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Zippy8
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Bioshock Infinite

Mon Apr 08, 2013 4:39 pm

I am playing my merry way through this just now (on PC) and....

I'm having an awful lot of trouble believing the Metacritic score of 95%. It's a very straightforward storylined and highly asymmetric FPS (ie; it's you against several hundred other dudes with a few boss fights thrown in) using an old engine with few bells and whistles to get excited over (with some nasty stuttering thrown in for good measure). The story is told very clumsily so I'm not at all sure I'm getting all of it or quite understand why some things are Very Important. The mechanics are pretty much as you were from the first two Bioshock games. The much vaunted eLizabeth AI isn't a patch on 2004's Alyx Vance and seems to delight in hiding behind you.... in an FPS.... so you can't see where she's got to.

It's far from a bad game so far but it is also far, Far, FAR away from what I would expect to be garnering such near universal praise.

Maybe it gets a lot better later on :-k

Mike.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Wed Apr 10, 2013 6:42 pm

Well I've now finished it :?

It doesn't get any better. The Unreal engine only really shines on the ultra setting and my PC grinds horribly in places (although it shouldn't), the art is a combination of spectacular and I-can't-see-a-damn-thing, you are still massively outnumbered at times and it sometimes takes several cracks at a section to work out what they want you to do, it is all but on rails with little variation to the path.

But.... the major issue I have is The Story.

I've read quite enough poor Sci-Fi and "alternate history" stories to know one when I see one and recognise the usual fault - the author knows what he's on about but doesn't understand that his audience can't always follow his logic. There are some truly what-the-bloody-hell leaps of narrative, like I've skipped a chapter or two. It takes a skilled writer to make alternate world/parallel universe/reality fiction hang together and this guy doesn't manage it.

The overall effect isn't close to the near perfect gaming experience that the scores/reviews lead me to believe. It's truly "good in places" but this kind of problematic overall result shouldn't be worrying 80% in my book.

YMMV

Mike,
feel free to chip in. :-D
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:00 pm

AAA Titles, eh? A lot like the way the Hollywood sewer pipe has gone. That is, it must put bums on seats and it must make money, throw money at marketing!! (it's based on a comic book!!) They're stuck really and it's a shame, so much time and money invested that a failure is just not acceptable. This stifles true innovation, but I think titles like this do push the edge of what is expected of a triple-A jobbie. Can you imagine the next COD-type game doing something weird and mentally challenging? Millions of 10-14 year olds screaming.... (can't repeat this here, sorry). The player (potentially me as a 43 y/o) vs. an A.D.D. child of the YouTube generation; that's a pretty broad demographic to please.

I haven't played it but I've watched a Twitch caster play it. It looks decent enough, same great art and sound design as the other Bioshocks, top voice work too. Big titles it would seem are becoming harder to please everyone and hit that fine line between success and 'MEH'.

Me personally, I don't give a hoot about big titles anymore (apart from HL3.....Ummm c'mon Valve!). I like indie games where the risks are low, the creative freedom is high and the gains for the successful devs is colossal (Minecraft, Super Meat Boy, Fez, Binding of Isaac, etc). You could add Portal to that list too, since it was an experiment that blew up.

I did watch a review that made me want to throw pound notes at the screen, but now I've watched someone play through half of it I'd rather fire up Bioshock again.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just don't expect so much from something that aims-to-please such a large portion of the gaming community. It's hard out there. Who would have thought that a lo-res block placing game would sell 20 million copies? Jammy hat-wearing bastard! :lol:

[Now I refer myself to my own quote (circa 2006) "Never argue with Mike Zippy8, he always wins, I'd hate to be his wife!" ;) ]
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:47 am

Admittedly I've barely skimmed what Mike's written in my ongoing attempt to avoid ANY details whatsoever, I'll add that you're the only person I've heard who's unhappy with the game. Reactions from even the most hardened and jaded old gamers has been generally outstanding.

I should be receiving my copy this week, which will interrupt my current game of Dark Souls (if you want a challenge, try that one.)
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:34 am

I have scrupulously tried to avoid any bespoilerage in what I've written :wink: I read no reviews before playing, just looked at scores.

I'll add that you're the only person I've heard who's unhappy with the game

ORLY ?
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This is part of my confusion. It's like 2004 all over again with the world and his wife dutifully parroting just how great Lost is and me just sitting there going "this is a pile of crap that they are making up as they go along" and wondering what I'm missing. I'm not so conceited as to not entertain the possibility that I'm completely in the wrong on this (but I was spot on with Lost).

I've read Edge's review (9/10) and they must have been pretty impressed with the plusses 'cos they sure do list some major minuses at the end of the review.

Worth playing ? Certainly.
Worth deifying ? Nope.

