Bioshock Infinite Title Screen Screenshot by Wesley LeBlanc is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Bioshock Infinite Review
-Shocked they did it again.
BY WESLEY LEBLANC -- Bioshock Infinite, a game released in 2013, had a high standard to reach. It's spiritual predecessor, Bioshock, is known critically as one of the greatest games ever made. With the release of Bioshock Infinite, it's only appropriate that creator Ken Levine has shocked us again with such an incredible video game. Infinite captures a unique feel in setting somewhere in between 1912 (think World Fair) and retro-future science. Within this setting, an assortment of characters firmly plant themselves in your mind. Some are easy to love, some are easy to hate, and many make you question what exactly is going on in the game's city of Columbia. No other game has ever yielded the emotional impact Infinite did. With its relatable protagonist, its lovable heroine, and its not-so-distant villain, I'll be thinking about Infinite for months to come. Even when one beat misses, an even bigger one fires on all cylinders. By doing so, Bioshock Infinite not only lives up to the now-classic Bioshock; it has become one.
Developer Irrational Games-the studio that brought us underwater to the enticing yet mysterious city of Rapture in Bioshock-has returned from their slumber to make something even less plausible than an underwater city, a floating city in the clouds, plausible. I won't spoil the beginning but after some time, your character Booker DeWitt makes his way to Columbia. Columbia, a city clearly inspired by the World's Fair of times past, is a beautiful portrait of what life in 1912 might have been. The light is glistening, the flowers have bloomed, the streets are bustling with people alive with the glory of life itself. Like any real city, Columbia has its downsides. Propaganda is everywhere. The papers write of ultra-violence, the people speak with racist sentiment, and nobody seems to care. In fact, many seem to be quite okay with it. Columbia is a hyper-Jingoistic city.
It's impossible not to become a part of this world. Your character and all those around him are such a part of this world that not joining them seems impolite. Speaking of your character, you play as Booker Dewitt. Dewitt is an ex-Pinkerton Detective. He owes a debt and has come to Columbia to retrieve a girl, the only way he can pay that debt. Once Booker steps into Columbia, he realizes quickly that this task will not be as easy as it sounds. The girl he has to retrieve happens to be the daughter of the Jingoistic-Columbia Leader, Comstock. Comstock spouts religious propaganda throughout Columbia's streets. You can't go far without seeing or hearing him. Comstock appears to be Columbia.
The girl you're there to save is named Elizabeth. Without spoiling too much, she's more than your average AI companion. Let's just say that you certainly won't have to babysit her through Infinite's twists and turns, and firefights too. Elizabeth somewhat steals the show too. She's likeable and easy to understand. With a meta-perspective, it is easy to see that she serves as Booker's moral ambiguity. She gives Booker input on the decisions he has to make, often making him question his original plan. In terms of gameplay, she can do things that will turn the tides of a gunfight. I won't say what but she's powerful. She's also great about giving you money she finds, tossing you a medkit when you really need one, or helping you find the right path to take. She's essentially the perfect video game companion.
One you retrieve Elizabeth, your task is simple. Get out of Columbia. What seems like a simple escape quickly escalates to a game of cat and mouse between Booker & Elizabeth and Comstock, except in this game, you're the mouse who just can't get away. It is here that the dynamic cast really explodes into memorable characters. Comstock reveals his true colors. He's a monster in every way besides appearance. There is no way you won't hate him after completing this game which in turn, will make you love his offspring, Elizabeth, even more. The three-way relationship that builds between these characters as the story progresses starts strong, hits some possibly unneccessary mid-game padding, but only to finish with one of the strongest climaxes in a game I've ever been a part of.
At its core, Infinite is a FPS. It is a gun game through and through and its here where the gameplay really shines. Utilizing over 10 weapons, plethora of vigors (akin to plasmids from Bioshock), and a skyhook that turns any map into a rollercoaster ride, each firefight feels fresh and unique. This is great considering you will be in a firefight more often than not. You can play smart by setting vigor traps and luring your enemies to their demise or you can go in guns blazing, shooting anything and everything that gets in your way. Its this always changing dynamic that opens up the possibility for each firefight to be different than the last.
I've played this game on both PS3 and PC and technically speaking, this game is a masterclass in video game design. I encountered virtually no hiccups, keeping a constant 60 frames per second. On top of that, my PC was able to play on Ultra graphics settings allowing me to maximize all video settings. Columbia is certainly pretty enough but with 1080 pixels, 60 frames per second, and much more, I couldn't help but wonder how Irrational Games pulled this off.
Even if you've never played Bioshock, you owe it to yourself to play this game. it is a masterpiece in nearly every way. With a damn near perfect story, incredible and refreshing gameplay, and an almost-real cast of characters, Bioshock Infinite is one of the greatest games I've ever played. It has its downfalls but in this case, the pros far outweigh the cons. Whether it be on XBOX 360, PS3, or PC, you need to play this game.
Final Score: 10 out of 10.
-Is this game perfect? No, but no game ever is. This reaches an apex of gaming that I've never experienced before and because of that, it has earned the rare perfect score.
