Home Artists Posts Import Register

Downloads

Content

Video games have unrivaled narrative potential, and 2007's BioShock is possibly the single greatest example of how gaming and storytelling can expertly intertwine. BioShock is the story of an underwater libertarian utopia run by a brilliant business magnate, and how the weight of his own stringent ideology leads to his dream's rapid undoing. But in reality, it's about far more than that. It's a master class in gameplay, in environment, in design, in voice acting, in writing, in combat, in pacing, and much more. So let's celebrate Ken Levine's most famous game -- one of the greatest ever made -- and dodge the men in Washington, the Vatican, and Moscow, who may just seek to rob you of all you've rightly earned.

Files

Comments

Kyle Goodrich

Ahh man. Started a replay and was hoping I would finish before this got uploaded.. I don't trust myself to be patient enough to not start listening on my lunch break, lol. Either way looking forward to this one.

Tyson Williams

The first time I played it I hated the combat and gave up on it quickly, I don’t know why I did so quickly but I revisited it later and it ended up being one of my favorite games of all time

Tyson Williams

It’s part of the immersive sim genre, which includes games like Deus Ex, Thief, Prey (2016), Dishonored, and of course System Shock 1-2. Ken Levine didn’t work on SS1 but he did on 2 which is talked about most. 1 has sorta been forgotten by many mainly because it is extremely clunky but I think it still has its merits and I’m really excited for the remake of it. 1 actually is a straight up metroidvania, and it was actually released before Symphony of the Night

TheBestMike

Excellent! Since Colin mentioned it I've been damn eager to hear this eps. I gotta do one more run through it myself on PS4 to get that sweet PLATINUM.`

Alex Gates

Ok, now that this episode is out, that gives me even more of a push to play this game. I've had the BioShock Collection for over a year and I still haven't ever played any of them. I can't wait to listen to this once I've played it!

Tyler

Bioshock is fucking amazing! I think the number 1 component to a solid horror title is the setting and atmosphere. Rapture was so well done and believable which made it that more scary. Think about the top horror games and there settings... Resident Evil/the Mansion Dead Space/Ishimura Bioshock/ Rapture And so on. Nice episode, well done gentlemen!

Will Hahn

“My daddy is smarter than Einstein, stronger than Hercules!”

Brandon Soto

Can’t believe it really came out over a decade ago. I remember when GTA IV, Bioshock, & The Orange Box were ranked 1st, 2nd, & 3rd on Metacritic. That golf club scene gives me chills still to this day.

Nathanael Haller

Ah, I am so excited. This is my favorite game of all-time. I cannot wait to hear your in-depth opinion on revisiting Rapture, while also hearing Dagan who experienced it for the first time. Will report back after I listen! Thanks again for all of the great content, Colin. I’ve been glad to support you since day 1 of CLS.

Luke Bernhard

I made sure to beat this before the podcast came out and good god, what a game. And I'm not even into shooters. downright scary, as well. Went right into the second and it is much more difficult in my opinion, or maybe I am just bad at it...

Anonymous

I think this is the best episode of Knockback yet, which really saying something considering the show's high bar. Colin especially had some excellent analysis on the game. It makes way more sense when you look at the story as a criticism of obsessiveness and extremism rather than libertarianism an Aynd Rand. I think the one criticism of the game is the "would you kindly" twist. As Ken points out in the Bioshock Remastered doc, it 's a really cool way to criticize the idea of choice in games, but it's kinda out of place when you consider how many little choices the game gives you that feel cool or impactful. Sure, you're choices are not going to change the game's story or take otherwise inaccessible areas like modern games, but I always felt rewarded for "going off the beaten path" or fighting a Big Daddy I could've ignored. I also think it's funny apologetic Ken Levine has been about the final boss battle. That fight wasn't great, but it's not the first game to have lackluster final bosses and it sure wasn't the last. Out of all the things the game does well, it's just weird to see Ken fixate on the one thing that was slightly underwhelming.

Zack E

I don’t get why BioShock 2 is always a punchline. It really is underrated. In some ways I actually think it’s better than the original. I find the weapon and plasmid variety to be superior. And I loved the multiplayer. I thought it was really fun and unique and I had a few friends that put a lot of time in the MP with me. I’ve never understood why people complain about the game having multiplayer. I get the whole “takes away resources” whether that’s time and/or money to support the development. But in my opinion BioShock has such interesting gameplay mechanics that it’d be a shame if nobody gave multiplayer a chance. I think it gets undeserved hate simply because it wasn’t made by Irrational.

