Why I Love Bioshock But Just Can't Finish It

I grabbed Bioshock recently. Metacritic: 95, great reviews all around, and I'd heard good things -I was excited, to say the least, to pick this up. I really made a point going into this that I didn't want to know anything about it before I played it. (I do this with movies too - I don't even like to read the back of the box.) I feel like it adds a dimension to the entertainment when you have no idea what to expect. Well, let me tell you, Bioshock I would have needed to prepare myself for. About 10 minutes in I was sweating, I had to turn all the lights on in the house, and make sure all the doors were locked. This game is sick! rofl, I mean seriously! I can't even post screenshots that would illustrate this because they are extreme, to say the least. It would scare some people, and then they might not come back here.

Here's Bioshock's metacritic page and if you don't know anything about this game there is a great synopsis there. I have to agree with all of the critics that this title is a step above everything else in the FPS realm right now and is truly unique. From absolutely incredible audio, a truly artistic use of the awesome Unreal engine for a great visual experience, and unique gameplay concepts (elements of RPG, puzzles, quite a few things in there), this game is a definite winner.

Here's the rub, though, after all of the praise: I'm not even going to finish it. I played through about 1/3 of it then I went online to read through a walkthrough and watch some videos of the ending on YouTube. I can't believe I admitted I just did that.

Why though? The story was actually so interesting to me that I did want to go and read through the walkthrough. See, I love a good story and a story can definitely hook me! But it couldn't keep me in this title, and neither could all of the other stuff that was done near perfectly. What happened was that the enchantment started to wear off, and I found myself basically grinding through the game -- running around trying to find this or that thing, killing AI zombie monsters with large cudgels, getting to the next level while being spoon fed bits and pieces of a plot interspersed with inconsequentials. I may have been able to do all of that when I was younger, and have fun doing it, but no more.

The thing that might be missing for me is the human element, whether real or not. I get no satisfaction from beating the computer and I'm not extremely interested in puzzles just for the sake of completing them. Environmental immersion can only hold me for so long without a compelling reason to exist within that environment. I need a human opponent and I like to exist within a human team. I need games that I can sit down for a session at any time, get my fix of competitive mayhem, then leave. I am also very interested in strategy and the thrill of outwitting an opponent. That's why online multiplayer FPS and RTS suits me perfectly and I by far get the most enjoyment from them. I'm not saying I'm never going to play anything else, because I don't think everything else is completely lost on me. I guess Bioshock in all of it's glory just didn't touch that part of me that will keep me in it.

So, I probably found out what anyone who makes money in the gaming industry certainly already knows: there are a lot of different types of gamers. Some people play for the social aspect, some because they like guns, some because they like sports, some because they don't have anything better to do, etc etc. Me, I just like to pwn noobs. It's such a simple pleasure...sigh