Bioshock • Analysis. 

The underwater setting comes directly from the book Atlas Shrugged. During the course of the book, we hear urban legends about a genius named John Galt who didn’t want his gifts exploited by collectivists. We hear several iterations of a story about John Galt starting his own hidden objectivist society, the first of which was John building an underwater city. Hence, the setting for the game.

Aesir you’re underrated my friend. Keep up the quality work. There is a market for long form analysis on games, and I’m sure you’ll tap into it quite soon.

How the hell did I never realize Bioshock was related to system shock? Great video my man.

I literally just discovered these videos today and I am in absolute love with the content and thorough analysis of these significant and great games!

I believe Bioshock's message is "A man with too much of an ideology will become blind by it, but a man with no ideal/ideology will find nothing to fill his empty self." Or at least something akin to that. A man who cannot master his own ideology will not master himself, and if you can't master yourself? You will accomplish nothing in the long run

Outstanding! Very intriguing and not a dull moment! Can't wait for the next one! Excellent analysis of another classic!

Damn, I can't believe you barely have 6.2k subs. I saw your video on "I have no mouth and I must scream" and I instantly fell in love with your content. Everything, from the way you presented it all the way down to your voice intrigues me. I've seen a ton of your videos and you can make an hour (or 4 hour video) pass like a breeze. I don't think I've ever seen another youtuber in the same level as you, such amazing and consistently good content. Keep it up man, I'll always be anxious for more!

Bioshock: Utopia is impossible and here's why.

I've watched a bunch of BioShock analyses and this is easily one of the best. Great stuff.

Can't wait for more good job man

After watching your analysis on silent hill and then this series, you done Justice to two of my favorite video game series and you have a new sub my friend. keep up the good work.

Love your analyses so much! I'm still in the middle of watching but I got so excited I needed to comment now so express how much I love your content! Will comment again when I've finished

Love this intricate and curious analysis! So much detail about the essence of the game and process! Far better than the basic 1 hour talking over a walkthrough bioshock retrospective from other RU-vidrs that was recommended.. Bravo your channel is underrated

big up to this comprehensive piece of material!! well done sir!

i love how they moved away from the boring steampunk theme of other games and made it into a spooky underwater dystopian society with circus city playground aesthetics (in an indirectly implied anarcho-capitalist setting i.e the architecture, music, advertisements, automation gone wrong vibe), like what the hell? thats so outlandish and wild. such a breakthrough in videogame culture i think in terms of storytelling a manic world. (im basically just ruminating on stuff you've already said just ignore me) also i remember playing the game and laughing so hard when i heard the pompous operatic 1920's music. the juxtaposition between the musics 'laissez-faire is the way forward' inspired aspirational message and the futuristic decimated setting was very ironic indeed. the fact that it was playing in the background of a completely desolated hotel room full of crazy cyborg humanoids who have completely destroyed themselves because of free-market 'do what you want with no consequences' system really highlighted to me what happens when you strive for a utopia but end up achieving a dystopia. *video games designed with political or philosophical considerations are always 10x more interesting. some gamers just want to zone out and play a fun game without thinking about it too deeply and thats ok, but personally that shit is dopey, like youre missing a big opportunity to maybe learn or think about something.

I feel like an ass every time I see your channel in my feed. I ask myself "who is this, why am I subscribed", but then I click on your profile and remember. I feel like an ass because you make quality videos and I shouldn't have to remind myself of that quality. Keep up the good work, and happy holidays!

Anarcho-Capitalism: Hey I can't make borders, but I will make a wall shaped house around your property and my armed workers will reside there to make sure it is defended and not trespassed on.

your channel is a gem

Though I completely understand your want to avoid political discussion (since they oh so often end in toxic yelling matches, rather than serious intellectual discussion), I think it also might be a bit misguided to dismiss it entirely. After all, all their games attempt to discuss, and critique philosophical and political views, and critique what they see as extremes. Rapture, Andrew, and Shodan. A critique of cold individualism, unfettered innovation and greed. The Family, Sofia Lamb, and The Many. A critique of collectivism, and unfettered self sacrifice, and the concept of "the greater good". These discussions have merit. This is not me saying you're an asshole mind you, I mostly just seek to explain how honest discussion, even about an often toxic topic, can be done right. They are doing exactly that themselves in every game they got.

