My hatred for Madden 08 reminded me that I need to review BioShock and Half Life 2: Episode 2.
BioShock (9/10): I loved System Shock, I loved System Shock 2, and I loved BioShock. They're basically all the same game, but they're all still fun. You show up in some strange environment where shit's gone totally wrong and there's monsters and gun turrets and all manner of evil going on, and you have to shoot your way through it, horde ammo and weapons, upgrade yourself, and use special abilities to get through the game.
BioShock takes place in the undersea city of Rapture, which has an art deco theme, and is very heavily based on Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. So, when Ayn Rand's ideals are taken to their logical conclusion, you end up with a burned out city full of gene-modified psychopaths. I could point out, again, how every single facet of popular media is permeated with liberal messages, but I'll save that for my review of Shooter.
So, anyway, what the game ultimately amounts to is a series of inerestingly designed levels that end up being combat puzzles for you to explore with your various weapons. Throughout the level there are “Little Sisters” escorted by “Big Daddies” which you need to kill to power yourself up. Attacking these guys can be tough, and demands you set up traps, or use your arsenal in creative ways to take them out.
The graphics are good, although game ran a bit spotty in frame rate on my machine, so it's pretty demanding. I've got a pair of 7900GTX cards, not the top of the line, but respectable.
The weapons are fun to use, with lots of creative options, but some, particularly the submachine gun, feel a bit fake and powerless.
All in all, it's a great game with a lot of interesting concepts, a really immersive atmosphere, an engaging storyline, and some fun combat mechanics.
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (7/10): The Source engine is really fantastic, so any game built on it is going to have a head start. It looks amazing, yet plays fast and smooth, which is very big for me. After the jaggy frame rates I was seeing in BioShock, it felt great to be able to run and gun and really see what was going on, pull off amazing shots, etc. etc. Unfortunately, there's not as much shooting as I'd really like to see in Episode 2. The franchise seems to be getting increasingly cinematic, with more and more set pieces, in game conversations between NPCs, etc. etc. A lot of this is what Half Life is based on, and the facial animations in game are so realistic and lifelike, I can see why the developers want to exercise it, but I just wish they had more solo shooting action.
I like to go against a whole warehouse full of Combine soldiers, to set up my attack, to use my weapons effectively, and to play a straightforward solo shooter. I don't need the whole game to be this way, but I'd like I'd like to see more of it than Episode 2 offered.
Instead of getting that, a lot of times you're running around with Alyx, or a Vortigaunt, and you're bantering back and forth and shooting badguys together. These NPCs do ok for themselves, they don't seem to be killable, but they do have a habit of blocking you during gunfights, or messing up your attempts at stealth. I don't mind Alyx around for some fights, but I'd rather the great majority of the fighting was done solo.
There's more of the “drive through the countryside and come upon settlements” gameplay that was so fun in Half Life 2, but it seems like a lot of work by the developers for not much payoff. I'd like to see the little sub-areas have a bit more going on, more Combine soldiers, etc.
All in all it's a fun game with some good shootouts (though not enough), some neat and inventive battles (the final one in particular is pretty unique), all built on an engine that delivers stunning visuals and wonderfully smooth gameplay.