Quote Posted by LookAtYouHacker
Don’t worry, no personal insults here. Its clear Bioshock sure has made quite an impact on many people, including you . Now, keep in mind this is someone who completed System Shock 2 after Bioshock due to curiosity.
I have played through Bioshock (many) times, its a brilliant game and deserves the praise it gets. But, if you truly loved Bioshock, you wouldn’t even consider bashing the very game that supplied it with near every single element you know and love.
That’s right, if it wasn’t for (crappy old) System Shock 2, big bad Bioshock wouldn’t even exist…
Bioshock was Ken Levine’s way of reintroducing the elements System Shock 2 never got to present. Because, System Shock 2 from a commercial standpoint, failed…big-time.
Wondering why he took his leave after Bioshock 1 was finished? Presumably, his work was done, he had offered System Shock 2 another chance for success. All it needed was a different name/makeover…and some alterations to make it slightly less complex for the modern masses. Also of course, moderations of gameplay in favour of gaming consoles for more consumer rates.
Coming away from the subject in general, I found many elements that where taken from System Shock 2, not to just exist in Bioshock, but just to exist for the sake of it. One of many being that Spider Splicer organs allow you to heal with a certain Gene Tonic. A supposed twist on the research system in System Shock 2, where you find chemicals inside corpses and combine chemicals for bio-logical weaknesses.
As for the research system in general, the way Bioshock portrays it feels again just a little tacked on. Research took a lot more effort and patience in System Shock 2 due to the chemical combination’s, rather than just taking pictures. Now onto purely gameplay, Bioshock is definitely more dynamically ambitious. But, I actually would say System Shock 2 with its even more complex RPG oriented elements, allowed for far more (options) in general.
Now, since I previously mentioned reused and altered gameplay elements, let me list some basics of many I have discovered…
Plasmids act as the PSI-Powers, supplied by Eve-hypos/PSI-hypos. Gene Tonics act as Cybernetic upgrades, purchased with Adam/Cyber Modules. Both use security cameras, turrets, generally hostile robotics and the ability to hack. Both use ammo-types, modifiable weaponry and a research system. Both use ghost images, audio tapes to tell the story. The style of the plot twist is also very similar. I could go on forever.
Now as for the story, this is quite an interesting parallel...
1 = Shodan creates something (The Many), loses control of it, there is a bloody conflict. You, an amnesiac are tasked with helping Polito (who is secretly Shodan) perform a series of tasks, as her puppet. Towards the end of the game it is revealed that you have become her cybernetic monster. You destroy The Many and go on to destroy Shodan…
2 = Andrew Ryan creates something (Rapture) and loses control of it, there is a bloody conflict. You, an amnesiac, are tasked with helping Atlas (who is secretly Fontaine) perform a series of tasks, as his puppet. Towards the end of the game, it is revealed that you are his genetic monster. You destroy Ryan and go on to destroy Fontaine…
Interesting, eh? So, in all of this babbling this is what im trying to say. Bioshock is a brilliant game, but if you truly love it, you should be on your knees and kissing Shodans ass :) Farewell.
I would take the inspiration of Bioshock even further pointing out that the world of Rapture (a colony where people could start anew and live together in a utopia that then goes bad) is very much like the plot of Ultima Underworld where their leader tried to do the same thing but things fell into despair. I seem to be the only one who sees that link but I think the Looking Glass legacy has deep roots.
