Examining The Horror Of BioShock's Fort Frolic

[@BenPlaysGames]

✅ Subscribe: kzbin.info 🖱 Support the channel: www.patreon.com/ben_plays_games Not sure why all the objective information comes up as squares rather than letters! Have tried to fix it multiple times but to no avail...

[@slimeybrooklyn7260]

14:07 I like how Ben ominously switches to anti-personnel rounds

[@BenPlaysGames]

Already knew how it was going to end 😂

[@Jataaka2]

When you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

[@AnAbsurdExistence]

lmfaooo

[@wangchung2157]

Sander Cohen is pure psychotic bliss and I love everything about him. Cohen is also great in John Shirley's Rapture novel

[@BenPlaysGames]

Me too mate, such a good character! I've actually been meaning to read the book for donkeys but never quite got round to it. Maybe I'll find an audio book for bedtime. Worth it?

[@donnydavis4127]

@@BenPlaysGames the audiobook is here on KZbin for free actually just give it a quick search.

[@K_End]

Hearing you talk about my two favorite games bioshock and halo, just makes me appreciate them even more.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks K, glad I could help my man!

[@shoobey]

i do love how you pointed out that jack is treated as a performer with sander being the director. its honestly a really neat reflection of the rest of the game as well, with jack having the same dynamic with atlas and ryan in a sense. the whole level i feel like, while technically disconnected from the bigger picture, is probably the most quintessential "bioshock" level in any of the games imo. ty for talking about it and going into detail !!

[@BenPlaysGames]

You make a great point here. I actually had a similar thought right after uploading the video and was super annoyed at myself for not mentioning it in the video as it's really interesting - throughout the game, Jack follows Atlas' orders for a reason yet when Jack's in Fort Frolic he still follow orders even though he isn't being forced. What it says about the idea of free will discussed in the game I'd have to think more about, but it's pretty neat!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Oh and thanks too shoobe, where are my manners!

[@slimeybrooklyn7260]

Love this part of the game, shame the late-game areas aren't quite as interesting as the earlier ones IMO.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Pre-twist is incredible, post-twist is... okay.

[@JA-lr5ix]

@@BenPlaysGames i feel like such am incredible game as bioshock as well as others tend to run into issues “ramping” things up as time goes on. It took so much creativity to create the first half of the game and the second half tries to emulate the same “vibe” while also showing us the fucked core of Rapture- but as the mystery is pulled back it becomes slowly less interesting. Additionally, its hard to keep one theme or “vibe” going for a whole game. It’s sort of how Resident Evil Village’s best area is the castle and the rest of the game pales in comprison. You want variety in gameplay, and you want the game to last a while, so its hard to get that “ramp” up to the climax with the same kind of feelings evoked in the beginning as the end.

[@tobiaslattimer2518]

I thought Olympus Heights and Apollo Square were really interesting areas.

[@slimeybrooklyn7260]

@@JA-lr5ix those later parts aren't terrible, but it doesn't exactly help them that they're there alongside the amazing areas in the beginning

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@tobiaslattimer2518 Oh they're definitely not terrible or anything - I do think the pacing takes a slight hit after the twist though.

[@seanmartin8465]

I used to rent an Xbox from blockbuster for the weekend once a month and the only game I rented with it was bioshock… that was a long time ago. now I play pc, Xbox one and VR at my easiest convenience. Bioshock has a very precious place in my teenage years. Thankyou for the video, I might download it again 🤔

[@cvtt3194]

Top 5 moment in gaming for me, I'll never forget the first time playing BioShock.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Same for me dude, definitely in my top five of all time.

[@VoiceOfTheEmperor]

"Fort Frolic". Aka Waltz of the Flowers with a Shotgun.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Still remember that video of someone whacking the splicers in time with the music, so blooming good!

[@VoiceOfTheEmperor]

@@BenPlaysGames I wish I could find it...

[@formorian5]

Bioshock remains my favourite game ever. No, it's not perfect, but it does enough right, and it does what matters PERFECTLY. The atmosphere and design are rock solid, the combat is hectic and varied, and the gameplay blends with the narrative in ways you only realize during your second playthrough. I play through at least once a year, and every time I find something I missed. This is the one that opened my eyes to games as an artistic medium, not just a fun distraction. Bioshock is the reason I truly fell in love with video games.

