Another classic Bioshock tale, Anyone interested in seeing the underwater utopia in its heydays should look no further.
Bioshock Infinite – Burial at Sea (Part 1) REVIEW
By Tyler Pederson
I have not written a formal review of Bioshock Infinite. This is because while I know exactly how I feel about the game and every bit of what it brought to the table, I don't feel I can really put it into words. I can convey a lot of it like that, sure, and perhaps I will get back around to it, but for now know that it is quite possibly my favorite video game of all time, and that this review focuses solely on the DLC. Oh- and it shall be spoiler free because I am a strong believer that the story of the Bioshock titles are not only some of the greatest stories told in video games, but some of the greatest stories of all time. Burial at Sea comes at many as a rehash or a sort of fan service, but I can tell you it could stand along side those soon to be classic tales without any hesitation.
No gods. No kings. Only man. The words of Andrew Ryan hold strong as Dewitt's eyes open on New Years Eve 1958, awoken from his position hunched over his desk having likely drank himself to sleep. A young woman by the name of Elizabeth is in need of your help to find a girl, in order to wipe away a dept. With the infant city of Rapture having just witnessed the death of one Frank Fontaine, who's citizens have been kept in line largely by Ryan's self empowering ideals, and in part by video's that could at best be called propaganda, the setting is ripe for potential conflict, and one can only wonder just what role you will play.
It's not long before it becomes clear that the tale is all to similar to one you've played before, but in the best possible way. Fans of Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite will likely be lost in a haze of wonder, falling into old scavenging instincts, and searching for clues to further illuminate mysteries both new and old, of the underwater utopia that was. The narrative takes the familiar duo through a number of locals, including a trip to see the most legendary artist of Raptures history, and my personal favorite character, Sander Cohen. The life around every corner will inspire eavesdropping galore, and hearing firsthand conversations on topics previously relegated to a short audio diary is endlessly eye opening.
Many of those who contest the quality of Bioshock Infinite cite the combat system. While I never really noticed any issues with it myself, I can certainly say that it didn't feel all that challenging from encounter to encounter, much unlike that of the original Bioshock, who's enemies often pushed you to the brink of survival horror like ammo conservation. That issues has been happily cleared up here, though perhaps beyond what many would expect. Essentially, the challenge is upped due to ammo scarcity and a much smaller, though perhaps more suited set of weapons, only one of which is new. Additionally, the enemies here are a steady challenge. Even the basic grunts that will make use of a much more intelligible, but still not all that environmentally aware, AI system.
The narrative is without question one that will cause a similar feeling to that of Bioshock Infinite, rather than being closer to that of the original Bioshock. Audio diaries make a welcome return, and reveal much that fans both old and new may appreciate for different reasons. Due to the nature of the story being told, it's only natural that much of what you discover may not really be all that new in a grand sense, but anyone who was at all interested in seeing Rapture as it was in it's heydays should look no further. Booker and Elizabeth are without a doubt, two of the best characters to come out of the medium in recent years, and I can't wait to see where the story ends, and perhaps, another begins.
Bioshock Infinite – Burial at Sea Part 1 gets a 10/10.
