Bioshock demo on the Xbox Live marketplace

[SylasGaunt]

Just what the post says, I just finished downloading it and playing through and i had a blast.

The graphics are beautiful (especially the water effects). You only get access to 3 weapons (a wrench, a pistol, and a tommy gun) through the demo, and one plasmid which lets you shoot lightning from your hands and do things like stun enemies for a good wrenching, electrify pools of water as traps or to take out multiple targets, and override security switches.

Definitely going out to preorder this thing tomorrow.

[Stark]

I haven't tried the demo yet, but I'll pull it down now. Some of the trailers make the game look kinda naff, with bland, washed-out textures and relatively simple geometry. It's only like 2 weeks until it comes out, isn't it?

[Vympel]

I preordered the collector's edition for the PC yesterday.

So Stark, you planning to finish BioShock or will you fail, like you did in System Shock?

[Stark]

So Stark, you planning to finish BioShock or will you fail, like you did in System Shock?

I guess that depends if it's got a giant grey immovable door I couldn't find the cyberspace switch to when I was 16, doesn't it?

Wow. Cyberspace. Just saying it takes me back...

Is the demo the start of the game, or is it some later part or specific demo area?

[Vympel]

I guess that depends if it's got a giant grey immovable door I couldn't find the cyberspace switch to when I was 16, doesn't it?

Ah, but didn't you get it working on your current PC, as I did (and finished it - virtually - except for SHODAN which is impossible to beat because Cyberspace is mega-speeded up so you instantly lose the moment you arrive)

It's your DUTY.

[SylasGaunt]

Is the demo the start of the game, or is it some later part or specific demo area?

It seems to be the beginning of the game to me.

[Count Dooku]

It took HOURS to download because everyone and their mother was downloading it, but when I woke up this morning, it was done. It was creepy, and very cool.

[chitoryu12]

Knowing that these demos are out on the Marketplace is making me feel like shooting whoever came up with the idea that Xbox Live should require the computer to be in the same room as the Xbox.

[Xisiqomelir]

Knowing that these demos are out on the Marketplace is making me feel like shooting whoever came up with the idea that Xbox Live should require the computer to be in the same room as the Xbox.

...umm, what?

[InnocentBystander]

Sweet thanks for the heads up. My roommate was home from work early (why I don't know) and I got him to start the download.

[Xisiqomelir]

Stay away, 56k!

[The Vortex Empire]

Knowing that these demos are out on the Marketplace is making me feel like shooting whoever came up with the idea that Xbox Live should require the computer to be in the same room as the Xbox.

Err... What? Just get a Wireless Network Adapter. Though I don't understand why it's a problem to have them both in the same room.

[Vendetta]

I've stopped trying to understand the mind of Chitoryu. It's an alien place, and I find it scary and strange.

[chitoryu12]

Knowing that these demos are out on the Marketplace is making me feel like shooting whoever came up with the idea that Xbox Live should require the computer to be in the same room as the Xbox.

Err... What? Just get a Wireless Network Adapter. Though I don't understand why it's a problem to have them both in the same room.

Where can I get those, and what are the prices?

[Hotfoot]

Knowing that these demos are out on the Marketplace is making me feel like shooting whoever came up with the idea that Xbox Live should require the computer to be in the same room as the Xbox.

Err... What? Just get a Wireless Network Adapter. Though I don't understand why it's a problem to have them both in the same room.

Where can I get those, and what are the prices?

My mind...she is blown.

Okay, if you want a wireless adapter for the 360, it's going to cost you out the ass. The better solution is to get a wireless adapter for the PC, which will be much cheaper. Of course, you'll need a wireless router for the thing to work in the first place.

Of course, more detail as to your setup would be useful before giving you advice on how to modify it. Do you have cable, DSL, what? Multiple cable boxes, cable modems, existing routers, etc.?

[Stark]

Is it just me or is switiching between magic and weapons clumsy? Leaving aside that the very idea of the switch is retarded to start with ('worse than Oblivion' joke goes here) if I had the wrench out and pulled the magic trigger, my guy just got his hand out, instead of blasted the target and left me with my wrench.

On the PC, I'd say 'who cares it'll be the first mod to come out'. Maybe I'm not pulling the trigger hard enough, or holding it long enough?

[Natorgator]

It is a little clumsy but I am already used to it. Just make sure you have your correct weapon selected and you can just go ahead and hit the right trigger (not the bumper) to switch back to it.

[InnocentBystander]

Using the xbox controller to play such a masterful game made me feel dirty. It was pretty fantastic!

[Stark]

It is a little clumsy but I am already used to it. Just make sure you have your correct weapon selected and you can just go ahead and hit the right trigger (not the bumper) to switch back to it.

Workaround /= good design. Even Oblivion had a better system, ergo the Bioshock devs think it's better this way.

Does the player cast a shadow for anyone else? The NPCs cast shadows but the player doesn't seem to - and the room at the end has low-res fixed shadows. On 360 I expect more.

[CaptHawkeye]

I've been so far unimpressed with what i've seen about Bioshock. Sure some of the Plasmid abilities look funky, and the customizable weapons look kind of cool, but a lot of the enviornment looks bland and the action looks limited. I'll hold off more judgement until I get the demo, (360 is in the shop for giving me the ring of death.) but I haven't been impressed by what i've seen in the videos thus far.

But then again, do I really have a right to complain? I'm going to be getting Halo 3 after all.

[Stark]

Hawkeye, I'm in the same position. I loved SS1 and to a lesser extent SS2, but the videos really made Bioshock seem bland. The demo is pretty useless for showing the real gameplay, since it's just the first 20 minutes. The lighting effects are cool, but I'm not sure if the game is a keeper.

The 360 version also appears to lack a 'physics button', so you can't mess around with the ingame physics without telekinesis. I don't doubt the PC version will allow you to just grab things. Then again, Oblivion did that on both platforms.

[CaptHawkeye]

Hawkeye, I'm in the same position. I loved SS1 and to a lesser extent SS2, but the videos really made Bioshock seem bland.

The enviornment just seems really limited. Even if the gameplay area is as big as the devs claim it is, I generally don't like knowing that the entire game takes place in some hermit's underwater basement.

The demo is pretty useless for showing the real gameplay, since it's just the first 20 minutes. The lighting effects are cool, but I'm not sure if the game is a keeper.

That gives me bad vibes. A short/limited demo implies to me that the devs might be trying to hide something.

[Stark]

The killer for me is that not only does it not show the ecology or 'emergent' gameplay that's supposed to be in Bioshock, the areas it shows are too small and linear to even HAVE any such thing. Maybe it expands out later, but honestly demos are supposed to sell the game and this demo makes it look like another one of those 'shooters with spells'.

Of course all the cool 'zomg flooding' events are 100% scripted.

[weemadando]

A lot of the stuff in that video at the end showed off some crazy control stuff. The atmosphere was what got me the most. Some of that stuff was crazy.

I'll be getting this on 360 - simply because I just bought the damn thing and cannot afford to upgrade my PC to a high enough level to do it justice.

[wautd]

The part with the flooding tunnel gave shivers to my spine. It looked so... real