BioShock Infinite

[Forbin]

I'm beginning to appreciate the naming convention here. By naming it Bioshock Infinite, they've prevented 2K from serializing the franchise further without breaking out the "Redemption" "Rising" etc bullshit.

[dpp]

It seems to me like it's Bioshock without the environmental boundaries... open-world anyone?

[brkl]

Everything about the trailer turns me off, but the RPS write-up makes it seem interesting. Ought to be, considering it's Irrational.

[Murdoc]

  dpp said:

It seems to me like it's Bioshock without the environmental boundaries... open-world anyone?

Not sure where you got that from? Seems like it would be very bounded and gated, a series of buildings and walkways. But I'm only speculating.

[Forbin]

I'm going to be very dissapointed if there is no fighter plane combat. Based on the comments ken has made about re-inventing the engine to handle the building movement, and the name "infinite" it seems the implication is that you'll be able to move around in something with a bit more control than a train cart.

[pabosher]

  Randall Theil said:

I like everything but the title.

This. The trailer was omg amazing, but I honestly don't believe it needs the Bioshock name.

[elmuerte]

  brkl said:

Everything about the trailer turns me off

Not for me. It all looks quite interesting.

The only thing that I don't like is that this might be just Bioshock in the sky.

[Defenestrated]

  SpeedyDesiato said:

This. The trailer was omg amazing, but I honestly don't believe it needs the Bioshock name.

I'm actually fine with them using the bioshock name, I mean it is a big budget extravaganza and they do need to move copies. It makes sense to trade on a brand that has had great critical and commercial success in the past.

What I really don't like is the "Infinite" part. It just sounds like a cheesy mmo to me. I'd prefer something like Bioshock: Fuck Yeah, Zeppelins.

[elmuerte]

I do think it needs a better name than Bioshock infinite

(Nike) Airshock

Cumulushock

[Erkki]

  Kolzig said:

So still 3,5 podcasts to go to reach the current situation. Feels like I've entered the Outer Limits or something.

Well, in the latest cast

  Reveal hidden contents

Chris did mention controlling both the H and the V

[Korax]

Aeroshock.

Looking at the trailer again, it seems to me that there's some very deliberate symbolism right at the beginning. The character is pulled out of "Rapture," and then the robot bad guy crushes a Big Daddy statuette underfoot. It whispers "This isn't really Bioshock" to me.

[pabosher]

  Lord Korax said:

Aeroshock.

Looking at the trailer again, it seems to me that there's some very deliberate symbolism right at the beginning. The character is pulled out of "Rapture," and then the robot bad guy crushes a Big Daddy statuette underfoot. It whispers "This isn't really Bioshock" to me.

I agree. So why use the name? I just disagree with that decision. The trailer gave me chills, mind.

[Defenestrated]

Oh definitely yes on the symbolism point, right on through to throwing you out the window and getting that grand vista of an airborne city. It's an announcement that this ain't no underwater city.

[Erkki]

The RPS write-up did make it more interesting. I'm in the camp of considering BioShock an average(-ish) game with great atmosphere and style, but this might be more interesting if it's not as pure an FPS as BioShock was. The title is a bit generic though... Even BioShock: Columbia would have been better (unless the reason for the title doesn't become apparent until later).

[JonCole]

I was about to whine about the whining about the name, but instead I think I'll just say that it must be pretty nice for the Irrational guys when one of the only things people are complaining about is the name.

[Defenestrated]

For a while I was in the same camp of "average shooter with great atmosphere" but thinking back on it, I'm having a hard time thinking of any other console shooter that does as many things in as interesting a way as Bioshock did. I'm honestly trying, and I can't think of any others. Maybe Alan Wake, which I seemed to like more than most, and that was more for some interesting encounters (like the stage defense) and a clever combat mechanic.

Also, dismissing a game in any way for "just having great atmosphere" seems a bit silly to me, when this is something that SO many other games completely fail at. Sitting in that dark bathysphere at the start of the first game is something that really stuck with me. Maybe I'm just into that type of stuff more than most.

[Roderick]

What a freaking sweet trailer. Punch to the face, but super classy. Bioshock "Infinite" seems as absurd as the setting itself, which I guess is fitting.

I'm on board with everyone else here who says that I want this to be a different game than Bioshock. I want to actually have real human NPCs to interact with, not just the debris of a cataclysm littered with audio book.

But crikey man, that BALLOON BUILDING!

[Patters]

  Rodi said:

What a freaking sweet trailer. Punch to the face, but super classy. Bioshock "Infinite" seems as absurd as the setting itself, which I guess is fitting.

I'm on board with everyone else here who says that I want this to be a different game than Bioshock. I want to actually have real human NPCs to interact with, not just the debris of a cataclysm littered with audio book.

But crikey man, that BALLOON BUILDING!

Yeah this is how I feel, I want Deus Ex set here.

[Jayel]

I'm digging the aesthetics. And yeah, I really hate the title.

[Podunk]

Bah, fuck the haters, this looks awesome.

My one reservation is how similar the overall aesthetic of Columbia looks to Airborn. Even the first couple of notes in the solo violin in Irrational's trailer soundtrack sound like they're lifted from the Airborn Theme (the guitar has the theme at about 0:54)

On repeated viewings the similarities are all very superficial, but the Airborn team has been chuckling about BioBorn and AirShock all morning.

[George B]

It's the tag 'Infinite' that rings a little flat in my ears. They had to call this Bioshock something. Imagine what people would be saying if they had that trailer (minus the fishtank) and then tried to call it Icarus Reborn or Project Space Base, or The Rocketarium...

Whole new engine for this game too (mentioned in the gamasutra).

If you are missing freedom force you might find some solace in logo similarities (-1 for shameless self promo)

Colour me psyched!

Edit: Read the RPS piece. Getting a Ico/Last Guardian vibe from this Elizabeth character, wouldn't that be nice.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Floordje

[pabosher]

I think just 'Icarus' wouldve been great: connotations of a great power that was mis-handled or a foolish civilisation that did something bad.

Anyway, anyone know what Chris's official title is at IG?

[JonCole]

  SpeedyDesiato said:

I think just 'Icarus' wouldve been great: connotations of a great power that was mis-handled or a foolish civilisation that did something bad.

Anyway, anyone know what Chris's official title is at IG?

Chief Operating Wizard (COW)

[Erkki]

  Defenestrated said:

For a while I was in the same camp of "average shooter with great atmosphere" but thinking back on it, I'm having a hard time thinking of any other console shooter that does as many things in as interesting a way as Bioshock did.

Ok, maybe "average" isn't doing it justice. But I played it on PC and I'm not a fan of shooters, generally. Every game that is a pure shooter is an "average" game for me unless it does something exceptionally. Half-Life 2-s, Stalkers (ok, not so pure shooter as the others), BioShock, Far Cry 2 have been the ones I've bothered playing through in the recent years. So BioShock is in good company even in my case and yeah I should not say it is average, but I also wouldn't put it on par with the others I mentioned.

I also think of myself as a Looking Glass (legacy) fan, but I haven't even finished System Shock 2, while Deus Ex and Thiefs are some of my favourite games ever. So maybe the particular gameplay style of the *shocks just isn't my cup of tea.

[juv3nal]

from the RPS piece:

  Quote

Talking to Ken Levine later reveals that there’s a reason for the title, which will only become apparent with play, but it doesn’t seem to initially fit.

Anyone else look at the logo

and think there's maybe another word hidden there under the red and white fabric?

I mean inifinite can be a noun, but "infinity" or "the infinite" is much more usual for that. Commonly, infinite is an adjective, so infinite...what?