BioShock Demo is up on Marketplace

[Bond]

Content: 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:

[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]

Originally Posted by Bond

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

Not sure what games you play...

[Null]

Originally Posted by gekko

Not sure what games you play...

Team Fortress has a wrench! (engineer)

[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

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.

[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


"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

[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......