9:15 PAVILON XD pa-vil-ion Love the videos btw! Just discovered your channel. The KotOR video reminded me that my mom had never played it, so I recommended it to her for her ipad!

What a great video this is. Subscribed.

Hey man, this was great! Really surprised I hadn't stumbled across you sometime sooner, this kind of content is right up my alley. Keep it up I'm gonna check out a few more

For me, BioShock is about Friedrich Nietzsche quote: "One fighting the monsters should beware of becoming a monster himself. And if you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss will stare back right into you". Ryan is this One and Frank Fountain is this Monster.

Wow... I'm really sad that I don't seem to be getting notifications from this channel anymore. I'll just have to check in regularly. I always thoroughly enjoy these videos, and go away feeling smarter and more satisfied with games I already knew were great (assuming I've played them already). As ever, this video had some great insights. It's a common criticism by the youtube longform essay crowd that Bioshock is about Objectivism, but doesn't have any mechanics to meaningfully comment on Objectivism. The fact that you can look past the trappings of the game's setting to realize the game _isn't_ actually _about_ Objectivism really cements my respect. I never realized it before, but it's so obvious in hindsight: every -Shock game is about the duality of extremes, not necessarily the ideologies themselves. It's why I agree, I think Bioshock's endgame was necessary and integral. We needed to explore Frank Fontaine's character as much as we needed to explore Ryan's, and stories like that of Diane McClintock cemented that they _both_ ruin lives. The fact that I haven't played the game in at least four years and could pull that name from memory without looking it up is probably testament to how effective it was for me. I'm curious: I understand you're taking a break, but when you come back to it, will you be exploring Bioshock 2? Most people consider it to be the redheaded stepchild of the series, I think it explores the theme of parenthood in an interesting way. As excited as I am to see your examination of my beloved Bioshock Infinite, I hope you won't skip 2.

I really think this channel is unfairly underrated. My favorite video of yours is the review of Systemshock 2.

Well said. To this day Bioshock's got some of the greatests aesthetics and environments in gaming.

Utterly loved this video. And was reminded hard-way how badly I take that final moment of the Good Ending. Seeing their hands grasping Jack's, bearing different adornments... he gave them what they were utterly denied. A life, unique and truly their own. And they were there for him, in return, all the way to the end. There's a power to that moment that always hits me and makes me want to cry.

AesirAesthetics, great video, after making System Shock and Bioshock videos, you absolutely set youself up to make a Prey video. I mean the world would be a lesser place if after all of this if you did not make an Analysis video of Prey.... (btw the spoiler alerts and advice is genius, seriously if I ever wanted anyone to play the game I would show them this work)

Heck yeah, I come back to this one often. Algorithm tax ✌️😘 👍

I think there would be no (or less) criticism of the little sisters choice if rescuing them wouldn't provide with the added bonuses. You harvest, you get all, you rescue them, you get half. And that being all. Also, I like the post Ryan part of the game and the final battle. P.S: where are those mutant splicers at the start from? I don't remember any of that in the games, which this video made replay before watching :P Edit: I don't know why YT adds blank spaces to all my comments.

I don't have a problem watching this video before playing the whole thing because the only Shock series game that the internet didn't completely spoil to me was BioShock 2.

The good ending just makes the whole experience that is Bioshock, so much more powerful.

You know, when you said "They're all JEWS!" I got really worried for a second.

This video actually addressed some of my criticisms of this game. I knew the game was influenced by early 1900s robber barons and objectivism, but found the critique of individualism/objectivism a bit one dimensional and ham fisted. It makes more sense that the developers were portraying the dangers of the extreme of any ideology - it works better thematically that way.

