I'm sure the title alone has already triggered many of you to ignite your torches out of sheer instinct, ready to burn the devil out of this apparent blasphemer who seems to dare speak of BioShock as something incapable of astonishment. You stand ready to defend this game against any potential slander, invalidation, or other opinion you perceive as ignorant. This reaction of loyalty is a testament to BioShock's quality, and speaks volumes of the game's impact upon the fans and its status in the community. It is not to all tastes, but to argue that BioShock is not a masterpiece may be to discredit oneself. BioShock has reserved its place in the holy temple of gaming legends, and represents a brilliant design that is finally receiving the hype and widespread praise it has deserved for over seven years. I had every confidence that BioShock would once again restore a subspecies of game that I had feared extinct. My expectations were met.

Some may believe that BioShock is a completely original adventure that introduces a whole new brand of customizable gameplay. But many of us here know of its origin: System Shock 2. For those who don't know, SS2 has maintained a strong cult following over the past several years, and shares a high percentage of BioShock's elements: various means of killing enemies, creepy atmosphere, unnatural powers, upgradeable weapons, performance enhancement,electronics hacking, constructible items, progression guided by a mysterious third party via radio contact, and a compelling story told mostly through scattered recordings and various environmental clues. These ingredients were chosen and measured with utmost care, then mixed into a strong drink of a game; potent in its impact, intimidating in its complexity, but a taste worth acquiring for those seeking something fresh. Had any of these elements been left out of BioShock, I would have viewed their omission as a sizable hop backwards in the evolution of the genre. Thankfully, Irrational took a risk and charged forward despite publisher rejection and skepticism, kept the "first-person thinker" largely intact, and built BioShock with most of the features I loved from SS2. They did it once; I had no doubt they could do it again. Once more, my expectations were met.

FPS's were starting to feel tired even ten years ago to those who enjoyed first-person but wanted to do more than just shoot guns and toss grenades. The most significant changes to FPS titles--still to this day--are different stories, settings, and weapons, but you're still mostly shooting guns and tossing grenades. Many developers have taken insignificant risks over the years by enhancing their own titles with features similar to those in SS2, but only by one or two at a time. After all, an FPS that isn't all-out gun porn at its core tends to not see a long-term bestseller list. SS2 was a commercial disappointment due in part to its complexity in a genre willing to evolve only through baby steps. It was simply ahead of its time, and I'm thrilled to see that time has finally caught up with the game, now reborn as BioShock, the surprise hit causing people to flame nonbelievers and pay over a hundred dollars for faceplates bearing its name. Although I had expected BioShock's outstanding quality, its overnight popularity has blindsided me, and I am pleased to know that I will likely see not only a sequel but a number of other titles from developers drawing inspiration from it, and hopefully being much less conservative.

So the reason why BioShock itself doesn't astound me? A game that exceeds my expectations gives me that particular brand of thrill one can feel only out of genuine surprise. I regret that BioShock does not offer me this thrill. I have already spent that particular sense of wonder and awe on this ambitious and complex design in its previous life as SS2, although by no means do I believe both games are too similar. I am saying that BioShock bears the quality and craftsmanship to which I had become accustomed by having played games of similar design, terribly few as there are. Therefore, I cannot feel astonished by it, but only satisfied and comforted that the highly unexpected and long overdue commercial success of this long-time emerging subgenre will cause publishers to take it seriously and recognize its potential. Finally, I envy those that had never played this type of game before and have presumably felt that unique charge of having discovered and experienced something revolutionary in BioShock. Consider yourselves lucky...would you kindly?

I will still post editorials here, but all other blog posts can be found at Xbox 360 Truth from now on.

The New York Times (registration required) has a report on a few console owners' experiences with defective 360s. Although the article is largely a rehash of common knowledge in the Xbox corner of the industry, it does put a spotlight on a few of those who have remained faithful despite repeated problems with defective consoles.

I don't much care for the article's inaccuracy about the functionality of a game console. Repeated system failures do not equate to repeated blender failures. I would definitely switch blender brands after too many crap-outs. I mean, it's not like Black & Decker owns milkshakes, or that Kitchenaid has an exclusivity contract with margaritas. Wouldn't that be a hell of a thing?

I'll go through as many 360s as necessary to play games such as BioShock, Mass Effect, Halo 3, Gears of War, on and on... The 360 has too many great current and upcoming titles for me to abandon it now, especially since repairs are free thus far. Actually, I'm not one to talk, because my launch system has never needed repair despite frequent use. Still, I have to commend Microsoft for owning up for their mistakes. They have made undeniable improvements to console production, as well. After all, what's done is done.

