Video Game thread XIV ²: No Prequels Club

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Friends, if you have a PS3 and have been thinking about getting the new Tomb Raider, it's 50% off on PSN this weekend.
I already gave my remaining PSN balance to Bioshock for the seasons pass (take my money, Irrational Games!), but I think this is worth picking up a couple extra PSN cards this weekend
 
Also, did anyone get Injustice? I did. Lots of fun. I get the shit kicked out of my online however
 
Have any of you fools beat Infinite yet? I wanna talk a out how awesome it was

Let's do this.

Spoiler alert: buy the game. It's not flawless, but I think it's important to play as an industry marker.

I need to give credit to 2K for working on a graduate level of world building for Infinite while most other developers are milling around in undergrad classes. On the most obvious, pressing level the question "is Bioshock Infinite fun to play?" the answer is yes. Duh. The experience of Columbia is fantastic, Elizabeth is a compelling, motivating companion, the plot unwinds deliciously, and the act of pointing a gun at someone from the first person and shooting them is as fun as it's been for the last 20 years.

In fact, you are given several guns, and there are a number of special superpowers to add on top of that for what's theoretically a recipe for interesting mayhem. I imagine one can have a lot of fun going out of their way to blow up someone with a Volley Gun and then shock a Patriot to death with electrified crows (I assume that's what the strange "Water Puddle" summons for Elizabeth were for). ....Yet strangely, for me these elements functionally sat limply in the game. The problem it's difficult to side step is that most of your choices have about as much relationship to the actual progression of the game as those little card minigame diversions Square added to PSX-era Final Fantasy games. I ended up using a carbine for long range plinking, a shotgun for close range death, and Shock Jockey for 90% of the time, and Infinite was perfectly fine with it.

The game feels a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, too- oh sure, now I have octopus tentacles at my disposal? Well, good luck. I'm struck by the contrast with the Portal school of design where the gameplay progression was immaculately sculpted to introduce you to new tools in a safe sandbox before dropping you into problems that required new applications of said tools. Late-game Infinite battles aren't asking you to pull some heady shit layering skills you've developed on top of one other; there just are more combinations of baddies you've already played.

But this is all a bit situational game reviewing- even had 2K staged the battles in an interesting tactical fashion, I'm less certain it answers the main strategic goal of the game.

One way of phrasing the final, crushing question of Infinite is, how can we successfully save Booker DeWitt's soul? The premise of the whole game is forged in the furnace of mass violence at Wounded Knee, so for maybe 70% of the gameplay leading up to that question to exactly be violence yet not, as far as I can tell, ultimately offer any meaningful commentary on Booker's journey feels like the definition of a missed opportunity.

I'm assuming the unstated rot in the foundation is that 2K Games couldn't get the budget to build Columbia unless it's a first person shooter. It's not hard to imagine that the talented designers of Bioshock are perfectly aware of what they've crafted, and I'm reminded a bit of Joss Whedon's Avengers: there's a clear divide in the game between what pays the bills and what truly moved them.

At this point (understandably!) one might get the impression I disliked the game, which is not true: consult paragraph one!

I have to say again here that I loved the plot, and how it was essential it be a video game, not a movie or TV show-the "game over" retry is the Luteces pulling new DeWitts into this universe, and gives the "122" Heads v. Tails challenge at the start meaning. There are a number of what I assume are disenchanted MFA graduate students out there blogging derisively at the "10th grade" mind trip at the end. Go read Haruki Murakami, nerds! I'm happy to plant my flag supporting metafictional narrative, suck my dick. I ate this transdimensional mayhem up with a spoon during Chrono Cross, and thought the spooky vacancy of Columbia near the end tapped very effectively into the same sort of creepy post-apocalyptic rapture wandering that Mass Effect 3 had when Shepard beamed up to the Citadel. That tectonic sense of a world that's wrong, and spinning slowly, but inevitably into disaster. Expecting a AAA blockbuster title to full validate the artistic weight placed on it may be too much, but I think Infinite is part of a great trend of games laying out where we need to go, and what that will ultimately look like.
 
So you liked it then?

