BioShock

Umdlalo wevidiyo i-BioShock ubonakala njengempumelelo enkulu emkhakheni wokuzijabulisa, udunyiswa kakhulu ngokuhlanganisa kahle izindlela zokudlala zokudubulana (first-person shooter) nezakhi zokudlala indima (role-playing), izindikimba ezijulile zefilosofi, kanye nesizinda esingasoze sakhohlwa. Mayelana nokukhiqizwa nokusabalaliswa kwawo, idatha yalo mdlalo imi kanje: Usuku Lokukhishwa: 2007; Onjiniyela: 2K Marin, 2K Australia, Irrational Games, 2K Boston, Feral Interactive, Robosoft Technologies; Abashicileli: 2K Games, 2K, Feral Interactive. Njengolandela umoya wochungechunge lwakudala i-System Shock, i-BioShock yaphusha imingcele yemidlalo egxile endabeni, okwavusa izingxoxo eziningi ezemfundo nezikugxeka mayelana nemidlalo yevidiyo njengohlobo lobuciko obusemthethweni. Umdlalo ubekwe ngonyaka ka-1960, lapho umlingiswa oyinhloko ongakhulumi, u-Jack, esinda engozini yendiza phakathi noLwandlekazi i-Atlantic. Efuna indawo yokuphephela esibani esiseduze, u-Jack ungena embizeni ehlisa umfutho (bathysphere) emcwilisa ekujuleni kolwandle, emveza i-Rapture, idolobha elikhulu elingaphansi kwamanzi elakhiwe ngesitayela se-Art Deco. I-Rapture yakhiwa ngasese ngeminyaka yawo-1940 ngusozigidi osajikijelayo, u-Andrew Ryan. U-Ryan wayewubona umuzi njengendawo ekahle yobukapitali engenazo izingqinamba zokucutshungulwa, izinkolelo zokuziphatha, kanye nokulawulwa nguhulumeni komhlaba ongaphezulu. Kodwa-ke, ngesikhathi u-Jack efika, i-Rapture yayisiphenduke iphupho elibi elibi. Ukuwa kwedolobha kwabangelwa ukutholakala kwe-ADAM, okuyinto enamandla eguqula imfuzo evumela abantu ukuba babhale kabusha i-DNA yabo. Le nto inikeza abayisebenzisayo amandla angaphezu kwawesintu kodwa ibuye ibangele ukwehla okukhulu kwengqondo nomzimba. Njengoba igebe phakathi kwabacebile nabampofu landa nomphakathi uqhekeka, umkhohlisi okuthiwa u-Frank Fontaine wasebenzisa abasebenzi ababecindezelwe, okwaphumela empini yombango enodlame eyashiya idolobha libhubhile. Eqondiswa yindoda okuthiwa u-Atlas ngomsakazo, u-Jack kumele ahambe emigwaqeni ye-Rapture egcwele amanzi negazi ukuze asinde. Ohambweni lwakhe, uzingelwa ama-Splicers, abantu abaguqukile abangaphilile kahle emqondweni. Umdlalo ugcizelela ubuhlakani bokudlala nokusebenzisa izinsiza. Abadlali balwa besebenzisa izibhamu ezijwayelekile, kodwa into ebalulekile e-BioShock ukusebenzisa ama-Plasmids, anikwe amandla yi-ADAM futhi anikeza u-Jack amandla angaphezu kwawemvelo njengokukhipha umlilo, ugesi, noma ukusebenzisa i-telekinesis. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abadlali bangangena kumasistimu wamarobhothi okuphepha (hacking) ukuze alwele bona, basebenzise ukunyonyoba, futhi bazame izinhlobonhlobo zamasu ezikhali namandla. Okubalulekile emdlalweni nasekundabeni yisistimu yokuziphatha, egxile kuma-Little Sisters, amantombazane amancane aguqulwe ngofuzo ahamba edolobheni eqoqa i-ADAM ezidunjini. Agadwa njalo ngama-Big Daddy, abantu abaguquliwe abagqoke izingubo