BioShock

BioShock
File:Bioshockcoverfinal.jpg
Developer(s)	Irrational Games
Publisher(s)	2K Games
Designer(s)	Irrational Games
Engine	Modified Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s)	Xbox 360, PC (Windows)
Release	NA: August 21 2007 EU: August 242007 AUS: August 242007
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, Adventure, Action role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player

BioShock is a video game in development by Irrational Games for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360.It is described by the developers as a "spiritual successor" to their previous PC title System Shock 2. It has been in development since late 2004 (and in planning for some time before that). On January 9, 2006, Take-Two Interactive announced that they had acquired Irrational Games, and would be publishing BioShock under their 2K Games publishing label, "planned for release in early 2007". The game will be an Xbox 360 and Windows XP/Vista title. The announced release date is reported as August 21 2007 in North America and August 24 2007 in Europe.

BioShock is said by the developers to include a great deal of interactive environments and player-driven choices, called emergent gameplay, with Ken Levine stating its interactivity would be "unprecedented". While the term has been used for a variety of games, such as the popular Grand Theft Auto series, it is believed that this gameplay will borrow highly from System Shock and System Shock 2. Another point of focus is the "AI ecology", which will dynamically search for opportunities to fulfill their purpose. The player can even exploit the ecology to his/her advantage, making enemies and NPCs turn against each other or otherwise manipulate them into helping the player. Irrational Games announced in a Q & A session on January 19, 2007 that there would be no multiplayer element. They also stated that a demo would not be released, but that "things could change".

A 14 minute video showing for the first time to the public gameplay and introducing some of the AI was released on September 20, 2006.

Initial story

The game starts in the year 1960, with the player underwater following a plane crash in the ocean, surrounded by debris. No introductory cut scene is displayed explaining how this happened, leaving the player to decide for themselves why they were on the plane. Nearby, a lighthouse is sticking out of the water, in the middle of the ocean. Upon getting inside and traversing the internal stairwell, the player finds a bathysphere submersible with a corpse inside. Upon removing the corpse and descending in the bathysphere (having nowhere else to go), the player eventually reaches an underwater city on the ocean floor.

A plot unfolds involving the crumbling city and the utopian society for which it was built. It began with a Howard Hughes-like industrialist named Andrew Ryan. Born in Russia in the early 1900s, he witnessed the rise of the Soviet Union, losing his entire family to the corruption that would plague it throughout its existence. He eventually escaped to the United States, becoming a wealthy and respected industrialist/inventor. At first he is a dedicated patriot, grateful to his new nation for rewarding his intelligence and determination with prosperity and fame. However, his devotion is tested by the Great Depression, the New Deal, and finally shattered by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Immediately afterward, in 1946, was when he withdrew from the world and built the underwater city. A hidden sanctuary for those Ryan considered to be humanity's best and brightest, the society was envisioned as the ultimate capitalistic and individualist paradise, with the elite achieving for themselves, rather than for the whole. Mocking the beliefs of common society, he named it Rapture. Protected by a network of giant sea walls and consisting of a cluster of enormous skyscraper-shaped hive towers, Rapture was designed to be entirely self-supporting, with all of its electricity, food production, water purification and defense systems powered by undersea volcanic openings. At one point, it is learned that Rapture's population numbered several thousand at its peak during the early 1950s, composed of those people Ryan viewed as the best examples of mankind. A large and tiered economy grew among the people, catering different quality products to different levels of the society. The city itself is inspired by Art Deco and has an appearance merging the futuristic and archaic.

A scientific discovery upset the balance of the society. Two scientists studying ocean-floor dwelling creatures discovered a species of sea slug that secretes pure stem cells. These could be used to enhance one's body, improving physical or mental capabilities, curing diseases and healing injuries. A young entrepreneur named Tenebaum invested early on in the research to gain control over the material. The substance, dubbed "ADAM", became so sought after in the society, that it became the dominant currency of the city. A "full-scale genetic arms race" broke out between Ryan and Tenebaum as Tenebaum's monopoly on ADAM threatened the current social structure. Ryan eventually won, but everyone in the city was permanently changed. During the war, it was discovered that ADAM could be used to modify one's body, combining technology and mutations to adapt and survive the conflict, but losing their humanity in the process. During the conflict, all natural sources of ADAM were destroyed, which eventually resulted in a major shift in the "ecology" of the city, as all inhabitants had become biologically dependent on ADAM to survive.

