I’ve recently sunk some time in Bioshock and I’d like to share some of my thoughts on the game. First, it has been hailed as the spiritual successor to System Shock 2. And in many ways it is. It has the same spooky feel and the same multiple-solutions-for-the-same-problem approach. Which I like.
Where it differs, is in the way it represents RPG elements. System Shock 2 wasn’t a traditional RPG at all, but it did still have some numerical stats here and there. Bioshock eliminates those completely. It’s almost as if it is ashamed to show the RPG elements. I don’t think there is any numerical statistic visible throughout the game. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t evolve your character. Because you never have enough money to buy everything (although it feels a bit like it at first) you do need to make choices.
For instance, I decided to go the hacking route. I pick up every hacking related upgrade I can get. This allows me to have turrets and bots that guard my back. A player going for the more “action” oriented approach would just shoot the things. There are many more options such as this throughout the game, yet I still can’t help but wonder if, in the end, they will make a difference.
System Shock 2 had an extremely limited inventory system. There were choices to be made. There were many many weapons in the game, yet you could only carry about 5 at a time. Probably even less if you had some other items to help you. Bioshock has none of that. All weapons, all the time.
That doesn’t mean Bioshock is a bad game, it’s great and I’ve been enjoying every moment of it. It’s just not System Shock 2. Luckely.
If you haven’t played or bought it, it’s about time. It’s currently very cheap at Amazon. Bioshock 2 is right around the corner, so you’d better prepare with another playthrough.