BioShock Demo is up on Marketplace

[Bond]

http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/74F66DB0-E982-4061-AB7A-9834A876F471/0/boxBioShock.jpg

Content: BioShock (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/b/bioshock/) Demo
Price: Free
Availability: Not available in Japan
Dash Text: Welcome to Rapture with the official demo to BioShock, the “genetically enhanced” first person shooter. BioShock is a shooter unlike any you’ve ever played, loaded with weapons and tactics never seen. You’ll have an arsenal at your disposal from simple revolvers to rocket launchers and flame throwers, but you’ll also be forced to genetically alter your DNA to create an even more deadly weapon – you. Injectable Plasmids give you ungodly powers: blast electrical currents into water to electrocute multiple enemies, freeze them solid and obliterate them with the swing of a wrench, or create a swarm of attack hornets from your own mutated flesh. BioShock is that rare game in which Brainpower is as valuable as Firepower. You’ll need plenty of both to get out alive.
Size: 1.35 GB (approx.)

[Fox 6]

I am downloading as i type

[Bond]

Sweet. I have a feeling the server is getting hammered. I'm at 12% complete right now.

I'll post my impressions after it's done.

[Null]

love the latest trailer for this, where they play the song 'beyond the sea'

:)

[Bond]

Here it is if anyone hasn't seen it:

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[Jonbo298]

I so wish I could play this :(

[Bond]

Well, just got finished playing the BioShock demo. It took probably took around thirty minutes for me to complete. In my mind, it was an excellent demo. It gave a good sampling of the weapons/plasmids (which I'll talk about later) and the environment of BioShock, but didn't give too much away. There are very little in the way of spoilers or anything that would ruin the game for you.

Here's the control scheme for the demo, which I can only assume will be the same for the actual game:

RT: Fire weapon
RB: Change weapon
LT: Fire plasmid
LB: Change plasmid
Y: Jump
X: Reload weapon/Regain eve
A: Interact
B: Use first aid kit

It's a very simplistic control scheme, but works well.

So, BioShock has two weapons: the standards and plasmids. The standard weapons are those such as wrenches, pistols, machine guns, etc, that are found in every FPS. The plasmids are injections that mutate your DNA to perform "magical" abilities - such as bolts of electricity, fire, telekinesis, etc (there's a lot). There's really a third weapon as well: the environment. Basically anything can be used as a weapon - chairs, teddy bears, trash cans, cigarettes, whiskey bottles and the list goes on.

The really stunning thing about BioShock is its environment. It's an art deco underwater paradise as far as architecture and interior design goes. The immersive environment and fairly realistic water really gives you the feel you're trapped underwater.

The game is a FPS, but it integrates several RPG elements to create an interesting mix of shooting, exploration and customization.

I'd give the demo a solid 9/10 and say it's a definite buy.

[Bond]

Aaaahhh. BioShock broke streetdate. It's available at some Toys R Us stores.

[gekko]

The standard weapons are those such as wrenches... that are found in every FPS.

Not sure what games you play...

[Null]

Not sure what games you play...


Team Fortress has a wrench! (engineer) :p

[Bond]

Game Informer gave BioShock a 10:


10

CONCEPT: The creators of System Shock 2 have honed their craft to create an FPS that is as adventurous as it is powerful

GRAPHICS: In almost every room, you’ll stop to carefully analyze the amazing detail applied to every surface and object. It’s one of the most beautiful games out there

SOUND: The classic music, haunting voice recordings, and sound of insanity blend to create an eerie and intimidating array of sound. The surround sound support is also of a higher level than you usually hear

PLAYABILITY: No matter what weapon or power you have equipped, you always feel like a god

ENTERTAINMENT: The power to destroy has never been so varied and satisfying

REPLAY: Moderately High

Source: Game Informer Online (http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200709/R07.0814.1203.13551.htm)
Link goes to the full review, also with a second opinion from another author who gave it a 10 as well.

This is a definite game of the year candidate.

[Vampyr]

Downloading it tonight while I sleep, ftw.

[Bond]

Vampyr, what's your gamertag?

And post your impressions once you've played it.

[Vampyr]

Sadly it's my little brothers 360, and since I'll be going to college in a week I don't have my own gamertag. But I've enjoyed it so much, I'm contemplating buying my own.

I will post impressions once I've played it though, and when I have my own I'll get my gamertag up.

Halo 3 is proving too much to resist.

