I finished the single player story Sunday on normal difficulty. I can\'t say that I agree with all the gushing reviews. Here are a few cons that nobody seems to be hitting on:
- Weapon customization feels too limited. You can only upgrade each weapon twice to the two preset categories. Additionally, a few of the upgrades are on the useless side.
- There is no experimentation allowed when inventing items. I really don\'t feel like I\'m inventing a darn thing. I just find crap around Rapture, throw it into a magic box, and out pops my \"invention\". A mini-game that tossed in an element of risk would have fit perfectly for this action.
- Big Daddies don\'t escalate in difficulty. As I gained more plasmid powers, interesting weaponry, and eve/health, the Big Daddy stayed the same. By the final two sections, I could take down any Big Daddy without getting harmed at all.
- While it has a highly original and complex story, the linear pace of the game really starts to set in by the midway point of the game. The monotonous repetition of fetching tasks is a bit ridiculous.
- The final boss battle is moronically easy. There isn\'t a lick of strategy involved. Heck, with the right type of ammo, you don\'t even have to touch a plasmid power.
- I\'m not compelled to play through the game again, for alternate endings or achievements. I racked up 46 out of 50 achievements the first time through, 920 points. Without multiplayer, it\'s going up on Ebay.
Bioshock is most certainly an atmospheric thrill ride and deserves much of the praise it\'s getting. Unfortunately, a critical eye is often lost in the heavy atmosphere and involving narrative. In my opinion, the momentum behind Bioshock is a bit much, causing the flaws to be lost by the wayside.
Anyway, despite my misgivings, it\'s absolutely worth picking up or renting if you play quickly. BTW, The completion time estimates seem off to me. I\'ve explored every inch of each map in about 15 hours of actual playtime, not the 20 hours that the PR guy claimed. And that was at my scared shitless pace.
- Weapon customization feels too limited. You can only upgrade each weapon twice to the two preset categories. Additionally, a few of the upgrades are on the useless side.
- There is no experimentation allowed when inventing items. I really don\'t feel like I\'m inventing a darn thing. I just find crap around Rapture, throw it into a magic box, and out pops my \"invention\". A mini-game that tossed in an element of risk would have fit perfectly for this action.
- Big Daddies don\'t escalate in difficulty. As I gained more plasmid powers, interesting weaponry, and eve/health, the Big Daddy stayed the same. By the final two sections, I could take down any Big Daddy without getting harmed at all.
- While it has a highly original and complex story, the linear pace of the game really starts to set in by the midway point of the game. The monotonous repetition of fetching tasks is a bit ridiculous.
- The final boss battle is moronically easy. There isn\'t a lick of strategy involved. Heck, with the right type of ammo, you don\'t even have to touch a plasmid power.
- I\'m not compelled to play through the game again, for alternate endings or achievements. I racked up 46 out of 50 achievements the first time through, 920 points. Without multiplayer, it\'s going up on Ebay.
Bioshock is most certainly an atmospheric thrill ride and deserves much of the praise it\'s getting. Unfortunately, a critical eye is often lost in the heavy atmosphere and involving narrative. In my opinion, the momentum behind Bioshock is a bit much, causing the flaws to be lost by the wayside.
Anyway, despite my misgivings, it\'s absolutely worth picking up or renting if you play quickly. BTW, The completion time estimates seem off to me. I\'ve explored every inch of each map in about 15 hours of actual playtime, not the 20 hours that the PR guy claimed. And that was at my scared shitless pace.