I agree with what you're saying about the guns and powers not being essential. But at the same time, I feel like that gives it a bit more replay value. The first time through, I used the machine gun/RPG and Shock Jockey almost exclusively. When I immediately started through for a second run (is there any game that is better suited to a second play through? Very rewarding), I used Shotgun/RPG and Bucking Bronco and found that made for an even more enjoyable experience. In a way, it's refreshing to have a game that isn't giving you powers that you'll obviously need to solve a puzzle later in the game (at bit like a Harry Potter plot device). In this way, you're given a plethora of items and magic and can decide for yourself how and if you want to use them. And though it might be reading into it a bit much, that also plays into the overarching theme of the game; you're free to make personal choices, but the ultimate outcome remains

What did you think of the Lutece twins? They might be my favourite game characters ever.

As far as a missed opportunity on Booker's journey goes, you are learning a great deal about it through out the game. Only, you don't realize it because it's being presented to you as Comstock's journey. Another instance where a second play through is really revealing
 
So you liked it then?

I agree with what you're saying about the guns and powers not being essential. But at the same time, I feel like that gives it a bit more replay value. The first time through, I used the machine gun/RPG and Shock Jockey almost exclusively. When I immediately started through for a second run (is there any game that is better suited to a second play through? Very rewarding), I used Shotgun/RPG and Bucking Bronco and found that made for an even more enjoyable experience. In a way, it's refreshing to have a game that isn't giving you powers that you'll obviously need to solve a puzzle later in the game (at bit like a Harry Potter plot device). In this way, you're given a plethora of items and magic and can decide for yourself how and if you want to use them. And though it might be reading into it a bit much, that also plays into the overarching theme of the game; you're free to make personal choices, but the ultimate outcome remains

What did you think of the Lutece twins? They might be my favourite game characters ever.

As far as a missed opportunity on Booker's journey goes, you are learning a great deal about it through out the game. Only, you don't realize it because it's being presented to you as Comstock's journey. Another instance where a second play through is really revealing

Yeah I see what you're saying about the playground aspect. And it may be my own baggage that kept me on a narrow two gun/ one power pathway. But the tradeoff that I felt was it became a bit unfocused, trying to keep all these diverse weapons and powers in play. I agree that it can feel annoying when the designers too heavily weigh the sort of rock-paper-scissors mechanics into the game, but I was ready for just a touch of it. Instead, guns shooting bullets. Shoot more!

I didn't realize how many plot pieces the Luteces were laying in front of me in their audio tapes and interactions until I read a recap after finishing the game, and then it was a constant series of "ooooooohhhhhh I get that now." Great pacing.

Ah, I might have been unclear- what I mean is, how does the shooting gameplay affect Booker's moral journey? The actions you do most in the game, which in this case is killing a quarter of a million cops, black people, and semi-corporeal crow-men, should have some bearing on the message the game is pushing. We can say this, unlike Wounded Knee, is justified because DeWitt's doing it for the right cause, but then have we become a mirror image of Comstock? Or can we be cognizant of our failings without spiraling into moral equivalency? (Something I felt the game fell into with Daisy Fitzroy). But I don't remember Infinite really approaching the shooting as having any of that, or thing, to say about Booker, which is curious in a game with such a strong authorial presence in virtually every other facet.

The Big Daddy/Little Sister dynamic is a good situational example where you can either play selfishly or selflessly, which ideally is reflected in the final ending for the character.

A fancy word I'll throw out is ludonarrative dissonance.

Oh yeah, I freaked out when I saw that we were on Rapture. Playing the original Bioshock for 10 minutes payed off! Hey, I remember that lighthouse!
 
Ah, I might have been unclear- what I mean is, how does the shooting gameplay affect Booker's moral journey? The actions you do most in the game, which in this case is killing a quarter of a million cops, black people, and semi-corporeal crow-men, should have some bearing on the message the game is pushing. We can say this, unlike Wounded Knee, is justified because DeWitt's doing it for the right cause, but then have we become a mirror image of Comstock? Or can we be cognizant of our failings without spiraling into moral equivalency? (Something I felt the game fell into with Daisy Fitzroy). But I don't remember Infinite really approaching the shooting as having any of that, or thing, to say about Booker, which is curious in a game with such a strong authorial presence in virtually every other facet.

