Hey guys! I've been really wanting to play the Bioshock franchise, and I was curious. Should I purchase the first one or just jump in?
Bioshock - Should I start from the beginning?
- Thread starter symphonymarie
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You might as well.
B2 is a sequel to B1. You could play B2 without B1, but you'd be missing quite a bit of stuff. It's a separate story, but it does assume you've played the first game.
Infinite is a completely different setting, universe, story etc. There are nods and callbacks aplenty, but it's otherwise unconnected.
You could safely skip B2 without missing much of worth. It's a decent game in its own right, but it was one of those sequels that was passed off to a different developer and just squeezed out to profit on the success of the original. Infinite was made by the same people (more or less) who made the original and it shows.
B2 is a sequel to B1. You could play B2 without B1, but you'd be missing quite a bit of stuff. It's a separate story, but it does assume you've played the first game.
Infinite is a completely different setting, universe, story etc. There are nods and callbacks aplenty, but it's otherwise unconnected.
You could safely skip B2 without missing much of worth. It's a decent game in its own right, but it was one of those sequels that was passed off to a different developer and just squeezed out to profit on the success of the original. Infinite was made by the same people (more or less) who made the original and it shows.
You should definitely play Bioshock 1. Then go for Infinite. Bioshock 2 isn't a bad game, but I would recommend it only after you've played 1 and Infinite if you really want more Bioshock.
They are all linked in certain areas. If you do not play BioShock before playing BioShock 2, you are going to be missing a lot in terms of story. There are going to be call backs out the ear to the first game's events.
BioShock Infinite is a stand-alone game for the most part. The very beginning of the game is a shout-out to BioShock, and in order for the ending of the game to have full impact, you should play BioShock first.
Those are my thoughts. I say play them all in order.
BioShock Infinite is a stand-alone game for the most part. The very beginning of the game is a shout-out to BioShock, and in order for the ending of the game to have full impact, you should play BioShock first.
Those are my thoughts. I say play them all in order.
I really didn't like Bioshock 1, but Infinite was one of my favorite games this year, so YMMV. I knew enough about the previous Bioshock games for the ending to make a modicum of sense to me, so if you plan to play Infinite first, you might as well get a little informed about the previous games (and really, a little is enough).
As said by others, Bioshock 2 is a definite sequel, so don't play that without Bioshock 1.
As said by others, Bioshock 2 is a definite sequel, so don't play that without Bioshock 1.
Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite are standoffs and can be played in any order you want. BI had more action-y gameplay, whereas Bioshock had absolutely amazing atmosphere and a more survivalist note.
I recommend skipping Bioshock 2 altogether, unless you really can't get enough of Rapture.
I recommend skipping Bioshock 2 altogether, unless you really can't get enough of Rapture.
Ill toss in my two cents aswell
Even though they are in the same franchise, you can play them individually. (but like others said, 2 is kinda a sequel to 1)
However, I never finished B1, just couldn't bring myself to it. I hated B2, and quit after like 10 minutes.
Infinite on the other hand i ended in just a few sittings and was very enjoyable for me.
Even though they are in the same franchise, you can play them individually. (but like others said, 2 is kinda a sequel to 1)
However, I never finished B1, just couldn't bring myself to it. I hated B2, and quit after like 10 minutes.
Infinite on the other hand i ended in just a few sittings and was very enjoyable for me.
Though all three games stand up on their own, play BioShock 1 first. Play 1 and get an opinion of it, then play Infinite (I don't like it, but it's worth playing). If you really, really liked BioShock 1 I'd recommend playing 2. 2 doesn't really work unless you've played 1.
I would play the first. BioShock 2 assumes you've played the first, and while it's story is somewhat standalone in itself, some conversations and such will make much more sense if you've played the original. In the case of Infinite, it is even more standalone, but some of the commentary is still reliant on you having played the first. You can skip BioShock 2 before going to Infinite, but I would still play the original first no matter what and just go from there. I do know a lot of people will say you can just go to any one you want, and in a way they are right. However, BioShock is all about the story, and the gameplay in all three is hardly on par with other shooters, and if you want to experience the writing at its best, you should really play the first because BioShock 2 and Infinite do harken back enough to it that you won't experience either in full if you didn't play the first.
If gameplay is all you care about, well, you might want to give the whole series a pass. None of them are particularly good. If you must play them, though, and are only concerned about gameplay, I would say to go with BioShock or BioShock 2. While their gunplay isn't as tight as Infinite's, they have a lot more to them that makes up for their shortcomings compared to other shooters, and especially compared to Infinite. They're semi-open, have a decent mix of scripted and random encounters, and are just plain deeper. BioShock 2 is a little more refined in its mechanics, but I think BioShock is paced better, so it really matters what you prefer. Comparatively, Infinite has the tightest feeling guns and it has the sky rails, but after that it removes or seriously screws up everything from the first two, and it's much more linear in its progression and scripted in its encounters.
If gameplay is all you care about, well, you might want to give the whole series a pass. None of them are particularly good. If you must play them, though, and are only concerned about gameplay, I would say to go with BioShock or BioShock 2. While their gunplay isn't as tight as Infinite's, they have a lot more to them that makes up for their shortcomings compared to other shooters, and especially compared to Infinite. They're semi-open, have a decent mix of scripted and random encounters, and are just plain deeper. BioShock 2 is a little more refined in its mechanics, but I think BioShock is paced better, so it really matters what you prefer. Comparatively, Infinite has the tightest feeling guns and it has the sky rails, but after that it removes or seriously screws up everything from the first two, and it's much more linear in its progression and scripted in its encounters.
