Description:

A game tells a story about a city at the bottom of the ocean, that’s a marvel. But that same game lays out the blueprints on how a video game can tell an incredible story. That sounds more like…a miracle. To start off this brand new series, I invite you back to the year of 2007 and into the world of Bioshock to show you through detailed analysis and storytelling techniques how this game tells a story, and how we have more choice to interact with the world than what we initially believe. Spoilers for Bioshock’s story and gameplay lie ahead.

• Summary and Analysis of Bioshock
• Brief history of First Person Shooter games
• Juxtaposition of gameplay and story

Play the game here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/7670/BioShock/

Sources:

• AltraWave7 | Bioshock 1 Remastered - Director’s Commentary (All Parts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA2bFztt1KI
• ResearchGate | Canonizing Bioshock: Cultural Value and the Prestige Game (the research article I mentioned): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282464622_Canonizing_Bioshock_Cultural_Value_and_the_Prestige_Game
• PC Gamer | Ken Levine Apologizes for Bioshock’s Final Boss Battle: https://www.pcgamer.com/ken-levine-apologises-for-bioshocks-final-boss-battle/
• Game Developer | Ken Levine on Bioshock’s Narrative Drive: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ken-levine-on-bioshock-s-narrative-drive
• The New Yorker 100 | Why Gamers Can’t Stop Playing First-Person Shooters: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/why-gamers-cant-stop-playing-first-person-shooters
• Gameopedia | The Evolution of First Person Shooter (FPS) Games: https://gameopedia.com/blogs/the-evolution-of-first-person-shooter-(fps)-games