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Saturday, August 25, 2007
BioShock for noobs
So I finally got around to play the BioShock demo. It's not very long, but manages to give you a good impression what the game is about. Good news first: There is an "easy" difficulty level, even with a helpful hint that this is what you should choose if you don't play shooters otherwise. And at least in the demo I had no problems surviving in easy mode. Graphically BioShock is stunning. The game starts with you in the water, fire all around, and I've never seen water looking so real before on my screen. And that was at standard graphics settings, and running smoothly, albeit on my relatively high-end machine (GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB, 4 GB RAM, E6600 CPU).
The gameplay is first-person-shooter meets Diablo, because you not only have weapons, ammo, and a red health bar, but also spells (called "plasmids" and supposed to be some genetical enhancement) and a blue mana bar (called "Eve"). Thus you can for example stun your enemy with a lightning bolt before clobbering him with a wrench or shooting him with a pistol. The game is atmospherically dense, telling a grim tale of an utopia gone wrong, styled in images from the 1950's.
But in the end it's just a shooter. A good one, as far as I can tell, but nevertheless you need to like the gameplay of shooters to enjoy it. And I don't. Monsters jumping at me from dark corners, forcing me into frantic action with spells and weapons isn't exactly my thing. I prefer slower games that require more strategic thinking. Nevertheless I don't regret having downloaded the demo, it is always good to know what the others are playing.
- posted by Tobold @ 10:11 AM Permanent Link
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Have fun with the SecuROM service that's now slowing down your machine - after all, Sony thinks that demos of games should have built-in piracy protection measures.
And for those thinking about buying the game, I won't, because SecuROM is configured in silly ways that require you to have an active internet connection to activate the game, and you only get two installs, ever, unless you uninstall the game properly inbetween. Or you'll have to call SecuROM and tell them to free up your old installation's key.
Which is incredibly customer-friendly and doesn't encourage people to pirate the game at all, of course.
And for those thinking about buying the game, I won't, because SecuROM is configured in silly ways that require you to have an active internet connection to activate the game, and you only get two installs, ever, unless you uninstall the game properly inbetween. Or you'll have to call SecuROM and tell them to free up your old installation's key.
Which is incredibly customer-friendly and doesn't encourage people to pirate the game at all, of course.
# posted by 
: 25/8/07 11:18
: 25/8/07 11:18
The installs will be upped to 5. It's still a bit silly copy protection but at least it's not just 2 installs. :)
I bought the game nevertheless and spent like 5 hours on it last night. Great game. It's a shame about that FOV thing on widescreen monitors, but it's perfectly playable anyway.
I bought the game nevertheless and spent like 5 hours on it last night. Great game. It's a shame about that FOV thing on widescreen monitors, but it's perfectly playable anyway.
# posted by : 25/8/07 12:01
: 25/8/07 12:01
I was trying not to read a review in PC Zone magazine (in order not to spoil the game) but my eye was drawn to a panel where the reviewer admitted to feeling sick and actually throwing up as a result of playing the game. This made me think of your problems with FPS's Tobold but this chap is a professional games reviewer !!!
I'm about 2 hours into the game and enjoying it. I play a fair number of FPS titles and I don't really agree that the graphics are better than other modern fps games even though the system requirements are very high. Nevertheless I like the fact that this game has depth (for a shooter) and a good storyline. I haven't barfed yet though :D
I'm about 2 hours into the game and enjoying it. I play a fair number of FPS titles and I don't really agree that the graphics are better than other modern fps games even though the system requirements are very high. Nevertheless I like the fact that this game has depth (for a shooter) and a good storyline. I haven't barfed yet though :D
How to remove SecuROM:
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=138017&postcount=50
I think I'll pass BioShock (not that my PC has the horse power to run it anyway). Shame, SystemShock 2 was such a great game...
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=138017&postcount=50
I think I'll pass BioShock (not that my PC has the horse power to run it anyway). Shame, SystemShock 2 was such a great game...
SecuROM and other bad protection systems aren't installed with demos.
Also, if someone want BioShock without SecuROM and other invasive CD/DVD protection schemes, there's always Steam. With Steam you need a connection but there aren't weird drivers and hidden executables.
Also, if someone want BioShock without SecuROM and other invasive CD/DVD protection schemes, there's always Steam. With Steam you need a connection but there aren't weird drivers and hidden executables.
Also, if someone want BioShock without SecuROM and other invasive CD/DVD protection schemes, there's always Steam. With Steam you need a connection but there aren't weird drivers and hidden executables.
I'm pretty sure that it gets installed anyway. It has been said that the 2 installs (which will be 5) is a part of Securom. And since the install is logged even through Steam it seems logical that Securom is installed then too.
I'm pretty sure that it gets installed anyway. It has been said that the 2 installs (which will be 5) is a part of Securom. And since the install is logged even through Steam it seems logical that Securom is installed then too.
