Get caught up on the BioShock series in one fell swoop

The new Epic Games Store freebie is live, and it's a three-for-one. BioShock: The Collection is free on Epic, now through June 2.

The Collection packages together BioShock Remastered, BioShock 2: Remastered, and BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition. All three versions of these games include all of their corresp?onding single-player DLC??.

So alongside three immersive shooters, there are also some pretty solid DLC additions here, like Minerva's Den for BioShock 2 and Burial at Sea for Infinite. Essentially, it's a complete package of all things BioShock up to present day. And the first BioShock also includes a Director's Commentary too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdEJDEWTpO4

There have been plenty of freebies handed out through the Epic Games Store's giveaways, but the full BioShock is a pretty rad package. You can check it out via the Epic launcher or the link here. The next free game hasn't been revealed yet, but? will unlock a week from now, roughly.

There's always a lighthouse

As for the BioShock series, well, we haven't seen much of it since the conclusion of Infinite. A new BioShock has ostensibly been in development at Cloud Chamber, but it's been some time since we heard anything about?? it.

So while its spiritual predecessors in games like System Shock are also in development, BioShock is up in th??e air. June is just around the corner, the perfect time for game announcements. But we've yet to see anything notable that could indicate news on the way.

For now, a return to Rapture is much more likely, thanks to this BioShock Epic freebie. Or, if you're in a musical mood, you can check out the award-winning BioShock high school show choir adaptation. I mean, say what you want about any of the games, but BioShock does have some great music.

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Fans are in a frenzy trying to figure out why

Hype is mounting for the fourth BioShock game, which is currently in development, so fans have been eagerly on the lookout for any news about it. While we haven't gotten any big updates on the sequel in a few months, BioShock Infinite is in the news because the PC version of the game has quietly received over a dozen updates over the course of the last month (thirteen,?? to be exact).

According to TheGamer, Infinite's new batch of patches started as recently as September of last year, even though the game just celebrated its ninth anniversary this past weekend. The game's publisher, 2K, has also yet to speak publicly at all about the situation, which of course has led to all kinds of theories as to why they've returned to BioShock Infinite after all this time.

As expected, fan theories for why the updates are happening span from another re-master of the game (which I don't think is entirely out of the question, considering the upgraded version from BioShock: The Collection is now six years old), an upgrade for the next generation, or even just some fixes to get Infinite in shape to be ported onto the Steam Deck.

Fans have been throwing their own theories around online, and Reddit users Lithebeep and Zorklis came to a conclusion that seems boring and reasonable enough to be the real answer: 2K is probably ju?st performing maintenance on their game launche??r, deduced from the inclusion of a "2K Developer Launch Branch" in one of the updates.

Is this mostly likely what's really going on? Yes. Am I still going to hold out hope that 2K is pulling a fast one on us and updating the game with? some really cool stuff? Also yes.

Hey, at least they're giving us something to speculate about while we wait for any news on BioShock 4, right?

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'Ain't life in Rapture grand?'

"No Gods or Kings. Only man." The banner that hung in the atrium of the bathysphere terminus where BioShock's protagonist began his adventure was the first thing to grab my attention and pull me into that world. I first played BioShock as a high school freshman back in 2007. For a teenager who thought he was smarter than everyone and had just started reading George Orwell and Ayn Rand, BioShock was the p??erfect storm of a game for my younger self. 

It also served as my introduction to the PC-style shooter. Up until college, the bulk of my gaming was on a console, so games like Deus Ex and System Shock were foreign to me. While BioShock's impact ??????????????????????????on console shooters is undeniable, I couldn't help but wonder if its themes of exceptionalism and the story of Ryan's utopia free of government control would resonate with me the same after eleven years. 

Before we go any further, I should mention that I'll be freely talking about the major plot points of BioShock in this article. Though I have to imagine that if you clicked on this and you're still reading, you've probably played the decade-old game by now. Just the same, spoilers ahead and all that. 

Arguably, BioShock's most lasting impact was bringing RPG elements to the console shooter. Up until its release, console shooters used a pretty set formula. They tended to function like the original Call of Duty games: follow a li?near path, mowing down ?enemies along your way, and watch narrative beats play out without any deep sense of customization. 

BioShock's most exciting feature to me was using the genetic currency Adam to build a character loadout of both passive and active abilities in a first-person shooter. This made it easy to lean into your personal combat style of choice. If you just wanted to focus on bolstering your stealth and wrench-swinging prowess, t??hat was a totally functional strategy. I was always more of a shotgun and telekinesis kind of guy.

