Disappointment - not yet mentioned

[Aequitas123]

So I beat the game in 2 days on medium, as soon as it came out. It is most definitely one of the most beautiful games created, so far. After reading many posts on this forum, i noticed one issue i had has not been discussed, or i have simply not seen it.

Rapture is at the bottom of the ocean!

Yet this game could have taken place in a warehouse on the surface, without having to change much. Other than the beginning bathysphere ride, or with the plane fuselage crashing into the walkway, you don't see much, or ever interact with the ocean. I was expecting Sharks and Whales and Squids and tons of other types of fish to see. I was expecting floods and swimming and shooting holes in the glass to drown enemies.

For a crumbling city underwater, you sure were not burdened by it.

[Dustgunner]

I agree with you but I think the "Crumbling underwater city" thing is really just a sort of metaphor - tons of stuff in bioshock is - about being confused, scared, and alone... closed off from the rest of the world, lost, both inside and out.

[Aequitas123]

We'll it could have been a metaphor and still be incorporated more into the plot/gameplay.

[Carrick]

I can't help but think that the storyline would need MASSIVE adjustments in order to fit with it being on the surface and would have ruined the feel the game has.

Besides, if it was on the surface, in "public" then it would just have been another generic bad guy vs you story with crazy powers thrown in.

Despite the fact that it's at the bottom of the sea, it's that fact that makes it much more believable.

[Hod the Reborn]

Like Ryan says "It wasn't impossible to build Rapture at the bottom of the sea. It was impossible to build it anywhere else". So what if it's not realistic? It's called "suspension of desbelief".

[Aequitas123]

True. Thats my point, it would be just another generic game.

But other than the first chapter, how often do you interact with the ocean? Theres the bathyspheres, the occasional walkway being blocked, and of course the floods everywhere. I do love staring out the windows at the underwater city, but i would love some exotic fish (other than the generic school you see) or large whales/sharks/squid swim around the city once in a while.

Except for the first minute of the game, no swimming? For a game set at the bottom of the ocean this seems odd to me.

[ShatteredFox]

also if you shoot a hole in the glass, you won't drown them. They will be sucked momentarily into that hole breaking the whole glass due to a sudden burst of water flow. This will just pretty much flood the whole place lol. But more leaking place would of been a bit better.

[Eternalnow]

Yes, its at the bottom of the ocean, and no you don't really interact with water all that much.

The water is there to set the mood. I think its better that you don't fight sharks and squids and whatever..that's not the point of the game. The point of the game is the ADAM/EVE interaction and how it destroyed an elitist society.

Think about it. You are exploring an underground world enclosed in cracking glass and a structure that is about to burst at the seams. Water is pouring in and it is only a matter of time before the place collapses.

There is nothing but chaos all around you.

The human civilization that once inhabited Rapture have become twisted, insane creatures. The only remaining humans are mutated and will kill anything in sight, and all around you lie the decaying ruins of a once great and glorious world.
Kind of epic, don't you think?

Basically a post-apocalyptic setting set in the 1960's.

If this took place on the surface in some generic city above ground it wouldn't really be able to distinguish itself from The Darkness or any other shooter ever released.
Being based waaay under the ocean, isolated away from the rest of humanity and the world gives it a very creepy feeling.

[Malfunkshun]

True. Thats my point, it would be just another generic game.

But other than the first chapter, how often do you interact with the ocean? Theres the bathyspheres, the occasional walkway being blocked, and of course the floods everywhere. I do love staring out the windows at the underwater city, but i would love some exotic fish (other than the generic school you see) or large whales/sharks/squid swim around the city once in a while.

Except for the first minute of the game, no swimming? For a game set at the bottom of the ocean this seems odd to me.

Im not disappointed with the game but I was also a little surprised that there was no swimming/ outdoor interaction either- I for sure thought there was going to be one chapter sculpted after the part in DOOM 3 where you run outside for a bit and have to suck air cannisters to stay alive.

I especially thought we were going to swim after seeing that one Big Dady walking outside.

but.....

I bet we go swimming in the expansion pack.

[chirs3]

Think about it. You are exploring an underground world enclosed in cracking glass and a structure that is about to burst at the seams. Water is pouring in and it is only a matter of time before the place collapses.

And that there is the problem - that danger of imminent collapse and destruction never felt real.

Oh, there's a leak. Oh, here's a leak. But at no point did it really feel like the ocean was taking the city back, as Levine said.

Throw in a sequence where a room begins to fill with water and you have to find an exit before you drown. Make some more scripted sequences where you can see flooded buildings in the distance begin to crumble and fall. Do something - anything - show me something to make me believe this city is dying. Leaks in the ceiling aren't enough.

