Bioshock Infinite

After a little over 3 years of patient waiting from Bioshock fans, Bioshock Infinite has finally released, along with a lot of hype surrounding it. But does the game live up to the hype, and more importantly, the legacy of perhaps one of the most celebrated First Person Shooter franchises? Let's dive in and find out!

Storyline - 4/5

Bioshock Infinite takes place on a floating city named "Columbia" during the year 1912. The player dons the mantle of a private investigator named Booker DeWitt. To pay back the significant debt he owes, he is sent on a mission to retrieve a girl referred to only as "Elizabeth" from Columbia and bring her back to New York.

Not long after Booker's arrival in Columbia, he is branded as the "False Shepherd" and nearly everyone in the city is after his head, compounding the difficulty of his mission at hand. And once he finds Elizabeth, she turns out to be more than meets the eye. Just who is Elizabeth, and why do DeWitt's employers want her?

"Oh, that guy on the ground over there? Ignore him. He just asked me if I could give him a 'job'."

What follows is an epic adventure that makes one question their place in the world, and how time and space works. Not only does it present a view of how things might have turned out if the South had won the American Civil War, but also a glimpse of what things may have been like if technology had advanced at a much faster pace than history had allowed for.

The story is unique, engaging, and actually believable, in the grand scheme of things. Unfortunately, there was some excellent potential for multiple endings that went unused, leaving me wanting more than what the game had provided. However, it is a story that could be told over and over again without tiring.

Graphics - 4/5

To say that Bioshock Infinite is beautiful is an incredible understatement. The art style seems to make everything come alive. And the steampunk/sci-fi environment presents a look at how things could have been in the early 1900's.

The characters are, for the most part, well-rendered and without a lot of obvious "recycling" of character models that seems to plague other First-Person Shooter games. This helps to provide the view that every character is unique, even the baddies that you inevitably have to mow down. Rarely will a player get the sense of "Hey, I shot that guy two levels ago!".

"Hey, Frank. You're right! These new eye masks TOTALLY make us look like we're not asleep!"

Environments are gorgeous to look at... from afar. You can spend hours upon hours just staring off into the background or admiring the architecture of Columbia at a distance, but unfortunately, the details tend to get blurry and kind of pixelated when viewed up close.

The weapons and visual effects also do a good job of maintaining the steampunk/sci-fi aspects that the game tries to present, striking an interesting balance of realism and fantasy that the Bioshock series has been known for.

Audio - 5/5

Firstly, the music for Bioshock Infinite is nothing short of phenomenal. Every note fits the mood of the current situation perfectly, supplementing the emotions of the story, or enhancing the thrill of battle. The soundtrack is moving and riveting, helping to push the player along on their mission.

The sound effects are nothing to sneeze at, either. Every squeak, crack, footstep, and explosion sound perfect, coming from the environments, characters, backgrounds, and weapons. Even the ambient noises like the sounds of nature, or the background chatter of a carnival sound realistic and pleasing. 




The voice acting is also incredibly superb. Every line of spoken dialogue, whether it's from the main characters, or from simple townsfolk having a casual conversation, is delivered very well, and helps to add to the feeling like you're actually in the early 1900's.

"I am George Washington. And this... is my GUN!!!"

Aside from the music and the voice acting, there are singing parts that deserve a special mention. The barbershop quartet that performs early in the game, and the various parts where people are singing in harmony during the religious gatherings are especially powerful and emotional, and compels you to stick around just to listen, instead of just rushing off to perform the next objective.

Long story short; everything that can be heard in the game is a treat for the ears.

Gameplay - 5/5

The basic gameplay is fairly standard for a First-Person Shooter; you aim, you shoot, you reload. Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary. However, the game executes this perfectly. There's no jerky controls or lag to worry about; the controls are incredibly tight and responsive. And as a bonus, they're customizable to suit your play style.

There are many, many more guns than in the first two Bioshock games. To offset this, the player is only able to carry up to two at any given time, but has the ability to switch between them on the fly. Each gun has distinct advantages and disadvantages, and the player must decide which guns to keep and which ones to abandon.

"Hold still. I'm going to test my new 'Osmosis' theory."

The plasmids that were present in the original Bioshock games are back, although this time they're called "Vigors". These Vigors give you powers such as being able to shoot fireballs, summon murders of crows, and make enemies levitate in midair, making them easy targets. The vigors all also have a secondary fire mode, most of which allow you to set traps and take out your enemies more efficiently, adding another layer of strategy to the game.

And once the player finds Elizabeth, they will be relieved to find that this game is not your typical escort mission where you have to protect your charge. Elizabeth proves that she can handle herself, not actively fighting, but effectively making herself scarce from the battlefield. While she does this, she looks for anything that might be able to help you. She finds ammo, salts (Used to power your Vigors), health kits, and money to purchase ammo and other items. She always seems to be able to find exactly what you need at any given time, although once she gives you something, she needs more time to find something else for you to use.

Bioshock Infinite mixes the familiarity of tried-and-true FPS controls with new and interesting mechanics to create a fun and unique gameplay experience that makes you want to replay the game over and over again to try and use different combinations of tactics throughout.

That's all for the in-depth exam. Let's look at the breakdown.

Storyline - 4/5 - Epic telling of a unique story that makes one question themselves. Unfortunately, there is a lot of unused potential.

Graphics - 4/5 - Beautiful environments and landscapes, but everything gets kind of blurry up close.

Audio - 5/5 - Powerful musical score combined with drop-dead gorgeous singing parts and excellent sound effects creates a veritable feast for the ears.

Gameplay - 5/5 - Combination of new and familiar game mechanics along with tight controls and freedom of customization allows for a fun and unique experience.

Total - 18/20

All in all, Bioshock Infinte is an emotional, gripping, fun ride that makes for an unforgettable addition to the already well-received Bioshock series. It's not often said, but this is an FPS game with a single-player campaign that you can play through over and over again. And that's just in the package; not even taking into consideration the downloadable content. Definitely worth picking up.