An overambitious title that ends up being less than the sum of it's parts.
I had high expectations going into Bioshock Infinite. Everything I had heard about the game up to it's release seemed awesome, but it truly turned out to be a disappointment. I only say that because I was expecting something very grand, with great gameplay and an even better storyline. What I got was much less than that, but was still a decently fun game that I enjoyed my time with, but would likely not play again.
When going through the game, after a few levels I realized just how standard the gameplay was. It didn't necessarily play bad, It just got a bit repetitive, and lacked the punch of other shooters. Even when they gave you new vigors, the shooting still felt somewhat bland and the powers quickly lost their appeal, but I kept going, hoping the storyline would pan out and make it a worthwhile experience.
Parts of the story were really good, actually. I think they introduce the characters really well, and give them great personalities, especally Elisabeth. I really felt as though I knew who Elisabeth was, and the way her character grows and the way she interacts with Booker over the storyline feels really natural, and organic. They still really nail that sense of atmosphere, as well. The areas you're going through, especially early-on, all feel really well-made, and there's also a whole bunch of great little moments to find if you explore the environment. The major issue I had with the story was how it went from a very character-driven narrative to a generic, boilerplate tale that was more about saving the world, instead of exploring the characters they introduce early on to a deeper extent.
As for the ending, I won't spoil anything, but it becomes incredibly hokey and preachy, with metaphorical nonsense being spewed left and right. One might argue that all sci-fi is like this, but I would disagree. Either way, I still found it to be unsatisfying, and despite it's attempts not to be, I feel as though it ended up being very trite. I was also able to telegraph a lot of what was going to happen next before it even happened.
I really wanted to like Bioshock Infinite, and I still think it's an alright game, but the story is too ambitious for it's own good, the combat is generic and repetitive, thus it manages to be less than the sum of it's parts.