The Big Daddy/Little Sister dynamic is a good situational example where you can either play selfishly or selflessly, which ideally is reflected in the final ending for the character. Instead, well, kill all the crow-men.

ah, ok, I gotcha. Ya, would've been cool if Booker's actions/dialog were affected as the game progressed. What I did like was how, at least early in the game, Elizabeth was affected by the violence. She perhaps got used to it a little quickly, but for the sake of moving the story forward, it's something I was willing to look past. With Booker, they sort of addressed it in some of his lines about being a generally bad, dangerous guy. Maybe after killing so many at Wounded Knee, his remorselessness somewhat fits with his character
 
ah, ok, I gotcha. Ya, would've been cool if Booker's actions/dialog were affected as the game progressed. What I did like was how, at least early in the game, Elizabeth was affected by the violence. She perhaps got used to it a little quickly, but for the sake of moving the story forward, it's something I was willing to look past. With Booker, they sort of addressed it in some of his lines about being a generally bad, dangerous guy. Maybe after killing so many at Wounded Knee, his remorselessness somewhat fits with his character

Oh yeah, agreed with you on Elizabeth. One of those things where I'm happy to have the plot moving along to more important things.

Loved the game taking care to design what you see when opening doors- so many enormous stained-glass windows and statues. I often found myself slowly stepping through with a mix of awe at the surroundings and fear that said crow-men were going to descend from the rafters and eat me.
 
Loved the game taking care to design what you see when opening doors- so many enormous stained-glass windows and statues. I often found myself slowly stepping through with a mix of awe at the surroundings and fear that said crow-men were going to descend from the rafters and eat me.

Yes!

There was one point in particular toward the end of the game. There's a huge stained glass of Elizabeth (I think in Comstock's airship) that you walk around the back of on a mezzanine and exit the room through a door. If you turn around, the door perfectly frames a glowing image of Elizabeth's face. Fantastic design
 
So I've watched like three hour long Youtube videos of reviewers just going through and analyzing the game.

Bioshock Infinite spoilers

Bioshock Infinite‘s themes of the illusion of free will extend from the artificiality of NPCs to the very nature of interactivity later on in the game. In the game’s final sequence, Booker finds himself reliving the moment he sold his daughter to repay his debt. Booker tries to resist, and players, disgusted at this grim realization, will too. ”You can wait as long as you want, eventually you’re going to give him what he wants. You don’t leave this room until you do.” says Elizabeth. At this point, the only option available to the player is to pick up the baby and hand it over to the man at the door, players cannot fight back or escape the room. Players will inevitably surrender the baby, since they cannot progress until they do. Both Booker, and the player, are rendered incapable of making any other decision by the very nature of Bioshock Infinite‘s method of storytelling. Aside from surrendering the baby after waiting for an indefinite time, the only other option available to the player is to quit the game.

Link

I remember there are two quests in Skyrim that I stressed over for the longest time, one of which involved finding someone for Boethiah's followers to slay, the other involved a god forcing me to beat a priest to death with a mace. It didn't feel remotely fair, and I had no other option, which left me agitated.....until I realized I could.....just leave. I can't close either quest, they're sitting there alongside a quest item I can't unload from inventory, but I feel like I won.

And it's such an obvious option that it's hidden without a "press B to reject" button. Doesn't precisely relate to the Infinite quote, but it's still a bit exciting to realize you can jump outside the whole framework of the game like that.
 
I haven't read the link yet, but just going on that quote

Is that a critique of the mechanics of the game? I read something similar about the original Bioshock and it seems incredibly silly. Games must have constraints like that one or else what you're asking for is literally an infinite number story branches. Complaints like that one are like complaining that you're being forced to use guns when you'd much rather just make friends with the enemies. Or if it were a Star Wars game, you're being forced to side with the Rebel's when you much prefer the Empire's ideologies. It's just a silly thing to complain about. Games have never been about the player having free will and it's unfair to expect that from a developer .
 
Ok, just read it. Doesn't seem to be written in the same negative tone that the original Bioshock critique I read was. But

"The coin-flip scene represented an ideal point to give the player the decision of calling heads or tails, but Booker is scripted to always call heads. This is done purposefully, as removing player autonomy from this scene tells us it is impossible for a game with scripted elements to be truly player-driven."

I don't think this is correct. You were able to call heads or tails; it wasn't scripted. The coin landing on heads is what was scripted
 
Apparently both a trailer and preview of GTA 5 will be out later this week (supposedly Wednesday and Thursday, don't know if that's accurate). Hopefully they do those cool walk through preview things like they did before Red Dead Redemption.
 
And what is the new xBox going to be called? Seems they called it the 360 because they think consumers are stupid and would subconsciously think a ps3 is more advanced than an xBox2... Xbox 720?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom