Update 14 - Memorable Narratives in Games, Bioshock- A quick note

There's not a whole lot going on this week with the writing, except that part 2’s outline is almost done. I’ve been focused on some tasks at the office.

In hopes of getting through the backlog in my Switch game library, I’ve started Bioshock again. I think I’ve finished the game maybe three times since it was first released in 2007. While the gameplay and controls are solid, it’s the story that Bioshock is most remembered for.

From the start in the ocean at the foot of the lighthouse to the confrontation with Andrew Ryan, there are particular story beats that stick in the player’s memory. In the case of Bioshock, I think it is the integration of objective-based gameplay with the narrative itself. The writer was obviously heavily inspired by Ayn Rand, but in a way that wouldn't get him lynched for having read Atlas Shrugged. Still, something about it is comfortable. I play through it every couple years, much like I reread certain books every few years or watch a particular film regularly. Some art is just well done enough to be comfortable.