Topic: Bioshock 1+2 -> Update: PC HD Remasters have some issues...

[W7RE]

so.... anyone else actually play the game, or is this just another bitchfest topic about some random non-issue?

I messed around with the multiplayer just a little bit, it was surprisingly un-bad. I need to spend more time with it to see if it's I really like it or not. I haven't touched the single player yet, as I still need to finish Bioshock 1 up.

[beo]

after having completed the game, i can say that it's definitely worthwhile. there's a new gameplay element (which is repeated a hell of a lot), that is immensely fun. you're charged with protecting the little sisters as they harvest - but prior to doing so, you can set up all manor of traps. as soon as they start harvesting, you get bombarded with wave after wave of splicers, which (if you've prepared correctly) get gunned down by bots, fly into the air, attacked by bees, electrocuted, exploded, etc - leaving you to pick off the remainder. very difficult at first, but towards the end when you have more devices at your disposal, it's extremely satisfying.

also, the story, while no masterpiece, verges on "pretty decent for a sequel shooter".

[W7RE]

In the intro you can see something that I never noticed before: the big ass needle the little sisters carry has a nipple on the back, so she can drink the adam right from it. So she drains fluid from human corpses and then drinks it straight from the needle. Pretty damn cool.

[MysterD]

Bioshock PC gets its first patch.

[K-man]

so.... anyone else actually play the game, or is this just another bitchfest topic about some random non-issue?

Well, I'm a consumer whore seriously considering using a coupon or two and grabbing the CE of the game today.  Does that count?

[iPPi]

I'm probably going to get it when it comes down in price.  I think $70 is a bit steep for this game.

[K-man]

Well I whored out yesterday and bought the CE.  So far the game's good.  The atmosphere and setting was one of the main reasons I ended up such a big fan of the first.  Some of that seems to have been lost here.  It's not as "pretty" as it was in the first game.  Still some wow moments though.  So far it seems the main antagonist was shoehorned into the story (along with a few other cohorts).  All in all it's exactly as it is.  A sequel to a game that really wasn't set up for or needed a sequel.

I have to say though, the CE extras are pretty nice.  The art book is very substantial.  I haven't busted out either soundtrack yet, so I can't comment on that.

[K-man]

You know, it definitely isn't as good as the first game but I damn sure can't stop playing it.

[K-man]

Finished the game about an hour ago.  Overall a very enjoyable experience.  I feel the end dragged on just a little too long, but as a whole it's a very competent and entertaining experience.  Obviously not as good as the first game, but I think the franchise as it were isn't made any worse off by the existence of the sequel

[MysterD]

Tom Chick talks about the issues he's had w/ Bioshock 2 MP for X360 and PC.

X360

I have been waiting three hours to get into a multiplayer game of Bioshock 2 on Xbox Live. I don't mean that as in "fifteen minutes, but I was so impatient that it felt like three hours". I mean, quite literally, three hours. And here's the kicker: I never even got into a game.

PC

Meanwhile, I can get into multiplayer Bioshock 2 games on the PC with no problem. The "getting in" part is easy. The "playing" part is a whole other kettle of fish. Rotten, stinking, franchise-killing fish. The PC multiplayer is afflicted with insufferable lag. I jump down from the second-story balcony of the Kashmir Restaurant and open fire on the guy hacking the turret, but then I'm suddenly back on the second floor again. I try to walk through a door, but it won't open. I turn a corner and suddenly I'm staring at the wall ten feet short of the corner. What the hell is going on? It's like having a 2400 baud modem.

[MysterD]

Bioshock 2 - Sinclair Solutions Test Pack DLC (DLC #1) announced.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer DLC Announced
"Sinclair Solutions Test Pack" will increase rank, add new upgrades and characters for five bucks.
By Steve Watts, 02/22/2010

BioShock 2

Is 2K Marin not entitled to the sweat of its brow? No, says the cynical gamer, downloadable belongs on the disc. Nevertheless, the company already announced upcoming DLC for BioShock 2, focusing specifically on the multiplayer aspect. The "Sinclair Solutions Test Pack" will be available for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 for 400 Microsoft Points, or $4.99.

The pack includes a rank increase to level 50, the playable characters that were available as pre-order bonuses, 20 new trials, a third upgrade for each weapon, and five new masks. We have to wonder if raising the level cap for those who buy the DLC will make the game unbalanced, or if they'll simply be filtered into their own game lobbies.

Though 2K doesn't give a release date for the pack, the press release mentions, more than a few times, that more downloadable content is on the way "in the coming months." From the sounds of it, these packs will continue to expand the multiplayer content, as well as add some new single-player, story-based missions. Just as the multiplayer banked heavily on the mythology of Rapture, 2K promises these packs will "extend the lore and fiction of the failed Utopia under the sea." In other words, if you want to know every bit of BioShock's extensive canon, 2K has your number.

[MysterD]

Brother_None on Gamebanshee blasts the living hell out of Bioshock 2 (PC version).
It was just too vicious to not post and not link here.

