Game title: Bioshock Infinite
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC/Mac
Developer: Irrational Games
Release date: March 26, 2013
Pregame:
The Bioshock series is back in a big way with this third installment. In Bioshock Infinite, a brand new setting takes center stage. Gone are Rapture's claustrophobic hallways and waterlogged battlegrounds, gone are the Splicers and gone is Rapture's '50s style. Say hello to the somehow-floating city of Columbia in the year 1912. This city is bright, open-aired and full of colorful characters that bring it to life.
Taking the series away from Rapture was a bold move for Irrational Games. At first, it seems a little silly, like someone said "we did an underwater city, how 'bout a flying one next?" Thankfully, the concept of Columbia goes deeper than that. Here is a hyper-American metropolis that believes itself so ethically and spiritually superior that it's floating amongst the clouds just to make a point. For perspective, the population literally worships George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. They're so America that they seceded from the union because America wasn't American enough. That American.
As Booker DeWitt, players will experience the original Bioshock's sense of wonder when Columbia is first unveiled, although Booker doesn't take it nearly as quietly as Bioshock's Jack did. Booker is a protagonist with a face, a voice, a personality and memories. Some of the most interesting parts of the game are Booker's interactions with the world around him, and particularly with Infinite's other well-rounded characters.
Booker has a robust backstory, and while he has a few reasons for what he does, his initial motivation is debt. He owes a lot to the wrong sort of people. He's told that if he brings a certain girl named Elizabeth from a tower in Columbia to New York safely, his debt will be erased. If he doesn't, incredibly painful things will happen, possibly involving pliers. I know, I know, the whole "damsel locked in a tower" shtick is pretty played-out, but it actually works this time around. It helps a bit that Elizabeth's tower doesn't resemble, say, Rapunzel's, but is actually a gigantic hollowed-out angel statue.
Play-by-play:
It's difficult to not compare Infinite with the original Bioshock's greatness. While the game's setting may be new, the overall play style is thankfully familiar. It's still a first-person shooter, and while most of the guns are new, trusty mainstays like the shotgun are here to stay. Upgrading guns works differently this time around, so no lightning bullets for you. To be fair, those were a little overpowered anyway.
Plasmids may not appear per se, but players do get access to Vigors, which are essentially the same thing. They're upgradable superpowers to be used intermittently with mundane weapons. Vigors' power source is a blue liquid named Salt (I think Irrational just likes old-timey words for 'chutzpah'), and players will need to find more Salts if they want to use Vigors liberally.
Vigors can lead to some fun battle scenarios, and a few can even combine effects for massive damage. For example, the Murder of Crows Vigor creates (what else) a murder of crows that attacks and distracts enemies. Then, players can quickly add a flaming volley from the Devil's Kiss Vigor. That will ignite the birds into flaming messengers of (what else) murder.
The Skylines around Columbia also allow for some new tactical options. Skylines look a lot like railroad tracks, but they run all over Columbia, at all elevations. Players can use the Skyhook item to latch onto a Skyline and use it as transportation, an escape route or as part of an attack plan. Players can shoot, but not use Vigors, while on a Skyline, and they can jump off the Skyline to launch a special melee attack. Beware, enemies can use Skylines too.
Columbia may be a beautiful, odd city in a strange location run by a madman, but it is decidedly not Rapture. It has no ADAM, no EVE, no genetic insanity, and no Little Sisters. There are also no Big Daddies lurking around to scare the begeezus out of players, although Columbia does boast its own array of partially mechanical foes. Enemies like Firemen and Handymen can be pretty tricky to take down (Firemen can use the Devils Kiss Vigor, for example), though I would hesitate to call them "scary."
If Booker's enemies do bring death over for a visit, there is actually a penalty for that death this time around! It's money!
Seriously, a bit of Booker's reserve of money will be depleted each time he dies, and he'll be revived at a nearby location with a fraction of his health. Enemies will also be healed upon Booker's return, so it does make things a bit tricky. If Booker has no money when he dies, it will result in a game over, and the player will need to restart from their last checkpoint.
While many gameplay elements are similar to previous Bioshock games, what makes Infinite different is its tone and presentation. Rapture made players feel like they were under pressure (possibly water pressure), working to redeem some fraction of that god-forsaken place. Columbia is a bright, shining veneer stuffed with ignorance, hatred and strife. It inspires players to topple that ivory tower.
Of course, as the story progresses, players will learn that the budding revolution in Columbia is no prettier. The plot takes Booker and Elizabeth places I never expected, which is firmly a good thing in my book. While I'd like to wax poetic about just how engaging the plot is, I'll save the spoilers. Suffice it to say that Infinite is worth playing for the story alone.
Speaking of Infinite's leading lady, players will spend almost the whole game with Elizabeth by their sides. Make no mistake, however. Accompanying her is not an escort mission. She requires absolutely no protection in battle (she actually can't take damage). Instead, she is legitimately helpful in a fight.
