So... this my first post, despite being a longtime visitor and fan of the site (including the community). I'm going through a 6 month dry spell (game-wise, obviously), and the only thing I'm looking forward to in the first half of this year, is Burial at Sea - Episode 2. Apparently the first episode wasn't well-received; regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see how it ends.

In fact, I'm planning on saving the weekend after release to play through both episodes. I'm curious if anyone else is even remotely excited about this, and planning on playing it on release or sometime later. If so, will you give 1998 mode a shot on your first playthrough?

Yeah. One of the main complaints that I heard about episode 1 was that it ended just as things were starting to ramp up, so I'm holding off playing it until episode 2 comes out so I can play them both back-to-back.

@cloudymusic said:

Same.

Bought the season pass, Clash in the Clouds was really meh and the challenges in it were way too frustrating to try more than a couple times. Especially when the challenges often pigeonhole you into using certain weapons or vigors (or the melee attack) against enemy types where that is an EXTREMELY bad idea. Also Handymen continue to be NOT FUN to fight in the slightest.

So I anxiously await the completion of Burial at Sea, which I haven't started. It sounds like it'll work better as one complete experience, based on some opinions I've heard of people not liking that the first episode isn't all that interesting until right at the end.

@bisonhero: Really? I kind of liked the Handymen fights in the main story. I liked how the Handymen always kept me on my toes. The challenges in Clash in the Cloud can be ignored, since they aren't really mandatory. I agree however that the notion of going through all the waves repeatedly to attempt the challenges is frustrating.

*If you think that saying a story ends with a twist, cliffhanger, deus ex machine, et cetera is a spoiler, then... SPOILERS!*

The odd thing about the "cliffhanger" at the end of the first episode, is that it had a fair amount of closure, so I didn't feel like I was cheated in any way.

I enjoyed Burial at Sea ep 1 a lot. I find it fascinating that Rapture has been revisited about 3 times by now and every time you want to go back.

Um, duh! Hopefully I'm done with Infamous Second Son before it comes out because if I'm not, I'm just going to leave it downloaded sitting there.

I really liked the first chapter of Burial at Sea, so I am obviously stoked for the last part of it. Hopefully it is just as interesting, if not more so, than the first part. I really liked seeing Rapture again, especially putting the Infinite characters and ideas into that setting. My hope is that it has a satisfying conclusion. So far I can't really tell how it is going to wrap up, especially with how the first part concluded, so I am actively trying to figure out just where the story is going to go. That's really fun.

So yeah, I am really excited for it.

@militantfreudian said:

Yeah, Handymen were pretty much fine in the main story, I just didn't like that in Clash in the Clouds, Handymen A) can spawn like right on top of you as soon as a wave starts, and B) fighting two of them at once super duper sucks, and C) at least a few Blue Ribbon challenges related to Handymen really, really suck in how particular they are.

But really the whole of CitC is deeply flawed because if you ever die you can no longer get the Blue Ribbon challenge for that wave until you quit and start again, which is just completely stupid. As long as you don't violate the conditions of the challenge (i.e. "only use a shotgun for this wave"), you should be able to keep attempting it as much as you want. So when you only have a few challenges left somewhere in waves 10-15 of a particular arena, you have to slog through a bunch of irrelevant waves on your way to getting to the ones you actually care about. It's just the worst possible way you could design this sort of arena combat add-on.

I am excited for it. I still really like Bioshock Infinite.

@crithon: I actually played Bioshock for the first time last year, and it filled me with awe. I find it admirable that despite being released fairly early on during a new console generation, the game still has one of the most realized narrative settings in the past decade or so. However, I wasn't very fond of Rapture in Bioshock 2. It took place almost a decade after the original game, so it was basically a rubble.

I completely agree with you. The fact that the story (and the world) is somewhat enigmatic makes the whole experience all the more engaging.

@militantfreudian: the excuse to go back into Rapture is always rubbish. Bioshock 2 just the ideas presented to get you back are just terrible but then after a while it's slowly starts to work and it's enjoyable to return into rapture. Even Infinite's concept of returning to Rapture is ridiculious..... that's what I mean, the excuse is terrible but then you just grow to love the idea of Rapture more even if it's to see another idea in that world.

Nah. Knowing that Irrational is shut down means that Ep.2 probably won't feel like a good conclusion to the series.

@crithon:

@mcfart: I highly doubt they'll release a half-assed product, if that's what you mean.

@militantfreudian: no, mostly talking about Bioshock 2. Even Minerva's Den takes place even more years later after Bioshock 2's events and STILL it's a very engrossing experience. And It's not the excuses, it's just that Rapture is so worth wild to revisit again and again and again. Like if they made a Third City "LAVASHOCK" players would still want to visit Rapture because it's just that special.

Yup, I'm looking forward to episode two, particularly since I've been holding off on playing episode one until it comes out. Should be awesome to revisit Infinite and play through this DLC once it's all out.

I've been holding off on the first one until #2 is out. Because yea.

Also probably a bit past that JUST IN CASE they say they're bringing it to XB1/PS4 because I'm a sucker.

@crithon: Well, yeah. Rapture is without a doubt a fascinating place, and I actually found all the Bioshock entries to be engrossing, albeit in varying degrees. The events of Minerva's Den coincide with events of the main game.

To be honest, I'm surprised to see so many people holding off playing the first episode. I mean, good for you!

I enjoyed ep.1 a lot, didn't realise that the weapon wheel was back until near the end though, so was wondering why ammo was so scarce the whole time! Episode 2 should be pretty interesting.