I'm really nervous for Bioshock Infinite.....[Regarding Atmosphere]

[Unsung Hero]

I have to let this off my chest. I'm really nervous for Bioshock Infinite.


For me, Bioshock was one of the best games I've played in all my life of gaming. I've played it 16 times already, and still play it today just to roam around Arcadia, Neptunes Bounty, Medical Pavillion, etc...


I LOVED the atmosphere in Bioshock. Everything else, the narrative, the combat, the characters were just brilliant icing to a magnificent cake.


The atmosphere in Bioshock was awe inspiring. It evoked emotions, happy and sad. It was the first time in a game where I actually dreamt of living in such a setting.


I love bioshock with such a passion. It's the type of game where you'll still remember and play when your 80+ years old.


Now I'm excited for Bioshock Infinite. I really am. On paper it sounds amazing: Ken Levine is back at the helm, Irrational Games is back at the helm, it seems like there taking there time with the game rather than being rushed by the publisher. Everything sounds like this will be as memorable as Bioshock was.


But at the same time, I don' t know. I know the narrative will most likely be awesome, I know there'll be great characters, and I'm sure the combat will be great as well. But like I menitoned above, the MAIN REASON why I loved Bioshock was it's atmosphere. An for me, so far at least, the atmosphere of Columbia doesn't really hold a candle to what Rapture had.

edit: why is there spoiler marks around Bioshock? I didn't put them there..


Personally, one of my favorite things to do in Rapture is just walk in Fort Frolic, go in some store with the beautiful 40's art deco, with some old 40's song playing in the background while I stare out into the window watching the blue ocean. It's weird, but I really enjoyed doing that. It's just one of those things that made Rapture so special.


Now, we don't know much about Columbia, and we haven't really seen much of it. So I guess I'll stay optimistic. But I sadly, sincerely doubt that the atmosphere of Columbia can match the magical atmosphere of Rapture...

[laforzadimente]

Well that's the best part of going in a new direction I suppose. There's less worry about not measuring up because one's an apple and the other is an orange.


I think it really just comes down to faith when you have worries like these (as you mentioned). Some of the revealed heavy hitters have really clashed with my mind's interpretation of what I have seen thus far but I will trust that there is some rhyme and reason to it all until I see the big picture. If I think their new invention is the equivalent of mixing tunafish and oreos after I give it a try, then I'll let them know.

[IGlegacy_Felonious]

laforzadimente said: If I think their new invention is the equivalent of mixing tunafish and oreos after I give it a try, then I'll let them know.

^^^THIS . It's pretty much pointless worrying about something beyond your control, people prove time and time again that they usually prefer something they know and are comfortable with. It take's someone willing to do something risky and different to prove them wrong.

[watchman]

"Personally, one of my favorite things to do in Rapture is just walk in Fort Frolic, go in some store with the beautiful 40's art deco, with some old 40's song playing in the background while I stare out into the window watching the blue ocean. It's weird, but I really enjoyed doing that. It's just one of those things that made Rapture so special."


If you havent already, try using the console cheats that let you fly and go thru walls and then go to the various windows in the level and go outside and look in for a different perspective.

[japester]

If you put a game on that high of a pedestal, you set yourself up for disappointment. I've had friends talk about ex-girlfriends the way you talk about BioShock, and my advice to them was simple, "Date more. A LOT more."


Infinite is a wild card. It won't be like Rapture or BioShock. It will be very different. But it can still be great, in it's own way.


Put another way, look at Irrational's history--the games they've put out. Have you played them? They vary quite a lot. It's not like, say, Bethesda, where they improve upon a basic formula with each new game. Or Rockstar. Irrational has tried all sorts of different things over the years. I believe they learned a lot from BioShock's success, but I expect them to keep experimenting and exploring new directions. And that means some aspects of Infinite may disappoint. The trick is to judge it based on the whole experience.

[losstarot]

Just give them the benefit of the doubt, since you've played yourself Bioshock so many times, I'd expect someone to be bored with Rapture in the long run. And you still want something similar in Infinite? Novelty will be good I'm sure and so far IG has shown sufficently proofs of its amazing setting.

I'm confident Columbia will be as good or even better than Rapture. I mean, it's a city in the clouds man ^^

[vsharres]

I understand completely those fears you have.In the beginning I thought pretty much the same.But after learning about infinite I've got this gut feeling that this game will, if not the same atmosphere( in terms of intensity), it can even surpasses the kind of emotion you feel when you play Bioshock.

The reason is mainly because of Elizabeth.

In Bioshock pretty much all of the "mood" of the game was related with the space and the city itself.Things like the architecture, those little death scenes, the audiologs,posters and etc.But not with the characters (excluding the little sisters and big daddies).

Bioshock Infinite looks to me much more focus in the characters, and building a connection with those characters.

Maybe is just me,but I tent do create a deeper connection with people that I met in my life, than to places I visit, or where I lived.


With Elizabeth there is a potential exactly for that, the potential to build a meaningful emotional connection , and this connection could be much more intense than the connection you had with Rapture.

