BioShock 2 lets you shut off the Vita Chambers, die
by Griffin McElroy 
{ May 25th 2009 at 2:00PM } 
It was an option that last year's BioShock DLC (as well as the PS3 version of the game) afforded to its more hardcore players. And by "hardcore," we mean "absolutely insane." Seriously, during our first jaunt through Rapture, we died more times than Bill Murray did in Groundhog Day.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jinsenken @ May 25th 2009 2:03PM
A Bill Murray reference? Don't see many of those lately.
Anyway, cool news, but I'll still be using them.
mars @ May 25th 2009 2:06PM
ummm....I don't think Bill Murray died in Groundhog Day...
Ranelar @ May 25th 2009 2:11PM
ummm....I don't think you paid attention in Groundhog Day...
offday @ May 25th 2009 2:12PM
I think they mean on the inside?
thick and creamy @ May 25th 2009 2:16PM
ummmm....he killed himself like 15 times in that movie.
BlaqueBeird @ May 25th 2009 2:19PM
He dropped a toaster into his bath, drove off a cliff after kidnapping Punxsutawney Phil, steps in front of a truck, jumps off the bell tower, and also tells the girl he's after the he's been stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, hung, and burned. So ten, I count.
SecretAgentHam @ May 25th 2009 2:10PM
should make the game a bit more intense for me. will make it more into a survival game, or at least put more emphasis on it. i'm loving it.
HitNRun @ May 26th 2009 10:40AM
Considering that you can save at any time in both the PC and console versions of the game to an infinite number of files, this isn't really that "hardcore."
In fact, it was kind of a pain in the ass to come back when I just wanted to reload the game.
Ranelar @ May 25th 2009 2:11PM
80's pop culture references split my sides more than Jason with a machete.
Avatar (Steam: tmawds) @ May 25th 2009 2:55PM
Groundhog day came out in '93.
Ranelar @ May 25th 2009 3:05PM
Shoot, wish I knew that
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/25/bioshock-2-lets-you-shut-off-the-vita-chambers-die/1#c19014601
Akira @ May 25th 2009 2:11PM
Turning off vita chambers dosent make the game any harder at all if you just save a lot. I finished Bioshock on survivor with chambers off. I did die a lot and i had to keep multiple saves.
bm @ May 25th 2009 2:16PM
Yeah, I don't know why people whined about the vita chambers, PC FPS's have been easy mode with their save anywhere anytime since Doom.
Cosmo @ May 25th 2009 2:29PM
Except most of the audience on Joystiq are console gamers and thus are anticipating the console versions of Bioshock 2 though I will be getting the PC version. : )
Vcize @ May 25th 2009 2:39PM
Personally, a game has to be really really good for me to bother playing it if it doesn't have save anywhere anymore.
With the modern age of online gaming community stuff built in to our consoles it's ridiculous not to have it. There's nothing more annoying than playing some damn RPG with an hour between save points and getting an invite to a game of Gears or CoD4 from some buddies only to have to tell them "I'll be there as soon as I get to the next save point" only for the room to be full and you lose your spot by the time you finally do get there. That's not to mention the other countless times you may need to leave a game for any variety of reasons and not be able to turn it off until you get to the next save point.
I could care less if some little 8 year old beats the game on hard because he save crawled through it. It doesn't effect the game I'm playing at all and I'll gladly sacrifice something that doesn't affect me to have the added convenience of being able to quit the game whenever I want without having to re-play part of it.
Roto13 @ May 25th 2009 2:49PM
Saving anywhere is for pussies.
jayeffaar @ May 25th 2009 5:27PM
Actually it does make the game harder for things like fighting Big Daddies. I remember that to kill the first BD in the game, I died and came back at full-strength several times because of the chambers, while the Big Daddy kept all the accumulated damage. You can't do that with normal saves.
bm @ May 25th 2009 8:58PM
Saving anywhere IS for pussies.
Vcize, the problem you're describing only needs a "freeze" function, you know the type that lets you essentially pause and then turn off the game. There have been games that do this, and I don't know why it isn't implemented more. Hell, it's standard for all Wii VC releases.
And yeah, vita chambers are easier than save anywhere but frankly not by much. I forget, do the vita chambers preserve enemy damage even in bosses?
bm @ May 27th 2009 9:51AM
lol
Voted down by PUSSIES.
Carlos @ May 25th 2009 2:14PM
well if its like the first one the will let you save anytime so i dont know why they even add vita chambers to the game
FraGNeM @ May 25th 2009 2:31PM
So you don't even have to load, basically.
I don't know why people obsessed with quicksave/quickload never "got" it.
This is a growing trend in games. The newest Prince of Persia tried a similar technique.
