So, I beat Bioshock... (spoilers ahoy)

[Brian Reed]

A very fun game that I enjoyed quite a bit.

But the last boss fight was pretty out of character with the rest of the game. Super Fontaine just kicked that willing suspension of disbelief right in the nuts, then shit on it while laughing at you.

And after the fight, the end scene was... huh. Instead of seeing you rebuild Rapture in your image (or tearing it down, or bringing in the Army, or evacuating it as it crumbled or - well, ANYTHING, really) I got a bunch of hand models telling me an even less plausible story than the one I just lived through. That's right, the little girls I was JUST told not 10 minutes ago would "never be normal" (what with their propensity for stabbing corpses with giant needles) are now off in the world, going to college, getting married, and having babies all because I took them on a bathysphere ride.

When it didn't go to the credits, or say "The End" or anything, and just dumped me to the title screen I almost wondered "Is that it? Did I accidentally skip something?"

A weak ending to an otherwise strong tale.

[JoeE]

While I can understand that position, I wouldn't have had Bioshock end any other way. It makes perfect sense to end a story that has scathingly taken apart Objectivism by killing the physical incarnation of the Randian ideal.

As for the girls never being able to be normal again, I went back through the radio messages and didn't find anything suggesting this would be the case. I did find a message where Tenenbaum said that creating the girls was a sin for which she could never atone, which might have sounded similar.

[Brian Reed]

As for the girls never being able to be normal again, I went back through the radio messages and didn't find anything suggesting this would be the case. I did find a message where Tenenbaum said that creating the girls was a sin for which she could never atone, which might have sounded similar.

It may well be that I misheard her over all the gunfire. I never had any problem hearing the other radio chatter, but hers always felt like her mic wasn't turned up enough.

I agree that, thematically, that last boss fight was spot on. But stylistically,it was from another game entirely. It would be like ending Silence of the Lambs with a bobsled chase.

I did enjoy the fact that Fontaine essentially became this bit of cover art in his final moments:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Atlas_shrugged_cover.jpg

[ramtower]

While I can understand that position, I wouldn't have had Bioshock end any other way. It makes perfect sense to end a story that has scathingly taken apart Objectivism by killing the physical incarnation of the Randian ideal.

As for the girls never being able to be normal again, I went back through the radio messages and didn't find anything suggesting this would be the case. I did find a message where Tenenbaum said that creating the girls was a sin for which she could never atone, which might have sounded similar.

I can't recall the specific wording, but I think Brian's referring to the bit where you have to escort and protect a Little Sister -- even though they don't need ADAM, they still harvest it from corpses compulsively. Tenenbaum comments on how they can't break that basic conditioning, and so they'll never live normal lives. However, I'm willing to chalk that up to Tenenbaum's own guilt over what she's done to the girls and not to Tenenbaum acting as an all-knowing narrator. In short, Tenenbaum was wrong, and the girls COULD break conditioning, but they would need to be away from Rapture to do so.

But that's all conjecture on my part -- I'm simply willing to accept that Tenenbaum felt guilty and that her guilt was speaking here.

[ramtower]

And yeah, while the boss battle was thematically spot-on, I'm with Brian -- it felt like a Metroid Prime boss battle, or something from a jRPG, with its three form shifts and predictable patterned attacks. It struck me as completely out of style with the rest of the game.

[Ascius]

We're forgetting that the conversion from regular guy to Big Daddy is also supposed to be a one-way street... yet there you are at the end, all normal and shit.

I still enjoyed the ending anyway... I'm still working on getting the bad ending... though not as driven as the first time through, but maybe it's more coherent. We'll see.

[Cth]

We're forgetting that the conversion from regular guy to Big Daddy is also supposed to be a one-way street... yet there you are at the end, all normal and shit.

I still enjoyed the ending anyway... I'm still working on getting the bad ending... though not as driven as the first time through, but maybe it's more coherent. We'll see.

Yeah, that's the part that had me do a double take.

I mean, the whole vocal chord thing.. those looked like sharp blades and what not.

Heh.. Silence of the Lambs with a bobsled chase.. I'd have to agree.

[Hot Pink]

having written for video games in the past, do you find yourself scrutinizing them more closely?

[Brian Reed]

having written for video games in the past, do you find yourself scrutinizing them more closely?

Sure, in the same way any professional looks at another professional's work. Overall, I think Bioshock does a fantastic job of not only telling you a story, but of guiding you through the gameplay, and that's NOT an easy balance to strike.

[Hot Pink]

you sold me on bioshock

[Fourthman]

I loved it. All of it. As they announced it as a franchise, I hope the next one is (as Matt Jay suggested) some other reimagining of a 20th century luminary. Orwell in the Clouds was his suggestion. I'd like to see something like Kafka by way of Japan. Anyway, can't wait!

[mewelke]

I'd like to see something like Kafka by way of Japan.

I demand that this happen.

[Matt Jay]

Family BioShock movie.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/bioshock-halloween-is-youtube-oscar-potential-317731.php

[Adrian B AWESOME]

Bioshock is the Fallout of FPS.

And that's a good thing.