Those fortunate enough to catch the big BioShock trailer on Spike TV tonight were treated to the biggest XBLA surprise since Doom: the BioShock demo. That glitch in the Matrix you felt was the subsequent virtual stampede to XBLA. But, since I'm the kind of person who remains seated after a movie and waits for everyone else to leave just so I don't have to stand in line, I'll reluctantly sit this one out until tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll say a little prayer of thanks to those responsible for the divine gift of background downloading. Expect to see demo impressions here tomorrow.

This year's Tiger Woods has a varied list of achievements, ranging in difficulty from making a custom face to scoring a hole-in-one. Others include rewards for winning in-game medals, defeating other golf pros, and for scoring Producer Points on EA Sports Gamernet.

This generically-named Gamernet sounds like a neat idea, and is being implemented only in Tiger Woods 08 for now. Let's say you sink an impossible chip shot from a bunker at fifty yards. You can upload that shot to Gamernet and challenge others to duplicate your shot. You earn points for completing other players' challenges, and you score Producer Points by having others complete the ones you've uploaded. Players can accept challenges ranging from single shots to entire course runs and, as expected, points earned depend on difficulty.

Producer Points are based on how many other people accept your challenge, so earning a reputation as a great player will carry significant weight. 1000-point completionists will probably have their hands full with this one, so we can expect a lot of boosting going on.

Pro-G has a disappointing update on Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Dark Athena. Seems the remake of the Xbox hit, previously expected this fall, won't turn up until sometime in 2008, and for no discernible reason.

The original game was a modest hit released in 2004 alongside the Pitch Black sequel and is still widely regarded as the very best licensed game ever made. I'm a huge fan, and am disappointed by the delay, but it's most likely facing a fraction of the competition now. Dark Athena is going to need the space, for I fear that it will slip under too many radars. It's a remake of a game that didn't exactly demand midnight store openings in the first place, and the Riddick license is being gradually forgotten. I'm confident that it will be excellent but underappreciated...again.

IGN hosts a blog by Casey Hudson, the project director of Mass Effect, whose latest entry is a retrospect on E3. He's thrilled about how the sci-fi epic left journalists absolutely slackjawed (which is not news), but also vents his frustration about figuring out how to show off the amazing character interaction without spoiling the story. That just makes me want the game even more, which I didn't think was even possible. This indicates that every sentence has meaning, and a Bioware RPG has a damn lot of sentences. If Mass Effect bests their own Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, then it will be the stuff of legends.

New Halo 3 details have surfaced at IGN for all you virtual arsonists out there. Although you won't be able to burn down buildings, you will be able to incinerate your enemies with two new fire-based weapons. First is a flamethrower, which does exactly what you'd think. Then there's the firebomb, which sounds like a sort of Molotov cocktail. Both weapons coat their targets with fire and devour health over time, but the duration and degree of damage have yet to be revealed. Both also have strategic applications, as you can create a wall of fire to block routes to flag capture points, for example.

Like just about everyone else, I can't wait to unleash these things. I will, however, remain cautiously optimistic until more details surface regarding balance and effectiveness. The flamethrower is a tricky thing to implement in multiplayer; it has never been terribly popular (or common) in online play due to its short range, slow kill time, and primarily defensive uses. They're best for those willing to sacrifice kill-count to do what's best for the team and guard that flag, which also means it can provide a role for people who can't shoot. I just hope no one on my team runs around in the open with one of these things just because it spits out pretty colors.

Joystiq has announced a rather effective way to ensure your 360 Premium supports HDMI: Look at the damn box. Seems Microsoft wasn't really trying to sneak these updated systems under everyone's noses after all. Then again, not listing HDMI as an obvious feature would have made the console less appealing to new customers. So if you plan on getting one, make sure that salesperson checks the stock thoroughly.

Stranglehold is similar to Max Payne for one outstanding reason: there's really no other way to portray this brand of action. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience call Stranglehold a rip-off. Trying to twist and mutate this game into something else would completely botch the intended presentation. You may have played something like this before, but if the demo is any indication, it just might be the best game of its kind yet. Not to put too fine a point on it, but everyone needs to clear off 1.3GB of space from their 360 hard drives (if need be) and download the Stranglehold demo right...freaking...now.

This taste of the ultimate Asian gun porn will have you cackling throughout while diving from cover, sliding across tables, and grinding down banisters, all in the midst of a storm of countless chunks of glass, wood, plastic, blood, and even watermelon. Your guns alone can turn a Chinese marketplace to dust in minutes. A person can blow through a whole afternoon replaying this demo, and not just because it's a blast: playing on one difficulty actually unlocks a harder mode and new moves! It will keep you on your toes and may actually inspire you to preorder the full game. It really is that good!