Haikibutsu @ May 25th 2009 2:20PM
Groundhog day? The hell? We are doing an essay in English about Groundhog day...
And Ranelar, that movie is from... 1994?
Ranelar @ May 25th 2009 3:04PM
If you're referring to Groundhog Day, 1993. Get your dates straight.
Adam @ May 25th 2009 5:18PM
@Ranelar
Haha that's classic: "Get your dates straight." May I refer you to your replies further up the comments about an hour before you posted that? ^_^
Ranelar @ May 25th 2009 6:33PM
Permission denied, Adam.
Jampirow @ May 25th 2009 2:26PM
I never used Vita-Chambers.
I mean, really, they felt more like a disavantage than an exploit, since I'd lose a lot of ammo (a LOT) and Medkits in the process. Whenever I died I'd just reload from my latest save.
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ May 25th 2009 2:41PM
Me neither for the same reason.I got the "You are good at this" achievement in 3 minutes.The first time I played on hard I never used a vita chamber so I just load the ending and voala achievement unlocked.
Roto13 @ May 25th 2009 2:52PM
That ammo you lose is still lodged safely in the corpses of the enemies you shoot it at. There's not really anything to lose from using vitachambers. Hell, you never really have to use health packs at all.
Mark @ May 25th 2009 2:27PM
Excellent first game, cant wait for this...
AlexD @ May 25th 2009 2:34PM
does bioshock2 use the same graphic engine as the first one?
Gun Barrier @ May 25th 2009 2:36PM
what happens when you die with vita-chambers off?
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ May 25th 2009 2:39PM
GAME OVER.
Dishwasher @ May 25th 2009 2:46PM
you go back to your last save.
Obie @ May 25th 2009 2:48PM
Your disc explodes. ;)
In all seriousness, wasn't there a game designer that once played around with the idea, that when you died in his game. It's really over, you copy of the game would seize to function, so you could not play the game anymore.
Whoa.
Gun Barrier @ May 25th 2009 2:49PM
I hope saves don't take a long time to load as in the first game, because i am sure there will be an achievement for beating the game on hard without using vita-chambers.
Roto13 @ May 25th 2009 2:54PM
That mech game for Xbox with the giant controller erased your save file if your mech exploded with you inside of it.
Dishwasher @ May 25th 2009 2:57PM
they werent in the first one. that is how i got the achievement for not using vita chambers in bioshock.
Game_playa @ May 25th 2009 3:55PM
Steel Battalion
Roto13 @ May 26th 2009 1:28AM
That's the one.
Jasmino924 @ May 26th 2009 5:49AM
You'll just have to start the game all over again. Which sucks. If you try that you must have a screw loose or something!
http://systemfailnews.blogspot.com/
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ May 25th 2009 2:38PM
They removed the save and load system for the hardcore mode?!,oh just the vita chambers phew.Quick Save / Quick Load > Vita chambers.
Bioshock wasn't easy for the Vita chambers but for the fact once you get the research camera there isn't anything that can stop you.
McWeen @ May 25th 2009 2:39PM
I didn't think the game was that hard.
Dragod @ May 25th 2009 2:42PM
Ten bucks says there will be an achievement for completing a level without vitachambers active.
Twenty says there will be an achievement for more gamerscore for completing the entire game without vitachambers.
modified @ May 25th 2009 2:49PM
Can't there be a middle ground? Maybe after a chamber is used the power goes out for awhile and if you die during the blackout then it's game over.
Sam Diaz @ May 25th 2009 2:51PM
I never really used the Vita-Chambers due to the fact that you can save anywhere you want. Simple as that.
Levi @ May 25th 2009 3:04PM
does the PC bioshock let you turn em off too? I bought it when it was $5 on Steam, but I haven't played it since my bro told me you can't die. I know it doesn't bother most players, but when it gets rid of most of the challenge, I don't want to bother.
KeenCommander @ May 25th 2009 3:10PM
How about you just play...without dying? Is it really that hard? You're getting, effectively, the exact same experience.
Levi @ May 25th 2009 3:55PM
I prefer a challenge. Of course it isn't the same. When you can kill one enemy, "die," respawn, repeat, until all enemies are dead, the chalenge is far less than if you died and the enemies returned from your last save.
If it doesn't bother you, that's fine, but don't get me started on this argument. I just don't enjoy plying games if there is no challenge, and I'm not the only one.
VaultICEE @ May 25th 2009 4:07PM
I won't try to change your opinion, but BioShock is such a well-crafted game that it deserves a play though. Even if not for the challenge, but for everything else.
Levi @ May 25th 2009 4:27PM
yeah, I'm going to have to. System Shock 2 is one of my all-time favorites, and although I've heard from everyone that Bioshock isn't as good, that's still good regardless.