BioShock - designer interview

So you're going out of your way to avoid conventions?

McDonagh: We think everything should be expressed in the same way. An example is what we've done with the tutorial; in most first-person shooters it's like "right marine! This is an assault course! Now you're going to go over to that sandbag..."

We don't like that because we've done it millions of times and it's really artificial. So what we did was every time you get a new plasmid you're given an in-game tutorial. Like when you get the electric bolt there's enemies in the water, or when you get incinerate there's an oil slick.

Why should these parts of the gameplay be separate? Story, tutorial, action - why shouldn't it all be integrated into a seamless whole? Surely that's more effective and more immersive?

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