When the player arrives in Rapture, the city is in a state of disrepair, its vast underground living areas and laboratory complexes scarred by the effects of the civil war and poisoned by biological weapons. Low-level flooding is also found to be a problem, as the use of high-powered explosives and corrosion weapons during the war created small breaches in the city's sea walls, allowing seawater to enter some of the buildings.

As the player descends through the underwater city, he or she will explore the many levels of the giant undersea base, including the huge living quarters modules and the multi-floored scientific headquarters. Remnants of the last days remain in notes and recordings made by the citizens before and during the collapse of Rapture's society. Not only does this provide background, it also opens new avenues in the player's interaction with the ecology of Rapture.

Enemies

File:Bioshock Protector.jpg

A resident of Rapture, a "Big Daddy".

Four main categories of enemies are encountered:

• Aggressors: (Splicers) Deformed, genetically modified Rapture citizens who are now remnants of Ryan's army, the Aggressors cannot survive in an oxygen atmosphere due to their extensive biological modifications. They wear little or no armor, and normally roam the levels of Rapture, searching for other inhabitants to kill and steal ADAM from. As their name would suggest, they are aggressive and quick to attack, and will use their enhanced physical strength, group tactics and, sometimes, semi-biological weapons to kill all in their path.
• Gatherers: (Little Sisters) Originally to be portrayed as slug-like, genetically modified sea creatures but now shown as genetically modified children, the Gatherers were created by a scientist named Dr. Tanenbaum as a solution to the ADAM shortage. They extract ADAM from the dead with the tools they carry and eat it, their bodies reprocessing it into a usable form, known as EVE. The team designed them so the player would have a moral conflict in using children to obtain ADAM as well as severe difficulty due to their relation to the Protectors as their charges. According to lead designer Paul Hellquist, the Gatherers have a direct link with the main character. In a recently released audio file, Levine described how the player cannot do anything cruel to Little Sisters, only harvest them. One cannot shoot the Little Sisters or set them on fire. Rewards for not killing Little Sisters are given by Dr. Tanenbaum, although the rewards are as of yet unrevealed by Levine.
• Protectors: (Big Daddies, or Mr. Bubbles and Mr. B as some of the Gatherers call them) Mute, lumbering bio-mechanical monstrosities, created to protect the Gatherers. They are heavily armored and wield high-powered weaponry, including a large drill. Their armor somewhat resembles a large diving suit. Most of the inhabitants stay out of the way of the Gatherers and Protectors. They will not attack you unless provoked and according to lead designer Paul Hellquist "Once you mess with them, you find out why no one messes with them." In a recent trailer/commentary for Bioshock, it was revealed that, despite their size and typically slow movements, they become incredibly fast once engaged, in some cases quicker than the player.
• Security Bots: Throughout the city of Rapture, there are various security cameras. When disturbed, a siren will sound and an unlimited supply of security bots will pour out. The only way to take them down is to destroy the camera or, like in the demo, shut off the security system. The security system can also be "hacked" by the player to register the player as "friendly" and attack enemies. Security bots appear to hover and fly using the same method as helicopters and are armed with machine guns.

Customization

To adapt and advance their character, the player can spend ADAM to gain upgrades called "Plasmids" to modify themselves and give themselves new and/or enhanced abilities and weapons. These are grouped under trees that are Weaponry, Engineering, Active, and Physical. The "Active" Plasmids are essentially alternate weapons, activated by the player in order to be used. The other classes of Plasmids (referred to as "Tonics" in one magazine) are passive, ability-boosters. One mentioned (but unnamed) Tonic causes the character to become invisible when they aren't moving.

The main resources in the game are ADAM, EVE, and money. ADAM is used for character growth, EVE allows the use of Active Plasmids (similar to "mana" in fantasy RPGs) and money allows the purchase of plasmids and weapon upgrades.