You said that when you first played Bioshock you dreamt to live in such a setting, if Irrational pulls it of again, after playing Infinite you will dream to feel this same connection with somebody.


But again, this is just a gut feeling I have.

[JoemommAK1200]

10,000 feet above sea level...what more atmosphere do you need?tee hee

[PipoTheClown]

I agree that the Rapture setting was great. I´m not sure if I will love Columbia as much. I do think this new game will be a lot better than most games that come out, and I do appreciate the effort of Irrational to try give us a new gaming experience.

[japester]

If I was to guess, I'm thinking that the focus will shift from the location to the characters. I mean, when people talk about BioShock, they almost always say that Rapture itself was the thing that stuck with them. I have a feeling that if Infinite is a success, it will be the characters that people talk about. That's not to say Columbia won't impress, but I think it will be more of a backdrop for the story rather than being a character itself (which Rapture certainly was!).

[mr.bubbles215]

Rapture was absolutely amazing, i totally agree. I too was originally worried about the atmosphere not being as good as rapture. Now that i have really gotten into it though, I think it will be just as stunning as rapture. I think that the whole pre-World War one steampunk floating city makes a great atmosphere, but that's just me!

I think your going to just have to put your faith in Levine and Irrational for this one

[ladyava]

Seeing the world of Columbia for the first time in the first trailer we got was what made me excited to see the original team back doing what they do best. They are fantastic at creating memorable environments and atmosphere and I feel like trying to compare the two worlds is almost impossible.

[aristotledisco]

I know where you are coming from, I think we all have games where we come to love them so much that any addition seems to threaten that love, because we naturally dont want to be let down by it's growth while at the same time wishing there was more of it to be had. I know I recently played through Bioshock and Bioshock 2 again just for the scenery, especially with the second game which I disliked greatly but Rapture was still Rapture and I love that city. For me my two big games growing up were Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and Morrowind and with both of them I was really hesitant of moving on from there. For instance as much as I loved OoT and MM, Windwaker made me nervous because I didnt like the new artwork, or the setting, or the any of the lack of familiarity which I had come to love. But I really enjoyed Windwaker once I gave it a chance.


To forgo rambling about videogames which I am sure all of us can do all day, I will simply say this, did you love the 40's style before playing Bioshock, or did the game's beauty inspire you to love that time period? If it was the former, and you simply loved the 40's, then dont worry about Bioshock Infinite, because it wont ruin anything about a decade you love.


However, if Bioshock brought you to love the style of that time period, than consider that now they are moving onto a new time period to inspire that love of you in for, perhaps come october you will find new streets and alleyways to wonder through, marveling at architecture just as you marveled at Rapture the first time you saw it.

[thedoctor052]

plz plz plz dont call of duty this game (i.e rega health ,2 weapon slots ) i want lots of weapons and med kits ,just saying

[SSRI]

I am the biggest Bioshock fan in the world, but the game is beginning to show its age.

5 years in the world of software development can be a tremendously long time. The console gamers among us may disagree with me, because they are still running the same old lame ass Directx 9 hardware, but PC gamers are already two generations of technology ahead. I play on a pretty souped up rig and and I'm able to max out most games, including Skyrim. When I see the huge, wide open vistas in such great detail, I can only burst inside with excitement thinking about the atmosphere that Infinite will create.

The huge buildings, the floating platforms, the LIGHTING, all the openness of the world at your fingertips via the skyline. I'm sorry to say it, but Bioshock is a corridor shooter at its heart. It is easily one of the best games I have ever played and one of the main reasons I took time off from school and ultimately decided to change my course of study from English Literature to Computer Science. I wanted to be a part of whatever industry that could be responsible for such a breathtaking interactive achievement.

So I'm not slagging off Bioshock in the slightest possible way. I think it was a brilliant creation on behalf of some extremely talented people. That game truly changed my life.

But Columbia will offer so much more.

[FtRapture]

I am not expecting a new Bioshock game, no more that I expected Bioshock to be similar to System Shock, I am excited for something new and have faith in Irrational's vision based on their history.

So I guess what I am saying is I would rather it not have the atmosphere of Bioshock. I want it to have its own.

[watchman]

Something to consider that the Unreal Engine 3 they say they are going to use (with significant customization) is already about 5 years old. But then the bioshocks were written with an unreal engine that didnt even use Shader Scripts, so at least there will be that much improvement.

But then glitzy graphics are common these days and whether they can make a good game is more the issue.

[mbpopolano24]

I am not. It will be a great game.... but why oh why dealyed until February???

[The owner]

I've been looking forward to this game, but I am a tiny bit worried about the atmosphere. But, however, I feel like I can trust the makers to do good, as soon as it's out I am sure it's going to be good.

