What Lost: Via Domus "borrows" from Bioshock

I literally just finished writing my review of Ubisoft's "Lost: Via Domus" and will be linking to it, plus providing lots more thoughts and details, when it goes online later today or tomorrow morning.

But one thing I have to get off my chest right away: Remember that hacking mini-game from "Bioshock?" (see left) Some people found it fun, some thought it was tedious, but it was a substantial and somewhat controversial part of the game.

"Lost: Via Domus" rips it off almost entirely. The only difference is that there's no timer and different pieces alter the voltage of the electricity flow in different ways, which is important to the solution. But the basic experience is remarkably similar, right down to some identical sound effects. Coming so soon after "Bioshock," it's downright bizarre.

Of course, the big difference is that in "Bioshock," the hacking mini-game is a break from the awesome, exciting action. In "Lost: Via Domus," it's pretty much the most exciting thing players do in the entire game. But the review's not posted and I'm getting ahead of myself...