TITLE: Bioforge, or 'Forge me up Scotty!' AUTHOR: Jim9137 DATE: 3/28/2005 11:28:00 ap. ----- BODY:

... Yes, I have bad sense of topics. But I just had to. Also, I have deal that gives me 10€ per "He's dead, Jim." -quote. Feel free! You can pay to John9137 over there. Nevermind his glee. I'd like to use this space to advertise my newest technical thing on this blog, the expandable posts. Not expendable Jim9137, expandable. Teehehe, inside humor. So it basically works like that you just click the "Read more..." just above the authors name, and it'll take you to the full article. This article is hided behind it as well, but if the full post is already showing, it only takes you to the post's site. Anyway, more page views for more monies for us... *COUGH* I'm also planning to switch the template soon, and do other changes to the blog's appearence so that it'll be easier to read. Those are in the future however, since I have no HTML/CSS expertise. As promised long time ago, review of Bioforge. I'm trying to return to my roots from the ranting right now, so it's not as whiny as usual. Fear not anyway! --- Bioforge. Even the name already tickles my Science Fiction oriented brains. And it only gets better... What is the game about? Although, you probably clicked that link over there already and left me here, or you know what the game is already about (thanks to my advertising or you're one of the lucky ones who have played this gem) let me educate the promille of people who DON'T know what the game is about... Bioforge is about this prisoner complex far away from any other civilization. You're a prisoner there. But there is more, you're not only a prisoner, you've also lost your memory. And it gets even better, you're a guinea pig for Dr. Mastaba who is experimenting cybernetic implants on all the prisoners... Yes, you're a cyborg, and extremely pissed off one (You're constantly being poke by some medical bot, after all. With needles.) I challenge you to give me a game with a sweeter start. Well, there probably are some, but I can't figure any from the more recent games. Not that I pay much attention to them anymore. Anyway, to return to the topic. Okay, the starting plot is quite cliché, at least it might sound like it, but I assure you that this game has a very good plot. Compared to other games, at least. ANYWAY I should probably describe what's the game is like, instead of promoting the plot. Hmm, hey, I haven't even mentioned this game is an INTERACTIVE MOVIE... I got you there, didn't I? Err, no need to run away screaming. I uh... It's actually more like Action/Adventure with emphasis on the adventure bit. The reason why I said Interactive Movie was because it was advertised as one, and well, it's not far from the truth. But I'd classify it as Action/Adventure myself. So, you're this huge cyborg, with no memory of yourself whatsoever, and you just got free. The ones with more active imagination can already guess where I'm getting here, and the ones who can't I shall educate now. The game is basically you, the cyborg, running around the prison complex... Except that the thing is scheduled to be bombed away. And there are other experiments/guards running around, and they are far more powerful than you are. You're forced to kick some metallic arse once in a while, but most of the time you're trying to find a more clever way to handle with more tougher enemies. Like, the guard bot that blasts you into bits the minute you step in it's sight. It's good fun, seriously. The puzzles are hard. Not hard in the way, say, Half-Life 2 (CRATE PUZZLES FOR EFFIN SAKES, WHAT ARE WE, 3-YEAR-OLDS?) but hard as in the way the adventure games were. I had to resort to the walkthrough quite many times (although I have to admit that I'm horrible at adventure games.) I was actually quite stumped on the next room for a while, I just couldn't figure out what to do next. There are lot's of clues lying around though, in the form of various memos/computers/etc that also shred light at the events inside the complex, and why you got free in the first place. (No, you didn't bend those laser bars no sir.) This game is rated M, and for a purpose. SPOILEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERS For example, soon after you get free you help this fellow victim from the next cell free, try to convince him that you're his friend and then finally pick his severed arm up and beat him to the death. Just because you know, he apparently didn't like the meat you gave him. If no other scene in the game will stick in your head, this will. ALL IS CLEAR There aren't many premade cutscenes around, as far as I remember, but there are in-game cutscenes. They are quite short and usually just show what happens when you do this. They don't obscure the flow of the game though, and they are very interesting and fun to watch. Sometimes I just failed in purpose on some of the puzzles, just to see what happens. Although some of you might have some creeps about Action/Adventure games, let me take your worries away. This game is one of those games who manage to pull it off. And Bioforge pulls it off brilliantly. Kill Tomb Raider and her countless clones, for the cybernetic king of Action/Adventure's is here.

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