ezinkulu zokucwila eziqinile. Ukuze athole i-ADAM, u-Jack kumele aqale anqobe i-Big Daddy evikela i-Little Sister. Umdlali ube esebhekana nokukhetha okunzima: ukubulala ingane ngesihluku ukuze akhiphe i-ADAM eningi, noma ukuyisindisa, okuyelapha isifo sayo kodwa okukunika amandla amancane ngokushesha. Lokhu kukhetha kuthinta izindikimba zomdlalo. Umdlalo, owacunjwa ngumholi wokudala we-Irrational Games u-Ken Levine, udume kakhulu ngokuhlola izifilosofi zezombangazwe zekhulu lama-20, ikakhulukazi i-Objectivism ka-Ayn Rand. Ethatha ugqozi encwadini ka-Rand ethi Atlas Shrugged, u-Levine wadala i-Rapture ukuze alingise ukuthi kwakuyokwenzekani uma umphakathi ophethwe ngokuphelele ubukapitali obungelawulwa kanye nokuzithanda uqobo usundiselwa emkhawulweni wawo. Ngokufaka amaphutha abantu angokoqobo njengokuhaha, ukufuna amandla, kanye nokulwa kwezigaba, umdlalo ubonisa ukuwa okungenakugwenywa kwendawo ka-Ryan. U-Levine wabuye wafaka imibono yabacabangi abanjengo-George Orwell no-Aldous Huxley, kanye nezibalo zomlando ezifana no-John D. Rockefeller Jr. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-BioShock idume ngokuguqula imvelo eyisisekelo yokusebenzisana komdlalo wevidiyo. Ekuvimbeleni okwenziwe ngobuciko, kutholakala ukuthi izenzo zika-Jack bezilawulwa ngokuphelele ngamazwi athi: Would you kindly. Lokhu kudalulwa akushintshi nje kuphela indaba yonke kodwa kuphinde kusebenze njengokuhlaziya inkululeko yokuzikhethela emidlalweni yevidiyo, kuphoqe abadlali ukuba babhekane neqiniso lokuthi balandela imiyalelo yonjiniyela bomdlalo ngamehlo avaliwe. Isimemezelo sika-Andrew Ryan esidumile, indoda iyazikhethela, isigqila siyalalela, siyakuchaza kahle lokhu kungqubuzana. Ngesikhathi ikhishwa, i-BioShock yakhiqizwa ngesabelomali esingaba izigidi ezingama-$25 futhi yamukelwa kahle kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele. Abahlaziyi badumise isimo sayo, ukuhlelwa komsindo okuhle kakhulu, ubuqotho bobuciko, kanye nendaba evusa imicabango. Ithola isilinganiso esingu-96/100 kumawebhusayithi okuhlaziya, yathola imiklomelo eminingi yomdlalo wonyaka evela ezindaweni ezihlonishwayo, kubalwa i-BAFTA, Spike TV Video Game Awards, ne-Game Informer. Impumelelo yomdlalo yaba nomthelela omkhulu, yamisa ifa layo njengombhalo oyisisekelo ezifundweni zemidlalo futhi yagqugquzela igagasi elisha lezifanisi ezicwilisayo ezinezimiso zokuklama eziphelele. Umthelela ojulile we-BioShock waholela ekwandisweni komkhathi wawo. Waba nezilandelayo ezimbili ezinkulu: i-BioShock 2 ngo-2010 ne-BioShock Infinite ngo-2013. Kusukela lapho, umdlalo wokuqala usuthunyelwe ezinhlelweni ezahlukene zokusebenza, waphindwa wahlaziywa, futhi waqoqwa ndawonye nangezinye izinguqulo ezinkundleni eziningi. Ngokuhlanganiswa kwayo okuyingcweti kwegeyimu, indawo ezungezile, kanye nophenyo oluyinkimbinkimbi, i-BioShock ihlala iyimisebenzi yobuciko engaphelelwa yisikhathi kanye nesibonelo esiyinhloko sobude obungafinyelelwa yimidlalo yevidiyo.