toblix

BioShock Infinite

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I played a bit of this last night, and it reminded me that I actually enjoyed the combat in Infinite. There's a real nice flow to it, almost like a FPS version of Hotline Miami (but more forgiving) the way you quickly go in and out of these sequences trying to execute a plan efficiently. I don't expect anyone's mind to be changed about how they feel about the DLC, but I was pleasantly surprised by it.

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My point was maybe you shouldn't sound so personally offended that the dev team is making a game mode that appeals to the people who really like Infinite's combat and want the version where they get it injected straight to their veins. Appeal has a lot to do with it.

 

They're even doing story diehards a favor and splitting it into a separate piece of content you never need to buy, look at, or think about. I find it very analogous to Dunwall City Trials/Knife of Dunwall which is why I mentioned it.

 

 

Well, except, unlike Dunwall City Trials, they put it into a season pass that they sold for months without ever hinting that that was what the first included DLC would be. I'd assumed all three would be story DLC and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I did enjoy the combat in Infinite to a degree but I don't know how much I really want it divorced from fictive context. I suspect not very much. I'm sure the price on the actual story DLC will still weigh in above the $20 for the season pass, but it's disappointing.

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Well, except, unlike Dunwall City Trials, they put it into a season pass that they sold for months without ever hinting that that was what the first included DLC would be. I'd assumed all three would be story DLC and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I did enjoy the combat in Infinite to a degree but I don't know how much I really want it divorced from fictive context. I suspect not very much. I'm sure the price on the actual story DLC will still weigh in above the $20 for the season pass, but it's disappointing.

 

Considering Clash in the Clouds is $5 and Irrational has stated that the Season Pass will offer $30 worth of content for $20, you're certainly correct that the story DLC will total about $25. So really, if you bought the season pass you're getting a discount on story DLC and getting CitC for free.

 

I find it hard to be sympathetic toward season pass owners who are dissatisfied because Infinite owners were free to wait until the plans were detailed before buying the season pass (you can buy one now). You can wait until they're all released, if you want. I waited until all the Saints Row and Borderlands 2 DLC was released before I decided their season passes were worth my money. Plus, the passes were on sale (25% off or something) and I got even more than my money's worth. So it's hard for me to think that this is some money grubbing scheme, since you have to be somewhat careless with your money to get "taken advantage" of.

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I wonder if they'll have any awesome anachronistic pop song covers done in the style of 40s/50s era American music in the Burial at Sea DLC.

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Oh hey, the dialogue in Infinite was super corny so if this is a game with a lot of voice over trying to emulate a Marlowe voice I think I will give it a miss. 

That said, I always liked this image from Bioshock 2, so the setting appeals to me. I am just skeptical that I can stomach a game that will possibly force a groan from me every two minutes.

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 I'm sure the price on the actual story DLC will still weigh in above the $20 for the season pass, but it's disappointing.

For reference, yes - the two chapters of "Burial at Sea" will go for 1200 Microsoft points each, according to the press release - i.e. about $30 all told. If you are convinced they will be worth it, you save money by buying the season pass and never playing Clash in the Clouds.

That said, I'm increasingly cynical about the wisdom of ever pre-ordering anything...

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I'm hoping that's just an example of unfortunate word choice. It's true that it wouldn't make a lot of sense for a character like Elizabeth to physically interact with the world in the same way as Booker, so just doing a generic Booker gender swap would be supremely dishonest (not to mention pretty lazy on the part of the developers). 

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Yeah, based on the interview it sounds less like a design tenet and more like looking for a way to describe the difference in gameplay. The wording, if verbatim, is interesting: «There's all of these different kinds of ways of being more thoughtful, and--I hesitate to say it--almost more feminine way of approaching a problem,» which reads like «I don't want to call it "feminine," but how else would you describe it?»

 

edit: Booker in a dress would be a day 1 perch as far as I'm concerned.

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I'm not offended. I'm sad and annoyed that a AAA developer I thought was maybe not mostly about turning a profit turned out to be just that.

 

Except they're still in business, so they clearly can't be mostly about turning a profit.

 

AAA games are some of the most expensive entertainment products to make, comparable to tentpole blockbuster movies, and unlike them only a few million people pony up for them. They need to bleed these fuckers dry to even have a chance of making another one. You cannot afford to be a AAA development studio and be all about the art, because you simply cannot afford to alienate any of your audience enough for them to not consent to being bled dry.

