Bioshock
2K Games
Released: 2007
Platform: Pc, Xbox 360, Ps3
Genre: First-person-shooter w/ elements of Role-playing-game
Bioshock is solely a single-player, narrative driven game. It has deep roots in Ayn Rand's work's, including; 'Atlas shrugged' and 'The Fountainhead'. It also focuses around the ideology of Objectivism. Bioshock is a game that consistently changes, and one that is governed by the player's choices.
One of Vladimir Propp's 'sphere's of action', was the sphere of Villainy. This is basically supposed to be the bad guy the hero of the story struggles against. Villainy comes up a great deal in Bioshock.
Bioshock is set in a grand, underwater dystopia, called Rapture. It was a city free of any government, religion, or ethical bindings. When the player arrives in Rapture, the city has recently fallen from grace. The shining idea it was built on has gone sour. The city is collapsing around the player as soon as you arrive. As such, water plays a key part in Bioshock. From playing through the game,I found that the city itself seemed to be trying to drown you. Everywhere you turn, the Ocean is patiently finding ways inside. Cascading down walls, leaking in through window seals, flowing from broken plumbing, water gets in. Some sections of the game require you to run away from rapidly flooding chambers, and bulkheads buckling under thousands of gallons of water. Water is your enemy in Bioshock. Although, fittingly, this can change.
 |
| Water as a 'villain' in Bioshock |
The Helper - Bioshock's game world can be turned into a helper, with a bit of ingenuity from the player. Water, as previously mentioned, is prevalent throughout Rapture, but can sometimes be a valuable asset. If the player spots enemies wading through shallows for example, they can shock the pool of water with the Electro Bolt plasmid, and fry their opponents instantly. Other elements also exist, namely oil slicks, when can be set ablaze, creating fiery hazards for adversaries.
 |
| The player uses 'electro bolt' on a couple of unsuspecting enemies |
 |
| A large puddle of flammable oil, which could easily be ignited... |
Additionally, the machinery of Rapture can be turned to the player's side. Vending Machines, Ammo dispensers, flying security bots and CCTV cameras can all be hacked and made to work to the player's advantage. This is an example of how usually mundane objects in games, can be interacted with and aid in the player's quest.
The Princess - In a way, the 'Little sisters' of Bioshock can be considered the ultimate rewards or prize. They populate the world of Rapture, playing an integral part of the city's life cycle. They gather and harvest ADAM, a genetic wonder-drug, from corpses all over the city. The player interacts with them by killing their guardians first, then deciding to either harvest or rescue each one. Bioshock is a game of choices, and if the players saves the little girls, by 'rescuing' them, they are eventually rewarded with the greatest gift of all. Where simply 'harvesting' the girls will kill them, but will make you significantly more powerful.
 |
| The pivotal choice in the game |
Tekken series
1994-present day
Developed by Namco
3d-arcade 'beat em' up'
Tekken is a game which is about the furious combat between two opponents. It has it's beginnings in dingy saturday arcades, with a line of kids waiting to battle it out with each other.
The world of Tekken is very much secondary compared to the actual fighting. There is brief description of the Mishima Zaibatsu, the corporation who run the brutal tournaments. There are rival companies, various relationships between the fighters and a narrative that revolves around the Mishima family. But little else. The locations where the fights take place are called 'stages'. Literally, they are like theatre stages, supporting where the action takes place but adding very little by themselves.
The stages could be almost anywhere, and sometimes Tekken takes it's fighters to some extreme locales. Tekken also seems to know that it's stages are thin in substance. There are some comical stages, which are supposed to be fun to look at, but that is all.
No comments:
Post a Comment