than satisfied by the combat and $40 is a lot of money for me right now.

we can relate to some of the negative reactions from the run 'n gun genre lately, but we're wondering is this demo even worth downloading? does it paint a pretty good picture of what the game will probably be like? was it a naughty naughty tease? we've seen the screenshots, we're sure it's gonna look nice. as much as some of you have knocked the thread starter's critique, is it true? are the shootouts cartoonish as was described? is it fair comparison to doom 3, quake 4, hl 2, ect?

not wanting to shell out more than $20 for a game doesn't really say anything negative about the game. pretty soon it'll be cheaper to fill your computer with gasoline.

MichaelMorbid

the demo gives a great picture of the overall quality and a limited picture of the fighting elements of the game. There really isnt any challange to the combat, and the Fps qualities are a bit lacking. Honestly though HL-2 had the same issues, and i wont even get started on doom 3. Supposedly the AI though learns as you play, and get tougher.

What i really liked about the demo, is you really get tossed into the story,and the atmosphere is great for a 15 minute demo.

Where's my option in the poll? "Mildly interested before release, thought developers were pretentious in their claims about the game (still do), very impressed by the graphics, writing, and performances presented in the demo but will not buy the game"deleted_basic

lol

Half you mother **** don't know what a good game is even when it hits you in the face anyway.Wannabe

Damn, you're right Wannabe. I wish I could be as enlightened as you are... :roll:

This has been the most anticipated game of my life, long before the reviews started coming out. I loved System Shock 2, so it was only natural to hype this since SS2 was one of my favorite games of all time. Bioshock is definitely a lot more RPG-light than SS2 was, but still, this game could end up being one of the best games any of us will ever play in our lives.

And I don't understand the ragging on the game's gameplay. Honestly, it's a friggin' blast. I guess people are so used to having the same drivel gaming ideas shoved down their throats that they don't want anything that tries to stray from the norm.

GlenQuagmire

PC demo feels very strange, the controls are just .. off..

the textures, they blurred out and nothing is crisp as pc gamers are used to. BounceDK

Excellent points. I was noticed those blurry textures, too. 2 GB download and we still have blurry textures - WTF?

I couldn't disagree more about HL2 being boring, but I do agree that Quake 4 (in fact just about the whole series) was. The thing I like about both HL2 and the Bioshock demo is the thing that is missing from most games anymore (not just 1st person shooters), ATMOSHPERE! The sounds, sights, etc. are what makes these games great to me. Grim Fandango had it as well. Of course, if the gameplay entirely sucked atmosphere wouldn't save a game, but I'll forgive a lot if the game creates an environment that I can lose myself in. That being said, I'm also going to wait on the game until I can upgrade my videocard (geforce 7600GT). It runs ok at high settings, but I want to play through the first time on high with a good framerate. Incidentally, I'm using Vista 64 with 4 gigs of ram and a Core2duo 6600 and averaging around 15 fps at 1680x1050.

perti

ur a dumb kid for wasteing money buying a 64bit windows, itll crap itself as it doesnt get the necessary driver support... get something else asap

and 4GB of ram is another huge waste of cash, u need 2GB of above average stuff and ur golden, u problly went 4gb because u 64bit os **** itself.

In Bioshock, I would zap a dude and hit him with a wrench, and he'd go down. Some creatures I had to shoot over and over again. I would be attacked by a half-dozen enemies all at once and it was nothing but a frantic spray-and-pray - and that gets old quick.

Anway, what do you all think?

Jack_Summersby

I assume you're talking about the last part of the demo. Did you ever ponder hacking the security bots, then blowing up the camera, then waiting for the enemies to jump down into the water and zap them when they're standing in it? Do this and you only end up having to shoot a couple enemies. That's the great thing about Bioshock.

The thing is, you CAN run and gun, that's a viable option, but it's not nearly the ONLY option. I only mentioned one, you could even have used a fire plasmid and if the enemies are close together, they'll run into each other and set themselves on fire. If any of them live by jumping in the water to douse the flames, then you can zap em ;) The game was built around allowing the player to choose how he wants to do his battles, and this will be even better in the retail version where you can upgrade your skills, plasmids, and weapons.

The demo never changed my mind, I knew the game was going to be great, however the performance with the PC version is pretty poor compared to how silky smooth it runs on my 360, so I'm pondering just getting the 360 version instead. But I want mods :| This is my toughest choice in a while.

The enemies still mostly run at you mindlessly while attacking, occasionally getting into scraps with one another or breaking off to find a healing machine, but they take longer to kill and hurt you more when they hit.

Its weak link is its unsatisfying no-skill-required combat.

GS_Review

Thanks for nailing it, GameSpot. That's exactly why I will wait until this game is in the bargain bin.

I assume you're talking about the last part of the demo. Did you ever ponder hacking the security bots, then blowing up the camera, then waiting for the enemies to jump down into the water and zap them when they're standing in it? Do this and you only end up having to shoot a couple enemies. MyopicCanadian

No, that did not occur to me. I am not use to such strategizing in an FPS - maybe I'll try the demo again in that fashion.