Bioshock Infinite: Premium Edition - Playstation 3

Bioshock Infinite was one of the most hyped games of the year, and rightfully so. The game is ambitious in its ideas, it's setting, and it's elements of storytelling. The story starts off pretty simple. It's 1912. You're Booker DeWitt, a man with a mysterious past and mysterious debt, hired by a mysterious man to "bring him the girl, and wipe away the debt." This takes Booker to the city of Columbia, a city in the sky based on the idea of American exceptional-ism and religious righteousness. Things get... complicated from there. I'd rather not spoil anything, as everything else should be discovered on your own. The idea of having a main character in an FPS be an actual person, rather than a faceless vessel for the player to immerse themselves into is rather refreshing. His relationship and dialogue with other characters and the setting itself helps guide the player through the story easily. The story itself is very ambitious, often going in places you don't expect, taking you on a ride you'd never believe. It's one of the best story campaigns around these days. The atmosphere of the game is also astounding. There are moments where the game doesn't mind taking a break so that you can marvel at scenery, or time a song perfectly, or allow some interaction between you and your companion. There are moments where I had to set down the controller and marvel at the sight in front of me. Games rarely, if ever, make me do that. Of course, the game isn't all perfect. It comes with it's share of flaws, and most of these are in the game play and shooting department. The gunfighting itself isn't bad. Rather, it's generic. Those who played the original Bioshock will find some elements of it have been simplified and made easier. As shooting scenes are more prominent in this game, you're always supplied with ammo and vigor, and there's very few times where you actually have to start scavenging for ammo. Furthermore, because the world of Columbia is wider and more open than the claustrophobic and enclosed Rapture, gun fights involve more enemies than the original Bioshock. The problem with this is that it devalues the fights itself. In the original Bioshock, enemies were something to fear. Even the most basic ones could do damage to you if you're not prepared. In Infinite, most enemies are just faceless guards who you just simply have to shoot in order to progress to other parts of the story. Most fights just end up repetitive, and though the game allows you to use various methods such as vigors and skyhooks to defeat enemies, rarely do you ever need to. Most of the game you're grossly overpowered, even if you're not upgrading your vigors or weapons. Another thing, though admittedly it's a nitpick, the dissonance between the beautiful story and the violent shooting is something worth mentioning. Sometimes the dialogue and the "breather" scenes seem to be slightly disrupted by the high amounts of adrenaline shooting that follows. It's not enough to ruin the experience, but it's certainly something that could be done better. Less emphasis on gunplay and maybe some more exploration elements could benefit this game. Don't get the impression that the game is bad though. It's actually good. Really really really good. The story is great, the atmosphere is unmatched, and even the gameplay is passable. Overall, Bioshock Infinite is an easy contender for Game of the Year.