She'll sometimes act as a spotter, marking powerful enemies to bring them to the player's attention. While she does not attack enemies directly, she can open Tears (that's "tear" like "rip," not "water droplet") in reality to summon everything from new weapons to automatic turrets mid-fight. The player gets to choose which Tear to open, and the proper choice can quickly turn an uphill battle into a victory.
What's more, Elizabeth will scrounge around the battlefield for helpful items to toss to Booker at critical moments. In this way, she'll keep Booker stocked on ammo, health, or Salts when he runs low. This means that Elizabeth effectively enables the player to play however they like, regardless of their initial supplies.
She will not provide an infinite supply of anything, however. Players will still need to be a little cautious with supplies (especially on harder difficulties), as their companion will only restock them every couple minutes. Outside of firefights, Elizabeth will look around for cash and toss some over every so often. Every little bit helps.
The leading lady is also an expert with a lockpick, and she can get Booker into secret areas or safes with ease. How is she such an expert, you ask? As she puts it, she was locked in a tower with nothing but books and free time her entire life. Are you really surprised? Simply put, Elizabeth is the single most useful non-combative supporting character I've ever encountered. She's basically escorting Booker instead of the other way around.
Moreover, Elizabeth is a well-written character. Since she's been locked up her whole life, she's pretty naive at first, but she is anything but stupid. She's incredibly intelligent and well-read (not much else to do in her tower), and she's got a good moral compass, unlike Booker. The relationship that forms between them is particularly engaging to me, and I take special pleasure in the fact that it's not romantic.
Elizabeth's character is very fleshed-out, and players will see her grow and change as the game goes on. While her outfit does change to the corset-skirt combo in my first picture of her, she keeps the Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) outfit for about half the game. Her new outfit is a bit too sexualized for her character, in my opinion, but at least she has a reason for changing it at the time.
Her personality is my absolute favorite part of the game, and I recommend that anyone playing the game takes the time to watch her interact with the world. In peaceful areas, she'll make comments and even tell jokes occasionally.
It's not all fun and games, of course. As Booker and Elizabeth attempt to escape Columbia, they'll fight through agents of Columbia's god-complex-having ruler, Zachary Comstock. Chief among those agents is the Songbird, Elizabeth's terrifying, enigmatic warden. This thing is a gigantic, flying monster that can attack with sound waves. Oh, and he has stabby knives on his knuckles. Basically... run.
Comstock is hell-bent on keeping Elizabeth in Columbia, and it'll take some pretty drastic measures to counteract his control. Why do things halfway, right?
Final Call:
This Bioshock game really excels at storytelling, more so than even the original Bioshock. The ending will definitely throw you for a loop, and I actually recommend playing the game a second time in order to catch the legion of references to it throughout the story. The actual fighting mechanics are pretty basic, and shooting has been done better in other games. I find that the other elements of battle, such as Vigors and Tears, offset that shortcoming. My main complaint is that it could be a little longer, but the story dictates that the game end eventually. Dragging it out would have made a worse game, plot-wise. All in all, Bioshock Infinite is a damn good game. I recommend Infinite exceptionally highly to everyone.
Seriously, go play.
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC/Mac
Developer: Irrational Games
Release date: March 26, 2013
Pregame:
The Bioshock series is back in a big way with this third installment. In Bioshock Infinite, a brand new setting takes center stage. Gone are Rapture's claustrophobic hallways and waterlogged battlegrounds, gone are the Splicers and gone is Rapture's '50s style. Say hello to the somehow-floating city of Columbia in the year 1912. This city is bright, open-aired and full of colorful characters that bring it to life.Taking the series away from Rapture was a bold move for Irrational Games. At first, it seems a little silly, like someone said "we did an underwater city, how 'bout a flying one next?" Thankfully, the concept of Columbia goes deeper than that. Here is a hyper-American metropolis that believes itself so ethically and spiritually superior that it's floating amongst the clouds just to make a point. For perspective, the population literally worships George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. They're so America that they seceded from the union because America wasn't American enough. That American.
As Booker DeWitt, players will experience the original Bioshock's sense of wonder when Columbia is first unveiled, although Booker doesn't take it nearly as quietly as Bioshock's Jack did. Booker is a protagonist with a face, a voice, a personality and memories. Some of the most interesting parts of the game are Booker's interactions with the world around him, and particularly with Infinite's other well-rounded characters.
Play-by-play:
It's difficult to not compare Infinite with the original Bioshock's greatness. While the game's setting may be new, the overall play style is thankfully familiar. It's still a first-person shooter, and while most of the guns are new, trusty mainstays like the shotgun are here to stay. Upgrading guns works differently this time around, so no lightning bullets for you. To be fair, those were a little overpowered anyway.
Plasmids may not appear per se, but players do get access to Vigors, which are essentially the same thing. They're upgradable superpowers to be used intermittently with mundane weapons. Vigors' power source is a blue liquid named Salt (I think Irrational just likes old-timey words for 'chutzpah'), and players will need to find more Salts if they want to use Vigors liberally.