I love all your videos

This type of video runs the "risk" of making you a much more important type of content creator. While a large amount of youtube is currently very entertainment focused, what you're doing here reminds one of a historian's view of any given subject matter. I feel your videos have a much higher chance than most of being interesting and/or useful a long time from now, which to me make them infinitely more valuable as content. Sadly, true value rarely equates to popularity, especially in the current times, but I wanted to leave a comment acknowledging and congratulating you for the type of content you're creating here. I started watching this video, but stopped myself in the second spoiler alert. I've played Bioshock and loved it, but remember very little of it and your video made me want to go replay it. I will go in as blind as possible and have all the "Aaaah, that's right!!" moments. I moved to watch a few other of your analyses upon which I base most of my comment. Good for you, for making this type of content. And for us. And for youtube. And probably for posterity. Thank you! I really hope you find as much success as you strive for.

Aesir, I think I had an oh shit moment when you said all the characters are Jewish, and they were oppressed and so became the oppressor. That blew my mind and now I want to play the game again with that perspective which I think will create a whole new perspective. This is a great video man.

I never even knew Bioshock was related to System Shock.

:)

I can't *ever* bring myself to harvest a _single_ Lil Sister. It hurts when I lose one in the final mission.

Would you kindly play the game first before watching this.

I think the moral choice would have worked better if there had been a larger difference between the reward you get for harvesting and rescuing. And perhaps if Adam had been a more necessary resource. Even in hard difficulty I never really found myself handicapped by rescuing every time.

Wait..... "research camera"??? 3 playthroughs later and I didn't know lol

Why the hell hasn't he done a video for Bioshock 2? The best Bioshock even without counting Minerva's Den which seems right up his alley.

Thank you for not using this hour to complain about "evil capitalism" (to understand the intent my comment you may have to read "evil capitalism" in a whiny, naive jim sterling voice)

To me the implementation of Ink Spots"Best things in life are free" is the most genius thing since it praises all those things that Rapture is actually missing (Flowers, Sun, Moon, Stars) as the best things and pretty much contradicts Ryan's bs philosophy of having to earn everything yourself.

The game try to make Andrew Ryan a bad guy but he is based as fuck

Sorry to see the series appears to have stopped here.

People from Twitter remind me of rapture

i think it being a critical success is more important than it being a financial success. both is fine tho.

Will you ever make an analysis of one of the souls games.

This was a great exploration of the themes and use of characters as horror! I had never considered the way in which Ryan and Fontains ideologies (or lack there of) really differed. I still disagree with the way the little sisters are dealt with, but largely because I agree with what you believe there purpose was mechanically. I believe, like you said, that the little sisters are important as they put you in the desperate headspace of Rapture's people, the choice they need to make between ethics and their own safety/needs. However I think saving the little sisters is too forgiving, as you are still given sufficient adam through what you initially gain and the baskets they provide that you can still very comfortably make it through the game mainly using your genetic modifications (at least on lower difficulties since it's what I assume most people play on). I think in order to really force the player into feeling desperate like you describe, the benefits of saving the little sisters should have been more limited, or perhaps not been available at all. Maybe instead of saving little sisters and still getting adam, saving a little sister would force the player to find adam in different ways, such as going into more dangerous areas or searching more closely for adam that is well hidden. That would also encourage that player interaction that you pointed out is very important in the bioshock games. But I'm no gaming expert, so it was just an idea. Love your video though! Can't wait to so more in the future.

I disagree with a lot of what you say in your videos, but I'm fascinated by how different your viewpoints are from mine. Keep up the content man. It's really good.

I'm not going to lie after playing through all three Bioshock games including their DLCs I feel like Bioshock 1 and 2 symbolizes hell and explores the sympathy of being in hell and BioShock infinite symbolizes heaven exploring that heaven is not really all sunshine and rainbows like it's being portrayed as but that's the vibe I'm getting

You should seriously have more followers! Hell! I just became one!