[vimandvigor]

I just hope that Infinite is not all action, all the time

there are moments in the original Bioshock where you're free to look around and explore without having to constantly fight enemies, I hope Infinite retains these moments

[watchman]

I just hope that Infinite is not all action, all the time

there are moments in the original Bioshock where you're free to look around and explore without having to constantly fight enemies, I hope Infinite retains these moments

They will probably have to pace you through the game because they would either kill you too quick or run out of different situations to put you in (and it will get repetitive very fast or they will run out of scenery). No doubt there will also be 'spiels' by Elizabeth to 'explain things' (havent heard of any other equivalent of the Accu-Vox Diaries yet to give you the backstory)

[vimandvigor]

They will probably have to pace you through the game because they would either kill you too quick or run out of different situations to put you in (and it will get repetitive very fast or they will run out of scenery). No doubt there will also be 'spiels' by Elizabeth to 'explain things' (havent heard of any other equivalent of the Accu-Vox Diaries yet to give you the backstory)

you know I just want to say that I'm gonna miss the audio diaries, I can't fault Irrational for trying something new, but the audio diaries gave you incentive to explore and we're a brilliant way to easily fill out backstory, I just don't see why they decided to leave them out entirely

for Infinite they could have made them "wax cylinders" instead of audio tape

[watchman]

you know I just want to say that I'm gonna miss the audio diaries, I can't fault Irrational for trying something new, but the audio diaries gave you incentive to explore and we're a brilliant way to easily fill out backstory, I just don't see why they decided to leave them out entirely

for Infinite they could have made them "wax cylinders" instead of audio tape

They still might reveal that there is something like that.

The wax cylindars (or foil) would fit in for a mechanism in the 'exposition' show city aspect of Columbia's origins, where they would have machines all over to play prerecordings to describe locations/exhibits, and then a gimmick (for the fair) for visitors to record their own observations (to allow recording subsequent to the fair by anyone they need 'diaries' from) . That would be used to then playback all kinds of recordings with the backstory, etc...

So you find the cylindars in metal tubes and play them on the nearest machine (and 'site-seeing' machines with official recordings and subsequent recordings by any party who wante to record something, propaganda etc...)


The replayability of the Accu-Vox recordings was useful and the 'ask Elizabeth' playback might seem a bit clumsier.

[losstarot]

Now it would be excellent if those phonographs recordings made by citizens or whatever will replace the diaries, stay in one place making you hear them less clearly if you wander too far from it. While portable devices would have been indeed more practical for the player, the first time you get to hear these new devices might get you spotted if in an ennemy's range allows it.
Doesn't mean they couldn't allow the player to browse through his recording's collection in a sub-menu allowing a pause by the same time. Anyways I'm curious to know what choice they're gonna take.

[Axolotl]

I'm really nervous about the game, too. But what i've seen so far, I think Infinite will be great. The News about Bioshock Infinite were positiv and everbody looking forward to see it. The atmosphere looks awesome in the trailer i've seen. Just brilliant, cant wait to play it.

[vimandvigor]

well guys, evidently audio logs DO return!

this makes me very, very happy

[Biovision]

I am not worried on the atmosphere in the least, sure it will be different than Rapture, but I think it will be a unique and amazing gaming experience. Rapture was amazing absolutely, but when you read A message from Ken Levine part of it states this.

BioShock is so much more than a story of a single place or a single time. We had so much more we wanted to say.

There are two core principles for us that define a BioShock game. First, it has to be set in a world that is both fantastical and yet also grounded in the human experience. Second, it has to provide gamers with a large set of tools, and then set them loose in an environment that empowers them to solve problems in their own way.

I even hope to see other different worlds after Columbia myself and see what interesting new setting they come up with next.

Btw, I agree Vim very happy about the audio logs! they to me were a big part of the game and helped really immerse you in the story.

[watchman]

well guys, evidently audio logs DO return!

this makes me very, very happy

That picture of the 'bonus' buff thingee in the collectable ($$$) content sounds like you get cash bonus in game for finding the audio whatevers (the symbol of a record player disc and arm). Though that all has the taint of 'pay to win', cheapening any 'hard mode' and maybe some 'achievements' (if they have any).

Without such recordings any backstory would probably be left to some more cumbersome mechanism (much better to spread it out and make a bunch of 'findable' objects to give the player something to search for)

[DaRealJohnGalt]

From what I have seen from some of the trailers, it looks like there will be buildings we enter which will be dark and cramped, I`d say they will implement the claustrophobic and dark atmosphere into the game, as its what we all remember from the 1st

[Violent_Delight]

Think about your favourite musical artist. As they grow, they must evolve. It is just how it works. Of course the atmosphere in Bioshock is a major part of its namesake. But like stated somewhere above, it is showing its age. I truly believe that I will always go back to it on a nostalgic level.

I am a little nervous about Columbia and what it has to offer, but the fact of the matter is that it will be a fresh breath of air. If I wanted something just like Bioshock, then I wouldn't waste my time with BI. We all know that IG and Levine are more than capable of making BI a living, breathing game with great result. I don't think anyone questions that at all. I do, however, feel that this is all a comfort zone issue. We unconsciously migrate to what is familiar, but I think we should be open and curious about the great, new things to come.

IG and Levine will make us leave the familiar and comfortable. I, for one, am ready to be blown sky high.

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Face it, my dear. You were born to kiss the stars.