DRM and other technical issues

BioShock 2 is surprisingly messy for such a big title. The game is fairly buggy, including hard crashes and graphics bugs. One problem I had myself and read of others having is the Big Sister fight music looping an entire level, which I hope to Frith is a bug because if it is by design then the sound designer has to be incompetent, as this loud, intrusive theme gets very annoying very fast.

On top of that, BioShock 2 runs with layers of DRM. When I was running it, I had to run the game, Steam (not obligatory, but I bought it through Steam), its native DRM, and Games for Windows Live. This feels unnecessary, and it is no wonder this stack of software occasionally hits a snag or conflict and decides to just quit.

Conclusion

All throughout my time playing this game, I couldn't help but feel the game was shouting “I'm unnecessary!” at me. Contrary to what game publishers would like to think, not every successful property warrants a sequel, and while there might have been some potential in BioShock for a sequel or spin-off, the cop-out of handing it to another division to just bang out a cash-in title shows, painfully so. It's hard to play this game without being aware that it's just cashing in, from the feel of it being just a level pack, to the derivative story, to the somewhat half-assed ideas added by the new studio. 

If you absolutely adored BioShock and couldn't wait for more, I could imagine the very similar BioShock 2 could fill the need, though it'll do it somewhat deceptively as it's really filling the emptiness with – well – more emptiness, not adding but at points even detracting. To me, BioShock already disappointed after its hype, and BioShock 2 just adds insult to injury. Yes, the gameplay tweaks improve the shooting action, and it is unquestionably a better shooter than its predecessor. But the game suffers under having no evolution in the RPG elements, repetitive level design hurting the fun, and a terrible story dragging along throughout. At only 12 hours long, I'd have a hard time advising people to buy what is essentially a competent – but at points heavily flawed – map pack with a multiplayer patch.

[TheOtherBelmont]

Well I just finished the PS3 version of the game and it was awesome, anyone who enjoyed the first one has no reason not to play this.

[Cobra951]

It's on my list of games to tempt me after they hit the bargain bins.

[MysterD]

Yahtzee does the Zero Punctuation on Bioshock 2.

[Pugnate]

thanks for posting that.

And I laughed at what he said about the big daddy, because that's what I was thinking.

[iPPi]

He ripped the game apart.

Anyway, I am still interested in this one, but like Cobra said, an excellent candidate as a bargain bin purchase.  I'm not shelling out $60 for it.

[MysterD]

Anyway, I am still interested in this one, but like Cobra said, an excellent candidate as a bargain bin purchase.  I'm not shelling out $60 for it.

Same here.

[K-man]

Basically everything Yahtzee said was true.  I mean it doesn't break any new ground at all.  But if you were a fan of the original Bioshock there's no reason to not play it. 

[Quemaqua]

DRM?  Seems a good enough reason to me.

[scottws]

DRM?  Seems a good enough reason to me.

[K-man]

Play it on 360 or PS3 and you won't have any DRM issues.

[Quemaqua]

Then you just have the issue of playing an FPS on a console, silly boy.

[PyroMenace]

FPS on a console > DRM

It's that simple.

[W7RE]

FPS on a console > DRM

It's that simple.

Yup, thats what I do. There's an adjustment period (see my bitching in the L4D thread about buying the xbox version), but the difference in controls isn't that huge once you get used to it.

[Quemaqua]

FPS on a console > DRM

Not wasting money on a game that didn't need to exist > FPS on a console

Granted, this is sort of a new philosophy for me, but it seems to be holding true.  I don't have anything against console FPS games, but in the end, this whole game just feels unnecessary and not worth the effort.  I have fond memories of the first.  If I really wanted to visit that world again, I'd just play through the first a third time.

[Cobra951]

thanks for posting that.

And I laughed at what he said about the big daddy, because that's what I was thinking.

Hehe!  Ubisoft's DRM screwup, and now this.  I'm all smiles today.

[scottws]

FPS on a console > DRM

It's that simple.

I disagree, sort of.  I think I'd put it more like "FPS on a console = bad DRM".  I've tried FPS games on consoles and all I realize is that I wish I was playing it on a PC because the controls are horrible.

I'd just as soon as not buy the game at all rather than settle for either horrible DRM or terrible controls.

[Cobra951]

Gamepad controls don't have to be horrible.  With good progressive control of *both* movement and aiming, it can work well.  That being said, a lot of devs still screw this up, in particular the movement part.  They're thinking limited WASD mobility (which is exactly that of a D-pad) when they adapt the controls, I'm thinking.  When movement control is good, you can use it to fine-tune the aiming with footwork.

[Xessive]

I disagree, sort of.  I think I'd put it more like "FPS on a console = bad DRM".  I've tried FPS games on consoles and all I realize is that I wish I was playing it on a PC because the controls are horrible.

I'd just as soon as not buy the game at all rather than settle for either horrible DRM or terrible controls.

That's often the choice I'm confronted with.

