Difference between revisions of "BioShock"
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Another ethical concern with ''Bioshock'' was the developers' use of possessed young girls, known as Little Sisters in the game, force the player to make tough ethical choices which could impact the player for the remainder of the story. As the player progressed through the levels, there would be numerous encounters with Little Sisters and their superhuman protectors, Big Daddies. The Big Daddies would defend the small girl it was tasked with protecting to its death, at which point the player had a decision to make: either save the Little Sister’s life by curing her of her disease or kill her on the spot. In a way, this game mechanic is not only serving as a moral choice for the player but in a way inserting some common tropes many view as being sexist. These include the idea of the damsel in distress (the goal as the male main character is to save the female, non-playable character from her impending doom) as well as the idea of Women in the Refrigerator (negative experiences on behalf of the female character serve as the catalyst for the male main character's actions - while their well being is not the focus). | Another ethical concern with ''Bioshock'' was the developers' use of possessed young girls, known as Little Sisters in the game, force the player to make tough ethical choices which could impact the player for the remainder of the story. As the player progressed through the levels, there would be numerous encounters with Little Sisters and their superhuman protectors, Big Daddies. The Big Daddies would defend the small girl it was tasked with protecting to its death, at which point the player had a decision to make: either save the Little Sister’s life by curing her of her disease or kill her on the spot. In a way, this game mechanic is not only serving as a moral choice for the player but in a way inserting some common tropes many view as being sexist. These include the idea of the damsel in distress (the goal as the male main character is to save the female, non-playable character from her impending doom) as well as the idea of Women in the Refrigerator (negative experiences on behalf of the female character serve as the catalyst for the male main character's actions - while their well being is not the focus). | ||
| − | The twist on this seemingly simple decision is that Little Sisters offered a powerful serum upon their capture (which could also be taken upon their death) which allowed the player to advance much more quickly and powerfully by purchasing special powers with the serum. If a player chose to save the girl and set her free, he would get only half the serum that would be earned if the Little Sister was killed. There was obvious backlash that came about over the use of defenseless girls as catalysts for important, in-game decisions, but the game was defended as a piece of art and developers chose not to address the issue directly. | + | The twist on this seemingly simple decision is that Little Sisters offered a powerful serum upon their capture (which could also be taken upon their death) which allowed the player to advance much more quickly and powerfully by purchasing special powers with the serum. If a player chose to save the girl and set her free, he would get only half the serum that would be earned if the Little Sister was killed. There was obvious backlash that came about over the use of defenseless girls as catalysts for important, in-game decisions, but the game was defended as a piece of art and developers chose not to address the issue directly.<ref> Flory, Brian "The Illusion of Ethical Dilemmas in Bioshock". Critical Commons. http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/bdflory/commentaries/the-illusion-of-ethical-dilemmas-in-bioshock/ </ref> |
=== In-Game Objectivism === | === In-Game Objectivism === | ||
Revision as of 18:22, 4 April 2018
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BioShock is a video game created by 2K Boston (now Irrational Games) and released on August 21, 2007. The game is a spiritual sequel to the System Shock series, early P.C. games which blended cyberpunk, survival and horror with first-person-action and a highly developed RPG system that included the features of item crafting, research, skill and ability development, bio-modifications, psionic powers, and hacking. BioShock centers around the ethical issues of man-machine interaction. It heightens player immersion by exploiting the player's self awareness of the dichotomy between player as an external gamer with player as in game actor through the use of meta-games which are played on a hand-held game system in the virtual game space.
The storyline plot-twist in System Shock II is reused in its sequel Bioshock though with a different setting backdrop and a simplified or streamlined game-play experience. BioShock thus emerged instead as primarily a first person shooter that follows the survivor of a plane crash, Jack, as he battles his way through an underwater dystopian city called Rapture. Set in an alternate version of 1960, Jack must use genetic upgrades earned throughout the story to fight against enemies such as genetically mutated humans and militarized droids.
BioShock was very well received by both the media and consumers, garnering a 96/100 average on Metacritic, a 9.7/10 on IGN, and a 95% on Game Rankings, while also selling over 4 million copies to date across numerous platforms.
Contents
Gameplay
BioShock was created using a modified version of the game engine Unreal 2.5. It featured excellent graphics for the time and had some of the most advanced water effects and physics seen to date. BioShock is a first person shooter at its core but also brings in elements from both role playing and survival-horror genres. Additions from the RPG genre include the ability to discover building materials and then create useful gadgets or weapons from them and upgrading one's character by choosing from certain skills and leveling them up. The survival-horror genre's contributions to the game include eerie environments, terrifying enemies, and maniacal characters with bizarre or grotesque motives.
By using the best elements from FPS, RPG, and survival-horror video games, BioShock is able to provide a unique gameplay experience. As players enter the world of BioShock, an underwater city called Rapture, the action immediately starts up as one of the games many enemy types known as "splicers" begin an attack. Playing as Jack, the player will face splicers, droids, evil scientists, and thugs as well as Little Sisters and their Big Daddy body guards. As Jack progresses through the game's story, he levels up by choosing skills from different power trees that can be used to dispose of more difficult enemies and traps.