While the base foundation for BioShock's gameplay is still great in 2018, its combat in practice feels less impressive than I remember. There's only a handful of enemies to speak of: multiple Splicers types like the ??explosive Nitro Splicer or the gun-wielding Leadhead, Big Daddies, and security turrets and bots. Their attack types vary more than enough, but in the late game, all the designers did to increase combat difficulty was bump up enemy health. It's more annoying than challenging. Even the intimidating Big Daddies become less of a threat once you find the right combination of abilities and weapons to brute force them in a few quick seconds.

Ryan's extreme capitalist society extends to the gameplay. In a city where you have to pay to use the toilet, it's no surprise that you can buy your way past most obstacles -- including hacking security turrets. Paying to bypass the hacking mini-game may seem like a stupid move at first, but boy does it get old fast. Thank goodness BioShock 2 replaced it with a muc??h faster hacking mechanic??. 

I was sure BioShock would still feel sound even if a bit dated, but the real reason I decided to replay the classic was to see how its major themes and story beats resonated with me eleven years later. ??The basic setup sees our silent protagonist crashing at the hidden entrance? to Rapture, an underwater city free of government and societal laws. One where scientists would not be constrained by morals, where the actions of business moguls like the city's founder, Andrew Ryan, wouldn't be questioned.

The biggest flaw with the city should be apparent to anyone who's ever read a science fiction novel about one of these fallen utopias. When you invite only the best and the brightest, you need somebody to do the crap jobs. To quote BioShock villain Fra??nk Fontaine, "Somebody's gotta scrub the toilets."

It isn't long before the city goes to the dogs. It's the discovery of Adam, the genetic material found in a type of sea slug that can be used to rewrite genetic code. By putting the slugs in small girls call??ed Little Sisters, they turn into living Adam factories. Splicing lets Rapture's citizens hurl lightning bolts or throw fireballs, but doing it for so long seems to have driven them all insane. 

Looking at it now, Adam being found in sea slugs actually seems like the strangest conceit of BioShock. It's purely weird science that just comes o??ff as strange. Personally, I think simply explaining the discovery of Adam as some non-specific scientific breakthrough might have played better. Plus, I might not have to live with the imagery of ripping a colossal sea slug out of a little girl. 

The 1960s setting is filled with that post-war vibe of American Exceptionalism. This look is still being used today, but back in 2007, we had seen a whole lot less of that in games. Fallout wasn't exactly the?? triple-A behemoth it has since become, so the idea of an insane person dressed like a 1950s businessman swinging a ??lead pipe at you seemed a lot more unique. 

Rapture is full of stories to tell, the most significant being the struggle between Ryan an?d Atlas/Fontaine. For most of the game, you're led to believe the head of Fontaine Futuristics is long dead, that he like many other characters is one you'll only hear about in audio logs to give you some insight into what Ra??pture was like before everything went to hell. Then comes that famous twist.

You learn that you haven't been in control of your actions all along. Atlas, the charming Irishman who has been your only ally in all of this is, in fa??ct, Frank Fontaine. He's been secretly controlling you from the start using the trigger phrase "Would you Kindly."

The player character is actually the illegitimate son of Andrew Ryan, sent to the surface by Fontaine and company to serve as a failsafe should they need a trump card agai?nst Ryan. This serves as an easier explanation for how you've been able to use the bathyspheres to travel around the city as well as revive yourself at Rapture's vita chambers. Earlier on it's state?d that anyone in Ryan's "genetic ballpark" would be able to use such devices, but being his flesh and blood makes that a little easier to swallow. 

The reveal that you're not in control of your actions leads to the most impactful scene in your journey. Control is stripped away from the player as Ryan uses your trigger phrase to force you to kill him. More specifically, you violently bludgeon him to death with a golf club. Through all of this, you watch Ryan almost rooting for you to overcome your programming and prove you're a man and not a slave. Most disappointingly, the remaining few hours of gameplay after Ryan's death are the least memorable parts of BioShock. With the help of the remorseful Dr. Tenenbaum, one of the scientists behind the creation of Little Sisters, you move to square off against Fontaine. Unfortunately, Fontaine lacks the? restraint of Ryan. He comes off more like a "tie them to the railroad tracks" style comic-book villain. 

The big twist of BioShock still seems impactful all these years later, but certain in-game decisions feel at odds with the idea of entirely being a slave to Fontaine the whole time. For starters, if the player character has no real choice in his actions, then why are you given the option of harvesting or saving little sisters? It's only a gripe, but you would think Fontaine would merely have you kill the poor girls to yield the most Adam. It's a small decision put in your hands, but it gives you the illusion of choice. Harvesting too many of the girl?s also gets you the "bad" ending -- a horribly out-of-place sequence where you return to the surface and take over the world using your newfound powers from splicing. 

