An amazingly wonderful experience
Wow, this write up is a long time coming. I played and finished BioShock Infinite the week it came out and things just kept getting in the way of me putting my thoughts down.
So, BioShock Infinite! How do you go about following up one of the more popular shooters of this generation? It wasn't enough to just continue the story of Rapture and Andrew Ryan (which BioShock 2 did) but instead, Ken Levine and Irrational Games stepped out of the ocean and took to the skies in a game that casts a spotlight America's tumultuous past through Columbia, a floating city defined by its view of the Founding Fathers as infallible deities. Booker, a former Pinkerton agent, is called upon by mysterious hosts to travel to Columbia and deliver onto them a girl in exchange for cleansing a checkered past filled with alcohol and gambling debts. Neither Booker nor the player are prepared for the sights that await them as Columbia is a beautifully majestic city supported by massive balloons and jet engines (noticeably alien technology for 1912) that embodies the ideals of an xenophobic America cleansed of sin and immigrants. Yes, there's definitely a message to be found within.
Booker's quest ultimately places himself at the feet of Elizabeth, a young girl who is held prisoner in Columbia's highest tower by Comstock, a quasi-religious leader who espouses the greatness of the city as being more American than America. Elizabeth's existence is a mystery as is her unique ability to manipulate "tears" in reality that allow the woman to pull objects in and out of existence to the benefit of Booker. The nature of Elizabeth's power as well as the concept of alternate realities eventually becomes BioShock Infinite's central narrative hook. In order to advance through certain areas of the game, Booker and Elizabeth must jump in and out of alternate versions of Columbia (including one where Booker leads a rebellion against Comstock).
As a first person shooter, BioShock Infinite doesn't do much to separate itself from the original game. The player is equipped with a small arsenal of guns and powers (called "Vigors") that can manipulate NPCs, grab foes from long distances, and send a literal murder of crows to feast on their flesh. Scattered throughout the game are audio diaries that provide back stories for Columbia's inhabitants. With the exception of a fantastically realized roller coaster-skyway system (which can be used during combat sequences to zip around the battlefield and reach high enemy placements), the game doesn't feel all that different from BioShock. But for reasons that I won't mention, there's a fair reason for the lack of significant gameplay innovation.
BioShock Infinite - as a game - might not offer any sort of evolution for first person shooters, but BioShock Infinite - as an experience - is, in my mind, the best of this generation. The one regret I had about BioShock was my inability to walk through the halls of Rapture during its heyday. Here was a city that defied the impossible and became a refuge for the best and brightest before they fell under the sway of ADAM. Infinite makes up for that by giving the player noticeable breaks in between combat areas, allowing them to stop and smell the roses. And what beautiful roses! The game pours style and atmosphere but what I loved the most were the small yet noticeable elements that help the player to understand that there is something grossly wrong with Columbia's existence. Apart from technology that shouldn't exist, what really turns the screws are the covers of songs that have yet to be written such as The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. The famous folk song "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" plays a large role in defining what BioShock Infinite is all about and the reveal threw for me an incredible and heart stopping loop.
There's so much more I want to talk about but I feel doing so will get me venturing deep into spoiler territory. I will say this though, the final moments of the game offer up some of the most breathtaking and poignant scenes I've experienced in a game of this type. Memorable characters and a beautiful (yet sinister) world make BioShock Infinite a must play for those who hold story driven video games in high regard.