LastStandMedia

System Shock 3 is apparently in development somewhere, with the rights of the first two with a smaller publisher, I believe. So I'd expect to see them on PS4 or PS5 at some point.

LastStandMedia

The second is very different, and perhaps ramped up in difficulty a bit, considering who you're playing as and the condition of Rapture...

LastStandMedia

Thank you so much! That's really kind of you to say, and certainly a big honor for us, as we're getting quite advanced in episode numbers, now. LOL.

LastStandMedia

Remember, though, that BioShock 2 came out at a time when everything was getting multiplayer shoved into it. It was a valid complaint through the lens of that era, in my opinion. That said, there's no doubt BioShock 2 is a great game, and there's no doubt most people hated on it (or still hate it) because it wasn't Levine's game.

Anonymous

Fantastic episode guys! Colin, you mentioned you found the story of rapture more fascinating than Jack's insertion into the story. If I could recommend the book Bioshock:Rapture by John Shirley: It goes in deep about the inception, and birth of Rapture, Frank Fontaine's motive, as well as giving a very clear understanding on Sophia Lamb's agenda in the second game. It takes place prior to the downfall of Rapture: Which is why I think you would particularly enjoy the read. Also: the main character in the book: Bill, is one of the people hanging by a crossbow bolt outside Andrew Ryan's office! Thanks again guys!

Kyle Day

Great stuff guys. Love the discussion of what I’d probably say is a top 5 game all time for me. Colin, you briefly touched on the fact a new bioshock is absolutely in development, what would you want to see in it? More rapture or Columbia or a totally new environment? A snowy world might be interesting.

Owen

You know... I was with you for a lot of what you said until you said you respect the person who stays an extra hour more than someone who has a different priority. I agree that creation, art, and the like requires a lot of passion and if you expect to be able to clock out at 5 and go home everyday it’s not gonna happen. Totally agree. But to say that someone who cares about their family more than their job deserves less respect. I take exception to that. I get that that is your opinion and it’s okay to have a different one than I do, but still I went from nodding and agreeing while listening to a little upset and I wanted to voice that.

Owen

Aside from that great podcast. Really cool to have the contrast of someone who has played the game multiple times in Colin to never played for Dagan. Can't wait for that to happen with Dead Space. And I also wonder has Dagan played Last of Us? We need a discussion on that.

Zack E

Colin The people who get upset about hard work have no idea what hard work is. And clearly don’t understand the drive to be better. Either you want to be great, or you don’t. And it’s fine (I guess) if you don’t have that drive. But don’t expect greatness to come. Everybody’s personal situation is different. Everybody has their own personal sacrifices that they may need to make. That’s just life. And it’s not just limited to the creative arts. It’s everything. Athletics, academics, engineering, business. It’s not luck. It’s not solely talent, although this clearly helps. It’s all about hard work and the things you’re willing to do to be better than your competition. And maybe you can’t put forth the amount or type of work that might be necessary. That’s fine as long as you accept the notion that there is someone out there outworking you. I personally can’t handle that notion.

Kevin Sullivan

Another week, another great episode of KnockBack. I have only played each of these games once when they first came to PS3. I am feeling inspired to grab the collection on PS4 now. As a side note, Dagan's self destructive habit of insisting on spoiling things for himself is deeply troubling. We must find a way to help him before the next Star Wars film gets here.

There’s No I in LLC

Very well done any chance Dagan would play Puppeteer. It seems right up his alley.

Everyday Patrick

Excellent episode! You guys always provide good discussion and BioShock is definitely a game that deserves such a thorough conversation!

James O'Donnell

By far my favourite game of all time and this is now my favourite episode of Knockback. Hearing your in depth knowledge on the series with Dagan's new found love for it was such a nice back and forth. I'm reinstalling the Bioshock Collection as we speak and I'm going to listen to this episode again while I play it. Hearing you both speak about the games you're going to be covering on Knockback in the future has me so excited for what's to come. Excellent job as always, gentlemen.

Bruce McClain

Colin/Dagan, so happy you covered this amazing game! I've played through Bioshock 1 & 2 on the 360 and twice each on the PS4. I'd have to say based on number of times played start to finish alone this is my favorite series of all time. Rapture is a place that I simply cannot get enough of. The Big Daddies were such a revolutionary enemy. The way they were passive until you threatened them or their Little Sister combined with their sound design and the way the entire screen shakes when they stomp by. The first time you fight a BD in Bioshock 1 is possibly the most memorable single enemy encounter in any game I can think of. Thanks again for covering this great game and thanks for the continued great content!