Though BioShock's plot is definitely still entertaining as hell, we only see a power struggle between Rapture's two biggest power-hungry jerks. I find myself craving a story set before the fall of the city. We get a taste of this in BioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea DLC, but I wouldn't expect much more at this po?int.&nb??sp;

For that reason, I find the smaller tales told through in-game audio diaries to be the more exciting narrative bits in BioShock. Each section of the city you enter focuses on a handful of characters and the horrors they were forced to face ?in Rapture. A woman who had plastic surgery botched by the insane Dr. Steinman, or a family who lost their daughter only to discover her transformed into a Little Sister. Moments like these stand out.

Fort Frolic, in particular, is my absolute favorite section. The insane artist Sander Cohen traps you in this area of the city, briefly cutting you off from Ryan and Atlas to run a few murderous errands for him. Before you leave, Cohen descends the stairs to greet you, at which point you can choose to gun him down in cold blood or be on your merry way. He's one of the few named characters who isn't stuck behind some door or wall preventing you from ?directly interact??ing with them. Keeping him alive even gives you the chance to re-encounter him later in the game. 

My journey through Ryan's utopia was an interesting one. BioShock is still one of my favorite games of all time even if age has made it less impressive. Without this first step, it's hard to imagine we would've gotten games like Dishonored that take so clearly from BioShock's template. I don't believe we've seen the last of this series even if BioShock Infinite isn't looked back on quite as fondly?? as the original. Let's hope we can get another Rapture story soon, because it?? certainly feels like we're overdue one. 

The post Exploring BioShock eleven years later appeared first on Destructoid.

Stop it, daddy!

BioShock: The Collection isn't exactly the best remaster. In addition to a plethora of bugs, some crashes, and basically downgraded PC ports, it looks?? like artistic changes are part of the ordeal. I do??n't sit well with that.

I know some people will be fine with different textures or altered lighting, but I am all about preserving the past. When Double Fine announced that Grim Fandango Remastered would retain a 4:3 aspect?? ratio, I was thrilled. While I am al??l for full-on remakes, for a remaster to dramatically shift the tone of a scene is unforgivable.

Digital Foundry uses a film as an example, where Blu-ray releases tend to bump up noise reduction filters; that annoys the hell out of me. I'm a huge fan of old-school martial arts films, so I tend to opt for the mono or ?2.0 mixes of audio simply because the newer, "enhanced" versions miss the point of the presentation. You don't need to cra??m the surround channels full of noise to make an aural impact.

I suppose we're all being a bit harsh on the BioShock remasters, but I think this is pretty misguided work. If the game ran well, at least I could say the changes were different for the sake of?? newer hardware. Since they don't, I'm not sure why an?yone would prefer the new versions.

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'How can you be unhappy?'

Love him or hate him, Ken Levine has been responsible for some of the greatest games ever made. Thief: The Dark Project, System Shock 2, and BioShock are all on his resume, something most developers would kill to have been a? part of. Turns?? out that Levine wasn't always so happy with his creations.

In an interview with Glixel, Levine details why he won't be returning to the BioShock franchise ??anytime soon. In a particularly poignant quote, Ke?n says:

"I'm not a happy person. I have crushing anxiety all the time. Which is crazy, because I wake up and I look at my beautiful wife an??d my beautiful dog and my beautiful home and the beautiful peo?ple I work with and these things I've created and these fans, and I say, 'How the fuck can you be unhappy?'"

For many years, I dealt with severe depression. Even when things were going well, I still looked at myself and believed I was worthless. I would cancel plans I had made or lash out at my family simply because I was una?ble to verbalize what I was feeling. It stemmed from a place of fear, major anxiety, and resentment of others happiness.

We all have hardships in our life, but certain individuals suffer from issues that prevent them from being accepted by society. I suggest everyone take a look at a friend they have that m?ay be hurting and reach out to them. It? is never too late to get help for a loved one.

While it is sad to hear that Ken Levine was going through some of these same issues, at least he never gave up. The lesson to take from this is that persistence and determination are the keys to becoming successful. Ken happens to be more successful than some people, but any victory (regardless of size) is st??ill a positive step.

