Bioshock level design analysis
From the beginning, it is clear that the player is guided through a linear path. The flames and the pieces of the plane in the sea are invisible walls that can harm the player and therefore force the player to take the path formed. The player can distinguish the landmark / tower at the end of the flaming path. The obscurity of the night makes it easier to see those elements. Climbing the stairs, the player would end in front of an open door that can be either suspicious or inviting. Either way, it is the only path proposed to the player to continue the game. The fact that the door closes on the player afterwards means they can't get back on their tracks. The gradual emission of spotlights contributes to the understanding of the universe the player will enter afterwards and will lead them to the elevator. As you go deeper and deeper, the player would recognize a certain kind of architecture close to the 1960's mixed with art deco style and they would afterwards discovered the underwater city Rapture built by a character named Andrew Ryan.
The environment gets darker, displaying the scene between the female Splicer and a normal human character. The female splicer is revealed through the faint lighting hitting on her. Her behaviour and the shiny weapons inform the player of her uncontrolled and aggressive nature. It is also shown on her physical appareance which is definitely not human anymore. From this point, the player is guided through closed corridors by a watchman named Atlas. The bright light emitted by the Vita Chamber catched the eye of the player and made them learn about checkpoints. This is where the tutorial part begins. Along the way, the player is guided by spotlights which light up on their way. The darkness of the place helps a lot tracing the path the player has to take. The intervention on the female splicer made them discover that splicers do not like light which is why there is a great number of them in those abandoned areas. After the splicer disappeared, the column located on the ground would allow jumpinp and the spolight would be pointed at the wrench, the first weapon meaning future melee combats. The broken door would teach that some of the environment elements can be breakable and it also teach the player to crouch. The fight with the splicer is slightly brighter than the first rooms, allowing to teach the player the fighting mechanics. The death of the enemy would allow looting not only on enemies but also in elements of the environment such as the trash can. From the first glimpse, the player can tell that the doors are locked by the sparkles coming out of the control panel. They would have to search the entire area to find a solution. The advertisements gave a little hint about it but from my personal opinion, they were confusing as I wasn't familiar with Bioshock's universe. It is only after discovering the plasmid machine that everything made sense. The cinematic is really useful to explain the situation in this part of Rapture. Splicers are not entirely zombies and still have a conscience and the Big Daddy with the Little Sister were revealed as important protagonists. Another fighting mechanic is revealed with the addition of the electric plasmid which is switching between melee and range combat. The power provided by the plamid can influence the environment such as the control panel. Fighting tips continued to be shown by experimenting them on splicers. After taking the elevator, one example of signposting is displaying this woman who apparently is talking to a baby but the player would only see her and the crib's shadows and guided by her voice. Obviously, she would be one of the splicers because of her dialogue and the lack of normal humans in the area. There, the revolver revealed that multiple weapons can be used. If the player explored the [...], they should discover that alcohol lowers the quantity of plasmid but recovers health. The dispute of the couple of splicers is a demonstration of breadcrumb, a visual or audio clue that draw the player's attention towards a certain path. Another element that allows to understand Bioshock's universe is the audio recorder which might be meaningless for the main storyline but it added more depth to the characters. The dollar bill shows the currency of Rapture and also that items can be bought. The vision of the woman in the toilets is a bit confusing but it might tell why the main character is special as he mentioned at the beginning of the game. The game makes clear when a real-time cinematic is about to start by, for example, lowering their weapon when they encounter the Little Sister which prevent them to take any action against her, or being hidden in the corridor where they witness the presence of the Big Daddy. Lighting and sound on enemies play also a role of signal, alerting the players of their presence (i.e: security bot). The environment itself is revealed to be the player’s ally because of their powers but it can also handicap them (i.e: deep water can slow you, which can be a disadvantage when feeling enemies). After the security lockdown had been activated, it was clear that the way to Neptune's bounty was unavailable not only by the locked barrier but also by the flamethrower. Therefore, Atlas indicates the way by naming the medical pavilion which is written on a neon sign on a wall facing the opposite of Neptune's bounty. Afterwards, the player would enter a small room and would go to the open door. After Ryan's message, it is clear he had entire control on the city and can guide splicers to the character's direction.
As a conclusion, Bioshock level leads the player through linear closed areas by gradually illuminating their path. Essential elements of the gameplay are also illuminated with bright and colorful lights to indicate their importance throughout the game. The narrative is progressively revealed through the different elements that compose it: first appearance of the splicers, a city controlled by a strange and machiavelious character and the city is haunted by iconic figures, Big Daddy and Little Sisters.There are a few visual and audio signpostings to attract the player’s eye and tell them about a few minor narrative facts. Real-time cinematics are displayed in a way they can be seen from a particular angle, like a movie.