Michal Dudic

Bioshock fucking rules. But I'm a little surprised that you hold Infinite in such high regard. For me it's The Last Jedi of Bioshock and I see a lot of that sentiment online constantly. It actually soured me on the whole series retroactively with that ending, LOL. I see more people looking back fondly on Bioshock 2 (and Minerva's Den especially). Anyway, great episode.

Dan Parsons

Fantastic episode worthy of a fantastic game, It’s definitely about time I replayed it and considering a didn’t play 2, the trilogy seems like a fantastic idea. My only other comment was about other games released in 2007, which stands out for a me as a seminal year: Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Crackdown, Crysis, Mass Effect, Portal, Rock Band, Uncharted, and Super Mario Galaxy.

Chris B

Listening to this makes me want to experience it again. I was surprised you both didn’t use the crossbow much as it’s the best weapon against big daddies. Line up a bunch of traps, shoot him once, and then watch him die running through them all.

Anonymous

Infinite is one of my favorite games of all time. To me, the only real flaw is that ghost mom side story. That could have been cut. Looked at through the lens of the 2 DLCs, and the story in the game is unbelievable.

Anonymous

I'm really surprised you didn't talk more about Sander Cohen. What an absolutely stunning character he was.

Phillip Guglielmo

I replay Bioshock nearly every year, and I never grow tired of it. I actually tried to replay Infinite last year, but for some reason I just couldn't get back into it - the story is amazing but the gunplay feels really off. The Bioshock experience reminds me a little of Metroid Prime, in that the first in the series is as close to a perfect game as we've ever gotten, and the developers ultimately had the thankless task of trying to improve upon near-perfection.

Daniel Boyer

This kicked ass! Bioshock is my absolute favorite I.P. I was fascinated to hear you pitched a Bioshock book to Levine.

LastStandMedia

Many people have recently recommended me this book, and I'm happy to say that I'm about 100 pages in. =)

LastStandMedia

I would think a new BioShock has to have a new setting and a new time period. Seeing something during World War II, for instance, would be awesome.

LastStandMedia

I haven't listened to the show (I don't edit them anymore), but that's not what I meant to say, if that's what I said. I think we're in the midst of a conflict (as a society) between what's important and what isn't, and your priorities might be different. My point, as I recall, is that the demonization of those who leave it all out on the field is getting old, and that BioShock simply couldn't have been made by 9-to-5ers, period. No insults intended. Apologies if I came across (or literally said) otherwise.

LastStandMedia

Very well said. I'm in agreement. If you're taking care of yourself, your responsibilities, your family, etc., and you're putting in the requisite amount of work to get by, and you're happy with that, more power to you. But -- as you said -- nothing great came without extra sweat. There isn't a single, solitary professional athlete, or famous technologist, or artist, or musician, or whoever, who didn't throw it all into the mix, and didn't make sacrifices.

LastStandMedia

He is the absolute WORST with that shit. He spoils everything for himself. Literally almost everything.

LastStandMedia

Possibly, though -- as he doesn't play very often -- I'd love for him to focus on the big games we can really do an episode on. That said, it's up to him. I obviously highly recommend the game.

LastStandMedia

The whole Big Daddy thing is completely haunting, and such a success story from a design perspective. The passivity, the haunting nature of their presence, and -- like you said -- the sound design. All expertly executed.

LastStandMedia

2007 was the first time I was able to cast a vote for IGN GotY, and I voted for Super Mario Galaxy. Not sure I stand behind that, in hindsight.

LastStandMedia

He's awesome. But alas, these conversations go where they go! I don't think we've done one episode of this show where we exhaustively touched on everything worth covering.

LastStandMedia

Infinite just feels more like a pure shooter to me. Way more setpieces and monster closets and shit. It's what put me off to it from the go.

Kenneth Oms

Great episode as always, I went out and got atlas shrugged after listening!

Anonymous

Amazing episode!

Matthew Cooper

I absolutely love the original Bioshock, such an amazing game, probably my all time favorite. I still remember what it was like the first time I played it and encountered Andrew Ryan. That moment of revelation.. I really enjoyed this episode, thanks Colin.

