Bioshock
 

Since I haven't seen a thread (or much discussion) on this game yet, I thought now would be as good a time as any to start one in light of the first video of the game being released today.

Bioshock is a first person shooter/RPG set in an alternate-reality World War 2 era. It takes place in an underwater city where all hell has broken loose, and after surviving a plane crash you end up in the middle of a conflict taking place in the decaying former utopia. The game's atmosphere is familiar to the survival horror genre (with emphasis on the survival part), with the city now broken down, being flooded with water, and serving as a home to the strange creatures that the former inhabitants were overrun/transfigured into. While the shooting aspect is at the forefront of the game's action, there are also many customization and RPG elements as well.

The game is currently set for release in April 2007 on the Xbox 360 and PC. It's being developed by Irrational games, responsible for titles such as Freedom Force, Tribes: Vengence, and most notably System Shock 2. True to it's name, Bioshock is the spiritual successor to System Shock 2, which came as a result of Irrational unable to get EA to let them have the license to make System Shock 3.

They've now released an updated video of what was shown back at E3 behind closed doors that shows off the gameplay and mechanics. Highly recommended to those that have even a small amount of interest in this game.

15 minute Bioshock presentation on IGN

Screenshots on IGN/Gamespot

It looks pretty awesome. After watching that presentation, it seems like a must-buy. System Shock 2 was good stuff and I'm sure this will be too.

I remember reading about this in a Game Informer and became really excited for it. I really want an Xbox 360 in order to play this game. It looks quick spectacular.

Isn't it coming to PS3 as well?

Again, like System Shock 2, Bioshock has an emphasis on solitute. My problem with the former game was that the environment (sci-fi spaceship floating alone in space) wasn't interesting or unique enough to make me ever want to truly immerse myself, and the aspect of being alone with no/very little NPC interaction merely compounded my boredom with such a situation I'd become blase about.

Bioshock's premise, and the detail they are adding to its universe, makes it an interesting setting that I want to jump in and be part of already, so the solitute will maybe work for me rather than against me this time around.

I have reservations about the joint X-Box/PC development. Deus Ex:IW anyone?

After watching the trailer I was sort of intrigued as to how you will be able to play the NPCs against each other and somehow get some of the NPCs to more or less to join your side. Sounds unique but at the same time somewhere in the back of my head tells me there have been games where such an idea has been implemented before, like one of those times when you get access to the "Killer Drone control room" and you hit the switch to make all the drones turn on the guards or something.

I heard about it first as a PC game then as a 360 game. I think it was more recently announced as a PS3 title as well.

They had a long article on this in Game Informer this spring. The game looks awesome, mainly because of the setting and atmosphere. Graphics, sound, etc. look like they will be top-notch, but for me the real reason to be excited about this game was the same reason as I had for being excited about HL2 - an extremely "realized" and detailed world that, while different than our own, is plausible.

I watched the 15 minute trailer and the game looks fantastic. It has some terrific graphics and effects. The gameplay looks solid as well. I truly can't wait for it.

After watching the walkthrough with developer commentary, I wasn't all that interested in the game. I think part of that is because I did have the commentary there, kinda looking over my shoulder and taking me out of the game the whole time.

This new trailer, however, has totally sold me. It brings in the moral choices in a way I can identify with, and it does a much better job of showing off the setting and the decrepit feel of the whole place.

I hope the xbox 360 effects can be rivaled on the PC, because the art and setting are going to be the clincher, I think, similar to what Kolba said.

I'm holding off on the trailers for now - the concept of it and the fact that it's supposed to be a "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2 is enough for me.

I'm just hoping my PC can run it. Anyone know what the req's are?

It looks amazing, but Im still a little bit skeptical about how the final product might actually turn out.

The premise of the game is full of great ideas. If they stick to their guns this might be at the top of my list after Gears.