[@buda3d2007]

That level was one of the best gaming experiences I've had, I feel all your abilities and the environment you use them in come to their peak potential and the story never gets better beyond this point, the mid game boss is the best foe you face

[@DrowsyScientist]

I am glad I wasn’t the only that absolutely loved this level. I also vividly remember Arcadia with those Houdini splicers and the trip wires that would shock you.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Whole first half of the game is packed with amazing moments, absolutely love it. It arguably takes a dip after the big reveal, but nothing's perfect, right?

[@ferrariairwolf]

i love your analysis video's on bioshock, they make me view the game in different interesting ways that i never did before.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks dude! There's some super stuff in the games l, especially in the Rapture entries. I want to go back and rework my video on Minerva's Den soon, room for improvement there I think.

[@cyberra0180]

I hated that flooded room down the stairs across from Sinclair Spirits. The way the plastered splicers would appear, but not be there when I went to loot them gave me the creeps XP

[@BenPlaysGames]

Such a great touch and really in keeping with the vibe of the level as a whole - I always feel like I'm constantly looking over my shoulder when exploring Fort Frolic.

[@Moxymury]

I just came across your video about the Medical Pavilion last night! Great timing!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Ah nice, appreciate you taking the time to check em both put Flower!

[@callumdonington2227]

Watching you shoot the shotgun on basic splicers kills a small part of me. Great video

[@BenPlaysGames]

Nice one Callum! And yeh, the old save I had was equipped with a ton of shotgun ammo, so I went around mostly blasting everything to bits. I record on easy difficulty so it's easier to get good footage, so everything went down rather quickly to say the least.

[@jasonsteel9335]

I love the passion you have for this beautiful, old masterpiece

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Jason! It's on my favourites to this very day, game just drips with atmosphere the whole way through.

[@MrBulleye100]

I think you just tied up my conclusion of my thesis on videogames and architecture... Thank you

[@joekaz5198]

This level is so iconic. This was in the early days of the 360/PS3 era and my 17 year old brain that grew up on Nintendo was blown away

[@BenPlaysGames]

I got the game the day it came out after school and had roughly 30 minutes to play it before I headed to a festival for the weekend. I was so excited but also super disappointed as I only managed to get to where the demo ended before I had to leave, so had to wait another three days to actually play anything I hadn't already seen. Could barely contain myself 😂

[@m.helios5545]

I like to think that the reason why the disciples weren't very "Good" was because you see them kind of like Cohen does, they aren't the best, they don't live up to the standard of the game, at 7:03 you say you weren't enamored with the disciples, the same way Cohen was. It cool to think about if you think of it like this.

[@Prof.Pwnalot]

100% agree with you on Fort Frolic being the best game level ever made. The vibes that Sander Cohen portrays is just beyond amazing. Truly a great game and amazing character.

[@GoldSrc_]

I *loved* this level of the game the first time I played the game years ago.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Same mate. I'd got into a rhythm with the game and there hadn't been any massive surprises for a while, then Fort Frolic came and absolutely blew me away. It and the Medical Pavilion are so, so good.

[@michaelguernsey1206]

Man this game looks so fantastic. I’ve heard so many good things on it. Real fascinating video bro! I gotta play this soon

[@BenPlaysGames]

Nice one Michael! I would highly, highly recommend giving it a go if you have the chance. The first game is one of my absolute favourites and the sequels aren't too bad either. BioShock 2's DLC, Minerva's Den, is also incredible too.

[@michaelguernsey1206]

@@BenPlaysGames good to know 👍

[@sigmapopsical272]

I've played this game many times And I shall many times more

[@aaronm9158]

This was a really fun video to watch, thank you!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks Aaron, and no worries dude!

[@Kelis98]

Fort Frolic is a fantastic level in a fantastic game, I wonder if this means we’ll see more videos on the Bioshock series? Would be cool if so

[@BenPlaysGames]

I've a recent video on the design of the Medical Pavilion and a very old, quite low quality video about Minerva's Den. I'd say don't watch the Minerva's Den video, however - I'm planning to do a longer, better quality, much more comprehensive version before the end of the month.

