Support NeoGAF

[JackFrost2012]

Gattsu; I really want that larger Shodan pic, but the link's busted for me. Anywhere else I coul get it?

 

[Gattsu25]

Gattsu; I really want that larger Shodan pic, but the link's busted for me. Anywhere else I coul get it?

Hit me with a PM that includes your email, I'll send you that file along with 3 different colored versions of it

 

[Slo]

So is it tommorrow yet?

 

[Redbeard]

So is it tommorrow yet?

Yes, yes it is.

 

[olimario]

Yes, yes it is.

Resident Evil 0 meets Doom III

 

[element]

doh. tribes:vengence engine aka Unreal Engine 2.5

 

[The Shadow]

BioShock is not a sequel to any of the System Shock games, nor does it have any official relation to those games.

Ha! I knew you guys were getting hyped up over nothing.

Still, I love the gameplay in SS2 so I'll look forward to this one even if it's not really SS3.

 

[sonycowboy]

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/bioshock/preview_6110044.html?q=1&tag=gs_hp_flashtop_bg


Just thought it could use it's own thread, since the old one was kind of ...

 

[WarPig]

doh. tribes:vengence engine aka Unreal Engine 2.5

I wouldn't judge its potential by what we see in Tribes, though. Vengeance is drawing big-ass outdoor environments, this is detailed claustrophobic indoor stuff.

And hell, Shock 2 was based on shit technology even at the time, and that still scared the ever-loving fuck outta me.

DFS.

 

[Kon Tiki]

 

[bishoptl]

However, you'll also need to carefully choose between using these upgrades for your weapons or using them for a biological scanning device you'll carry that can capture photos, like a camera. If you can capture exceptionally clear photos of specific creatures, you'll actually be able to expose their weaknesses. Successfully getting a high-quality picture will therefore automatically grant you a bonus in battle the next time you encounter them.

BG&E paved the way!

 

[Ill Saint]

Hrm. Half of what I found most unsettling about the SS games was the premise of being the only survivor in a huge spaceship stuck somewhere in space. That alone is a shit-scary thought (to me anyway).

Not so keen on this setting, but hopefully they can capture some of that sense of utter desolation and paranoia in the previous games. Irrational are ace, and this could be a well worthy heir to the SS legacy.

 

[element]

BG&E paved the way!

no way! Give credit to Pokemon Snap!!

 

[ToyMachine228]

Some art...

 

[Redbeard]

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

 

[Iceman]

MEGAT0N!!

 

[Slo]

I love the idea. It sounds like a system shock type premise, right down to the "plasmid" bio upgrades. Sign me up.

 

[Kon Tiki]

The art screams DOOM III engine. I do not mind, DOOM III was a weak SYSTEM SHOCK III anyway.

 

[dark10x]

The art screams DOOM III engine. I do not mind, DOOM III was a weak SYSTEM SHOCK III anyway.

Yeah seriously...

That 3rd shot is very "Doom 3"ish... (especially the green lighting)

 

[element]

The art screams DOOM III engine. I do not mind, DOOM III was a weak SYSTEM SHOCK III anyway.

they must have re-wrote some of the Unreal render to support normals and high per pixel lighting.

 

[Sinatar]

Consider me VERY HAPPY. This sounds absolutely fantastic. Its a shame about the lack of SHODAN, but it still sounds like a great time.

 

[White Man]

GOTY 2005!

Man, it seriously sounds like they just changed the setting of SS. I'll miss not having any resolution to the Shodan storyline, but you know. . .EA sucks.

 

[TekunoRobby]

I am not suprised, it merely took a matter of time. Irrational was always hinting at a SS sequel down the road, I'm am however extremely pleased to see them tackle it earlier than expected. I'm also very glad to see that a name or copyright is not stopping the team from creating a sequel to this amazing series. I copy and pasted the most important aspects (to me anyways) from the Gamespot preview and added in a few of my comments. Hopefully the lazy thread browsers will pick up on the possible brilliance of this title.

Yet instead of being controlled individually by different kinds of artificial intelligence, these creatures apparently comprise what the developer calls an "AI ecology." Essentially, Irrational decided to try to create an instinctive behavior in the creatures that inhabit the game in lieu of creating individual characters with scripted lines (because characters like these have a tendency to be misused by players in unexpected ways, and eventually they will break down). Instead, each of the three creature types is driven by overriding motivations--a concept that was inspired by, among other things, watching wildlife TV shows with animals and insects that have comprehensible, biologically intuitive, but decidedly non-human behaviors.

Nice to see they are avoiding prescripted enemy interaction, a-la Doom III. Having overlaying animalistic behavior dictate enemy A.I. actions instead of pre-scripted nonsense easily heightens emotional impact by a massive amount. I know the SS series isn't/wasn't known to be a hallmark of A.I. brilliance but I hope they spend enough time with this to avoid the shortcomings of the previous titles. Of course back then we never thought about A.I. complexity when we were running scared but they could really rachet up the fear-factor if they spend enough time with the A.I. this time around. Having an enemy merely look around for you versus having them sniff you out in key locations for example, would make a world of difference with this title.