Mike.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:37 am

Must've missed Charlie's take on it, although given his usual critique, that's a glowing review ;)

And because I'm totally in love with it, I'll push Dark Souls again.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:37 pm

Here's a gallery of spoilery screenshots. Now I've sorted out the glitches it's a pretty enough game, albeit one with some very graphic ugliness at times.

I still think the plot/story isn't nearly as clever as it thinks it is.

Mike.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:15 pm

I won't look at the screenies just yet, then. Ellie tells me the game's waiting for me at home now, so I'll let you know what I think over the next week.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:09 pm

Completed it earlier. Never bothered with the xbox version as I bought a PC last summer to photo edit and it turns out to be a gaming monster.

I loved it....pretty pretty ....mmmmm

I'll go along with Mike and say that the story takes some broad leaps of faith. I also get the feeling I've been railroaded through it and may have missed an area or two or a hidden piece of treasure/stuff.

I rarely manage to finish games as I get frustrated that I can no longer fap keys the way I used to but this was a must and I'd guess that I'll play it through again in a few weeks.

As for Dark Souls......the gimps at Game let me buy this for PC without telling me it's all but unplayable without some form of Xbox controller connected!

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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:27 am

Steve Porter wrote:
I loved it....pretty pretty ....mmmmm

It is... in a sort of Disney-cartoon-straight-to-DVD sort of way.

I also get the feeling I've been railroaded through it and may have missed an area or two or a hidden piece of treasure/stuff.

There are a few completist areas, none of which either added or detracted from the experience to me.

If you break The Game into two parts - story and FPS - then both have weaknesses. The story isn't (to me) lucid or coherent enough to hang together tidily. The gunplay element is on too many occasions you against the world... and the world has a kevlar vest and an inexhaustible supply of ammo. Neither make me happy.

I'm playing through a second time so it can't be that bad but it just isn't 10 out of 10, five stars, etc, etc.

Mike.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:31 am

You must be playing on difficult settings Mike. My gaming style is stand out in the open and use the same machine gun or sniper rifle for all and sundry. I also seemed to only use the firebomb 'Devils Kiss' vigor for most things. I do however play on easiest settings lol.

As for the story....definitely falls into the 'wow that was amazing but I've no idea what it was about' category.

I'll have to start again now as there is a little hole in my late evenings where 'Infinite sued to be'
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:17 am

Steve Porter wrote:
You must be playing on difficult settings Mike.

First play through on "medium", repeating on "hard". On this setting you really need to get used to repeatedly kicking the bucket. Any mob scene is a trial and whenever there's a Heavy Hitter included then these ammo sponges who shrug off Vigors will really tick you off.

As for the story....definitely falls into the 'wow that was amazing but I've no idea what it was about' category.

I'm not at all convinced that if this story is worth telling that an FPS is the place to tell it. It also seems odd that whilst the nuances of cause and effect across multiple dimensions and time streams are weighed heavily, the wholesale slaughter of anyone foolish enough to stroll into your path barely merits a mention.

Just how long is Andy going to take to finish this ?

Mike.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:30 pm

Zippy8 wrote:
Just how long is Andy going to take to finish this ?


Not sure how far I have to go. I'm just working towards Comstock House, having left Finktown on the zep. I only get a couple of hours a night, and I'm checking every nook and cranny.

Playing on medium / normal, mainly using the Possession vigor, pistol and whatever secondary weapon fits the current environment. It's actually too easy, but it's unlikely I'll play through again (due to time, rather than desire.)

I'm enjoying the story so far, it doesn't seem overly complicated yet, but I'd also admit it hasn't progressed much.
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:48 am

I think the story was well thought out, and works well in a Memento & Primer (and to a lesser extent Fight Club) way. I think it warrants an almost immediate replay with the knowledge you have by the end, although that will have to wait for me. The story is clever (actually clever, unlike a lot of supposedly 'clever' videogame stories,) and necessarily fragmented. It definitely requires the collection of as many of the voxophones as possible because otherwise there are gaping holes in the narration.

It's maybe the first game I've had to really think about after the credits rolled, like the films I mentioned above.

The shooter side is ... merely OK. The near-final scene on the deck of Comstock's airship is ridiculous. How you managed it on hard is beyond me.

My god, I'm glad I didn't look at your "spoilery" screenshots!
 
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Re: Bioshock Infinite

Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:48 pm

I'm glad you seemed to have enjoyed it more than I did. I do feel like I'm missing out :( It's an interesting enough story but I'm just not convinced.

The difficulty levels aren't a smooth progression. On Hard it's never a straightforward affair but there's a rather nasty spike just after The Big Switch of Sides when the Vox take a turn with hurling things at you. The few battles with Sirens are beyond me on Hard.

Mike.