BioShock Spoiler Thread

[alexhayter86]

I agree that the setting far outperforms the story itself. The setting is really the dominant narrative in the game, rather than the story.

Why? Because it's a video-game: you form the narrative through your own actions and experiences within Rapture. When I think about my time spent playing Bioshock, the bulk of it wasn't concerned with Atlas, Fontaine and Co... it was spent whacking Splicers with a wrench, fleeing from Big Daddies, hacking turrets, listening to journals, taking in the sights and sounds of the environment.

That's why, ultimately, I was very satisfied with Bioshock. The Atlas/Fontaine twist is both exciting but anti-climatic: the game becomes immediately dumbed down from that point onward.

I think the best way to enjoy Bioshock is just to boot it up and play the first couple of hours. I've done this countless times now. They're simply some of the best gaming moments spun off of a disc.

 

[Ranzel]

On the topic of the submarine scene:

First of all, that scene was epic. I really, honestly cared about getting "Atlas'" family out, and when that thing blew up, I felt damn bad for the guy. It was all around a masterfully done scene and I throughly enjoyed it.

My speculation is that the man who you saw by the Sub was not Fontaine at all, but a survivor in some form used as a pawn. We did see a single survivor, in the very beginning of the game, who died before he could Welcome us to Rapture. I think this is proof enough that other survivors could exist. That's what I like to think at least, it's plausible and it ties that loose end up. Not tightly, mind you, but its better than nothing.

 

[intplee]

I was disappointed by Bioshock, particularly the ending. I harvested two Litte Sisters at the beginning of my adventure, and thereafter none at all. In other words, once I realised who and what the Little Sisters were, I immediately stopped harvesting them and was the quintessential good guy for the remainder of the experience. Consequently, to receive the bad ending upon defeating Atlas was very disappointing, and ridiculously inappropriate for me and the character I had spent the last 20 hours playing.

There was much to appreciate and recommend in Bioshock, and it is a very good piece of entertainment, but unfortunately I never thought it worth more than an 8 out of 10. Moreover, I did not think that the story was particularly thoughtful, with the exception of the "would you kindly" twist, a clever critique of the videogame format, the remainder felt naive and silly, though that may be because I think about political philosphy and economics too much.

 

[Super_Nintendo_Chalmers]

I just finished the game and there are a couple of things I don't get.

1. Why did Fontein even bother coming to the smugglers' hideout to "save" his "family" (and why did he come up with this family thing in the first place), when he could just sit back and have the protagonist do his bidding?

2. Why didn't Ryan get ressurected after Jack killed him? The Vita-Chambers were tuned to restore his body after all.

Is it just me, or is the plot really not that thought out after all?

1. He was trying to escape with Jack's help, but when Ryan blew the bathesphere to shit, he decided to keep on truckin' with the mind control thing.

2. Ryan turned his Vita-Chamber off, you can see it in his office. Probably just wanted to get the fuck out.

 

[Super_Nintendo_Chalmers]

I enjoyed the game pretty thoroughly. I didn't enjoy the hype.

I didn't experience any hype at all.
My friend told me about the game about two days prior to it's release.
It was my birthday that week, bought it, loved it.
Favourite game of all time.

 

[Khazoth]

The submarine bit had me confused as well. I haven't finished the game yet, but I'm heading into the final fight, as it were. I was hoping that there'd be some sneaky explanation about the sub bit - like he had contraband inside - or something. I guess that's not the case. No idea there.

The Ryan thing is also a bit confusing. I suppose, since he had mind control over Jack, and still allowed himself to be killed, that he wanted to die. The dream was over, there was no way out, his efforts had been undone by some mysterious force he couldn't understand and he was ready to end it. It's a bit melodramatic, and kind of out of character for an megalomaniacal control freak like Ryan, but it makes a kind of sense.

He ordered you to kill him, he was indeed a control freak and knew the end was apon him, his city was unravelling and the dream was done. If he was going to die he made sure it was on his terms, so he ordered you to kill him.


The submarine thing confuses me as well.

 

[Insert Comedy Here]

I think the 'Would you kindly...' only makes Jack do what he's told to. And he's aware of what he doing.

Would you kindly find a weapon? OK, I just saw a man get disemboweled, seems like a good idea.

Would you kindly lower the weapon? OK, there's no enemies around.

Would you kindly go to Ryan's office by any means necessary and kill him? Ah, what? I seeem to be only thinking of killing this man with no given incentive as to why I have to do it? And would you kindly seems like a weird way to ask something... HOLY CRAP, MIND CONTROL!

...Crap. Code Yellow... should've given him incentive, like making it look like my wife and child died or something. In a sub.

If Fontaine jumped it, he would have had to find a way to quell Jack, or just outright kill him.

 

[DigitalSushi]

expelliarmus

Nice thread necro there, your right about expelliarmus.

I'm liking this thread actually, Fontaine and Atlas was easy to spot as well.... since Atlus Shrugged and The Fountainhead being Ayn Rand novels. I refuse to believe the names chosen for that bad guy was "coincidental" like Ken Levine said.

 

[Tom4Tom]

Im really glad i never picked up on fontaine and atlas. if i had it wouldve ruined the "magic" for me and the amazing plot twist wouldve just been a shrug and a self righteous hoot saying "oh yay go me! i told ya so! phhbbbtttt." looking back i was able to put all the pieces together and go "ooohhhhhh why didnt i see it before????" but thankfully i never picked up on the origin of my character or the origins of atlas until andrew had a golf club lodged into his head. amazing story.

p.s. i think ur probably onto something there. i think the developers specifically chose these names so that the game's fans would make connections like this. of course, it could just be another coincidence and we could all just be plotting dots together in the hopes of giving reason to the madness.... madness of SPLICERS! (see what i did there? ) .... yaaaaa ;p

 

[Tom4Tom]

also....anyone know the purpose of adam and eve in the game? why did they call it this? does it serve any purpose or is their no relevance?

 

[DigitalSushi]

Im really glad i never picked up on fontaine and atlas. if i had it wouldve ruined the "magic" for me and the amazing plot twist wouldve just been a shrug and a self righteous hoot saying "oh yay go me! i told ya so! phhbbbtttt." looking back i was able to put all the pieces together and go "ooohhhhhh why didnt i see it before????" but thankfully i never picked up on the origin of my character or the origins of atlas until andrew had a golf club lodged into his head. amazing story.

p.s. i think ur probably onto something there. i think the developers specifically chose these names so that the game's fans would make connections like this. of course, it could just be another coincidence and we could all just be plotting dots together in the hopes of giving reason to the madness.... madness of SPLICERS! (see what i did there? ) .... yaaaaa ;p

I did actually feel smug and self satisfied when Fontaine revealed himself, but I'm pretty observational like that, I'm that guy within my friends that notices things others don't.

I think devs always say "coincidence" as a reflex action for copyright issues, take EA's "Army of Two", people said they ripped off Gears of War, then EA said "no no, its coincidence we've been making this game for years"...

....then they release Dantes Inferno...

that's also a coincedence.

Why does this thread get necro'd every year?. Coincedence perhaps?