There have been many video games of late that attempt to deliver more than just fun game play. In many ways, gamers have come to expect more from a game than new mechanics or smooth controls. We've come to expect stories, lush and beautiful worlds, and lovable characters that seem to be mor indicative of a cinematic experience more than what most would consider a video game experience, and Bioshock Infinite delivers on all of those accounts, and more, making it one of the best games of the year, and possibly one of the best of all time.
Bioshock Infinite takes place in the United States during a re-imagined post-Civil War period where the United States spent millions of dollars creating a floating city that could travel the world by air. Years later, the city, named Colombia, has seceded from the Union, and represents a growing threat to the people that live below. You play the role of Booker DeWitt, a hired gun whose only mission is to bring back a specific girl from the city in order to erase his debt to unknown, shadowy figures from his past.
From the start, Infinite enthralls the player with stunning visuals, not unlike the original Bioshock in 2007, by thrusting you into a world unlike anything seen before. The floating city of Colombia is absolutely gorgeous, with amazing vignettes of color ranging from the lush vibrant gardens to the very patriotic and colonial style floating buildings, each detail is completely fleshed out and very little is overlooked. It is almost a shame that the game is a shooter, because as I was exploring Colombia for the first time, I just wanted to observe and interact with the citizens on the street. The city itself is depicted as lively and amiable at first, but as the game progresses grows increasingly hostile and chaotic due to events pertaining to the story.
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| One of the many amazing views found in Colombia |
The characters of Infinite are also fantastic, and for the first time in the Bioshock franchise, your character speaks and thinks to himself as he travels through the world, adding a new depth to the story. When Booker finally meets up with the girl he is tasked to find, Elizabeth, he quickly realizes she is no ordinary girl. Not only was she locked awy ina tower for her entire life, but she possesses the ability to rip "tears" in space and time, which becomes integral in both the story and the game play of Bioshock Infinite. But her character isn't another typical "escort mission" character that you struggle to keep alive. Elizabeth is just as important to fights and discovery as Booker is, and the game tracks her evolution from a frightened young girl to an independent, strong woman quite nicely.
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| An enemy approaches via Skyhook during a combat sequence |
The game play itself is nothing new, but has sparks of innovation that make it fresh and enjoyable. The plasmids from Bioshock and Bioshock 2 make an appearance in the form of Vigors, special chemical concoctions that imbue your character with amazing powers and abilities, and they are just as fun and flexible in combat as they were in the original two games. A major difference in Infinite is the focus on switching and using different guns in different combat scenarios. In some locations, the enclosed spaces that you fight in force you to use close range weapons like a shotgun or revolver, but at times the game forces you into wide open areas that encourage more hit-and-run style guerrilla attacks using sniper rifles and other long range weapons to whittle down the overwhelming enemy forces. Overall, the combat is fast-paced and extremely diverse. You could play through a combat scenario ten different times and dispatch your foes in ten different ways easily in most situations, which the gives the game a significant amount of replay value despite its lack of a multiplayer game mode. The addition of the sky hook, a sort of handheld monorail riding device, creates an emphasis on adaptability by placing the player in areas with a complex array of different sky rails to choose from, allowing more mobility during fights by giving the player a faster way to traverse the battlefield. Elizabeth's role in combat is much more supportive. In any given location, Elizabeth can highlight "tears" that can bring certain things into existence nearby. In one instance, you might call out for Elizabeth to create a bunker for you to hide behind , and in other instances, she might conjure up a more offensive "Patriot" - a mechanized soldier who fires off automatic weapons at enemies. The controls during these sequences are also air-tight, as they should be. You will never encounter a scenario in which the controller couldn't keep up with your thoughts or intentions, which is a plus considering how often you have to make split second decisions on the fly.
Even if you aren't a fan of first person shooter game play, beautiful worlds, or well thought characters, Bioshock Infinite is worth noting solely for its impressive plotline. Full of twists and turns, the story of Bioshock Infinite is sure to surprise you with just how many times it can turn your expectations upside down. Without giving away spoilers, the last 40 minutes in particular are unbelievable and shocking to the core.
In the end, Bioshock Infinite is an unbelievable gaming experience in its ability to incorporate the best of game play, visuals, music, and plot all in one package. It is a true masterpiece of modern video games, and an early contender for Game of the Year that no one should miss out on.
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