Posted on: February 5th, 2010 [Bx4VG]: Bioshock 2 and yelling
For the week of Jan. 31 -06: Bioshock 2 and yelling
It’s time once again to dive back into the world of Rapture, because Bioshock 2 is just around the corner. Just to get you caught up on the sequel, Bioshock 2 takes place 10 years after the events of the first game, you’re back in Rapture and this time, you’re taking on the roll of the Big Daddy. 2K Marin has also added in a multiplayer mode which takes place before Rapture’s eventual demise, while everything is just as it was before things went to hell.
Who is 2K Marin and what happened to the game’s original developer 2K Boston? Well, some of the staff that worked on the first game broke off of 2K Boston, formed their own company and continued with the Bioshock series. So don’t worry about some strangers mucking up a good thing. While Ken Levine (2K Boston, now Irrational Games – Founder) isn’t directly involved with the sequel, he has provided some feedback which is reassuring.
What’s got me scratching my head is how they had the idea of setting the multiplayer before Rapture got messed up and still went with the 10 years later scenario. What’s even more confusing is that multiplayer has been added to begin with. Do they think it can compete with the current online leaders? Bioshock was a shining example of a game that offered a pure single player experience and made no apologies.
These second guesses had my hopes down on the game and what they were doing with it, but the recent release of the launch trailer had me swinging back the other way. Sure it’s completely CG, but it shows off a lot of the game play ideas and confirms the amazing art direction of the first game is still intact. Now they just have to bring the fun of playing to the level set by design and story. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first game, but there’s a lot that could have been done for the gameplay.
What are your thoughts? Worried about the new dev team? Excited?
(link to trailer)
I scream, you scream…
And I really wanted to bring this video to your attention if you hadn’t already been bombarded with it by now. It’s Glen Forrester’s presentation at the Sydney Game Jam of his game Gnilley (available for download if you got the pipes).
While the initial idea of using your voice to effect in game assets seemed cool, it eventually became a game about yelling at obstacles to pass and shouting at enemies to kill them. Much better. He ended up winning the Most Original award.
Check out the video if you’re looking for a good laugh, and remember, the game is available to download and try for yourself.
(link to presentation)
Until next week.
Dale can also be found over at www.8bitcyclops.com, looking at design, photography and old video game magazines.