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Yeah, based on the interview it sounds less like a design tenet and more like looking for a way to describe the difference in gameplay. The wording, if verbatim, is interesting: «There's all of these different kinds of ways of being more thoughtful, and--I hesitate to say it--almost more feminine way of approaching a problem,» which reads like «I don't want to call it "feminine," but how else would you describe it?»

"Less murdery."

"Tangibly less suggestive of psychopathy/sociopathy."

"Not as violent."

"More like NOLF and Thief."

"You have less HP."

"Physics puzzles."

"Lots of crouching and staying behind things while moving."

"Dishonored."

It's a fucking insult to men, women, and humanity in general that "kill literally everyone in front of you to progress to the next level" is the default in video games and is also somehow "masculine" compared to a more nonviolent, stealthy/whatever approach, which is somehow "feminine." The horrific number of stupid, backwards, sexist assumptions built into that is depressing and I don't even want to start thinking about it in detail for fear of making myself even sadder. That level designer apparently has enough sense to hesitate before saying stupid bullshit but not enough sense to actually refrain from saying the stupid bullshit. At least she didn't call it girlfriend mode.

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It's a fucking insult to men, women, and humanity in general that "kill literally everyone in front of you to progress to the next level" is the default in video games and is also somehow "masculine" compared to a more nonviolent, stealthy/whatever approach, which is somehow "feminine." The horrific number of stupid, backwards, sexist assumptions built into that is depressing and I don't even want to start thinking about it in detail for fear of making myself even sadder. That level designer apparently has enough sense to hesitate before saying stupid bullshit but not enough sense to actually refrain from saying the stupid bullshit. At least she didn't call it girlfriend mode.

 

I'd find it somewhat like a cack-handed attempt to reference the "sexism in games" zeitgeist, if I were feeling uncharitable.

 

Regardless, it's silly that "nonviolent" and "pacifist" are not the immediate words that came to mind. After all, that's what people complained about with Bioshock Infinite. The gender and race stuff was subordinate to playing the incredibly proficient serial killer of a fantasy city in the sky.

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Jesus, calm down.

 

Sorry, next time I'll use words like "fiddlesticks" and "balderdash" so as not to alarm you, Twig.

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So after my defending Irrational's honor and their right to make whatever sort of content for the game they want, Cloud Combat: The Wavening looks pretty bad and boring after all. Which means I won't purchase it, but doesn't really dampen my enthusiasm for the story portions of their content hopefully coming.

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This game is going to be weird. Irrational just put this up so Cosplayers can make the outfit. God i hope this isn't "Elizabeth" Elizabeth

ElizabethNewRaptureOutfit-480x329.jpg

Large

I kinda get the feeling that this DLC will be Bioshocks swansong, Irrational saying goodbye to the franchise with a love letter to the fans. Everything I've seen so far is 100% fan service.

Maybe they've just said fuck it and they're doing whatever will sell the most copies. Take it back to Rapture! Give Elizabeth a sexy make over and larger breasts! $$$

Just looked for a screenshot for comparison (end of bioshock infinite spoiler)

bioshock-infinite-elizabeths.jpg

This new Elizabeth incarnation is as sexy if not sexier then the sexiest sex clone....The one on the left (that looks like a real doll)

I don't actually have a problem with any of this, I just think they've gone for a big stupid summer blockbuster cash in

Or, perhaps with all the upset over the season pass they've decided to just pander to the fans to keep them happy.

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This game is going to be weird. Irrational just put this up so Cosplayers can make the outfit. God I hope this isn't "Elizabeth" Elizabeth.

Ken Levine as already said as such: "She is very much Elizabeth, but also has a character. She's affected. She's definitely changed by what she's done. I will say certainly you are picking up after the events of Infinite, and this is a person who has seen all the things you've seen in Infinite, and that’s had an effect on her."

 

I don't know that I agree with your assertion that they've amped up the sexualization of Elizabeth.  Seems like Elizabeth + noir to me.

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I hope booker remembers everything also. If he's just like "who is this mysterious woman?" That would be lame. You'd know everything, playing as a character who last time you controlled him knew everything, who's had his mind wiped again, because of reasons.

It would be cool if this DLC is actually us catching up with them a couple years down the line, and they have a crazy disjointed relationship of which we'll have to piece together what happened between them during the interim over the course of the game.

So, how will you feel when you spy through a two way mirror the Lutece twins having a chin wag with Andy Ryan?

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