I didn't believe that Irrational could surprise me like they did with Bioshock. I came into Bioshock Infinite expecting some sort of surprise twist. This left me with an attitude of not being surprised by whatever Irrational intends to do. I'm happy to report that I was left with the the same feelings that I did when I originally finished Bioshock. That's not to say that these games are identical. It simply means that both of these games are unlike most games. Irrational has a knack for creating a dream-like world that could seem plausible. They made a city in the sea seem like it actually existed. Irrational accomplsihes this by only giving us a small peek about the world that we play in. The world doesn't reveal all of it's secrets up until the end. Even after that there are still many questions that the player has. Irrational also creates a past, present, and future for each of their worlds. With enough context and backstory worlds like Rapture and Columbia feel like real places that we've all been to. That is a very hard thing to do with much success. In many ways Bioshock Infinite is a landmark achievement for video games. It's one of those games that'll be talked about for years to come.
The opening of it pretty much kept my attention for long stretches at a time. I could not stop playing it. It's also one of those rare games that I wanted explore every single thing about it. If I could I would ingest everything that this game has to over because it is done with incredible production. It really is unlike any other game that I've ever seen. The art direction is just unbelievably good. The statues and posters across the world tell better stories then any conversation. The art defines what the story is and informs the player about many different things that words simply could not express. The amount of detail that is bound to be in every path in this game is remarkable. I would spend hours at a time just looking around the environment in order to take in whatever it had to offer.
The story of Bioshock Infinite has many themes that are similar to past games in the franchise. The basic summary is that you're Booker DeWitt, an ex-Pinkerton agent that is in heavy debt. Your main task is to go to a city in the sky called Columbia in order to find a girl called Elizabeth. The story is more complicated then just that as it deals with many different subjects that games barely ever tackle. Columbia is a city that dedicates itself to religion which is the belief in extreme American values. The game deals with issues of religion, faith, racism, love, acceptance, and much more. It deals with these issues with a lot of greatly written dialogue but it also does so with the enviornment. For example you can explore restrooms that are segregated so guess which bathroom is the clean one? Going to the whites only bathrooms and you'll see a clean area with the level of polish that the city has. The other races bathrooms on the other hand are filthy and completely different from the whites only bathroom. There are other examples that I won't spoil here but all of these subjects are handled with confidence.
Elizabeth is your companion for most of the game. She's an important character story-wise and also in combat. She's one of the most impressive game AI's that I've ever played with. She reacts differently to many things in the game such as getting cotton candy when offered or getting Booker money at random times. The game reminds you that she can handle herself during combat so don't think of it as an escort mission. The relationship that is built in the game between her and Booker is an important one. They both play off each other rather well. It's a rare relationship in games as both of them aren't ever a romantic couple. BIoshock Infinite is a mature game that treats their relationship as one of dependance. In order to work together they have to get over their differences. Conversations between them is one of the games many highlights.
Bioshock Infinite is also a video game so there is still combat. Infinite is very similar to the original Bioshock with concepts like Vigors returning. Gunplay feels very tight and unlike the previous Bioshock. Using your vigors which are basically plasmids is also key to combat. There are 8 vigors in all which range from shooting fire out of your hand to summoning a murder of crows that literally murder your enemies. All of these powers are important in there own way and using them smartly in combat is crucial. There many different guns such as sniper rifles and assault rifles in the game. The strange thing about it is that you have to pick up new weapons from dead enemies or around the area. You don't have a weapon wheel in Bioshock Infinite(at least in the 360 version) which is very disappointing.
There are also many new things that introduced to combat in Infinite. Elizabeth as the ability to open tears. Tears are portals to other dimensions that can be used in combat. Tears are important to the story but I won't spoil it for you. Tears are vital in combat as they can summon different things in the enviornment. For example you can summon weapons like sniper rifles. In other cases you can summon ally turrets or med packs. Theses tears should be used often in combat. The only downside is that you can only use an active tear once in combat. You can't have a med pack and a sniper rifle. Chose a tear that you think will help you best.
Shields are also a new addition to Bioshock. They work like most video game shields. They're a nice new bonus to combat since health doesn't regenerate. Sky-lines which are all over Columbia are also new additions to Bioshock. They aren't always in most firefights but when they you should use them to get to higher ground or to just keep moving. The good thing about them is that you can slow down whenever you want and be precise with you shots. You can also go in the reverse direction easily. The sky-lines are also good ways to get the drop on enemies in satisfying ways. The combat in Bioshock Infinite is good overall but it isn't the reason why your playing Bioshock Infinite.
I had a great time with Bioshock Infinite in general. There aren't many glaring issues that I had with the game. The middle section of the game isn't that great when compared to the start and end of it but it's still better than most video games. The story and characters are what make Bioshock Infinite worth it. The world of Columbia is a fascinating world to explore and seeing the events that occur in it are memorable. Everything about Infinite was done with incredible amounts of detail. The music, voice acting, and even sound effects are world class. It's rare to see a game pull of everything with such confidence. Bioshock Infinite will surprise you and make you compare your experience with it and other games. It isn't a perfect game for sure but you have to respect the amount of thought that went into it. The ending in particular is one that'll be a topic for a long time. As I'm typing this down I'm still thinking about what that ending is all about. Whatever type of gamer you are you have to play Bioshock Infinite. You just have to experience all that it has to offer.
Be sure to watch my video review below.
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