"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." -Voltaire
So the talk of the town has been Bioshock. Yes, I know everyone seems to love it, and understandably so. I do thoroughly enjoy this game but not for the same reasons as most. No it's not the graphics, it's not the story, it's not even the game play. For me, what really does it is the audio. Amazing. Every aspect of the audio delivers.
The first aspect of audio are the sound effects. The way you interact with the environment. You hit the wall, you hear it, you through a tank, you hear the explosion, you walk, you hear the steps. Yes, these are all occurrences that are and should be common in video games, I mean they are basic components, but in this game the sounds are distinct and really help bring you into the game.
Another use of audio that impressed me was the use of the radio. One of the most commonly occurring items was the personal audio diaries of the one time inhabitants of Rapture. These tapes tells an in-depth story of what life was like for these people. Many of the tapes are of the corrupt employees of Rapture. With these tapes you really get an idea of how horrific and how crazy these people were. One character uses the tapes to be somewhat of any audio tour to his "art". The "art" of course being the frozen bodies of former civilians. Of course, let us not forget Atlas, your guide through the whole game. Another plus to this was the authenticity of the radios. They actually sound like radios from that time period.
While all these additions to the game make it amazing, my all time favorite factor is the soundtrack. The whole game sticks to the era. You get a sense of being trapped in an old 1940's movie theater. As you navigate through the city you hear countless classic songs. There is simply nothing better than amazing music set to extreme violence. My all time favorite movie scene is in Apocalypse Now when the helicopters need to destroy a village. As they approach the village they blare Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries on the speakers as they begin to attack.
The best moment in the game, for me, was when you are completing the challenge where you take pictures for the art collector. At one point during the challenge he sends out about 10-15 people at you. The whole battle scene takes place to The Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker. I think Jack Handley says it best, -- "To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." To me, it was like that, just like a ballet, but with plasmids, and a wrench that freezes, and bunny masks being telekineticaly used to slice someone's neck. Beautiful. Best scene in a video game I think I have ever seen.
I plan on downloading, if not buying the soundtrack [assuming they release it]. The songs alone are stand alone classics. When you add the likes of Bobby Darin, Cole Porter, Billie Holiday and Bing Crosby to a game where you can summon the dead body of someone you just killed to kill someone else, you have pure video game and cinematic gold.
These are the licensed tracks:
20th Century Blues - Noel Coward
Bei Mir Bist Du Shein - The Andrews Sisters
Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? - Bing Crosby
God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? - Patti Page
If I Didn't Care - The Ink Spots
It Had to Be You - Danny Thomas
It's Bad for Me - Rosemary Clooney
Jitterbug Waltz - Fats Waller
Just Walking In The Rain - Johnnie Ray
La Mer (Beyond the Sea Instrumental) - Django Reinhardt
Liza - Django Reinhardt
Night and Day - Billie Holiday
The Nutcracker (Waltz of the Flowers) - Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky
Oh Danny Boy - Mario Lanza
Papa Loves Mambo - Perry Como
Please Be Kind - Frank Sinatra
The Best Things in Life are Free - The Ink Spots
The Party's Over - Noel Coward
World Weary - Noel Coward
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams - Bing Crosby
You're the Top - Cole Porter
I'd like to see some type of contest of who can play and film the most epic Waltz of the Flowers scene.