Anonymous

I loved this episode! Not to sound like every other comment on this podcast but Bioshock is my favorite game of all time. I first played it shortly after I got my xbox 360. Before that console all I really played was Nintendo games. This was the first game I ever played that wasn't just a game, it was an experience. By the way I totally have the chain tattoo. It was my first tattoo and I got it because it reminds me of what Andrew Ryan says. " A man chooses. A slave obeys." I interpreted that as you should be your own person and to not just fall into the mold that society wants you to.

Ryan Murdoch

That Sopranos joke was good.

Jayce Tamulevich

For the record, all of the dad jokes are welcome and appreciated.

LastStandMedia

Hey, it's totally okay for people to say over and over again that BioShock is their favorite. It IS that good. =)

Anonymous

Great episode. I can talk for hours about Bioshock. I never felt the game spoke deeply about politics. I always felt that the game speaks more to the inevitable lust for power that hangs just under the surface in some people. The message is that people in power will sell you an idea of a utopia, the cost is usually more than the sticker price stated, and other powerful people are always looking to go for the power-grab.

Anonymous

This totally inspired me to play through this again and give its sequels a second shot (FYI, the PS4 collection is $15 as a digital download from GameStop vs $60 on PSN). You’re absolutely right that Survivor difficulty without Vita-Chambers is very doable. I originally played it on my first MacBook in 2009 and was enraptured (see what I did there?) by the lush environments, freaky sound design, awesome soundtrack (shout out to Django Reinhardt), and deep story told through the audio logs and hearing you and Dagan gush brought back so many great memories. Would you kindly keep up the great work?

Michael Candelaria

Bioshock is totally a psychological thriller, you're getting your mind played with all the way till atlas reveals himself. I love the story and the game is awesome, I had to revisit it recently though. Upon my first playing of it when I came out I got discouraged because I saw some seams I don't think I was supposed to see and it really put me off. I finally went through it last year when I got the collection on PS4 for like 5 bucks on digital sale

Anonymous

I am in no way a gamer (I've been trying to play Halo with my fiance and get so motion-sick that we have to stop after 20 minutes), but I am inspired to go watch some play throughs of this game. The story and world sound so intriguing and methodical. Great episode guys, and keep up the excellent work!

Brett Carlson

Hey Colin you mention Infinite is not immediately connected to the other games until you play the Burial at Sea DLC, but I think your forgetting all the lighthouses reveal at the end of the game where you find out "Theres always a man, there's always a lighthouse."

Luke Bernhard

So I listened up until the part Bioshock 2 was mentioned (Currently playing it in the collection) and just have one complaint about it so far - why the hell are the Rescue vs. Harvest buttons switched in 2?! like - I'm not trying to harvest and had to restart at a save point. lol.

LastStandMedia

Well, I don't think it speaks about politics specifically. I don't think Ryan is ever referred to as a libertarian, nor do I think Ayn Rand or objectivism come up. But, I think it obviously all hinges on those ideas. That's my interpretation, anyway.

LastStandMedia

Dagan just doesn't play many new games, so I am so, so pleased that he really took the time to play this one and get into it. And he's so eager to play other shit he missed, too. I think Dead Space will be next up.

LastStandMedia

I'm so glad to hear that! BioShock is so much slower and more methodical than Halo, that you may be able to play and enjoy it. Talk to your fiancé about setting you up!

Craig Mcguire

Looking forward to this one. BioShock is easily one of the most memorable gaming experiences of my lifetime

Anonymous

Hey Xbox One friends, The Bioshock Collection is $15 right now if you’re a late to the party goob like yours truly. Snapped it up.

John Fazio

Hey Colin, been a big fan of bioshock for a long time. I read the book titled rapture and after realizing the structure of the book was set up like the audio logs within the game it ended up making more sense. The book has two storylines in particular that really interested me. (Spoilers ahead) The first one being Fontaine’s storyline that basically explains that he was a private investigator who was hired to investigate Andrew Ryan. It also explains how well he can portray a different person. He then kills the real Fontaine and takes over his persona and business to enter rapture. Also the book has a great but heartbreaking tale of the mcdanagh character. It’s a tough read but might be worth it for the small tidbits of lore. So long as that book is cannon.

Anonymous

What a great episode and topic as usual guys. I really hope you guys go over the next two games, that would be rad. After listening to this on the drive home, I couldn't stop myself from buying the HD collection on PS4 and played it long into the night. It's been far too long since I've played these. What a brilliant experience.

