Home » Previews & Impressions » Game Previews » BioShock PS3 Demo Impressions

BioShock PS3 Demo Impressions

posted in: Game Previews 16

2007 was a special year for gaming which some regarded as the best gaming year ever. I thought those comments were greatly exaggerated. What wasn’t an exaggeration was how wonderful BioShock was. It was a brilliant game which just about everyone got to play. Well everyone who owned an Xbox 360 or a capable PC. PS3 only gamers were left out of the fun, but now their time has finally come. Rapture awaits, but will this port deliver the same wonderful experience Xbox 360 and PC gamers were blessed with last year? Or should you save your pennies for a new AMD HD Radeon 4850?

Let’s get right down to the nitpicking and my “perceived” differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Perceived? Nitpicking? Correct. The differences are that subtle. Borrowing terminology used for the GTAIV comparisons, the PS3 version seems to be a smidge softer giving the entire image a less “clinical” look. GTAIV for the PS3 was upscaled from a sub 720p resolution to give it that soft look and I wouldn’t be surprised if the same technique was used for the PS3 version of BioShock. This isn’t a deal breaker for first time visitors to Rapture, though. The game still oozes with atmospheric style and runs very well to boot.

Next: controller layout. The Xbox 360 version mapped weapon firing and plasmid usage on the triggers and one of the five developers responsible for the PS3 port did the same thing. Some will quickly dismiss the game due to this implementation, but I have to say that it’s not that bad. It would have been nice to remap the controller, but the very same could be said for plenty of other games.

The rest of the demo was as I remembered it. Andrew Ryan greeted me as I arrived. Atlas helped me start off. I got a taste of two of the game’s most useful plasmids and I witnessed the might of the Big Daddy. It was the exact same demo that convinced me BioShock was awesome last year.

So there you have it, kids. Those of us who’ve experienced BioShock the first time around may notice the differences and may prefer the original look. However, those unfortunate enough to miss out on last year’s gems will be blissfully ignorant and thus able to enjoy the game for what it is: one of the best 2007 had to offer.

For more information on BioShock, visit the official website.

16 Responses

  1. john
    | Reply

    I played the demo for the 1st time last night!! Whatta disappointment! Yeah the game is ok, but nothing special. Interesting concept, and story but gameplay is just like any other run of the mill FPS!! Way over-hyped by 360 fanboys, only cuz they had nothing else to go on about! Gimmie Resistance ANYDAY!!! now just waiting for RES2!! Not buying Bioshock till its on PSN for £10!

    • DOOM
      | Reply

      Man, I dont know what your smoking but BIOSHOCK wipes the floor with Resistance. Don’t hate just because it looks better on the 360, just enjoy the game… BIOSHOCK FREAKING ROX!

      • mookins
        | Reply

        Have you played Resistance?

        No.

        Then shut up.

        • blotchman
          | Reply

          Resistance was underwhelming and robotic feeling to say the least 🙁

      • Tony
        | Reply

        I beat Bioshock on the 360 and the game is way overhyped. The game is just “good” at best. Amd the game just looks blurrier on the PS3, otherwise the same.

  2. Name (required)
    | Reply

    “Like any other run of the mill fps” – yeah right and Resistance wasn’t? Please give me a break. Bioshock wasn’t all that it could’ve been but it sure more original than resistance, story wise and gameplay wise.
    Goddammit, just let go of that missplaced pride of yours and start playing games instead of consoles. If it’s not your kind of game I understand but you have some serious twisted perception if you found resistance being more innovative than bioshock.

    It’s not a revolution but definitely a gem to be found between a dozen bland (xbox360 and ps3) fps titles.

    • Tony
      | Reply

      What you are stating is just a opinion. Maybe it is you who needs to let go of his pride.

  3. chris
    | Reply

    John you sir are an idiot and you would not know a FPS if it pissed in your face.

    • Tony
      | Reply

      Once again, opnion. And \”opinion\” is not fact. There is nothing original about Bioshock, its all been done before, like on MakenX and even Condemned, magic (plasmids) is not anything new in games and neither is the story telling. People just like to exaggerate what they like

  4. lee
    | Reply

    it was ok…kinda childish,why not have a regenerating stamina bar have that limit your plasmids,like oblivion and magic,its a rental maybe

  5. jere
    | Reply

    meh i didnt like bioshock like halo far to easy with respawn points and checkpoints everyehere.

    its a wannabe bethseda game 1sts person prg is waht it boils down to

    graphics and style are nice but not enough for me to buy it

  6. Ryan
    | Reply

    This is hilarious!!! Look at the fanboys here! One saying resistance is the best, where the other says resistance blows, bioshock rules the world!

    How about this. I have an xbox360. I have a ps3. I played Bioshock on xbox360: Hated it! Played Bioshock on ps3: Hated it!

    You can’t force someone to like the games you like! All my friends love bioshock, I think it blows! I think MGS4 is the best made game out there! And Gears of War 2 is going to rock my socks, because GoW1 was “teh shiz”

    Now I can guarantee 5 out of the next 10 posts will say something like “MGS4 sucked goat balls! Too much movie, not enough game!” Yeah, well that’s what I like! and not bioshock. I can’t force you to like MGS4 just like you can’t force me to like biocrap.

    End of story. LocoCocoreccho rocks!

  7. No_Style
    | Reply

    Now, now. No need to start a flame war over this.

  8. getReal
    | Reply

    What a bullshit article! I played BioShock through earlier with my PC and 8800GTX card. Tried last night the PS3 version and it looked pretty much the same, except for lacking AA vs my PC settings. Water and other effects for example looked really good. Just change your TV settings instead trying to create flamewars.

  9. BioGem
    | Reply

    “its a wannabe bethseda game 1sts person prg is waht it boils down to”

    It’s no wannabe. It’s a gem with a great story and thrilling plot turns!

    http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/bioshock

  10. ShockGem
    | Reply

    It’s definitely a gem with great story and thrilling plot twists / turns.

    http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/bioshock

    96/100

Leave a Reply