Bioshock Infinite

I have to be honest with you guys: I love this game. Instead of giving this game a 1,000 word long blow-job, I will summarize here: The game is absolutely beautiful to look at. The story is well-written and carefully plotted throughout. Environments are immaculately detailed to the point where you can just walk around without ever pulling a trigger and be completely enthralled. Little details such as posters, slaves in stockades, and segregated bathrooms all breathe life into the world. The character designs are great. Elizabeth is probably one of the most interesting and important female protagonists in gaming right now. Chances are, you've already bought this game. You've probably read articles on Metacritic, or perhaps you've watched a video by far more qualified game reviewers than myself who have all given this game glowing scores.

Now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, I feel as though I can talk about the game more objectively. The Bioshock series has always been a very story driven affair. From the moment you step out of your first bathysphere in Rapture, to when you are greeted by the bright, blue skies of Columbia, story has always been a driving factor. The difference between Bioshock and Infinite however, is that while one had a strong story that served to color the setting and drive the game forward, story wasn't the sole focus of the experience. In the case of Bioshock Infinite, story is such a huge focus that other elements of the game actually suffer.

One of the most annoying aspects of the gameplay had to be the gun layout. Specifically, you can only carry two guns at any given time. Moreover, you cannot buy guns from any store in the game. You acquire weapons by either finding them in the environment or lifting them off of the bodies of your enemies. There are several problems with this. The first problem being a matter of planning. You see, the game has several stations throughout where you can purchase upgrades. While this is pretty standard fare for a shooter, it becomes problematic because you never know which two guns you'll likely use. You can start out with a pistol and a machine gun in the beginning, only to be using a shotgun and an RPG later on. I never felt sure as to which guns should be upgraded because I never knew what I would need. If I ran out of ammo for my main guns during a firefight, I had to rely on whatever my enemies' had dropped.

(Handymen: You will learn to hate them.)

This problem is mitigated with the addition of Elizabeth. She has the ability to open up “tears,” which are rips in reality. With this power she can pull in gun turrets, cover, hook-lines, and ammo caches from other worlds. Another plus comes in that she will search the battlefield for ammo, money, healing items, and Salts(Infinite's replacement for EVE), to give to you during a fight. It is a solid design choice, but it doesn't always fix the problem with guns.

The combat works quite well. The ability to use a different combination of vigors and guns, as well as Elizabeth's tear ability add a dynamic aspect to the combat. More than that, using the sky-hooks to avoid enemy fire and shoot back, or use your powers, or perform one-hit kills is very satisfying.

This brings me to the next topic I want to discuss: Columbia itself. The world is beautiful, rich, and fascinating. At least, it seems that way at first glance. The problem comes in engagement. Non-playable characters will engage in a line or two of dialogue with Booker, and then never speak to him again. You can play a few carnival games, buy some cotton candy, but interaction never goes beyond this point. It's almost as if you're on an anthropological tour. You can observe, but you cannot interact in any meaningful way.

The game is all about Elizabeth. It's her story, one that focuses primarily on her growth and development. She is the story's main character and it shows with how her development drives the plot. Booker plays an important role, of course, but it's one that isn't made apparent until the very end. While this is great, the story-driven focus does take away from some of Infinite's appeal. It isn't that the story isn't great. It is, but there's so much focus on it that engagement in the setting suffers. There seem to be missed opportunities where the player could have been more engaged in the city itself, instead of chasing Elizabeth around.

(Elizabeth: Bioshock Infinite's main character)

Overall though, the game is very good. The problems above are nit-picking at best, though. There are some great commentaries on social issues, game design, alternate realities, racial tension, and religious fanaticism. The presentation is absolutely fantastic, complete with vibrant visuals, music, and architecture. The writing is incredible and the voice acting is spot-on. This game easily earns a place amongst Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Silent Hill 2, Mass Effect, Half-Life, and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for games that show the true potential of the medium.

Buy this game. Now.

Final score: 4 out of 5.