In my free time I should be working on my script. Or on the other projects I’m editing. Or reading up on screenwriting. Or watching pertinent genre films and studying their structure.
But sometimes I procrastinate. And when I do, I’ll tell you about it. Because, more likey than not, whatever is sucking away at my time is something that you might be interested in wasting time with as well. (have you figured out yet that this is just a mildly clever way to blog about stuff other than my movie?)
This week my Procrastination Enabler is Bioshock for the Xbox 360.
First person shooters usually take place in one of two places: some futuristic sci-fi landscape or WWII. Bioshock is set in a 1950s underwater art deco utopia that went to hell in a handbasket. Which is wholly unique.
But the most fascinating part of Bioshock is the moral quandary it forces you into. To progress in the game you need to become more powerful (and that power is addictive - you can shoot lightning out of your fingers or launch swarms of insects from your veins), but the only creatures who possess the energy you need are called Little Sisters. That’s a picture of one up top riding the big dude in the metal diving suit. However, when you find a Little Sister you’re given a choice: you can let her go free and receive a modest amount of power, or you can ‘harvest’ her and get the maximum dosage of energy.
The first time I was offered that choice I started sweating. It literally took me minutes to decide.
Much to my wife’s chagrin, I decided to go to the darkside and get as much power as I possibly could. Now everytime I ‘harvest’ one of the Little Sisters, my wife screams at me from the other room: “You’d better be saving that little girl!” I tell her that I need more powerups. So she comes out and whacks me in the head, using my full name - “Evan Curtis Derrick!” - the way you do when a small child is in trouble.
What can I say? I like the power.
If you own an Xbox, you owe it to yourself to pick up this game. And if you’ve already played it, tell me: did you choose to harvest the Little Sisters or save them?
26/06/2009 at 11:02 am Permalink
I’ll reply to your comment with a comment of my own. It turns out that when you save the little sisters the chick on the radio really does make it your worthwhile. You get little teddybears filled with Adam every few “Gathering Gardens”. It’s pretty nice. I just got to the big plot twist as well and was greeted by an orphanage filled with little sisters that had been rescued - which was a nice feeling. Don’t you feel good about your choice to be evil now? : )
While I can’t say the plot twist was that big of a surprise I am finding the story more motivating now. Now I just have to control my addiction and accomplish other things too.
26/06/2009 at 11:07 am Permalink
Yeah, when I got to the orphanage filled with Little Sisters, they all ran away from me and said things like, “That’s the bad man” and “He’s the one who hurts us.”
Yup. Made me feel real special inside.
26/06/2009 at 4:45 pm Permalink
I probably harvested more than I saved, but you get a different ending to the game based on how you chose. I think there’s 3 different endings based on how merciful you are to the little sisters. Crazy game though, I about peed myself at several moments throughout where some lunatic jumps out of nowhere as soon as the lights go out. But I love enraging the enemies to start fighting a big daddy. Stinkin’ hilarious -
26/06/2009 at 4:47 pm Permalink
3 endings? I knew there were two, didn’t realize there was a 3rd.
My favorite technique is to set up a bunch of those trap lines with the crossbow and then lure a Big Daddy in. 3 trip lines will take a Big Daddy down - piece ‘o cake.
02/07/2009 at 10:04 am Permalink
I’m still mad at you for harvesting the Little Sisters.