How come? Isn't Skyrim an RPG that use the FPS format as a base?

No one was asking for the game to be like a typical military shooter. I understand a unique story and atmosphere make up some of the importance in the Bioshock series, but we cannot forget that its still a video game, and that the majority of this video game is shooting enemies, specifically in Infinite's case, scripted ones that are going down the road of many generic FPS games. Not saying a game most solely focus on gameplay, but you can't solely focus on the story either. Some games, can do it like for an example Heavy Rain as said above, but you don't make a video game more focused on the story when the majority of it is the actual gameplay containing the FPS part.

One reason why I thought the first Bioshock got it right. Not only does it have a compelling story but good gameplay not just involving a linear line to exclusively follow, but a vast environment and level design to explore that added more to the unique atmosphere found in Bioshock.

Why do people think the Bioshock Infinite Ending is so hard to wrap their head around?

I'm not favoring one over another. I'm not saying that Infinite was better or worse...just different. If I had my choice I'd like to see the more complex gameplay of System Shock 2 make a comeback. Anyway, I was disappointed in Infinite's simplicity of gameplay until I realized that what they were trying to do was something different than what they'd done before. It's more like an interactive film wherein your character is going to have to do some shooting. If you thought that taking the focus away from the combat mechanics and telling a more detailed (albeit more linear) story was a step back then you probably wouldn't like it...I decided to try to appreciate what they were going for rather than lament the differences and ended up liking the experience. YMMV. Don't listen to me, though. I like something that's "overrated" so I'm obviously an idiot.

It's an example of using the kind of first-person-action game engine one would use for a FPS for something that's not quite an FPS.

I loved the first game. One of the best I played on the 360. I never got around to finishing it on PC, but I do have it.

Never played the second. Heard it was quite a step down in story. Which is what I'd want out of it, because the gameplay gets a bit stale.

Haven't played Infinite yet either. I'm going to wait until it's cheap. Not because I don't expect it to be good, but because that's just how I'm going to buy games from now on.

I think the first two svck, the third is okay.

The first was okay. Decent story, okay combat.

The second was okay. Okay story, decent combat

Haven't played Infinite yet. Heard the combat was on the meh side. I'll wait for a sale.

Overall, I think System Shock 2 is my favorite.

I tried to play the first one, because I heard such great things about the story and setting. The intro was great, then I got bored after about twenty minutes of playing and then forced myself to keep playing sporadically for about four or five hours total. I thought it was absolute crap. The visual effects are fantastic (especially the water and the plasmids). Rapture looks great. However, the background to the story about the history of Rapture is quite dull, the actual story you play through is incredibly lame and the writing was poor. I didn't like the gameplay either. I can't put my finger on the problem, but somehow it felt very sluggish and rusty, if that makes any sense.

Perfect sense.

Mediocre shooting wrapped up in its own pretentiousness. The first game has an inconsistent setting, and its only good moment is the big TWEEST in the plot. Infinite is the same mediocre shooting, except this time the one special thing about gameplay (plasmids/tonics) are not justified in the context of the world, and it's full of incredibly jarring inconsistencies in tone. My favourite part of the game is when Booker murders a bunch of people in a bar, and then goes to the basemant and plays the guitar while Elizabeth sings. Bioshock was a boring "successor" to System Shock 2. Infinite was a shooter made to appeal to Disney fans who consider themselves too intelligent to play plebeian trash like Call of Duty. I didn't play Bioshock 2 because I had better things to do that year.

An interesting concept, but average gameplay that really brings it down. The first was better than the second in every way I can think and I haven't played Infinite. I'd call it overrated, but I'd say the same about Half-Life as well.

I at least enjoyed Mass Effect's gameplay as well as the story.

Loved the first two, although I hated the hacking minigame in the original Bioshock. I actually preferred Bioshock 2. I don't think of them as shooters. The art design, sound design, gameplay and unique setting make them a rich immersive experience for me.

I own all 3 games and they are good games, maybe not great but there is nothing really bad about them, i would agree the 1st Bioshock is the best as it is the only one i actually replayed, but if someone has never played them then they are all worth a playthrough