Ethical Concerns in BioShock
Video Game Violence
BioShock encountered a few ethical concerns with its intense, violent gameplay. It is a first-person shooter that puts the game player in the mind of a desperate man, Jack, fighting for his survival in the dystopian city called Rapture. Jack uses numerous realistic weapons such as a variety of pistols, machine guns, and even a crowbar to take down enemies in any way possible. Many of the enemies were humans or mutated humanoids that died with realistic “rag-doll” phyiscs and splattering blood. Adding to the violent foray were genetic additions that Jack could buy that ranged from freezing and then shattering enemies to electrocuting them in pools of water. These unique powers given to the player offered many opportunities to creatively dispatch enemies which brought slightly more public clamor than usual to the violence in video games debate.
“Little Sister” Debate
Another ethical concern with Bioshock was the developers' use of possessed young girls, known as Little Sisters in the game, force the player to make tough ethical choices which could impact the player for the remainder of the story. As the player progressed through the levels, there would be numerous encounters with Little Sisters and their superhuman protectors, Big Daddies. The Big Daddies would defend the small girl it was tasked with protecting to its death, at which point the player had a decision to make: either save the Little Sister’s life by curing her of her disease or kill her on the spot. In a way, this game mechanic is not only serving as a moral choice for the player but in a way inserting some common tropes many view as being sexist. These include the idea of the damsel in distress (the goal as the male main character is to save the female, non-playable character from her impending doom) as well as the idea of Women in the Refrigerator (negative experiences on behalf of the female character serve as the catalyst for the male main character's actions - while their well being is not the focus).
The twist on this seemingly simple decision is that Little Sisters offered a powerful serum upon their capture (which could also be taken upon their death) which allowed the player to advance much more quickly and powerfully by purchasing special powers with the serum. If a player chose to save the girl and set her free, he would get only half the serum that would be earned if the Little Sister was killed. There was obvious backlash that came about over the use of defenseless girls as catalysts for important, in-game decisions, but the game was defended as a piece of art and developers chose not to address the issue directly.[1]
In-Game Objectivism
The school of thought known as objectivism plays a serious role in BioShock's story. Objectivism, created and popularized by the author Ayn Rand, theorizes that man's purpose is to be a heroic figure within his own life and that one's own happiness through productive activity and achievement is to be held above all other priorities. While Ayn Rand is often noted for creating highly idealized characters in her works, Ken Levine, the creative director for Bioshock, has stated his intentions in his characters to be founded in reality.[2] In doing so, Bioshock's characters operate in a society in which many characters act in their own self interest without fail. The concept of plasmids and other genetic modifiers being easily obtainable to promote oneself to a higher state of being must be morally questioned. Whether it is moral or not to modify oneself in such a way is fully supported from an objectivist point of view, as it unilaterally improves the ability of the self. Aware of this stance, Bioshock calls into question the morality of these enhancements, as the player acts in a moral fashion, where as Frank Fontaine uses them for pure evil. In this way, objectivism is painted in a light of pure rationality and moral purity, and yet, also portrays it as the thought process of those who wish to do evil.[3]
Free Will
The main drive of the game comes from the idea of free will. The player, Jack, goes through the game following the orders of a man on the radio, Atlas, only to realize that he is not willingly doing so, but is being controlled by Atlas. Atlas has been hypnotizing the player by using the phrase "Would you kindly." This brings the player to the realization that they are not choosing to do tasks throughout the game, but are being forced to do so.[4] This creates an interesting juxtaposition to the other choices in the game, namely the ones which involves Little Sisters.
Another aspect of free will which is introduced in this game is the in-game addiction to the drug, ADAM. ADAM is a drug which mutates human cells to superhuman level, allowing the users to gain unnatural abilities such as telekinesis and incinerate. Users slowly turn insane by using ADAM, and are driven to violence to obtain more.
Furthermore, the player's free will allows him or her to save or "harvest" Little Sisters. By choosing the former option for every Little Sister, the player gains access to the "good" ending of the game. In addition, there is a neutral ending for choosing to harvest at least one, but not all, Little Sisters, and a bad ending for players choosing to harvest all Little Sisters. By reflecting player choice with different endings, the game makes it clear which choice it calls morally right, yet a self-serving or Objectivist player may choose to harvest all Little Sisters since it furthers their progress at a faster rate, making them stronger.
Ethical Concerns in the BioShock Sequals
The other games in the BioShock series are BioShock II and BioShock Infinite. They each deal with similar ethical issues as the first game.
BioShock II is a prequel to BioShock which takes place 2 years before the first game. The themes are war, ethics of genetic modification, and political dictatorship and control.
See Also
External Links
References
- ↑ Flory, Brian "The Illusion of Ethical Dilemmas in Bioshock". Critical Commons. http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/bdflory/commentaries/the-illusion-of-ethical-dilemmas-in-bioshock/
- ↑ BioShock, Julian Murdoch, 4 June 2007 www.gamerswithjobs.com
- ↑ An Objectivist Plays Bioshock: enoforce.com
- ↑ Gamasutra: Analysis: Would You Kindly? BioShock And Free Will
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