Bioshock Demo Now on Live Marketplace
You’ve probably been hiding under a rock if you don’t already know, but a demo of Bioshock was just released to Marketplace last night. (And if didn’t know, turn in your Gamercard already! 
)
Reviews of the demo are highly positive, and for good reason. The game is stunningly beautiful, with a deep backstory, and some truly unique gameplay ideas all tied together into a cohesive whole. I can’t say it any more simply than to state that you really feel as though you’re exploring a ruined underwater city with danger lurking around every corner.
Do yourself a favor and check out the demo even if you don’t think you have any interest. And check out the first few seconds when the game is playable (won’t say more so as to avoid spoilers). I spent 30 seconds thinking I was watching the in-game cinematic before I realized it was real-time, playable, and awaiting my input. Amazing.
Definitely looking forward to what N’Gai might write up about Bioshock, and how it may well reflect as “art” to even the Eberts of the world.
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Checked out, it’s pretty good. It’s nowhere near as "real" as a Myst or Half-Life 2, it’s definitely too quick to show off the setting and enemies without letting any of it sink, and the demo plays much like a series of tutorial exercises; IOW, Half-Life 2’s super-perfect pacing has spoiled me to such extents that I can only find BioShock inferior and unnecessarily fast paced. I don’t want to use the term "designed for people with ADD", but that’s what comes to mind.
Still, yeah, unreasonable expectations and all that. I was mostly let down by the gameplay, though: it really is a shooter. It’s to System Shock 2 what Invisible War was to Deus Ex – and while I consider IW far, far superior to Deus Ex (keep yer cries of ‘heresy!’ low, please), I can’t shake the feeling that this game is a bit dumbed down.
Hopefully the full game will let the pace down a tad, and the large amount of weapons and powers won’t end up being mostly useless, as has happened in too many games of this style.
Still buying the Collector’s Edition ASAP, still gonna play to the end. But for a true masterpiece of graphics, setting, pacing and gameplay I’d wait for the Orange Box.
Agreed!
One word… Atmosphere! WOW @ the attention to detail and art direction. I was intrigued by the still shots I had seen online promoting the title, but it is something else in motion. Definitely worth checking out the demo for folks who haven’t already.
"I spent 30 seconds thinking I was watching the in-game cinematic before I realized it was real-time, playable, and awaiting my input"….
I did the same thing! I honestly didn’t expect this. I knew it was going to be gorgeous, but I was so focus with Mass Effect and Assassin’s Creed I kind of blew it off. I defiantly have to pick this one up for sure.
@Xwar
The speed is mostly going to be toned down. The demo is supposed to be somewhat different compared to the same area in the full game (More weapons and so on).
Overall it looks lovely but I did think the enemies were a bit jaggedy and their clothing looked stuck on.
Also no support for southpaw/legacy controls – I had to use my modded controller. I am still amazed that Microsoft don’t have requirements to support all control schemes.
> The demo is supposed to be somewhat different compared to the same area in the full game
I seriously hope you’re right! That would make the game a lot better just right there.
One of the most atmospheric and cinematic games i’ve had the pleasure of demoing. Truely awesome.
I highly advise everyone at least try it!
And dont let anyone tell you what happens during it… its just too awesome to be spoilt! Pretty scarey and tense the whole time too. Really makes you beleive your in Rapture
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Great demo, and you must know that a lot of publisher rejected this game, calling it just another FPS. Well they must feel pretty stupid now
Cant wait to get my copy to review it, this game is going to coast me a lot of sleep.
You know, I was actually disappointed watching the tail of the plane go down. The water effect itself is nice (a bit too shiny IMO, and some mapping/sectioning visible at times), but the splashing effect is only visible on one side — the side you swim in from.
The rest of the demo is great and teaches you the basics, hopefully in an accelerated pace, just like they did in Crackdown. If it didn’t go faster than in the full game, I’d be disappointed how easy and fast you get all those weapons and two ‘powers’ within 5 minutes.
my ventilated x-box 360 showed red rings of death when i was just about to play. this is my 35th 360 lol
i am downloading this game on pc. 360 is just too unreliable console i am selling it when i get my 36th one back (tenth of 360 lol). oh yeah i won’t ever forget disc scratching, when my 360 was perfectly level, not tilted, and never moved since i opened the box.
get over it xbots/xboys
Haaa, look at all the hateboys coming out of the woodwork. Hurts that the PS3 isn’t seeing this, hmmm?
>you must know that a lot of publisher rejected this game, calling it just another FPS
At least they didn’t call it "too complicated for the dummm casual-only audience".
haaa look at all the M$ trolls coming out of the woodwork. Hurts that that the 360 can’t even do its basic function properly, hmmm?
i have all three consoles, i am insured from protection. get over it xbot.
>i have all three consoles, i am insured from protection. get over it xbot.
Yeah, and you dismiss me as an "xbot". Exqueeze me for having a differing opinion. Or, in other words: suuuure you have all three consoles. As sure as that guy actually got 36 X360s that red-lighted.
You know, the plane crashed, I landed in the water, and I spent nearly a minute waiting for something to happen before realising I was actually playing.
Stunning.
There is a funny glitch in the demo, theres a movie of it here: http://www.xlife.nl/article.php