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If Big Daddys, Little Sisters and the phrase “Would you kindly” means nothing to you, then shame on you. But if they revive memories of one of the greatest first-person shooters ever made, then read on.
As you may have heard, atmospheric super-powered shoot-em-up BioShock has new downloadable content as well as an additional game update ready to be spliced with the original game. We’ve already told you what it does, and we’ve brought you some exclusive screens highlighting the change in your point of view with the new widescreen mode.
But the big question is, does all this new, free stuff justify you dusting off the game box and entering Rapture once more? To find out, read on.
Let’s start with the game update. You’ll now find two new options when you pause the game. One to turn on the horizontal field of view, thus reverting the game back to the way it was, or to keep it off, which allows you to see more of what’s going on. On the PC version, some gamers had complained that the widescreen view the game originally displayed was just the game running in 4:3 with the top and bottom cropped. So people running the game in 4:3 saw more than those viewing in widescreen. While this original format was, according to 2K Boston, the way it was intended, this new change appears to be in response to those complaints. So give yourselves a pat on the back for making a difference.
As you can see from our screenshots, the new update does allow you to see much more. A surprising amount even. However, will this be enough to send gamers in their droves back into Rapture, just to experience a few extra inches of the admittedly gorgeous game world?
Another change you’ll notice is the option to disable the game’s Vita Chambers. In the original game, being able to revive at the chambers once you died and with the damage you caused to enemies retained caused a lot of skilled BioShock fans to complain that the game was too easy. Now you can turn this off, so when you die, you’re dead, and you can ignore the Vita Chambers completely. You’ve even got another 100 point Achievement on the 360 version for beating game without the Vita Chambers, called “Brass Balls”. Who said developers don’t listen to gamers?
Again, the question is, will this change make you play the game again. Interesting.
And now on to the new plasmids. If you decide to add it (it’s free), you’ll get some info when you boot up the game detailing the new plasmids. Ryan Industries has concluded clinical trials on four new Genetic Improvements and they’re ready for you to get stuck in.
You’ve got Machine Buster 1 & 2, Vending Expert 1 & 2, Sonic Boom 1 & 2 and EVE Saver to add to an already impressive roster of super powers. We got stuck in straight away, booting up one of our old game saves from well in to the game and headed to the nearest Gatherers Garden. There we found Machine Buster and Sonic Boom, all available for just one EVE, which is nice. 2K Boston clearly wants gamers to be able to jump straight in with the new stuff and have some fun.
Of most interest is Sonic Boom. It’s kind of like a big scream really, and knocks enemies to the floor, stunning them for a couple of seconds so you can smack them in the head with your wrench. It’s pretty cool at first, but, unfortunately, nothing revolutionary.
So, the million dollar question: is BioShock worth another play now the new stuff is out? Here’s our ultimate judgement, and it depends on how much you got out of BioShock when it first came out. If you played through the game, loved it, played it through again on the harder difficulty levels, got all the achievements and made sure you saw everything the wonderful world of Rapture had to offer, then yes, the new stuff is definitely worth a look.
As a completist, you’ll want to try out the new plasmids, experience the game in the new widescreen mode on your big HD TV and get those extra 100 achievement points. This DLC is definitely a reward for hardcore BioShock fans.
However, if you played the game, loved it, then didn’t feel the need to go back to it, then the new stuff won’t convince you to change your mind. Sonic Boom is a nice but underwhelming change. The other plasmids boost your abilities, rather than give you new cool powers. I’d go as far to say that they’re a tad disappointing. And the new widescreen mode, while nice, doesn’t set the world on fire.
So, if you put hundreds of hours into BioShock, get the new stuff and have a play around. You’ll love it. But if you didn’t, don’t worry. You’re not missing out on anything revolutionary.
