Bioshock Infinite
Reviewed By Stephen Pastic
Bioshock Infinite could easily be seen as the first megaton "triple A" release of 2013. Given the overwhelming praise heaped upon the original titles, to say that Irrational Games had high expectations tied up with this release is tantamount to saying that Miranda Kerr is "moderately attractive". So then, have the originators of this franchise knocked another one out of the park, or does Bioshock Infinite become a victim of unmatched expectation?
Despite the critical acclaim (and associated sales) heaped upon the prior games in the Bioshock franchise, let us get one thing clear right from the start : prior exposure to the series is overwhelmingly irrelevant, and as such both series veterans and newcomers need not worry about much of this release connecting to it's heritage (at least in a narrative sense). For those who have not dabbled in Bioshock until now, the game at it's core is a first person shooter with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and atmosphere. Boasting some artistically stunning environments to explore, players are encouraged to seek out environmental features and find audio recordings which assist in fleshing out the overarching story. In particular, the franchise thus far has received numerous accolades for both its propensity for intelligent plot points as well as its unique twist on exposition throughout.
In Bioshock Infinite, players assume the role of Booker DeWitt - a man with a somewhat dubious history who is tasked with retrieving a young girl named Elizabeth from the floating city, Columbia. Set in the early 1900's, Booker sets foot upon the city in the clouds to discover a place which is at once both beautiful, yet has more than a touch of historically appropriate racism and fanatical religious zeal throughout. As opposed to the prior games (which had players exploring a twisted utopia which had already gone well and truly sour), Infinite has players discovering a world where things are still somewhat more "normal"...well, normal for Columbia anyway. In keeping with franchise tradition, Infinite's narrative thrust is for the most part equal parts intelligent and intriguing - by slowly 'drip feeding' players ancillary story elements, players will several times over be rethinking where Infinite's plot will go over the course of the game.
To cut straight to the chase, Bioshock Infinite is stunning in its audio visual presentation. Art direction in particular is a massive highlight, and the floating city of Columbia is an absolute joy to look at, further compelling players to explore all it has to offer. Voice work throughout is also commendable, and the dynamic between Booker and Elizabeth over the course of the game caused me to like these characters more than i initially expected. Infinite is by no means a let down in terms of its backing soundtrack either, and there are also a few surprises with respect to this element in terms of musical anachronisms which will periodically rear their heads - you will know them when you hear them.
In terms of gameplay, players can wield both conventional weaponry (pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles, etc.) with R1, and also utilise abilities known as "vigours" with L1 - essentially a renaming of plasmids from the first two titles, vigours bestow abilities such as fireballs, electric shocks and other more creative attacks which can be combined from moment to moment. In addition, as opposed to Bioshock 1 and 2 - vigors can be stacked in certain combinations to deal additional damage to enemies for the duration of their effect. Use of vigors is limited by "salts", and whilst these can be replenished by finding salts about the environment, each use of a vigor takes a hefty chunk out of the players reserves (at least initially). As opposed to the prior titles, players are limited to carrying any two weapons at once as opposed to holding onto every firearm in perpetuity - this can often make for some tough decisions as to whether it may be wiser to exchange a gun you prefer with low ammo for something different with more in the chamber, for example.
A new gameplay mechanic in Infinite relies on the "skyhook" - early on in the game, players acquire a wrist mounted device which allows them to utilise the rails that connect the different floating islands of Columbia. Aside from being simply a method of environmental traversal, the skyhook occasionally can be used in a combat setting. Throughout the game, there will be certain combat areas where players will have the freedom to take to the overhead rails to either temporarily escape a difficult encounter, or even acquire a better vantage point in the heat of battle. Furthermore, said skyhook also doubles as a melee weapon which can either be utilised on the ground, or to dismount from the rails to deliver a powerful blow to an unfortunate enemy underneath. It must be said that whilst these environs are something of a rarity in much of the game, combat becomes an absolute joy when they do show up - allowing the player both a massive sense of freedom as well as adding an element of verticality to battle (as opposed to always being on the same horizontal plane as one's enemies) really makes these segments shine.
Another new addition is the ability to call upon Elizabeth (once players have met her) to open environmental "tears" (think ripping, not crying) to gain access to equipment, cover, support or additional options for traversal in a given arena. Whilst this ability has plot relevance, in terms of combat it also helps to add some further variance - not to mention some much needed assistance in certain areas. If you are worried about Infinite being one long escort mission, rest assured that you will not have to worry about protecting Elizabeth even once over the entire game. In fact, the game explicitly tells players not to worry about her the first time she is with you to witness combat: "Don't worry about protecting Elizabeth. She can look after herself."
Players who thoroughly explore their surroundings may (among other things) also find either new "gear" or infusion upgrades. Gear is basically items with differing passive effects, such as decreasing weapon reload times. Players can have up to four concurrently equipped pieces of gear (after finding said items), and clever combinations of these passive bonuses can definitely make progress easier. Infusion flasks allow you to level up one of the prime attributes of either your recharging shield (itself another new franchise addition), health or salts. Upgrades to either vigors themselves or weaponry is handled by vending machines throughout Columbia, and these get very costly very quickly so it definitely pays to scavenge as much coin as possible while progressing.
Bioshock Infinite does come with a couple of (admittedly minor) caveats, though. First and foremost, the game seems to have something of an issue with pacing. Infinite actively encourages players to thoroughly explore its environments for either replenishment items, additional story details or even hidden gear/infusion flasks to make themselves more resilient. Even some of the voxophones (voice recordings which dish out further plot details) tend to be placed in sneaky spots every now and then. Whilst it is not mandated that players explore as much as they can, the vast majority are likely to feel as though they are missing something if they insist on following the most direct path through the game. Somewhat connected to this is just how tedious scavenging any given area gets after a few hours - because items are hidden in just about everything, players will quickly find themselves in a habit of simply spamming the square button as they move their centre of vision over as much of the environment as they can in the quickest time. It might sound silly to say, but it almost leads to being slightly annoyed when entering a new non linear area of Columbia as you quickly realise how much busywork it will require to feel as if you have properly looked around.
Finally, the plot itself i am unsure of. Whilst it is definitely engaging, and players will want to know just what exactly is going on, there are certain segments where Infinite threatens to lose itself in its own posterior. Particularly towards the tail end of the game, one cannot help but feel Irrational may have conceptually bitten off more than they can chew as specific plot points threaten to capsize the whole thing. Overall it is a worthy heir to the Bioshock name in this regard, but it is far more vague than the comparatively succinct first installment and bound to cause more than a few friendly arguments over exactly what the hell happened and/or Infinite's own internal logic.
These minor issues aside though, it is tough to envision many people being even slightly disappointed with Bioshock Infinite. Veterans can expect the best gameplay in the series to date as well as a completely new city to explore, whilst newcomers are likely to be wowed at the stunning visuals and environs throughout as they discover what has made this franchise one of the "big ones" in recent years. Expect to see this one on the inevitable nomination lists for various "Game of the Year" awards in December.
Game: Bioshock Infinite
System: PS3
Developer/Co-Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
