Bioshock Infinite Review - GWS Reviews
Bioshock Infinite Review
The Circle Remains Unbroken in the City in the Sky
by:Bill Schur
If you had asked me about a month ago if I had any intention to buy Bioshock Infinite, I would have shrugged and said eh. If you asked me two weeks ago, I would have grabbed you by the shoulders and shook you violently screaming "OF COURSE I'M BUYING IT, YOU TROGLODITE." Where this transition occurred, is absolutely beyond me. With a million doors beyond a million doors, somewhere I should apologize to you for shaking you violently. Odds are that makes no sense to you. Bioshock Infinite disagrees. Irrational and 2K Games' most recent title will offer you an amazing journey, if you let it.
I have always believed that if you truly let yourself get emotionally invested in a game and take your time with it, you will have more great memories about it in the long run. Bioshock Infinite is one of those games that reward all manner of players for letting themselves get emotionally invested. For example, when you first arrive in Columbia, don't go for the objective. Just wander around, listen to the bustling, listen to the conversations and let yourself realize where you are. You're in a damn city built in the sky. For players of the original Bioshock, this may not seem all that unreal but I assure you, it is the same feeling of wonderment and awe.
The first experience Bioshock Infinite throws you into is in a church and gives you a great taste for just the kind of people you're about to deal with for the next dozen or so hours of the game. No one enters Columbia without being baptized and no one continues with Bioshock Infinite without scratching their heads and wondering if everyone has drank the Kool-Aid. Needless to say, an entire city of racists and bigots is enough to answer that question
"I'm Just the Prophet."
As Booker DeWitt, you're fueled by your duty and have very little bias to the floating city. You were a hero from the Battle of Wounded Knee who fell off the deep end afterwards and fall into gambling debt. That debt is the reason that Booker finds himself in Columbia, to recover a girl. The game pulls you into the story almost immediately by making you wash Columbia's dirty laundry and the only thing that stops you from cleaning that laundry is the brand on your hand. It marks you as the False Prophet, the adversary to the game's main villain/prophet Zachary Comstock. When you see how barbaric and absolutely depraved the citizens of Columbia are, the game unravels itself from that point and you get a true and visceral look at what Columbia is all about.
The game paces itself in such a way where most people will ask the correct question at the correct time and over the course of the game will be rewarded further. The game implements a similar aspect to it's predecessor with the Voxophones which further the story of the game and give you a much more in depth look at what happened before you got there.
Like the original Bioshock, many of the elements in Infinite are similar but have been improved on with many added features to these improvements. Those familiar with Plasmids in the first Bioshock will come to know these similar abilities as Vigors. When you first encounter Vigors it's a seemingly innocent and not all that deadly encounter, but as the tension builds in the beginning of the game, you will quickly realize how wrong that is.
The first weapon you get is the Skyhook, a melee weapon with decimating metal rotors. The skyhook offers you the ability to melee enemies and finish them off in a truly gruesome fashion. As sick as it may be, there's a sense of satisfaction using it to get amazing finishing moves. The skyhook functions as both the game's only melee weapon but as a functioning and necessary piece of forward motion in the game. Some of the most fun in this game comes from using the Skyhook to move quickly around some of Columbia's larger areas.
The world that Comstock has built in the sky and what kind of city he's running is a complex yet dark one. The next few hours of gameplay tell the true tale of Comstock and the life he's lead, the things he's done and the girl that he keeps locked away Rapunzel style in a tower. The exact same girl you are tasked with finding and removing from the situation, a task not easily undertaken considering that the city is out to get you.
You also get a glimpse of the games underground resistance as well, known as the Vox Populi that turns from a quiet whisper on the streets to a thunderous roar before the game is over. They initially are the underdogs but before the game is over your opinion on that matter will change drastically. While they act as a main player in fight against Comstock, there is a lot that isn't known about them.
When you finally meet Elizabeth, the game makes sure to tell you that all is not well with this girl considering the machines and devices in the tower that imply that Elizabeth has been a test subject. As you climb the tower you see (and through some Voxophones, hear) what this girl has lived with and been subjected to. After a brief encounter with her guardian, Songbird, she becomes your partner albeit a reluctant one at first. You quickly learn what makes Elizabeth so special and what she can do. When you first see it, it may just blow your mind a little and when you see it a second, third, or fourth time, it never ceases to amaze.
If you've been excited for this game, then you know how much Irrational and 2K have lauded over the AI for Elizabeth. The game perfects her in-game character while you play and as soon as she joins you, informs you that you will never have to worry about her as she “can take care of herself.” The game takes the most annoying issue with AIs in games and makes it enjoyable to have her around. She provides the player with assistance items like Health Packs, Salts (what the Vigors use as ammo), and ammo. Exploring with Elizabeth and progressing through the game is actually pleasurable as she actually adds intelligent dialogue and banter with Booker. While some of her random comments are often repeated, they aren't overly nagging or drawn out.
The Sky's Only Grievance
The gameplay/gunplay of the game is spot on and is brilliant in it's deployment and combo system for Vigors and single-handed weapons. Even better, with two Vigors active you can swap easily between the two with a quick button tap and set up a quick combo attack between the two to do some massive damage. On top of that, Irrational beefed up the Vigors system to the point where you can create traps out of them. So while having the ability to quickly dispatch enemies, you can lead groups of them into deadly traps strewn about the landscape. The combat functioning like this is seamless. The only thing that tends to slow down combat to a screeching halt is the menu to select your active Vigors. While it isn't enough to flaw the game, it does take away a bit from the atmosphere of an intense boss fight with a Handyman or other big villains.
One other minor flaw which is still a benefit is the revive system. While it is a huge benefit and helps when you've made a load of progress and die in the middle of a heated firefight with a group of enemies. The only downside to all of this is that when you die, it tends to take a little too long to get back up. Again, while this isn't a big enough flaw to ruin the game or even sully the moments, there are certain fights where time is a factor. Once over, if you're playing on Hard difficulty, expect to see Elizabeth begging for you to get up frequently.
Another improvement that was added to Infinite's already stunning gameplay and story was the addition of “Gear.” Gear is basically different pieces of clothing that function as enhancements to your weapons, melee, combat, or Vigors. Some add a chance to light your enemies on fire or make it more likely to recover ammo from defeated enemies. The Gear truly can help in a pinch but at certain points I forgot about them and felt that having to go into the menu to change it was a bit slow moving for my taste. However, getting enough of them and using them just right can make all the difference to your gameplay. Don't get me wrong, I think the addition of Gear is genius, I just think that to pause the game to change it and cycle through available gear got a little old.
"God Judges, I act!"
Overall, this game is absolutely out of this world and in my honest opinion blows the first two Bioshock games out of the water, literally and figuratively. While the gameplay tends to drag at one point during the middle, there is still plenty to keep you occupied to get you through. While Bioshock has been known for it's legendary twist and huge reveal, Infinite does the exact same. When the ending came I was not sure what to expect and any predictions or preconceived notions I had went straight out the window. You will not see what this game has coming and when it happens it will hit you like Buckin' Bronco to the chest.
Story: 10 Creys out 10
Gameplay: 9 Vigors out of 10
Graphics: 9 Clouds out of 10
Music: 9 Quartets out of 10
Overall
9.3 Doors beyond Doors out of 10
<-- Image Credit to David Tanimura.
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