BioShock vs. Halo 3 (Features)

GamePro staff, GamePro (online)

12/10/2007 09:27:21

Controls

BioShock: While initially overwhelming, BioShock's control system is a vast improvement over other games of this style, such as Deus Ex and System Shock 2. Handy shortcuts, like assigning first-aid packs to the B button or holding the A button to auto-play voice recordings, prove that BioShock is far more than a pretty face - it's a superbly designed game with many smart design decisions.

Otherwise, BioShock plays like many other first-person shooters, with the A button serving as the action button and the thumbstick clicks assigned to crouch and zoom. Pretty standard stuff, but well executed and highly polished ...much like the rest of BioShock.

Halo 3: Bungie has it down to a science. At first, Halo players are likely to fumble around with using the right and left bumpers to pick up and reload weapons, but after a few games it quickly becomes second nature. In fact, it makes perfect sense. With equipment assigned to the X button, virtually no button on the Xbox 360 controller is left unused, but Halo 3's controls are so familiar that they never feel overwhelming. Fluidity is the key here: early design decisions made in the first Halo now seem more genius than ever, particularly the slower movement speed and "floaty" jumps. These decisions are designed the make the game more accessible and less twitchy, ala the Unreal series.

Another plus: Bungie continues to offer multiple control schemes, such as Southpaw (for lefties) and Boxer (for hand-to-hand enthusiasts). There's a reason why the Halo series has sold millions worldwide, and much of that success can be traced back to its controls.

WINNER: Halo 3. There's nothing lacking in BioShock's controls, but Halo 3's are pixel-perfect and incredibly polished.

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