BioShock shock announcement is a ......demo

Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 14 August 2007 09:04

Your IT - Entertainment

But what a demo!  I just got through playing the taster for the highly anticipated Xbox 360 and PC shooter BioShock.

Phew!  Talk about atmosphere.

From the opening ride sequence - reminding us of the exquisite opening to HalfLife - to the lighting, and especially the sounds we are immersed in the world of Rapture, the art-deco style underwater city which houses the world of BioShock.

The demo does a great job of introducing the game-play concepts involved in BioShock, but more so it is the ambiance of Rapture the feeling of a lost dream, of decay and horror that has invaded a former underwater paradise that the demo achieves.

There is more "horror" to the game than I expected, as you are guided through the leaking corridors of Rapture, you will jump at each far off scream, the site of little sisters harvesting 'Adam' (a precious substance in Rapture) from corpses, whilst their hulking 'big daddy' minders hover menacingly near.

We have come along way in 3D shooters since the days of Castle Wolfenstein.  The Unreal 3 engine has some interactive grunt to it, and a game such as BioShock is a showcase of the technology in use.  Water and fire are not only beautifully rendered in this title, but also used tactically to the player's advantage, send an electric shock into a flooded area to take out multiple enemies.  Use your flame Plasmids (DNA changing abilities within BioShock) to live out your pyro fantasies.

Due for release on August 21 in North America and August 24th elsewhere, BioShock for PC and Xbox 360 (And you never know, maybe for the PS3 later on) is sure to be a hit.