[@TheBioshockHub]

Very well done video my friend, keep it up!

[@heideknight9122]

Sander Cohen was my favorite character from Bioshock. His dialogue and mannerisms were so well done.

[@BenPlaysGames]

He just edges for me over Steinman. I love how creepy the medical pavilion and he are, but I couldn't honestly say that Cohen isn't the better fleshed out character.

[@heideknight9122]

Very true! I guess I liked quoting Cohen more but Steinman is very memorable.

[@LiveTortoise764]

I love bioshock, and I already love you as a person to watch so I subscribed. I hope you’ve been having a wonderful time on KZbin and a fantastic week so far :)

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Nicolas, that's super kind of you - I really appreciate the support. And I'm good thanks mate, not been a bad week at all. Hope all's well with you too!

[@LiveTortoise764]

@@BenPlaysGames It has been decent, could be better but I figured I could spread some joy and make someone feel great. Thank you for your kind reply :)

[@dreadlordhg360]

Fort Frolic was so fun. It had this weird constant pressure on you.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Agreed, I feel like every area has something ready to make you jump in it 🙈

[@vegeta002]

I don't think Cohen was actually free from censors, considering Andrew Ryan censored anyone critical of him or who he doesn't like. Considering Cohen and Ryan didn't like each other very much at the end, being censored probably contributed to his current mental state.

[@whiteasian3636]

Let’s goooo and… holy crap, get this game I guess idk why I’ve been on the fence for so long

[@RicketyRocketyRoo]

all 3 are fantastic

[@BenPlaysGames]

You've never played it? Oh man, you're in for a treat, definitely give it a go!

[@sandman8993]

My memory of this game is a crashing buggy mess on windows vista! Absolutely loved it but omg was it a nightmare on pc.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Urgh Vista, brutal. Got it day one on 360, so no such problems for me!

[@TheActualMrLink]

Visions of pain

[@Capnsensible80]

Worked fine for me on Windows XP

[@sandman8993]

@@Capnsensible80 I had to run it on xp mode through vista,If I remember correctly.

[@lonelyqueen86]

Havent played this game in years. Forgot how much I love the atmosphere. Maybe time for another visit to Rapture.

[@Supperdude9]

It certainly was one of the more memorable areas of the game. Had a lot of setpieces that made you remember Bioshock.

[@alonzobonilla]

I love both games and the lore and the horror behind it all

[@BenPlaysGames]

Me too Alonzo, away for a wedding this weekend in Ireland and then I'm going to start a Minerva's Den playthrough.

[@alonzobonilla]

@@BenPlaysGames congrats to the bride and groom and i like minervas den

[@trevorstockwell8290]

Let's hope wen the new bioshock comes out, it's an enjoyable game

[@BenPlaysGames]

I was a little disappointed by Infinite, although I still had a great time with it, so trying to remain calm and not get too carried away haha.

[@__chevytrucks__]

The ambience freaked me out as a kid.

[@giantboneguyakaregulargum2934]

He could make all this up and i would never know

[@BenPlaysGames]

It's true, I promise!

[@ragjr992]

I have to play Bioshock 1 and 2 again I love them

[@Chriscovelli1]

Folks, if you purchase this game on the PlayStation network, it will have a GAME ENDING BUG. Right before you go into fort frolic, the bug will simply not allow you to proceed. And since they refuse to release an update, DO NOT PURCHASE THIS, unless you like broken games. You've been warned.

[@Rito.94]

2023 and here we are still bugged

[@Chriscovelli1]

@@Rito.94 very true my friend. It says a lot about how this industry just wants your money. Sucks cuz it was a great game otherwise.

[@IsaardP]

Great analysis 👍

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Isaard!

[@drunkenqueen3077]

I'm probably crazy because I love Sander Cohen and I don't want to kill him.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Definitely worth leaving him alive for the scenes a little later on. Although I must confess, on this run he did come a cropper in Fort Frolic haha.