[Null]

played the demo earlier today. gotta say im looking even more foward to this game. atmoshpere in the game was amazing. graphics i liked better then Gears of War (same engine, but the inclusion of COLOR makes this one look better IMO.)


i'll be picking this one up for sure :)

[Bond]

I don't think enough can be said about the amazing architecture and atmosphere of the game. It's really stunning.

Some more reviews are coming in:

"This is the really bewildering thing about it: it succeeds so stunningly on three different fronts. Not esoteric ones, either, these are the big challenges developers have been struggling to master for decades: narrative, emergence, a sense of place. If another game did just one of these as well as BioShock, it would immediately qualify as a classic. When a game comes along that does all three, we can only be baffled and thankful."

- Games Radar: 10/10 (http://www.gamesradar.com/us/pc/game/reviews/article.jsp?articleId=2007081595653768046&releaseId=20060426172718471012&sectionId=1000&pageId=2007081595737169023)


"And with that out of the way, all that remains is to insist that anyone with a PC or a 360 goes out and buys this wonderful game on the 24th of August (or sooner if you happen to live near the street date-breaking US retailers), and send a message to the entire games industry that this is the kind of game that people want. BioShock is the ultimate rarity: not only does it live up to its lofty promise, but exceeds it through simple, old fashioned talent and imagination - not to mention verve, style,class, wit, and sheer bloody-minded ambition. It takes the tired, worn-out FPS genre by the scruff of the neck, reinvents and bend it out of shape in such a breathtaking fashion that it's going to take something very special to top this in the months and years ahead. For a game to be so outstanding in one department is one thing - to manage to tick every single box from graphics to audio to gameplay depth to atmosphere and innovation is pretty much unprecedented. Seriously - if you don't find something to love about BioShock, we'd recommend a trip to the nearest doctor to check if your heart's still beating."

- Euro Gamer: 10/10 (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=81479&page=1)

[Fox 6]

Just the whole old time atmosphere is fun to look at and is visually pleasing

[manasecret]

Damn I might just upgrade my PC for this. I have a good case, good power supply, a huge new hard drive (500GB), and two new DVD burners, and a good PCI audiocard. So I think all I need is a new mobo with PCI-Express (my computer is four years old -- it uses Rambus DRAM, remember that???), a new dual core CPU, and a new video card. Shouldn't be more than about $600 methinks.

Ah damn, all of my drives are IDE. Never mind......

[Bond]

Or you could just buy a 360...

[Null]

Or you could just buy a 360...

could, but i'd rather upgrade the computer too. :p then get the better version of the game :D

[Professor S]

could, but i'd rather upgrade the computer too. :p then get the better version of the game :D

Oh, like the PC version of Halo?

[Null]

Oh, like the PC version of Halo?

which is better, the game just sucks to begin with. ;) this is different because its an excellent pc game with a excellent 360 version.

[manasecret]

Yeah, there are so many PC games from the last two years that I've wanted to play but have missed out on because I didn't want to ruin the experience with my obsolete computer. So upgrading my computer is much more worth it to me. Plus the tide of PC games coming out in the next couple years (TF2 ANYONE????).

The truth is, if I just bought a new AGP card for $140, then my 4-year-old computer would meet all of the BioShock minimum specs except one. That one is the amount of memory, which good thing right now memory is so cheap.

But oh wait, only the DDR memory is cheap, I'm using Rambus DRAM. Rambus DRAM went the way of the Yangtze River dolphin, so a single stick of 512MB Rambus DRAM now costs $199, which would be almost $400 to only bring my RAM up to 1GB RAM. Compare that to 2GB of DDR2 RAM for about $100, or 4GB for about $250, it just ain't worth it to upgrade. Damn I got screwed by buying a Rambus board.

[Bond]

BioShock just got a wonderful 9.7 from IGN:

Closing Comments

There is art here, despite what many would say isn't possible with games, from Roger Ebert to game designers like Hideo Kojima. But it's in BioShock--it's in the gorgeously realized, watery halls of Rapture. It's in a Little Sister's expression of thanks when you choose to save her, or the utter silence if you harvest instead. It's in the way the characters develop, in the testimonials of the recording boxes you pick up along the way. It's in the way the narrative is structured, and the way it blends so seamlessly with the action. Irrational had a clear vision with this game, something pulled off with remarkable precision in every department. They didn't just deliver something that's fun to play, a criterion so often cited as the benchmark of what makes a game worthwhile. BioShock stands as a monolithic example of the convergence of entertaining gameplay and an irresistibly sinister, engrossing storyline that encompasses ahost of multifaceted characters. This is an essential gaming experience.

10 Presentation
An intriguing, well-written story delivered with at a precise sense of pace. It doesn't get any better than this.