Confirmed Plasmids include:

• Cyclone Trap - Creates a vortex that shoots enemies into the air.
• Sonic Boom - A concussive blast that knocks back enemies.
• Insect Swarm - A swarm of insects erupts from the user's arm and attacks anyone nearby.
• Cryo Shards/Winter Blast (Cryo Shards might be what the user calls Winter Blast due to it's appearance when equipped) - Fires icy projectiles that freeze targets. When frozen, targets can be shattered with any weapon, Plasmid, or piece of the environment.
• Incinerate! - Sets objects and enemies on fire by snapping the character's fingers on his right hand as if starting a imaginary lighter.
• Electro Bolt - Fires bolts of electricity. Can extend to nearby enemies if they are standing on water and can be used in conjunction to the user's firearms to electrify the ammunition of the gun.
• Security Beacon - Causes all nearby Security Bots to attack the target.
• Teleportation - Teleports user to predetermined location. (although the AI can use it freely between any two locations.)
• Telekinesis - Can be used to lift and throw several kinds of objects such as bodies, furniture, TNT Barrels, etc. Can also be used to catch grenades. Can also be used to reset traps. to cover your flanks.
• Enrage - Causes target to attack all nearby enemies, leaving the player alone as if he was invisible to the target affected by this plasmid.

Confirmed Physical Tonics Include:

• Hacker's Delight - your body converts the altered current from a hacked machine into a powerful healing agent.
• Booze Hound - Converts the use of alcohol into health gain.
• Medical Expert - Improves the health gained by first aid kits.
• EVE Link - Causes your body to produce EVE (the fuel for Plasmids) whenever you use first aid kits.
• Bloodlust - The damage inflicted onto the enemy is converted it into health for the player during the use of this tonic.

Confirmed Engineering Tonics Include:

• Security Expert - Improves hacking success during hacking.
• Alarm Expert - Lessens or disables active alarms.
• Vending Expert - Lessens the prices at U-Invent and plasmid vendors.
• Hacking Expert - Automatically disarms alarms.

Confirmed Combat Tonics Include:

• Electric Flesh - Lessens electric damage caused by either the environment or enemies with Electro Bolt.
• Static Discharge - Allows the user to use Electro Bolt as a defense weapon.
• Melee Master - Improves melee weapon damage.
• Armored Shell - Lessens damage.

It is hinted that some (if not all) plasmids alter the character's appearance (some screen shots show the character's hands with a texture similar to some of the splicers' skin), keeping up with the theme of "sacrificing your humanity" referenced by Ryan in one of the game's trailers.

There is also Weapon customization. You can alter weapons to hold bigger magazines, to augment firepower, etc. You can also equip each weapon with three different kinds of ammo (for example, the revolver can shoot normal, anti-personnel and armor piercing bullets) including one you have to invent yourself.

The player also has access to a type of vending machines called "U-Invent", where the player can combine bits of scrap found around Rapture to create ammo, traps, hacking devices, etc.[1]

Engine

BioShock was originally going to run on an enhanced version of the Tribes Vengeance engine, the highly modified version of Unreal Engine 2.5 technology used by previous Irrational titles Tribes: Vengeance, SWAT 4, and SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate. In an interview at E3 in May 2006, Levine has revealed that "we've moved to Unreal Engine 3.0, we've done a lot of modifications on top of it," particularly to the way the engine handles water effects, which he claims will be very impressive, "We've hired a water programmer and water artist, just for this game, and they're kicking ass and you've never seen water like this."

BioShock will utilize DirectX 10 feature set when available, but will also run on older DirectX 9 hardware.

Official Requirements

Announced on BioShock's official site and at E3 2007, the official system requirements for BioShock are as follows.

