A Different Perspective On Bioshock

Since being home from PAX, I've had a chance to get deeper into Bioshock, and it is, as many will tell you, amazing. Most people have been going on about it's environment, controls, graphics, and story, giving it rave reviews and as well as nominations for game of the year. Since that's all been done, I wanted to give a different perspective on why Bioshock is such a great game.

The great thing about Bioshock is that it's a new intellectual property. As gamers we often live off the sequel--the games that come from an already established franchise--and it can be extremely satisfying, but it's only so often that a brand new franchise is of such high quality that it can capture a whole generation of gamers. Most of our anticipated releases are the next game in a series--Halo 3, Metroid Prime Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, MGS:4, the entire Final Fantasy library--I could go on and on. And while we need those great franchises to march on and keep giving us more great content, it eventually becomes predictable and stale.

That's one of the problems with Nintendo's fall line up this year. I feel like I'm playing all the games I played in middle school and high school all over again--Metroid, Zelda, Mario, Smash Bros, Mario Kart--these are the big releases for Nintendo. I don't doubt that I'll enjoy them, or that it's a good strategy for Nintendo, but I couldn't help but feel a little longing for one interesting new IP from them instead of all the rehashes (and while Wii Fitness looks great, I can't count that as a legitimate new franchise in the same realm of Zelda or Mario or Master Chief).

That's where Bioshock is like a breath of fresh air. Something that is both completely new, supremely immersive, and downright addicting. It's like when you first discovered Halo--no one knew that game was going to go on to become the success it was. Or go back further. Do you remember the first time someone introduced you to Super Mario Bros, or Street Fighter 2, or Final Fantasy, or any other game that you love? My point is, there's nothing like the first playthrough of an excellent franchise. And for that reason (perhaps more than any other), I'm taking my time with Bioshock, savoring every last morsel of a game that is sure to become a classic.

For more thoughts about being an adult gamer and growing up in the Nintendo generation, visit The Weekend Gamer.