"'Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt,' that was the deal. The details elude me now, but the details wouldn't change a goddamn thing."-Booker DeWitt
I got this game two weekends ago and I finished playing it this past Saturday. And let me just say, it blew my mind. I had heard all the hype on the game but I had not played the first two games in the series, so naturally I was a little skeptical. But I figured I would give it a try so I went to the nearest Redbox and rented it for the weekend. I had watched a lot of trailers so I had an idea of what the storyline was, at least at the start. The game takes place in the flying city of Columbia, in 1912, where the player assumes the role of Booker DeWitt, a disgraced Pinkerton agent indebted to the wrong people. These people tell Booker that if he goes to Columbia and finds a girl named Elizabeth, they will "wipe away his debt." Columbia has multiple unique themes which include ultra-nationalism, specifically American exceptionalism, racism, manifest destiny, and baptism. The player really gets to see these different themes play out through the course of the game.
The opening scene has Booker riding in a rowboat towards a lighthouse on a dark and stormy night off the coast of Maine with another man and woman who turn out to play key roles in the story. This scene is very dark and ominous and is in stark contrast to when Booker soars into Columbia, the city in the sky. That moment, with the subtle music playing and the city blazing in the sunlight was breathtaking. This game is a visual marvel. And I was ready to explore. I spent the first few minutes running around Columbia and trying to get my bearings but my objective was waiting so I set off in search of Elizabeth. The story and character development is what really drives this game. And trust me when I say this is not a game to be rushed. Lose yourself in Columbia and really try to discover the secrets and all that the city has to offer. The voxophones, recordings left by individual characters in the game, were especially intriguing and really help divulge some of the less clear things in the story. The campaign on "Normal" difficulty lasted me around 10 hours. But it wasn't until the second half of the game that I really started to explore and not just shoot my way through everything. Speaking of combat, the weapon choices were tons of fun along with the amazing vigors. The vigors are different powers that Booker acquires throughout the course of the game. They add a fresh sense to the combat and you are able to really work out your own strategies. Whether you want to use "Undertow" and bring your victims closer and shoot them with your Handcannon pistol or use "Bucking Bronco" to levitate your enemies then blast them away with your shotgun. The controls overall are very easy to use and although shooting can be bit off sometimes, it's a minuscule detail in the grand scheme. Maybe the funnest thing about the game was flying through Columbia on the city's multiple Sky-Lines. These Sky-Lines are like ziplines that Booker uses to navigate around the city and they become a big part of combat.
The character development in this game is so incredible it rivals that of the Uncharted series. And that is saying a lot. The player really begins to feel an emotional attachment to Elizabeth. The voice acting by Courtnee Draper and Troy Baker really bring Elizabeth and Booker to life. But if you are going to play this game then I have one question for you: are you comfortable with the idea of parallel realities? Because in this game, a building could be vibrant and beautiful in one reality, or burnt to the ground in another. It's hard to explain without ruining significant plot points but Elizabeth has certain powers and she can open these things called "Tears" that allow her to see different places around the world at different points in time. At one point you see her open a tear to Paris showing a movie theater that is playing Revenge of the Jedi in 1983(Revenge of the Jedi was the original working title of the movie "Return of the Jedi") even though the game takes place in 1912. This idea of alternate realities can get pretty confusing but it all comes full circle at the conclusion of the game. After beating the game on Normal difficulty, the player unlocks a new difficulty known as "1999 Mode." 1999 Mode was reported by Ken Levine, lead writer and creative director of BioShock Infinite, as,"Average gamers are gonna hate this mode. Thats okay. It's not for them. " He also said, "This mode is not going to feel like BioShock."
All in all, this game was an incredible journey and I can't stop thinking about it. BioShock Infinite goes down in my top 5 gaming experiences ever. Don't bother with renting this game. Just buy it because once you start it, you won't want to put it down.
10
+Fantastic story
+Beautifully rich graphics
+Great 1st person shooter gameplay
+Sky-Lines!
+Awesome vigors
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