	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista	Same
CPU	Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz (single core)	Intel Core 2 Duo
System RAM	1 GB	2 GB
Video card	DirectX 9.0c compliant card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550)	DirectX 9.0c compliant card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA 7900GT or better) or DirectX 10 compliant card (NVIDIA 8600 or better)
Sound card	100% DirectX 9.0c compliant card	Sound Blaster X-Fi (Optimized for EAX ADVANCED HD 4.0/5.0 compatible cards)
Internet connection	Required for activation	Same

Influences

Levine has stated in an interview with gaming website IGN that the project has drawn on many influences, mostly from Utopian and dystopia literature; "And I have my useless liberal arts degree, so I've read stuff from Ayn Rand and George Orwell, and all the sort of Utopian and dystopia writings of the 20th century, which I've found really fascinating." He also states that he wanted to confront challenges that face the modern world such as, "stem cell research and the moral issues that go around." In fact, Levine admitted the chief antagonist, Andrew Ryan, is named after Rand.

In an interview appearing in gaming magazine EGM, Levine says:

"As a kid, I was obsessed with 1984 and Logan's Run. I love exploring what happens when good ideas fall apart. [...] This world is self-contained. It has its own products, its own culture, its own movies ... even its own advertising. Rapture is populated with real entities who do their own thing. They have their own goals. Take the Big Daddies and Little Sisters: all they care about is harvesting genetic material from corpses. If you do not get in their way, they will not bother you. Live and let live. But if you mess with them - watch out. The Big Daddies aren't the forgiving type."

Similarities to System Shock series

Since the game is a spiritual successor to the System Shock series, and is being developed by former developers of that series, many features and themes are revisited in the game. Levine pointed out many of the similarities during his narration of a video initially screened for the press at E3 2006:

• The theme of a once-bustling habitat now overrun with mutated humans and robot adversaries.
  • The shopping districts in Rapture resemble the mall of the Von Braun in System Shock 2, in particular.
• "Plasmids" serve the same function that cybernetic modules did.
• Audio recordings serve as the same storytelling device that email logs did, such as "the musings of a demented musician who went mad with rage at a rival singer's constant parodies of his work - and eventually had her killed."
• Andrew Ryan serves the same role that SHODAN and The Many did, communicating with the player remotely and working as a God-like antagonist/puppet master.
• The player will be subjected to dealing with an environment full of security cameras, turrets, and drones, and will sometimes be forced to hack security systems.
• Ammo conservation will again be stressed as "a key gameplay feature".
• One of the weapons in the game is a wrench. Other weapons include the shotgun, pistol, tommy gun, grenade launcher, flamethrower, and crossbow. A rumor is a total of 8 weapons but this is unconfirmed. According to rumors one would receive the secret 8th weapon after saving all the Little Sisters (turning them back into the human beings they once were).
• The use of a camera is confirmed, used to research an enemy's weaknesses.

Limited Edition

On March 29, 2007, Take-Two Interactive responded to a fan-created petition for a special edition of BioShock, stating that if the petition received 5,000 signatures, they would publish a Special/Collector's edition. Five hours later, the petition met that number and reached 14,000 by the next day. Soon after the petition reached its requirement, a poll on the Cult of Rapture website was posted where visitors could vote on what they would most like to see in a special edition, and the developers would take this poll into serious consideration with their final verdict. On April 23, 2007, the Cult of Rapture website confirmed that the Special Edition would include a Big Daddy figurine, a "Making Of" DVD and a soundtrack CD, with the box featuring an embossed graphic designed by a graphic competition winner. On May 18, the design by Adam Meyer was named the winner. [2]

Pre-Release Awards

At E3 2006, Bioshock was given the "Game of the Show" award from various online gaming sites, including GameSpot, IGN, GameSpy and GameTrailers's Trailer of the Year.

References

• "BioShock First Look - Exclusive First Impressions", GameSpot, October 8, 2004, retrieved January 12, 2006.
• Unknown. (2006, March). BioShock. Game Informer, 154, 44-53
• E3 06: BioShock Interview Transcript, Advanced Media Network, May 18, 2006, retrieved May 23, 2006.
• Interview with Ken Levine, Gamespy, September 6, 2006
• Issue 206. (2006, August). EGM
• Yahoo description of E3 2006 press video
• Developer video Previewing player Abilities in Tackling and Defeating a "Big Daddy", GameSpot, March 2, 2007

External links

• Official BioShock website
• The Cult of Rapture
• BioShock Portal
• **Bioshock**'s Club Page on 1UP.com