Bioshock EP8: Artistic Murder Simulator

By Shamus Posted Sunday Jul 28, 2013

Filed under: Spoiler Warning 21 comments


Link (YouTube)

I give BioShock a hard time about it’s plot doors, but pretty much all games are based on plot doors. Sure, sometimes the door is a drawbridge with improbably inaccessible controls and sometimes it’s a subway in need of power and sometimes it’s an elevator in need of repair. Any game more complex than “run forward and murder everyone not on your side” is going to have some sort of structured obstacles for you to overcome. I don’t mind that plot doors exist. I mind when they are so poorly justified that they take you out of the experience.

Sander Cohen’s door works well enough, plot-wise. Much better than the next door, I think.

(This is a re-post. For the 2010 original, look here.)

 


From The Archives:
 

21 thoughts on “Bioshock EP8: Artistic Murder Simulator

  1. Adam says:

    Oh jeez, the next plot-door. I don’t begrudge the game for the existence of Sander Cohen; he’s as close to a winking acknowledgement of Rapture’s Absurdity as the in-universe characters will ever get, and the way he relates to the setting is interestingly villainous in the same way the crazy plastic surgeon at the beginning was: both are products of what Rapture’s population values most.

    The plot-door where you become a Big Daddy literally JUST to open a door is the dumbest thing I ever saw in a game. (and I’ve watched every spoiler warning season, so you KNOW I’ve seen some.) I got the game on loan from a friend and I was into it until that door. Then I returned the game to my friend and joked that he should pay me.

    1. GM says:

      I loved every part except that , how much i would want to just blow that one door open grr.

      1. Hmmm… I’m having a kind of idea that’s a twist on Metro 2033.

        In Metro, ammo is not only how you kill stuff, it’s currency. Ergo, being efficient with your bullets is often a good idea.

        What if there was an added element: Plot doors or other similarly locked barriers can be opened via (1) skill (2) puzzle/quest, or (3) precious ammo. Hate that plot door? Cool, but it’s going to cost you some of your bang-bang to shoot the lock off and maybe gouge out that deadbolt…

        1. Trix2000 says:

          This would assume that ammo is relatively scarce, which would work for some games but not others.

          You would probably also need an alternative way of fighting without ammo, like melee, that works in a pinch but isn’t so frustrating as to turn off the player.

          So it’s a decent idea, but I think it would have to be a very specifically-designed game for it to fit. Personally, I’m not one to like games that limit ammo, but that’s just a preference really.

    2. Corpital says:

      Even though the memory pains me, I feel compelled to mention Neverwinter Nights 2 and the edtrich abomination that is its big plot door. Funnily enough, I still remember all of its terribleness, whereas Bioshocks mumblemumblespoiler plot door just faded into the white noise of killing all the splicers that is the second half of Bioshock.

      But most important…did you get paid?

  2. Daemian Lucifer says:

    “Thou art a deus baaj” I need to use that one more often.

    1. Lavidor says:

      That is, by the way, exactly how the older speakers of Tyke curse, thou bleeding ponce!

      1. anaphysik says:

        @Shamus: you never did link to those ‘classic’ Fear the Boot stories (wherein the GM is sick and subsequently high on cough medicine, and whatever one the ‘spear through the window’ scene would be referencing) :/

  3. Syal says:

    I get the feeling these are taking so long to upload because the originals were lost and the crew had to go through the whole game again, reading from a script of the original episode.

    One of these times Chris is going to jump in with something insightful, only to stop mid-word when he realizes he’s breaking the illusion.

    EDIT: Moderation triggered! They don’t want you to know!

    1. MrGuy says:

      And they’re actually playing Bioshock 2. You don’t realize it because Bioshock 2 never happened…

      1. Corpital says:

        Well they dropped a cool hint while visiting the Gatherers Garden. Slightly before the 10minute mark.

  4. MrGuy says:

    Since you mentioned the Tetris music, a link to one of my favorite videos ever.

    1. Syal says:

      That was fun, but I have to say I was disappointed they didn’t have Theme B in there.

  5. The 2010 original?

    There was internet back then?

    1. anaphysik says:

      Indeed there was, though I believe that at the time they called it “the telegraph.”

      1. Ithilanor says:

        No, that wasn’t until later. Back in 2010, it was still semaphores.

  6. The ice plasmid always bugged me because my hand looked like I was carrying a zombie’s still-twitching frozen fist on a stick. I think it was die to the weird way it bobbed up and down as I walked.

  7. broken says:

    I’m still annoyed at the cast’s casual denial of the crossbow’s usefulness. It’s a good weapon guys! Honest

    1. Just don’t say anything about the Cowboy Repeater.

    2. MrGuy says:

      I liked that Josh decided to demo it. The crossbow is a dumb weapon, see? Watch – when I try to use it on this guy…hmm…I one-shotted him. Well, it still sucks!

Thanks for joining the discussion. Be nice, don't post angry, and enjoy yourself. This is supposed to be fun. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*

You can enclose spoilers in <strike> tags like so:
<strike>Darth Vader is Luke's father!</strike>

You can make things italics like this:
Can you imagine having Darth Vader as your <i>father</i>?

You can make things bold like this:
I'm <b>very</b> glad Darth Vader isn't my father.

You can make links like this:
I'm reading about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Vader">Darth Vader</a> on Wikipedia!

You can quote someone like this:
Darth Vader said <blockquote>Luke, I am your father.</blockquote>

Leave a Reply to MrGuy Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.