[DutchDude]

Am I the only one who could almost "feel" the water pressure on myself all the time? I really felt like I was crawling around the bottom of the sea, in a city cough by chaos, rebellion, and sadness. The Splicers, water pouring in from everywhere, the whole place felt "wet and dark" ;P

[Dustgunner]

I think it would have been cool if there was one of the buildings that you were in suddenly flooded and just began crashing down and filling up with water and there was a portion in the game where you would have to run away and escape - get in the next airlock before you're drowned. That would have been enough.

[Death]

The buildings WONT crumble from a bit of water on them. If they get a hole and the water gets all the way into it the airlocks to it would shutoff most likely. The building would become a underwater graveyard.

[Aequitas123]

Yes, its at the bottom of the ocean, and no you don't really interact with water all that much.

The water is there to set the mood. I think its better that you don't fight sharks and squids and whatever..that's not the point of the game. The point of the game is the ADAM/EVE interaction and how it destroyed an elitist society.

Think about it. You are exploring an underground world enclosed in cracking glass and a structure that is about to burst at the seams. Water is pouring in and it is only a matter of time before the place collapses.

There is nothing but chaos all around you.

The human civilization that once inhabited Rapture have become twisted, insane creatures. The only remaining humans are mutated and will kill anything in sight, and all around you lie the decaying ruins of a once great and glorious world.
Kind of epic, don't you think?

Basically a post-apocalyptic setting set in the 1960's.

If this took place on the surface in some generic city above ground it wouldn't really be able to distinguish itself from The Darkness or any other shooter ever released.
Being based waaay under the ocean, isolated away from the rest of humanity and the world gives it a very creepy feeling.

Exactly my point. And although the underwater setting is amazing and completely sets the eerie and 'pressured' tone of the game, i dont think it was used to its full potential.

Brilliant game, none-the-less

[Aequitas123]

Am I the only one who could almost "feel" the water pressure on myself all the time? I really felt like I was crawling around the bottom of the sea, in a city cough by chaos, rebellion, and sadness. The Splicers, water pouring in from everywhere, the whole place felt "wet and dark" ;P

Yes, but you never get to experience the force of that pressure.

[Dustgunner]

Actually they mention the fact that they wanted swimming in stuff in the game, more focus on the underwater aspect but they couldn't do it in Bioshock, maybe in Bioshock 2. The devs said that on the show about Bioshock on gametrailers.

[nbmatt]

That drowning enemies idea is pretty perfect. :P

Shoot a hole above them and let it come crashing down.

[nucka]

1. The ocean isn't swallowing Rapture because the leaks are huge, it's because the leaks are everywhere. There were puddles of water everywhere and I don't think they belonged there, with the exception of the Houdini Splicer Hideout in Arcadia.

2. Rapture is in the bottom of the ocean because it had to be built in international waters, away from government authority.

3. The city is a thing of beauty and the water is what makes it so immersive, so I don't think they wanted to overdo it in any way.

Of course I'm not going to argue that the game could have been better. It certainly could have. Every game has room for improvement, the technology simply hasn't hit its peak yet. But these minor quibbles, be it that you'd rather see more squids than just fish, or more flood rooms than puddles, aren't enough to convince me that Bioshock isn't the best experience I've ever had in a videogame.

[nucka]

That drowning enemies idea is pretty perfect. :P

Shoot a hole above them and let it come crashing down.

That's stupid. The room would be flooded and inaccessible. The developers have to consider that most of their players will be morons, so they have to limit the reality to protect them from themselves and insure their fun.

[ahrel]

I can't help but think that the storyline would need MASSIVE adjustments in order to fit with it being on the surface and would have ruined the feel the game has.

Besides, if it was on the surface, in "public" then it would just have been another generic bad guy vs you story with crazy powers thrown in.

Despite the fact that it's at the bottom of the sea, it's that fact that makes it much more believable.

It could just have well been under a mountain/in a mountain as it was under the ocean. The water never posed a threat...and I think I remember erading that they wanted the water to be sort of an antagonist of its own. I mean, it was a threat like twice but you were never in any real danger as nothing would actually happen.

I was expecting shootable glass too, flooding rooms of enemies and then draining them, even just manipulating water w/ a plasmid. But oh well. It was a great game, but it didn't make much use of its environment.

[Snuffixer]

The idea of shooting glass is bad. Let's think for a moment - one little hole and the water would start pouring in and it turn into a BIG hole. Everything would drown, the enemies and the main hero. Also the area would not be accessable probably.

And imagine how annoying it would be: you are in the middle of a fight with splicers, let's say that one of them has a tommy gun or something - the bullets hit the glass by accident and boom, the room is gone.

Besides I think this isn't normal glass. They wouldn't be so stupid to make normal glass everywhere, for the WHOLE city. If they created plasmids then they probably created indestructible glass too.