As much as I hate to admit it, I've come to accept Steam, as long as it's only Steam and no other added DRM. One reason is how well they handled the case of my hijacked account. I understand the vulnerability could have come from either side (mine or Valve) but in the end shit happens and how they handle it matters, it says a lot about how they treat their clients.

Anyway, not to veer off too far, I'm willing to put up with certain types and degrees of DRM to get a shooter on PC. If I don't buy it for PC then I won't buy it all. I can tolerate horrible controls on the occasional chance that I'm playing with friends (R6V2 coop, Gears coop, etc.) but my personal preference remains against FPS with a stick.

Technically, I'm not against FPS on consoles I'm just against the adherence to gamepads for such games (considering the off-chance possibility that one day games will recognize and support mouse+KB connected to the consoles). The main issue seems to be that having a mouse may give an edge to players using one versus players using the analogue sticks. My counter-argument is basically: fighters have arcade sticks, drivers have steering wheels and pedals, Rock Band and its ilk have mock instruments, even f*cking Tony Hawk has a mock skateboard, wouldn't those count as some sort of advantage to certain players? Why can't shooters have a mouse?!

Simply having the option could very well lure me to sticking to the PS3.

P.S. I've just played some Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow on PSP, and while the controls are more bearable than others on the platform, GOOD GOD am I frustrated!!

[K-man]

I think with time the stick controls on console FPS become second-nature.  While they'll never be as precise as a mouse/keyboard they're still more than serviceable. 

If that's what keeps you from playing what ends up to be a pretty decent game then so be it.  My world will remain unaffected.

[Pugnate]

I had so much trouble with Halo 3 on the 360 that I finally stopped trying... but I can play third person shooters perfectly well on the console.

I have both the uncharted games to start on the PS3, though am not sure if they are first or third person.

Hey, I actually played Metroid Prime pretty well on the gamecube.

[K-man]

I couldn't play the original Halo worth a shit for months.  Eventually it just started clicking and I haven't looked back.  It's a challenge in the beginning, but it's far from insurmountable.

Uncharted games are third person, and I believe those are shining examples of great control. 

[Xessive]

The thing is I can play it's just so uncomfortable. I spend my time tolerating the games rather than enjoying them. Uncharted is one of the few games I was able to play and not complain too much but that's because there's more to it than aiming and shooting (I also tended to just melee my way through most fights anyway).

I'm missing out on Killzone 2 among all other console-exclusive shooters. Games like that are entirely centred around aiming and shooting. Without the right tool, a mouse, they may as well be played by a keyboard only, like the archaic PC shooter controls (A & Z to look up and down etc.).

Bioshock 2 I might play later down the road since I'll have he option of playing it on PC. Probably when I feel like some Bioshock scenery.

[Quemaqua]

I have no particular issue with thinking FPS on console isn't playable.  Again, probably my favorite FPS game of all time is The Darkness, which was console exclusive.  It just isn't the best method of control for those type of games.  It isn't even a fifteenth as good a method.  That's just the way it is.  If Bioshock 2 actually looked really cool, I'd maybe try it on a console if I had to.  But it doesn't... so why bother?

[MysterD]

Hmmm....
Word has it the new Bioshock 2: Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack DLC might be on the disc already.
They might've just locked it out.

The DLC download is actually only 108KB.

[W7RE]

The PC version is 25% off now through Monday, making it $37.49. The catch? It's only the GFWL version.

[MysterD]

The PC version is 25% off now through Monday, making it $37.49. The catch? It's only the GFWL version.

Skip that.
I want it on disc, if I'm gonna pay THAT kind of money.

EDIT:
If Bioshock 2 PC was say around $13 - you know, like the deal Microsoft did w/ Batman: AA PC over G4WL - I'd be all over that.

[MysterD]

The PC version is 25% off now through Monday, making it $37.49. The catch? It's only the GFWL version.

More on this G4WL Deal.

Worth noting - if you also go ahead and buy DLC #1 Sinclair Solution Tester Pack DLC for the PC (costs 400 Microsoft points), you get 800 Microsoft Points right back your way.

[MysterD]

Bioshock 2: Rapture Metro Map Pack (DLC Pack #2) coming April 29th.
This DLC is for the MP portion of the game.
Will cost 800 MS points OR $9.99.

The second dose of BioShock 2 multiplayer downloadable content is coming this Thursday with the Rapture Metro Map Pack, featuring six new maps, two masks, three achievements, and a new game mode for fans of blunt objects.

A recent Microsoft update on upcoming downloadable content lists the Rapture Metro Map Pack for release on April 29th with a cost of 800 Microsoft points, which translates into $9.99 for those not paying in points.

What do you get for $9.99? Six new maps isn't too shabby, especially when you consider how much other popular multiplayer first-person shooters are charging for a pack of five. I could care less about new masks and achievements, but the new Kill Em' Kindly melee mode has me intrigued. It's all about taking out your frustrations on other players with blunt objects, and I am a big fan of first-person golf club fights.

Look for the new downloadable content to hit this Thursday, and perhaps then we'll get some word of the promised single-player DLC that's in the works.