For whatever reason, the drones' daily routine involves roving the compound in search of corpses, which they feed on, digest, and process the dead flesh into usable, recyclable genetic material (similar to the way cows digest plant matter in their four stomachs). They then return to the complex with their harvest.

I demand high quality animations for this and other examples. The impact on the player observing something as primal and grotesque as this for the first time is simply too awe-inspiring to glance over. I don't need any fancy real-time cinema events (a-la Doom III) but I do want a very dramatic moment of gameplay to encompess an enemy interaction like this. Earth shattering animation is of course not needed but they really need to capitalize on the pseudo animalistic/human behavior this time around. Doom III (must be annoying for me to use that title so much! ) was an excellent example of how having dramatic and well done animation and can impact a situation.

But as it turns out, the material that drones harvest is also the currency of the strange new world of BioShock. As such, you'll spend a good deal of the game trying to devise both direct and indirect means of acquiring harvested DNA from drones without incurring the wrath of a hungry predator or a protective soldier. This genetic material can take the form of "plasmids," which are essentially DNA implants that you can inject into your body to grant a wide array of enhanced abilities--including powers that can indirectly help you take advantage of your environment. By implanting the proper plasmids in your body, you may be able to affect your body's resistance to extreme air pressure or extreme temperatures.

This is fucking fantastic. It sounds like a highly improved recycle of the "research" feature from SS2. I really liked that part of the game but I felt i was way too under-utilized and always had underlying gameplay potential that was never exploited. EXTREMELY glad to see them go in full-force with that idea and really fleshing it out (pun intended).

However, unlike in typical first-person shooters where you'll keep picking up new guns as you go, BioShock will instead present you with prototype hardware for each weapon class. You'll then end up finding or scrounging up additional upgrades for your weapons that you can use to turn a rifle into a sniper rifle or a simple ballistic launcher into a grenade launcher. However, you'll also need to carefully choose between using these upgrades for your weapons or using them for a biological scanning device you'll carry that can capture photos, like a camera. If you can capture exceptionally clear photos of specific creatures, you'll actually be able to expose their weaknesses. Successfully getting a high-quality picture will therefore automatically grant you a bonus in battle the next time you encounter them.

Too. Fucking. Great. Seriously, re-read that and realize how awesome and strategic that'll make the gameplay. Another layer of uneeded complexity in a dire situation to really ramp up emotional duress means GOLD. The more I read with what they're doing to the title in terms of gameplay strategem the more I realize how much brilliant potential they have on their hands.

Levine hints that the new game may feature the same kind of dramatic ambiguity seen in System Shock 2 and the motion picture Fight Club. Like in those other sources of inspiration, in BioShock, you may meet characters and have firsthand experiences early on that you'll come to doubt later. You may even begin to wonder whether you had actually seen what you thought you did--or whether your mind was playing tricks on you.

Excellent, another awesome holdover/improvement from the originals. I am salivating at the storyline potential with that bit of news.


All in all this is such a blatent sequel to the SS series but with a name/story change. It works fine for me, Shodan and the rest will be sorely missed but a welcome sacrifice considering the situation. I was hoping that they would use the Doom III engine for this game since it seems like a natural fit and most of the core lighting/rendering technology is done for what they need, but it might be too much money since this is obviously not that much of a high profile title for the publisher. Anways they are probably already quite competant with the UT2004 engine so why switch over to a brand new one?

God I'm such a huge fan of the SS series, I remember it blowing me away when I first played the original Looking Glass Studios masterpeice. I am beyond excited for this title.

 

[Gattsu25]

Jack, check your PMs

 

[JackFrost2012]

Jack, check your PMs

Grazie. When I was choosing a female face to use in my website design, in the end it came down to between Shodan and Bjork.

 

[wipeout364]

Sorry to be such a loser for not playing system shock 2, but does anyone know if it is still available. I'd like to get a copy but it doesn't seem to be available as discount software. Are they still making it?

 

[Buggy Loop]

Its an abandonware, no longer published.

You can get it via (little search i did rapidly)

-Ebay
-amazon
-gamesny for 10$ !!
-Abadonware download, but has FMVs cut if i remember and some other things, try to avoid it if you can

Also a certain mega popular bittorent site which i cant name, or can i? Since its an abandonware i dont see what would be bad about it.. anyway check your PM

 

[Phoenix]

I'm not feeling it yet, but I had to actually play the system shock games before I really got into them as well. There isn't anything in the description that particularly calls out to me and says 'I'm going to be an awesome game' though.

 

[Mrbob]

Wow. How did I miss this thread?

Bioshock sounds excellent. In a way, the world seems to be set up like S.T.A.L.K.E.R., where everyone elses actions are independent of you and how your coming into contact with them changes things.

I still haven't finished System Shock 2. Yes, I'm weaksuace. I'll get too it someday. Now speaking of the original, how are you guys getting the game to run under Windows XP? I can't get it to run at all...

 

[Buggy Loop]

Now speaking of the original, how are you guys getting the game to run under Windows XP? I can't get it to run at all...

Me neither I tried a dos emulation program once which i forgot the name but it didnt have any sound