I think what people mean when they say that BioShock and HL2 have similar storytelling is that you're never taken out of first person.
Agreed.
Though BioShock does occasionally wrest control away from you in ways that HL2 never did, but I think that's actually to its benefit, not detriment.
That wrestling away of control Bioshock does has to do w/ the game's story and its double-commentary, so I agree -- it was to the game's benefit, in this case.
I agree w/ you on that.
Overall you're never forced to sit and watch cutscenes in either game, and the few moments where you do lose control in BioShock are very short and are still in first person. In that sense the games are very similar, and they definitely both attempt to achieve the same aims by doing so.
Actually, in HL2, there are cut-scenes -- well, if you want to call them that. Actually, I don't know what you'd call 'em. See, you're still in first person and the game takes control and movement away from the player. Namely, the player can't move around; you're stuck in place, as dialogue is being fed to you. Though, if I recall, you can rotate the camera around; that's about it. So, you're still basically forced to actually put up w/ narrative from Alyx or whomever the character might be. So, in a sense, it's like a cut-scene -- but, unlike cut-scenes in games, you actually can't skip these.
I've thought a few of these kind of scenes up, from different games. They're not exactly cut-scenes since they don't cut-away, but they kinda' act like them, in a disguise of some sort -- since they wrestle control away from the player. I dunno' what I'd classify these kinda' scenes as...
HL1 Spoiler -- Tram Ride
In the long opening tram ride, you can only stay in the tram. You're stuck in this tram, though you're free to wonder around the tram, listening to all kinds of nonsense and audio about Black Mesa and whatnot. Can't skip this scene, either.
HL2 Spoiler -- Near The End
Same goes for the near-end parts when you get to be forced to ride around in that containment device in that roller coaster ride around in The Citadel, as well.
Quake 4 Spoiler -- The Change
Even though the game has cut-scenes, once you get captured -- you experience from first person viewpoint, only allowed to move the camera around, the main character becoming Stroggified.
Oblivion Side Quest Spoiler
Oblivion did that a few times on some quests, too -- you're still stuck in first person, but you have to hear the dialogue in the quest by sneaking on two people talking at a certain time period. But, all your character movement, except for rotating the camera around to watch (or not watch), is taken away from the player once the player is standing in the right spot -- so that you don't miss this conversation period; since the quest is to spy on them and overhear their conversation.