9.5 Graphics
It may not be as technically impressive as Gears of War, but the art style, animations, and special effects create an unparalleled sense of mood and believability.

10 Sound
Top-notch voice acting, spectacular ambient effects, and overall some of the best sound design ever built into a game.

9.5 Gameplay
Superb control, intelligent enemies, and a wildly entertaining mix of weapons and plasmids.

9.0 Lasting Appeal
A lengthy adventure, 20 hours or so if you don't rush it, yet there's enough variation in the gameplay to bring you back for another round.

9.7 (Incredible) OVERALL

[Angrist]

Great to see awesome games like these from time to time. It actually makes me want to play it...

[Vampyr]

Finally got it finished downloading last night, and I've been playing the demo this morning.

Wow. Amazing game thus far, and I don't think that's going to change. The lighting in the game is fantastic, and serves its purpose to scare the crap out of me most of the time. I loved walking into the bottom part of the first area, and all the tile walls were like, glistening from moisture under the water. Really amazing terrain design.

Something else that I loved was when the whale swam under the capsule that you ride in at the beginning. The game has a way of surprising you with random little details, and you have no idea when those random little details are going to attack you. I half expected the whale to charge me. Happy it didn't, though.

Also, when the capsule finally starts you see the first spliccer kill that guy, then jump up on top of your ride and start cutting in, I love how you could still control the camera. You look at the sparks and see it trying to get in and think "What the hell am I going to do?"

The plasmics are very cool, and I can't wait to pick up and try different types of it.

One thing I didn't like was that you had to look -right at- something in order to pick it up, instead of being able to run over top of it. But I guess that is much more realistic, and I eventually realized that it added to franticness of combat when you're racing around trying to find something to fight with.

I've not finished the demo yet, but when I do I may have more impressions to post.

[Null]

One thing I didn't like was that you had to look -right at- something in order to pick it up, instead of being able to run over top of it. But I guess that is much more realistic, and I eventually realized that it added to franticness of combat when you're racing around trying to find something to fight with.

I've not finished the demo yet, but when I do I may have more impressions to post.

for this type of game tho i think thats much better, instead of walking around and all of a sudden the screen says you picked up health! and your like wtf, how did that happen?

this has you checking garbage cans, checking dead bodies and things like that. if its a fast paced online or multiplayer shooter, then its better when you just walk over things.

[GameMaster]

Early reviewers are saying this game tops Ocarina of Time.

[Vampyr]

for this type of game tho i think thats much better, instead of walking around and all of a sudden the screen says you picked up health! and your like wtf, how did that happen?

this has you checking garbage cans, checking dead bodies and things like that. if its a fast paced online or multiplayer shooter, then its better when you just walk over things.

I completely agree, I'm just saying I didn't like it at first.

How can they compare it to OoT, though? It's a completely different game. They might be able to say "the enjoyment derived from playing this game is great than that of OoT", but that's not going to be true most of the time, it just depends on what kind of game the player likes.

[Null]

many reviewers have said many games are better. and i'd agree with some, ocarina is a great great game, i wouldnt say its the best game ever tho.

Ocarina just has the best average review of all the reviewers. so far this game is 99% on gamerankings, with 9 reviews.... Ocarina is 97.7% with like 32 reviews.

[Bond]

I haven't read any reviews comparing the game to Ocarina of Time. That would be sort of an odd and unnecessary comparison.

[Bond]

If anyone is looking to pick up BioShock on the 21st the Xbox 360 will be $49.99 at Circuit City, which is a $10 savings.

[KillerGremlin]

booo to Xbox and controllers, Bioshock will be king on the PC!

fileplanet is putting up the demo at 7:00pm eastern time, today, i believe....but the torrent is already out as someone apparently hacked fileplanet or it got leaked

i'm curious as to how it will run on my computer....probably not at the native 1920x1200 resolution, haha

it looks like lots of fun and i haven't really submerged myself in a single player FPS since half-life 2 and Far Cry.

[Yoda9864]

Downloading the demo for PC right now. But I plan to buy the game tomorrow anyway, lol. Just want something to do until then.

[Bond]

So, will everyone be killing or saving the Little Sisters?

"Mr. Bubbles!"

[Mystification]

I'm definitely going to have to download this and give it a play through.

[Mystification]

I'm just about to sit down to the demo. :]
I'm excited.

[Dyne]

Fucking demo is impossible to download at home. I'm going to try at work tomorrow, maybe Partnernet won't be as saturated since game developers like to download as soon as it's out ... right?