# posted by : 25/8/07 16:06
: 25/8/07 16:06
Jack-o-Lantern wrote...
SecuROM and other bad protection systems aren't installed with demos.
Also, if someone want BioShock without SecuROM and other invasive CD/DVD protection schemes, there's always Steam. With Steam you need a connection but there aren't weird drivers and hidden executables.
SecuROM is installed with the BioShock demo and it also comes with the Steam version of the game. Both things are significant parts of why so many in the Internet have a bad taste in their mouth about BioShock DRM.
SecuROM and other bad protection systems aren't installed with demos.
Also, if someone want BioShock without SecuROM and other invasive CD/DVD protection schemes, there's always Steam. With Steam you need a connection but there aren't weird drivers and hidden executables.
SecuROM is installed with the BioShock demo and it also comes with the Steam version of the game. Both things are significant parts of why so many in the Internet have a bad taste in their mouth about BioShock DRM.
SecuROM and other bad protection systems aren't installed with demos.
I wasn't saying that SecuROM and other bad protection systems are usually installed with demos. However, what I did say was that Bioshock's demo comes with SecuROM.
You can always follow the advice from this site if you don't believe me.
The 5 installs thing is a good move, but doesn't resolve the underlying problem. Copy protection like this just stops you from giving the game to your friends, or installing it at some computers at LAN parties. As if there were still many LAN parties. Anyway, what it doesn't do is stop piracy, not in the least. And it pisses off legitimate customers, and shoos away potential customers like me.
I wasn't saying that SecuROM and other bad protection systems are usually installed with demos. However, what I did say was that Bioshock's demo comes with SecuROM.
You can always follow the advice from this site if you don't believe me.
The 5 installs thing is a good move, but doesn't resolve the underlying problem. Copy protection like this just stops you from giving the game to your friends, or installing it at some computers at LAN parties. As if there were still many LAN parties. Anyway, what it doesn't do is stop piracy, not in the least. And it pisses off legitimate customers, and shoos away potential customers like me.
# posted by : 25/8/07 23:22
: 25/8/07 23:22
I'll post it shorter and more concise, with a twist:
Despite SecuROM, nowadays, it would be easier for me to get a pirated copy of Bioshock (like any game really) than a legitimate one, because for the legitimate one I'd have to get up from my chair, and I'd have to spend money. Still, for every single game I've played in the last 3 years I went that extra mile, because I cared for the developers. Well, that's "except Half Life 2", because I never bought that. Incidentally I never played it either, but that doesn't have much to do with buying it. Reasons see below.
The Bioshock developers just went and showed me, "we don't want to encourage you to go that extra mile, but we want to make sure and force you to do it". I don't like being forced, particularly not by somebody I wanted to give my money to. Either they'll accept that I want to give them my money for their hard work, or they try to force me to do it and won't see a penny.
Despite SecuROM, nowadays, it would be easier for me to get a pirated copy of Bioshock (like any game really) than a legitimate one, because for the legitimate one I'd have to get up from my chair, and I'd have to spend money. Still, for every single game I've played in the last 3 years I went that extra mile, because I cared for the developers. Well, that's "except Half Life 2", because I never bought that. Incidentally I never played it either, but that doesn't have much to do with buying it. Reasons see below.
The Bioshock developers just went and showed me, "we don't want to encourage you to go that extra mile, but we want to make sure and force you to do it". I don't like being forced, particularly not by somebody I wanted to give my money to. Either they'll accept that I want to give them my money for their hard work, or they try to force me to do it and won't see a penny.
# posted by : 25/8/07 23:31
: 25/8/07 23:31
Yep, and it turns out that even the demo installs this nasty little goblin, and uninstalling does not remove it.
# posted by : 26/8/07 03:43
: 26/8/07 03:43
SecuROM isn't as bad as StarForce, and while I am bothered by having it on my computer in principle, in practice I haven't noticed any performance loss or slowdown since installing BioShock, so I'm resigned to accepting SecuROM being on my machine until such time as I'm done with Bioshock and go through the steps to uninstall it.
Uninstalling Bioshock does not remove the program, and the process to get rid of it is tedious at best.
# posted by : 26/8/07 06:58
: 26/8/07 06:58
I play Bioshock on my XBOX 360, as my PC might be a bit too weak for this stunning graphics and I really like to enjoy the atmosphere of such games on my home entertainment system. The game is - no surprise - a shooter. I'd have loved to have bit less shooter elements and more roleplay / adventure type elements in this game but you can't get everything.
As such, I truly enjoy Bioshock and think it has a good design, stunning gfx and is a good game overall, very entertaining.
On my XBOX 360 I am really looking forward to Mass Effect (see my preview blog entry on Mass Effect in german language)
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As such, I truly enjoy Bioshock and think it has a good design, stunning gfx and is a good game overall, very entertaining.
On my XBOX 360 I am really looking forward to Mass Effect (see my preview blog entry on Mass Effect in german language)
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