Vigors can lead to some fun battle scenarios, and a few can even combine effects for massive damage. For example, the Murder of Crows Vigor creates (what else) a murder of crows that attacks and distracts enemies. Then, players can quickly add a flaming volley from the Devil's Kiss Vigor. That will ignite the birds into flaming messengers of (what else) murder.
The Skylines around Columbia also allow for some new tactical options. Skylines look a lot like railroad tracks, but they run all over Columbia, at all elevations. Players can use the Skyhook item to latch onto a Skyline and use it as transportation, an escape route or as part of an attack plan. Players can shoot, but not use Vigors, while on a Skyline, and they can jump off the Skyline to launch a special melee attack. Beware, enemies can use Skylines too.
Columbia may be a beautiful, odd city in a strange location run by a madman, but it is decidedly not Rapture. It has no ADAM, no EVE, no genetic insanity, and no Little Sisters. There are also no Big Daddies lurking around to scare the begeezus out of players, although Columbia does boast its own array of partially mechanical foes. Enemies like Firemen and Handymen can be pretty tricky to take down (Firemen can use the Devils Kiss Vigor, for example), though I would hesitate to call them "scary."
If Booker's enemies do bring death over for a visit, there is actually a penalty for that death this time around! It's money!
Seriously, a bit of Booker's reserve of money will be depleted each time he dies, and he'll be revived at a nearby location with a fraction of his health. Enemies will also be healed upon Booker's return, so it does make things a bit tricky. If Booker has no money when he dies, it will result in a game over, and the player will need to restart from their last checkpoint.
While many gameplay elements are similar to previous Bioshock games, what makes Infinite different is its tone and presentation. Rapture made players feel like they were under pressure (possibly water pressure), working to redeem some fraction of that god-forsaken place. Columbia is a bright, shining veneer stuffed with ignorance, hatred and strife. It inspires players to topple that ivory tower.
Of course, as the story progresses, players will learn that the budding revolution in Columbia is no prettier. The plot takes Booker and Elizabeth places I never expected, which is firmly a good thing in my book. While I'd like to wax poetic about just how engaging the plot is, I'll save the spoilers. Suffice it to say that Infinite is worth playing for the story alone.
She'll sometimes act as a spotter, marking powerful enemies to bring them to the player's attention. While she does not attack enemies directly, she can open Tears (that's "tear" like "rip," not "water droplet") in reality to summon everything from new weapons to automatic turrets mid-fight. The player gets to choose which Tear to open, and the proper choice can quickly turn an uphill battle into a victory.
What's more, Elizabeth will scrounge around the battlefield for helpful items to toss to Booker at critical moments. In this way, she'll keep Booker stocked on ammo, health, or Salts when he runs low. This means that Elizabeth effectively enables the player to play however they like, regardless of their initial supplies.
She will not provide an infinite supply of anything, however. Players will still need to be a little cautious with supplies (especially on harder difficulties), as their companion will only restock them every couple minutes. Outside of firefights, Elizabeth will look around for cash and toss some over every so often. Every little bit helps.
The leading lady is also an expert with a lockpick, and she can get Booker into secret areas or safes with ease. How is she such an expert, you ask? As she puts it, she was locked in a tower with nothing but books and free time her entire life. Are you really surprised? Simply put, Elizabeth is the single most useful non-combative supporting character I've ever encountered. She's basically escorting Booker instead of the other way around.
 |
| Side note: the book in her hand is titled The Principles of Quantum Mechanics. |
Elizabeth's character is very fleshed-out, and players will see her grow and change as the game goes on. While her outfit does change to the corset-skirt combo in my first picture of her, she keeps the Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) outfit for about half the game. Her new outfit is a bit too sexualized for her character, in my opinion, but at least she has a reason for changing it at the time.
Her personality is my absolute favorite part of the game, and I recommend that anyone playing the game takes the time to watch her interact with the world. In peaceful areas, she'll make comments and even tell jokes occasionally.
It's not all fun and games, of course. As Booker and Elizabeth attempt to escape Columbia, they'll fight through agents of Columbia's god-complex-having ruler, Zachary Comstock. Chief among those agents is the Songbird, Elizabeth's terrifying, enigmatic warden. This thing is a gigantic, flying monster that can attack with sound waves. Oh, and he has stabby knives on his knuckles. Basically... run.
Comstock is hell-bent on keeping Elizabeth in Columbia, and it'll take some pretty drastic measures to counteract his control. Why do things halfway, right?
Final Call:
This Bioshock game really excels at storytelling, more so than even the original Bioshock. The ending will definitely throw you for a loop, and I actually recommend playing the game a second time in order to catch the legion of references to it throughout the story. The actual fighting mechanics are pretty basic, and shooting has been done better in other games. I find that the other elements of battle, such as Vigors and Tears, offset that shortcoming. My main complaint is that it could be a little longer, but the story dictates that the game end eventually. Dragging it out would have made a worse game, plot-wise. All in all, Bioshock Infinite is a damn good game. I recommend Infinite exceptionally highly to everyone.
Seriously, go play.
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