LastStandMedia

I read the first 100 pages of the book like two weeks ago, and then I got distracted. I gotta go back.

LastStandMedia

We will definitely do individual episodes for BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite in the future.

Craig Mcguire

Certainly did. So much so I went out and purchased the collection for a replay. Keep up the great work, appreciate you guys.

Andrew Hoculik

I've always bounced off of Bioshock. I think I've tried to play it twice and always get frustrated with some of the backtracking it makes you do early on. Never played Bioshock 2, but enjoyed Infinite. After this discussion, I'll have to give it another try though!

Anonymous

Thanks for the great episode Colin and Dagan, it encouraged me to play through Bioshock Infinite. They are incredible games. I’m looking forward to future episodes!

Trenton Campbell

This episode tied my entire 2018 together. After getting into the Rubin Report due to your interviews with him, I stumbled onto Ayn Rand and picked up Atlas Shrugged. This book challenged me deeply. I was not an avid reader before this point. Since then, I have read a challenging book every month (my favorite being The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich). On top of that I chose to replay bioshock, a game that I originally played when I was 14. It is now my favorite game of all time. I could not stop absorbing every little detail about this libertarian city gone wrong. All I have to say is thank you, Colin. You have helped me become the person I am proud to be. I get enjoyment out of working 100+ hour work weeks now because it pays off ememsely. I keep getting raise after raise, promotion after promotion, and bonus after bonus thanks to my objectivist style work ethic. I will always be a supporter of you content. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Craig Birchmeier

My favorite episode so far. It probably helps that Bioshock is my favorite video game. You are going to have to lock Dagan up or something whenever you get around to doing the Infinite Knockback episode. He can't be spoiling that ending for himself!

Brogan Wassell

I went in with 0 knowledge of the game. All I knew was that it was that my cousin had played it and was effusive. Besides this my brother in law had played it and said it was good but very dark etc. prior to that all I thought/knew was that it was a water game and a guy in a diving suit was on the front. I’d heard that it was well received but when I picked it up I think in 2011 - 2012 I really didn’t see the necessary aspects of it. That being said when I saw Bioshock 1&2 on steam for 12 bucks I bought it. I had no clue about the game.

Brogan Wassell (edited)

Comment edits

2022-01-24 10:55:05 The I went in with 0 knowledge of the game. All I knew was that it was that my cousin had played it and was effusive. Besides this my brother in law had played it and said it was good but very dark etc. prior to that all I thought/knew was that it was a water game and a guy in a diving suit was on the front. I’d heard that it was well received but when I picked it up I think in 2011 - 2012 I really didn’t see the necessary aspects of it. That being said when I saw it on Bioshock 1&2 steam for 12 bucks I bought em. Absolutely insane. One of the best games ever made. But I largely consider 2 the best of the series by far. The setting made me appreciate Art Deco.
2019-03-12 22:12:07 The I went in with 0 knowledge of the game. All I knew was that it was that my cousin had played it and was effusive. Besides this my brother in law had played it and said it was good but very dark etc. prior to that all I thought/knew was that it was a water game and a guy in a diving suit was on the front. I’d heard that it was well received but when I picked it up I think in 2011 - 2012 I really didn’t see the necessary aspects of it. That being said when I saw it on Bioshock 1&2 steam for 12 bucks I bought em. Absolutely insane. One of the best games ever made. But I largely consider 2 the best of the series by far. The setting made me appreciate Art Deco.

The I went in with 0 knowledge of the game. All I knew was that it was that my cousin had played it and was effusive. Besides this my brother in law had played it and said it was good but very dark etc. prior to that all I thought/knew was that it was a water game and a guy in a diving suit was on the front. I’d heard that it was well received but when I picked it up I think in 2011 - 2012 I really didn’t see the necessary aspects of it. That being said when I saw it on Bioshock 1&2 steam for 12 bucks I bought em. Absolutely insane. One of the best games ever made. But I largely consider 2 the best of the series by far. The setting made me appreciate Art Deco.

LastStandMedia

The backtracking is part of the fun! Seeing parts of Rapture you've already been to is great, especially when there are new surprises lurking about... =)

LastStandMedia

I'm so pleased to hear that you've been reading Rand. Good for you! Keep working hard, and enjoy the fruits.

Anthony J Sanchez

Bioshock is easily one of my favorite games of all time!!!