Inside the Making of 'BioShock' Se??ries With Creator?? Ken Levine [Rolling Stone]

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Especially if you own the games on Steam already

2K has clarified the upgrade process for BioShock: The Collection on PC ahead of next week's launch. In short, if you already own the games on Steam, this is what you can? expect to get for free:

• BioShock ➜ BioShock remastered including the unlockable video series, Director's Commentary: Imagining BioShock
• BioShock 2 ➜ BioShock 2 remastered
• BioShock 2: Minerva's Den ➜ BioShock 2: Minerva's Den remastered

As a quick reminder, BioShock Infinite is present in The Collection, but that game was deemed new enough to not warrant its own remastered re-release on PC, so it isn't a part of this upgrade process.

For most players, scoring the enhanced versions of BioShock, BioShock 2, and Minerva's Den won't require any extra effort. If you own any of these titles through Steam, you'll see new "remastered" versions of t??hem listed separately in your library beginning September 15, 2016 at 3:00pm Pacific. After that point, you're free to install the upgraded games or ?continue playing the originals.

Folks who own BioShock outside of Steam, however, will need to put in a little more work to claim their free remaster. Essentially, you're just verifying that you did, at one point or another, pay for the game. If you own a physical copy without a CD key, you can send your Steam profile and proof of purchase in a support ticket to 2K. For non-Steam copies of BioShock 2, you'll need to find the Games for Windows Live key that came with your physical or digital purchase, and then redeem that on Steam.

See? Not too bad at all. 2??K also shared the system specs for the remasters today.

Minimum Specs:

• OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 64-bit. Platform Update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
• Processor: Intel E6750 Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHZ
• Memory: 4 GB
• Hard Drive: BioShock 25GB; BioShock 2 25GB; BioShock Infinite 20GB; Total for all three games 70GB
• Video Card: DirectX11 Compatible, AMD Radeon HD 7770 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Device
• Other Requirements: Software installations required including DirectX and Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 & 2012 Redistributable Package.

Recommended Specs:

• OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 64-bit. Platform Update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
• Processor: 3GHz Quad-Core
• Memory: 8 GB
• Hard Drive: BioShock 25GB; BioShock 2 25GB; BioShock Infinite 30GB; Total for all three games 80GB
• Video Card: 2GB ATI Radeon HD 7970, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 or better
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Device

BioShock: The Collection PC Upgrades [Steam]

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A look inside how one of the last gen's best games was made

The upcoming BioShock Collection which features all three of the series' games will also offer developer commentary by BioShock creative director Ken Levine ??and lead animator Shawn Robertson. In a post on the U.S. PlayStation blog, Sony showed off one of the unlockable commentaries about how the first BioShock's intro was not well received durin??g an early round of focus tes??ting.

The video shows that these developer commentaries will be unlocked when a player finds new hidden collectables scattered through the games. It looks like this commentary won't be done in-game, so presumably t?he in??terview videos will be unlocked somewhere in the game's menu system. (And on YouTube within a week.)

Developer commentaries can be fascinating when done well, and give people who've mastered a game a reason to return. The first time I remember seeing the technique was in Half-Life 2 over a decade ago, but it's been used to good effect in remasters of Grim Fandango and Monkey Island as well. BioShock Infinite in particular had a long, somewhat troubled developmen??t cycle, so it'll be interesting to see if the commentary goes into detail about the backstory behind that game.

BioShock: The Collection will be available September 13 on PC, PS4, and Xbox O?ne.

The post The new BioShock collection fea??tures developer commentar?y appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to Rapture (and Columbia)

The BioShock series has been out of the spotlight for a few years now, but it's set for an imminent encore and it's going to perform a medley. That is to say, BioShock: The Collection comes out in just a few weeks, a bundle that remasters all three games so that they run at 1080p and 60 frames per secon??d on all platforms.

Leading up to the September 13 release, publisher 2K Games has released extended gameplay videos of each of the titles. We saw comparison shots a couple of weeks ago; this is just an unfil?tered look at each game's starting sequence.

Sure, it's neat seeing a title from 2007 with a makeover, but it's also a good reminder that these games had some damn fine introduction sequences. BioShock's plane crash and fiery swim. Infinite's ascent above the clouds. Even BioShock 2's establishing shots that show, h??ey, you're a Big Daddy now (even if this isn't actually part of the videos these videos). It's a decent little trip down memory lane, which is exactly what everyone involved with this collection hopes for.

The post Oh yeah, all the BioShocks had really good intros appeared first on Destructoid.

Worth double dipping?

This graphical comparison trailer hasn't convinced me that people who already own BioShock on last-generation consoles should buy this remastered collection, but what do I know, people double dipped on The Last of Us just a ??short while after the initial release.

