Tiger Woods Out...Until August!
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| 46 User Comment(s) • 26 root comment(s) |
 Eclipse (434)   Aug 27, 2007 - 03:12 pm | Edited on Aug 27, 2007 - 03:14 pm
| » Level design
One thing I don't think the review covered very well was the level design. Now I'm only on the 3rd level, but so far the layout of the game is most exceptional.
In my experience, most FPS games only have one way through any given level. Sure, the building you are going through has doors and hallways galore, but only one isn't permanently locked, barricaded or collapsed! This always strikes me as very odd. "Boy it's a good thing that that earthquake happened or else we would have never gotten to the end boss!" Just the most arbitrary and serendipitous level design ever.
No so in Bioshock. Sure Rapture has it's share of barricaded doors and collapsed tunnels (the place IS falling apart after all), but usually if there is a large room with many doors and hallways, then 75% of those doors and hallways will be accessible or become accessible. Generally speaking there are 2 entrances to most rooms, and so far as I've been able to tell, you can walk back to the beginning of the game if you so desired... of course you will have to deal with respawns, but that's what makes it exciting.
Room reuse is also big in Bioshock. I don't know how many rooms in Doom 3 that I walked through thinking "wow, that's pretty", but there wasn't anything to do in there, so I walked through never to return. In Bioshock each level is a living area where you crisscross the same rooms many times in order to complete your tasks.
Also, the level layout MAKES SENSE! Where's the crematorium? Why, off the side of the medical bay of course! What do you do when you are done in there? Walk back through medical, DUH! In most games there would be a hole blown in the back of the crematorium leading to the chief of medicine's office, not here, you have to walk to his office like a normal human being. I like these sorts of touches, especially since the medial patrols have respawned by now.
The only exception to this rule is the opening sequence (i.e. the Demo). That part is very linear, but I think it was done that way to ease players into the universe.
Also, if you've played System Shock 2 then the level design of Bioshock will be very familiar. This isn't surprising as they came from the same people. Too bad they won't be releasing another game for quite some time... but who knows, maybe someone will copy their ideas this time. One can only hope.» Login to reply to this |
Eclipse (434) Aug 27, 2007 - 02:46 pm
| » To RPG or not to RPG
Let me preface this by saying that I've not completed the game yet.
So far the RPG portions of this game have more to do with gameplay style choice than with "affects the world" choice.
Sure, there's the "little sister" dilemma, but other than that you simply follow the bread crumbs to the end of the level and therefore to the next plot point.
However, how you get there is entirely up to you. Personally, I've taken the "hey look over there" target dummy approach, along with hacking every turret, camera and drone in sight. This way I'm mostly out of the "danger zone" and cap most enemies from behind or they are handled by my "minions".
However, of the four people I know who are playing this game, I'm the only one who's taken this approach. In fact, I'm the only one who's even bothered to buy the target dummy plasmid.
Want to freeze and break every enemy? Perfectly acceptable. Like to Burn and throw exploding containers around? Sure, why not! Think that all sounds very convoluted? Just run and gun! All viable options.
Now that's what I like about the game. Maybe it's not "RPG" but it's definitely nice to have a choice about how you go through the game.» Login to reply to this |
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