Wanna include one thing. There is actually 3 endings to bioshock. Good, bad and melancholy (its still the bad ending just with a different tone.)

Well I WAS going to play Bioshock before watching this video, but the copy I bought years ago wont install, the DRM authentication servers for it are now dead, so every physical disk is rendered a useless hunk of plastic, and I dont feel like rebuying the game or going though the trouble of pirating it. Makes me wonder what other classic games will become bricks in the future because of DRM servers going offline.

no such thing as abandonware. System shock was still considered having a commercial status .

Would you kindly... :)

I don't think fallacy means what you think it means

When the next video of this series?

So basically, Bioshock wants Ryan and objectivists to go more... moderate. Ryan needed to stop rejecting regulations and social welfare if he wished to stop Fontaine from creating the drug Adam and riling up the poor

Spazbo4 is my brother.

If you had waited three years you could have called this one retro

People lining up in the comments to talk politics as soon as you ask them not to.

As a player who played most games since 1996, Bioshock 1's only glory was its visuals, it had unremarkable gameplay and cookie cutter story IMHO, also it felt like a PG-11 rated game to me, and was devoid of humour. I really didn't get the big deal about it, maybe as it was so linear, coming out after great games like Deus Ex: 1 and Vampire TMB.

Bioshock really lacks the RPG mechanics that made the system shock games fun, also the cyberpunk setting is much more engaging imo

I understand not wanting the comments section to become too acrimonious. But discouraging observations on the political philosophy undergirding Rapture seems restrictive and, forgive me, a bit short-sighted. Debate can arise from comments on any aspect of any topic. We could debate the quality of the dialog, or the pacing of combat scenes, or a thousand other things. Why discourage parts of your audience from discussing what is on their minds?

I honestly hated Bioshock 1 to the point that it makes me skeptical about playing System Shock. It feels like the game hates that I have freewill and see it as an obstacle to overcome.

Pls no not the voice

The very best analysis of Bioshock 1. Your opening was not dumb though! The other two BS games are pseudocritical, feminist bullshit (objectively).

Saying this game isn't a critique of Capitalism and Objectivism but a generic "ideological extreme" is incredibly disingenuous especially when you confuse Lenin and Stalin. I love love LOVE your shadow of the Colossus, Bloodborne and Sekiro videos and hope you have moved off this weird centrist "both sides" shit because comparing a proletariat uprising to the HOLOCAUST is not good form (again, the Lenin/Stalin mix up is throwing me off. Stalin bad and all that is true but you didn't say Stalin.)

The game is about the logical conclusion of objectivism, though. You're wrong to want to divorce the game from that. It's basically a generation after the fucks in Atlas Shrugged leave society. It is inherently political. To disregard that is willfully missing the point.

I wrote this on your Reddit post: Ok so I've gotten through half of it (20 mins exactly) and there's a big (or small problem depending on how you look at it). The production value & narration is good, but the subject matter is ALL wrong. You call this an "analysis" video when it's nothing of the sort. You need to call this a "retrospective." You're talking about how this game did new things & comparing to earlier game designs/other games. You're not actually analyzing the game -- if anything you're just summarizing things on a surface level. "The game blah blah environmental storytelling..." that's nothing new. We knew that. If you talked about something unusual people wouldn't have noticed very easily or how the games design made the player make certain decisions others don't then that's analyzing...but this is more of a retrospective video. I would say documentary but not there either because nothing's specifically documented, no interviews, etc. It's not that the video is bad, it's that you went COMPLETELY off topic. It's like teacher asking for a book report on how bioshock changed gaming within the game, but you wrote instead about the history of the franchise & bullet pointed general things the game did. At the very least change the title on RU-vid, it's incorrect -- if you want a good example of analyzing a game goto egoraptors analysis on megaman x