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[Knehi]

Hey kids I am looking to pick up a new game for the PC should I go with Bio Shock or Mass Effect?

[Ayrahvon]

I'd have to say... Bioshock, cheaper for the moment and pure awesome.  Wait for Mass Effect to drop in price.

[mmm...loaf]

Bioshock if you have a good PC. What have to understand is that it was not impossible to build Rapture at the bottom of the ocean, it was impossible to build it anywhere else.

[Oct]

Voted for Mass Effect. Doubly-so if you were a fan of Knights of the Old Republic. I adore this game, I'm presently working on my 4th play through (developing a character that I may take through to Mass Effect 2 when it's released). Not that it's a perfect game - the sidequest planets are fairly repetitive (though the quests associated can give some depth to the storyline which is nice). Not sure if they have the Bring Down The Sky content in the PC version, I hope they do because it was well done.

[Hezz]

I can't attest to Mass Effect as I have not played it yet.

Bioshock, however, is good for a couple of playthroughs, especially if you decide to play it minimalising plasmid use once you're used to the game. I mean seriously, plasmids became cheap towards the end. How is it that I go from running around dodging a freakin football player on steroids with a drillbit for an arm while shooting at him like a maniac with just about completely ineffective bullets and plasmids, to just standing there clobbering an ELITE football player on steroids with a drillbit for an arm using only a wrench, AND HEALING MORE DAMAGE THAN I TAKE? Playing without plasmids and the few weapons that are extremely effective against Big Daddies (a chemical sprayer shooting out electrified gel, that stuff is not only deadly, but keeps the big daddy stunned too) maintains the fun that is fighting a big daddy.

Story was good too. I admit I saw the plot twist coming a mile away, but it was still very well done and pulled off in a way I really didn't expect.

[Stezy]

Bioshock

It's just fucking great all around. Beautiful graphics if you have a nice PC. Very original game. Great story line. I fell in love after about 2 minutes.

I cried when it wouldn't run on my PC I played it on my friends Comp at a lan party and wanted it.

Admittedly, due to this I never finished it, so my storyline bit runs till about halfway through the game, then my word can't be gold but from what I've heard from others it doesn't disappoint.

[Hezz]

Bioshock

Very original game.

OBJECTION!!! (sorry i been playing phoenix wright a bit lately)

Bioshock is very similar to System Shock 2, only a bit dumbed down to make it easier. This blatantly contradicts your testimony that it is original! (again, sorry)

But it is still a very good game. I just can't measure it up to Mass Effect yet since as I've said I haven't played it yet. Besides, technically speaking you can't compare either game as they are completely different genres.


EDIT: I kinda fell in love with it because of the introduction to Rapture. Andrew Ryan's slide show explaining his ideas of free choices etc, then suddenly lowering the slide show screen as he announces Rapture and you can see outside the porthole of your Bathysphere as it approaches the beautiful underwater city... that sent shivers up my back that did.

[Oct]

To chime back in again since I suspect I will be the only outward voice of Mass Effect (I'm not even sure if anyone else in OTB played it except for xir and/or cal), I will give you this question:

What are you looking for more?

An RPG with a deep storyline and many levels of replayability?

or an Action/Adventure game (as I understand Bioshock is) with, arguably (again as I understand and have interpreted from Hezz), a deep storyline but only limited replay value.

One thing that helps mass effect on the 360 is the achievements -- unlocking achievements can unlock new stuff in-game (weapons, abilities, minor ways to customize your class when rolling a new character), I'm not sure if the PC version uses them as well to control these unlockables, I'm guessing you're after the PC version though. Don't forget also that like KOTOR's light and dark side there is also the Paragon/Renegade system which allows you to alter the outcome of the entire storyline (in very, very significant ways). Gender also plays a minor but distinct role. Since I'm going to wager that Mass Effect 2 will also be on PC eventually, you will have the ability to carry over your character from the end of the game to ME 2 and pick up where you left off. I guess I would think of that like how you could carry over your saved character from the old Quest For Glory games as the saga went on (Paladin ftw there).

[Seraed]

Having played a little of both, and spending countless hours watching my roommates play them both very extensively, Mass Effect.

They are both very good. Which leads me to my next point... why not both?

[Hezz]

To chime back in again since I suspect I will be the only outward voice of Mass Effect (I'm not even sure if anyone else in OTB played it except for xir and/or cal), I will give you this question:

What are you looking for more?

An RPG with a deep storyline and many levels of replayability?

or an Action/Adventure game (as I understand Bioshock is) with, arguably (again as I understand and have interpreted from Hezz), a deep storyline but only limited replay value.

This sums things up fairly well. I haven't played Mass Effect (though i will be getting it for PC) but I have played KotOR, which is what you're comparing it with, and that was a great game in itself. Except there's slightly more to the decision than that.

Genre.

Like I said, you can't really compare the two games since Bioshock is a first person shooter akin to an easier System Shock 2, while Mass Effect is a role-playing game. So I'll add that to the factors.

Arguably both games have a deep storyline. Both games are also very fun at least the first time through (or so I've heard in Mass Effect's case, and I would probably admit it would more than likely be true). Both games also contain at least a small amount of replayability, Mass Effect more so than Bioshock, which is only natural when you compare an RPG with an FPS (Mass Effect has different characters, weapons, good and evil endings, and a host of sidequests, possibly more than that but I couldn't say, I'll let Oct confirm or deny anything else, while Bioshock has different plasmids and weapons you could use and good and evil endings).

Which leaves us with Genre. What do you like more? An RPG or an FPS? I think that may be the deciding factor based on the points that have been made for both games thus far.




My closing statement: I agree with Seraed, why not both? That's what I'm going to do one Mass Effect is released on PC here in Australia!

[Stezy]

Bioshock is very similar to System Shock 2, only a bit dumbed down to make it easier. This blatantly contradicts your testimony that it is original! (again, sorry)

Ah, it was original to anything I'd ever played or heard of. The only thing I could think of that was like it is a game that just came out... shit forgot the name... but only cause of the nectar.

But for Mass Effect I have no opinion, I heard things about it in presales when I was still working at game stop, but I've been pretty out of the loop since I left.

[Thayne]

I think I am picking up Mass Effect myself. 


Also probably picking up Crysis, just so I can see my brand new machine and monitor in all it's glory.

Playing COD4 right now and I have to say...it is absolutely gorgeous.

[Oct]

Playing COD4 right now and I have to say...it is absolutely gorgeous.

You do the AC-130 and Sniper Flashbacks in campaign yet? That shit right there made the game.

[Hezz]

You do the AC-130 and Sniper Flashbacks in campaign yet? That shit right there made the game.

Oh hell yeah. All Ghillied Up ftw!

I have to admit I was surprised at how effective ghilli suits appeared in CoD4. Normally camoflauge of this type in games is blatantly obvious because it stands out so much from the grass, but in CoD4 if you look at it at the right angle you can barely see anyone there at all...

[Zebadiah]

That just reminds me of when I tried to play Ghost Recon with a couple friends at a LAN. I decided to go sniper, thinking I'd be more out of the action and less likely to die... So I get all dressed up in mah Ghilli suit... only to find out it was an Urban map... in the middle of a city. /forehead.

Anyways, if you can afford it, get both. They're both great games.

Here's the best Bioshock review I've seen: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/4-BioShock

Oddly enough, the guy is Austrailian... and pointed out like Hezz did that Bioshock is a dumbed down version of SS2.

EDIT: Language, NSFW on the link.