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I've always considered Bioshock a horror game but not everyone agrees on this. The developers have stated they were inspired by survival horror games like Resident Evil but inspiration from a genre doesn't automatically make it that.
I was certainly more scared playing it than playing almost any other "horror game" so I would say so.
It is a horror game, just not a Survival Horror game - the difference is that you can fight back effectively against enemies and the game operates largely on combat mechanics instead of running and hiding.
Definitely more action horror, yeah
First one you were deffinitly low on supplies a lot I'd say there's a little bit of survival. There isn't like hunger or thirst or sanity or anything but you certainly have to pick your fights at times.
Second one your a human tank so that ones a little less survival-y.
I'd say so. Plenty of jump scares, and creep scares (that guy standing behind you holding a wrench), as well as a dark twist at the end.
I'd say it's got about the same pacing as a Jordan Peele movie
One creature has hooks for hands and crawls on the walls in the dark, how is that considered horror? /s
That's a standard night out in Glasgow
BioShock 1? Without a doubt it's a horror game. It's basically a zombie game except they call them "splicers" and technically haven't died yet.
The lighting is spooky- the whole game is dark. Being underwater is another classic horror setting. There are unethical doctors who caused a lot of this, and one of the first areas you go through is the medical area, including surgery and dental areas. Classic horror tropes.
I don't just think BioShock is a horror game, but one of the most influential ones in history. There have been plenty of conversations on the internet about how you can technically find examples of other games doing the things that BioShock did earlier (System Shock, Half-Life, I could go on). But it was the first game that combined all of these elements and executed them well, and it led to a huge boom of what I consider to be heavily Bioshock-inspirwd horror games. Markiplier became one of the most successful and wealthiest content creators on the internet by tapping into the flood of these things. Bigger games like Amnesia: the Dark Descent or the flood of "walking simulator" indie horror games.
BioShock 2? I have only played like an hour or two, but I do know it was made by a different development team and have heard it focused much more on the gameplay and multiplayer than the story. Still possibly a horror game but less so.
BioShock Infinite? I don't think I would call it a horror game. I would be open to arguments for that though. Perhaps in a decade or two people may start to group these stories that involve "multiverse" travel, or even just time travel, as a sort of existential horror. I would say Infinite has a case for that, but you might need to add tentacle monsters to fully cross the threshold into horror there.
It's a libertarian society, they even do unspeakable things to children.
So yes
"Even", lol "libertarian society" implies pedophelia. Insert age of consent meme.
If someone asked me what genre of game is Bioshock, I would not directly go to "horror game" the same way I would for, let's say Outlast. But it clearly has horror elements to it and I got more scared in that game than some others that are classified as such. Even on my second run I had some good jumpscares.
Yes
No. I'd put it in the same category as Control. It's an action game that contains elements of horror. Stronger in some areas, but completely absent in others. It doesn't define the whole experience.
I would say some of the Control levels count as horror. Certainly had several eldritch/body horror elements. That one level with monsters that cannot be hurt in the dark especially stuck with me.
You use the Alan Wake DLC* as an example. Of course it has horror elements, it's a horror game crossover. I still agree that the game has some horror elements to it. I can't name many examples off the top of my head, as it was some time since I played it, but you basically fight against zombies, and the Mold (as in the fungus, not the linker) mission(s) (can't remember if it was optional content or not) might count.
* Not sure if DLC is the right term here, as I'm not sure if you have the option to not to download it, as at least on Steam, only the "ultimate" edition is available, I think.
I'd consider it a horror series, absolutely. Just not in the same vein as survival horror games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, etc. I think a lot of people don't consider it to be because you get desensitized to a lot of the horror elements in it pretty quick. I'd lump it in closer with games like Doom, Quake, or Left 4 Dead.
Yeah pretty much a horror game I’d say. It’s tagged as horror on steam, although FPS and action are more popular tags
The Tags are set by users so they can be invalid
Idk, OP asked if the game is considered horror. So horror being so high up on the list of user tags seems to answer their question pretty directly. Checking back on this post it also seems like the overwhelming majority of users here also agree with the tag, anyway
Maybe the discourse I've encountered isn't as popular a take as it seemed to me. In the past, even recently, when I've been asked for horror game recommendations, and I include Bioshock in the list, I've had push back on Bioshock being considered horror at all, which would devolve into a conversation about what makes something horror. They would argue that Bioshock wasn't horror because it wasn't supernatural or "scary" or gorey enough but I would argue it contains all of those things but also that horror doesn't have to be scary or gorey to begin with. It's hard to remember the details of our debate now but that was the gist.
I hear that, yeah it’s kind of in-between. If someone asked for a horror recommendation you’d probably think twice about it.
But at the same time, if someone said “I absolutely do not want a horror game” then you’d also be thinking twice, right?
I think it’s fair to call it a blend. Not too heavy on the horror but it’s there. Plenty of games are like that. Sorry people tried to fight with you about it lol, some people get bent out of shape too easily
The debates were usually with my friends so it wasn't heated, just a bunch of nerds arguing about games but I've definitely had conversations about it in other gaming communities.
Y... yeah. Still, I would like to see an official studio listing of Tags or description of their own game.
As I see the comment chain I also see how the Tag Horror is different in context
That’s no problem. The official description of Bioshock directly from the developers is
Deadly weapons in one hand. Brutal powers in the other. Fight for your life and uncover the mystery or Rapture in the remnants of this utopian city gone wrong.
This “genetically enhanced” first-person, single-player shooter is loaded with some of the greatest, most modifiable weapons to ever blast their way into video games. Explore a living world and take control by hacking devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival. Make meaningful, mature decisions, that culminate in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture or save them?
Other than that, what do you mean about the horror tag being different in context? There’s only one horror tag on steam. People tag the games if they feel like the tag is appropriate. If you want the further context, you come to discussions about it such as this one
Fair