I do have a confession: I've never finished a BioShock game though I've owned every game in the series. I recently picked up all three games on sale for around $10 for PC since I'll get the upgrade for free, so I guess I already dou?ble dipped. Shit. The?y got me.

What do you think lovely readers? Worth a double d??ip? Or just another remastered cash-in?

The post The remastered graphics look just a smidgen better in Biosho??ck: The C??ollection appeared first on Destructoid.

All three games and DLC

Just moments ago, after months of leading us around and jerking our chain, 2K Games has announced BioShock: The Collection. It? will be released on S??eptember 13, 2016, on PC, PS4, and Xbox One for $59.99, and is said to include remastered visuals.

Of special note, Blind Squirrel Games will be handling the ports, and the collection will include the original BioShock, BioShock 2, and Infinite, as well as "all single-player DLC," and a "never-before-seen" video series that features Ken Levine. Multiplayer will not be included for BioShock 2, and according to 2K, "BioShock Infinite is not being remastered on PC because it already meets current-gen console standards and runs smoothly on high visual settings." But, "if you already own BioShock, BioShock 2, and/or Minerva’s Den on Steam, you will be able to upgrade to the remastered version of ?the respect??ive title(s) for free after release."

I think this will be the first time a lot of folks play the add-ons, so it'll be interesting to see all of the new thoughts that come out of this re-release. The series is also on sale on Steam for 85% off.

Remastered BioShock: The C?ollection Coming September 13, 2016 For PlayStation 4, Xbox One? And PC [2K Games]

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People are digging!

I was going to skip covering this stuff on account of how many times the still-somehow-unannounced BioShock: The Collection has popped up before, but 2K is clearly? building to an imminent reveal.

First, I saw a fresh "Welcome to Rapture!" tweet this morning, and didn't think much of it. But then people found text references to the compilation on the publisher's site, and the cover art hosted on its servers, and now there are assorted screenshots from The Collection making the rounds.

For a side-by-side, take this new shot and compare it with the PC version of BioShock. As a remi?nder, the compilation? is supposedly headed to PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it includes the three games.

Most of all, I'm eager to go through BioShock 2 again. I must have been sick and tota??lly out of it when I played it the first and only time, because I recall ??so absurdly little of what transpires in the story.

In fact, I mostly just remember the multiplayer -- zapping people and shotgunning them was good fun. Some folks made a big fuss ?about that mode's mere existence at the time, but I sure dug? it.

BioShock The Collection spotted on 2K's website [NeoGAF]

The post It’s time to announce BioShock: The Collection already appeared first on Destructoid.

2K still ain't saying nothing though

The ESRB is the latest ratings body to provide details on the as-yet unannounced BioShock Collection compilation. 

The American ratings board describes the release as a “collection of three first-person shooters in which players assume the role of characters uncovering the mysteries behind the dystopian societies of Rapture and Columbia” and stated that its headed for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (thanks, gematsu.com).

This comes in a long line of leaks and h??ints about the release. Publisher 2K, however, is keepin?g tight-lipped, stating that it does not respond to rumours or speculation. ;

 I don’t think three separate ratings board across the world detailing the release amounts to “rumour” anymore but who cares, I can play BioShock again soon - WOOT!  

HAPPY FRIDAY! <3

The post BioSho?ck Collection has now turne?d up on ESRB website appeared first on Destructoid.

Be a decent remaster, would you kindly?

You may remember back in September when a retailer leaked the existence of The BioShock Collection, presumably an HD re-release of the three BioShock games.

It now looks like we’re getting closer to it finally making an appearance, as the Classificação Indicativa, Brazil’s ratings body, recently rated the slightly renamed BioShock: The Collection for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and more interestingly, PS3 and Xbox ??360.

I would’ve totally been up for an upgraded version of BioShock and BioShock 2, because while Infinite still holds up graphically, the first two games are definitely showing their age a bit. The fact they’re coming to last-gen consoles as well, unfortunately, makes it more likely that they’ll be just be quick upscaling jobs with no major upgrades to ensure they still run on the PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s a shame because I would’ve killed for an Unreal Engine 4 remake of BioShock…

Still, I love the BioShock series and would quite like to have a boxed collection of all three games. Maybe chuck in a stylish case like the Fallout Anthology’s nuke and people like? me wo??uld still lap it up.

2K have yet to confirm the collecti?on’s existence, but now that it&rsq??uo;s been rated I don’t expect it to be too much longer before we get some sort of announcement.

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