The Genius of BioShock's Level Design

[-HP-]

[2d-chris]

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

[Puddy]

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

[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) 

[-HP-]

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.

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.

Edited January 22, 2016 by (HP)

[2d-chris]

Exactly! 

[FMPONE]

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]

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

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

This is exactly what I was thinking.

[LATTEH]

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

[-HP-]

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?

Edited January 24, 2016 by (HP)

[DrywallDreams]

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.  

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]

 

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

[Vilham]

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

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]

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-]

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.