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The Genius of BioShock's Level Design

  • -HP-
  • January 21, 2016 at 6:59 PM
  • -HP-
    • January 21, 2016 at 6:59 PM
    • #1

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  • 2d-chris
    • January 22, 2016 at 4:17 PM
    • #2

    Was kind of expecting this to be more about, you know level design, but still very interesting :)

  • Puddy
    • January 22, 2016 at 4:21 PM
    • #3

    Am I the only one who felt this was keen observation mixed with crackpot theories? :D

  • 2d-chris
    • January 22, 2016 at 5:07 PM
    • #4

    There was an interview on youtube I've seen recently with the level designer who made the first mission/intro to the game, I can;t find it, does anyone have a link? That's far more informative than this article about art deco ^^ (for designers)

  • -HP-
    • January 22, 2016 at 6:40 PM
    • #5

    ahah, right, not as good as it could have been. But I just love the idea of a through analysis of Bioshock level design (Which this video unfortunately is not) that game is gold and tbh that's the reason I created the thread, to create a bit of a discussion about this game and what made it a classic, and level design is definitely one of the biggest pillars.

    Quote from 2d-chris

    There was an interview on youtube I've seen recently with the level designer who made the first mission/intro to the game, I can;t find it, does anyone have a link? That's far more informative than this article about art deco ^^ (for designers)

    You mean this? Yeap, great video.

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  • 2d-chris
    • January 22, 2016 at 7:06 PM
    • #6

    Exactly!

  • FMPONE
    • January 23, 2016 at 10:31 AM
    • #7

    The most memorable moment from Bioshock for me was that part when you're in the doctor's office and you turn around and get a scare as an enemy spawned behind you and is ready to strike. I get that it's just a jump-scare and kind of cheesy design, but it's stuck with me for years so it can't be all bad!

    Of course moments like that don't work without tons of more cohesive passageways and sequences, which are definitely worth studying.

  • Sentura
    • January 23, 2016 at 12:36 PM
    • #8
    Quote from 2d-chris

    Was kind of expecting this to be more about, you know level design, but still very interesting

    Quote from Puddy

    Am I the only one who felt this was keen observation mixed with crackpot theories?

    This is exactly what I was thinking.

  • LATTEH
    • January 23, 2016 at 2:57 PM
    • #9

    This thread made me want to replay through bioshock! I LOVE YOU CIRCUS OF VALUES!!

  • -HP-
    • January 24, 2016 at 4:02 AM
    • #10
    Quote from LATTEH

    This thread made me want to replay through bioshock! I LOVE YOU CIRCUS OF VALUES!!

    Dude, this franchise is insane, it's also very well written, I mean is a man not entitled to the sweat of his balls?

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  • DrywallDreams
    • January 24, 2016 at 9:35 AM
    • #11
    Quote from (HP)

    it's also very well written

    What about Infinite? That game has such a Si Fi channel-ass story it's ridiculous. The whole beginning is just Ken Levine jerking off about religion, then it tries to say that racism is bad, then proceeds to make that oppressed group the enemy for the second half of the game(???). Elizabeth is such a lazy character: she's a *special girl*, so she has *special powers* but also has the brain of a fucking toddler, the only thing she actually knows is how to throw things at Booker.

    Quote

    Then in the end, it's revealed that ACTUALLY, YOU'RE THE ANTAGONIST BECAUSE RELIGION. The game's ending doesn't even serve as a decent resolution! How does Comstock/Booker being killed in one reality resolve the conflict?

    The game is trying to say way too much, it ends up being ham-fisted on all fronts.

  • Vaya
    • January 24, 2016 at 9:45 AM
    • #12

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    This opening is still my favourite in any game. 'I chose to RAPTURE!' *Jaw drops*

  • Vilham
    • January 25, 2016 at 12:31 PM
    • #13
    Quote from (HP)

    Dude, this franchise is insane, it's also very well written, I mean is a man not entitled to the sweat of his balls?

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    That guy really needs to drink some water before he speaks. I literally can't watch it because of the constant dry mouth noise.

  • jackophant
    • January 25, 2016 at 3:13 PM
    • #14
    Quote from DrywallDreams

    What about Infinite? That game has such a Si Fi channel-ass story it's ridiculous. The whole beginning is just Ken Levine jerking off about religion, then it tries to say that racism is bad, then proceeds to make that oppressed group the enemy for the second half of the game(???). Elizabeth is such a lazy character: she's a *special girl*, so she has *special powers* but also has the brain of a fucking toddler, the only thing she actually knows is how to throw things at Booker.

    Hidden Content

    The game is trying to say way too much, it ends up being ham-fisted on all fronts.

    With any time travel / alternate universe related plot, there is going to be a lot of "discussion" surrounding how the plot unfolds or even makes sense. I also think that maybe one of the elements you're missing is that good and evil can be about perspective.

    But agreed, it does feel like maybe they were a little ambitious with how much they tackled at once compared to the previous iterations.

  • -HP-
    • January 25, 2016 at 8:39 PM
    • #15
    Quote from jackophant

    With any time travel / alternate universe related plot, there is going to be a lot of "discussion" surrounding how the plot unfolds or even makes sense. I also think that maybe one of the elements you're missing is that good and evil can be about perspective.

    Indeed, the first Bioshock had a lot of that too.

    As for Infinite, I only played it once and I was a bit too distracted looking at metal panels and wood textures to understand the story, lol. But Infinite has a lot of flaws in many regards, but at the same time it also has elements that I've never seen in a game before and I remember them feeling very fresh and fun, the sky hooks for instance were a joy to fuck around with. I really wanna play it again but if I'm gonna replay another Bioshock, the first one would probably be my first pick.

  • blackdog
    • February 18, 2016 at 12:43 AM
    • #16

    Another good example (I see in the comments HP already saw it), should we have a more prescriptive topic title?

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  • Sentura
    • February 18, 2016 at 1:36 AM
    • #17

    Yes, no other companies other than Naughty Dog, Valve and Thatgamecompany have ever used these techniques! Most game developers have no clue what they are doing! How dare they use other navigational tools?! Showing players the way with a reticle is so clunky!

    Aside from the smug, patronizing intro - yes, these are important elements to use, but that doesn't mean that they can't be used in conjunction with other navigational tools. Most if not all tools have trade-offs that should be weighed against each other by the designer for the context of the game or level. A linear game works differently from a sandbox or even an open world game, so why would you apply the same rules to all 3?

  • blackdog
    • October 19, 2016 at 4:30 AM
    • #18

    This was recently published, an interesting look at a particular part of the game

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    knew I shouldn't have watched it, thought it would be spoilery since I haven't played the game yet ?

  • FMPONE
    • October 19, 2016 at 5:23 AM
    • #19
    Quote from blackdog

    53 minutes ago, blackdog said: This was recently published, an interesting look at a particular part of the game

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    knew I shouldn't have watched it, thought it would be spoilery since I haven't played the game yet ?

    This was an awesome watch

  • 2d-chris
    • October 19, 2016 at 6:15 AM
    • #20

    yeah it's so awesome how that area worked, throws a wrench in the game, and it needed it, mid game, it's time for a change :D

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