[@isaacgv2385]

I love BioShock my game favorite 😔❤️😢😍

[@markmulder9845]

This part of the game is creepy as hell to me.

[@BenPlaysGames]

To me too Mark, it's one of the best levels in any videogame for my money. It functions as an amazing short story within the wider game and is really, really unsettling quite a lot of the time.

[@JabamiLain]

Do you know what's the worst part about wanting to do a fan crossover of a childhood show of yours ? Is that you might want to add characters from pieces of midia such as "BioShock" into the story. Problem is, that show might have been, let's say, an innocent one. And doing such a fanfic not only would show the show's atmosphere, but it might also ruin someone else's inner childhood. In my case, I want to make a fan crossover with season 2 of the girl anime called "JewelPets", by including Cruella De Vil (OUAT), Jefferson, Cohen and Jhin in the story. And you all know what these psychos together are bound to do in the story. Should I still take a chance though ? I mean, I think there are crossovers such as this one that do work out.

[@jessewright5604]

Why all the game text coming out as vertical rectangular early on?

[@AidenRKrone]

This is the only area in the entire game that I hate. It's just so goddamn repetitive and pointless. It doesn't move the story along at all. In fact, it derails the story. It feels like the developers added it to pad out the playtime of the game.

[@drandescancelled2825]

Why's the quest text blank?

[@BenPlaysGames]

I've no idea! I'm playing on the remastered version on Steam and it's been an issue for as long as I can remember. None of it comes up properly, very strange...

[@Zeromegas]

This is the only place that Jack free will

[@TheAlphawolf6]

Would love if you covered the Mass Effect series next!

[@BenPlaysGames]

I've been playing through the anniversary collection or whatever it's called in dribs and drabs since it arrived on Gamepass, but struggling to find the time! Near the end of Mass Effect now, so maybe I'll do something on that to start with at some point in the near-ish future. I do also have a video about Mass Effect 2's opening on the channel, if you're interested in that.

[@TheAlphawolf6]

@@BenPlaysGames oh yes I believe that was the first of your videos I watched! Hahaha

[@regularphill]

i dont know how i got past fort frolic considering im a scared little 14 year old

[@BenPlaysGames]

Massive cajones.

[@eddiekrustysock4395]

objective updated: R E D A C T E D

[@BenPlaysGames]

Haha I've no idea how to fix it or why it's happening, so decided it's probably best to just leave well alone.

[@OScube]

Did a secret meeting took place where devs decided never to design levels this good again?

[@BenPlaysGames]

Yes, I was there. We all agreed that large, empty open worlds are the only acceptable type of game going forward.

[@orangeporridge1553]

What happened to the original title & thumbnail?

[@BenPlaysGames]

Often I'll change them during the first few hours if people aren't clicking on the video. Because, if the video does badly the first 24 hours or so, often times KZbin will stop recommending it to anyone whatsoever, which is pretty brutal 😂

[@orangeporridge1553]

@@BenPlaysGames huh. Interesting

[@Capnsensible80]

@@BenPlaysGames Well it worked, just got it recommended out of nowhere. Great video btw. I haven't played the game in years, but if I remember correctly, the "statues" bleed if you shoot/hit them which is pretty macabre. I always assumed they were actual people who just had been plastered over to preserve them and their poses he put them in

[@hugewangsan3060]

A man chooses, a slave obeys

[@BenPlaysGames]

This is something I should have spoken about in the video honestly. It's interesting that most of Jack's actions in the game can be attributed to the wants of someone else, yet when he's in an area where that's not an issue, he still continues to follow orders.

[@hugewangsan3060]

@@BenPlaysGames thank you for the thoughtful and engaging comment. I have the chains tattooed on my wrists, as I have battled with something that made me a slave. Thanks for showing a new generation why bioshock is the best game series in recent history. You have my sub friend.

[@technoir2045]

Kinda thought it was a bit boring

[@BenPlaysGames]

Ah that's a shame - horses for course and all that!

[@raccooncityhunk497]

Only 15 years late, nice

[@BenPlaysGames]

Tofu's cooler than Hunk.

[@GreatDood5]

I hated this part the most.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Ah damn, how come?