I told myself I wouldn't buy Halo 3 until I finished BioShock, which was a good bullshit deal to make with myself, as I have now finished off the latter, fine game. I've been a fan of the works of Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games since way back. I didn't actually play the original System Shock, but I played Thief and System Shock 2 and loved both games' approach to toolkit-oriented, exploratory gameplay. The fact that BioShock carries on this tradition with the added bonus of -- for once -- contemporary quality graphical effects just was extra icing.

I'll quickly get out of the way my gripes and raves. Gripes? BioShock is only a mediocre shooter. It controls a little funny. The respawn behavior is just as irritating here as it was in System Shock 2. The Vita Chambers are a nice concept, but they do suck some of the tension out of the game. Raves: incredible art direction. An emotionally satisfying conclusion. Lots of little rewards for poking around all the places you can imagine to poke around in. I was continually surprised at how Irrational made each level new and interesting, when it could have so easily slipped into the Doom 3 trap of "wow -- it's freaking dark." There's nice little touches, like a sequence where you get to try out all the different powers that you may have not yet used in the game up to that point -- and the sequence where you gear up to face the final bad guy, which is particularly poignant.

What was striking to me, however, was going from BioShock to Halo 3. I think they may, in fact, be opposites in nearly every way possible.

Halo 3 is all about big spaces. BioShock is all about confined ones.

Halo 3 is all about free flowing combat with lots of allies. BioShock is all about considered engagements where you make the environment work for you.

Halo 3 is big spaceships blowing up. BioShock is big cities imploding.

Halo 3 is about being a big guy in an armored suit rescuing a female companion. BioShock is about blowing up the guys in big armored suits who are protecting female companions.

Halo 3 echoes the story of Halo 2 and Marathon. BioShock echoes the story of System Shock 2 and Ultima Underworld. Oh, wait.

I love both games. They scratch totally different itches. Going from BioShock to Halo 3 was kind of like bursting out from underwater and feeling like I was back in the open air. Plot? Art? I dunno about that, son, but there's a big ass tank over there that could use some blowing up. And I'm just the guy to do it.

In conclusion, the divergent opinions of two respected friends (although both tend to agree on the base points, but reaching different conclusions):

• psu on Halo 3: "There is really only one thing you need to know about Halo 3 and it is this: Halo 3 is Halo just bigger."
  
• Nelson on Halo 3 and BioShock: "The Halo story is clumsy and poorly told, the visual settings are beautiful but lack poignancy, the music is meh. Halo is a very well crafted piece of gameplay, though, and I respect that part of the gamemakers art."