After getting my preorder on Tuesday, I have spent every spare moment available to me towards completing this game. Overall it has been a joyful experience playing a AAA game that tries to many things that are different from the mainstream and largely succeeds in the attempt. The #1 reason to play this game is to experience the mind-bending story. There are a good number of twists and turns throughout, and upon completion there is a lot to ponder and try to digest. Hopefully this isn't too spoilery, but I would highly recommend playing the original Bioshock beforehand to get a better understanding of why this one shares the Bioshock title. At the heart of the game is the relationship between you as Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth. She is an excellent NPC and adds a great deal to the gameplay. When she (occasionally) isn't with you the absence is palpable. She provides observations on the events and your surroundings, points out useful objects like lockpicks, helps with the actual lockpicking, and is hugely helpful in combat (more on this in the next section). The designers did a wonderful job crafting this character and I would love if this started a trend of highly intelligent friendly single-player AI. Her voice actor has a very effective delivery, big kudos to her. The story is strongest at the beginning and the end. There's a section in the middle which is most focused on the conflict between the Founders and the Vox Populi - the least focused on Booker/Elizabeth - and consequently the bit that feels most like a slog. Combat is the weakest part of the game. It reminded me of games like Uncharted or Mass Effect where you walk into an arena-like setting and you immediately know you're in for a fight. I prefer more spontaneity in video game combat when you can pick your fights and the environments in which you do your fighting. There are a good number of weapons and powers (known as Vigors) that you can choose from. I ended up going with a certain set of equipment for most of the game: the Hand Cannon for regular enemies, the RPG for bigger ones, Murder of Crows to incapacitate normal enemies, and Shock Jockey to stun the big ones. All of the Vigors and weapons can be upgraded and customized to your own preferences which is nice. There is also equipment called Gear which you can swap around depending on your playstyle; there are 4 slots for gear. The enemies are largely forgettable in my opinion. The regular grunts are mostly annoyances more than anything else, except for the ones with sniper rifles that can break your shield quite quickly. I was disappointed that the special enemies outside of the robotic Motorized Patriots don't really show up that much, as they break up the sometimes monotonous gunplay and force you to adapt to their powers. In combat situations Elizabeth can do several things for you: open Tears that provide helpful aid like first aid kits, weapons, or environmental objects like cover and Sky-Lines (more on this in a sec). She will also provide you with whatever resource you are running short on, whether it be ammo, health, salt (the resource for using the Vigors). I love this mechanic as the player doesn't need to hoard the ammo for their favorite/most powerful weapons like in most other games, but can really get creative and go wild with what they like using. I'll make a quick note on the Sky-Lines: it's a pretty interesting new mechanic for gameplay but I usually found it less annoying to fight in a more conventional manner. I would get confused sometimes about which direction I would be going in and where I could dismount. The Sky-hook doubles as your melee weapon and sadly it doesn't live up to the (admittedly overpowered) Wrench of Bioshock. I stuck with ranged weapons most of the time. Graphics-wise the game looks stunning even on the now-aged PS3 system. The art direction is colorful and unique, and every setting is so packed with little details that I probably spent a couple of hours or so just exploring and trying to find more secrets and admiring the settings. The NPCs are basically clones of each other which is a little disconcerting but focusing the game's resources on Elizabeth was the right choice anyways. She gets a few different outfits as the story progresses, and her body language and facial expressions are very well done. This is a single-player only game in the age of free-to-play and always on DRM - as an old-school gamer, I love this. Total gameplay for me was probably around 9-10 hours. There isn't that much replayability value in terms of the gameplay, but after seeing the ending I want to replay the game to see how my perception of the story will change. All in all I'm very proud to support this kind of game with my dollars and hope there's more like it to come.

BIOSHOCK INFINITE (or BIOSHOCK 3, as some might call it!) is a videogame masterpiece, A stellar example of how to blend perfect story telling with excellent fun game design, so many accolades can be attached to this title! Its literally ONE OF THE BEST VIDEOGAMES OF ALL-TIME!!! DONT BELIEVE ME? GO LOOK AT THE VARIOUS TOP TEN LISTS OF THE BEST VIDEOGAMES OF ALL TIME AND YOURE LIKELY TO FIND THIS GEM OF A GAME. KEN LEVINE, the maestro behind the original and infinite is a genius! A legendary game developer!

I have to say that I'm confused about the name. In my mind Bioshock means Rapture, the world we rampaged through in the first two Bioshock games. Heck, I pre-ordered Bioshock Infinite, which is something very rare for me, but when I saw the previews I cancelled the order. After the price came down I got the game, and now I've played through it twice. I can see the similarities to the other two games, but it still is not Bioshock to me. This is not a dead loss, and I appreciate that it's still better than many FPS out there, but I think it's misleading to say this is Bioshock. I want to go back to Rapture!! Okay, now that the whining segment of this review is over, let's talk about the game. Somehow the developers have managed to annoy me when things are TOO similar to the original game (weapons and powers having different names but basically being the same thing, and the vending machines even have the same voices) but also when they are NOT the same (before you could hold all weapons -- now you can only hold TWO -- I hate that! And you used to be able to save anytime, but now you have to wait for autosave points -- I hate that too). The storyline is decent, and it makes an interesting change that you have a partner and there's dialogue -- but there are LOOOOOOONG cutscenes and you CAN'T SKIP THEM -- how lame is that? I found myself getting bummed out on my second play through because I'd already seen all these looong scenes but I had to sit through them again. I think that really hurts replay. The intro itself is really long. It takes 20 minutes before you ever shoot anything. And did I mention you can't skip the scenes?! It is a real drag that you can only hold two weapons, and each only uses one type of ammo. I found myself sticking to the same two or three weapons and powers because they worked well, and I rarely used the others except out of curiosity. There's also parallel weapons. The establishment uses a machine gun, for example, and the resistance uses a repeater. The weapons are very similar, so what's the point? Different ammo would have been more fun. As with the first games, the voice acting is great, the story is interesting. You are in the 1920s and you are Booker DeWitt, ex-Pinkerton and man with a past. To repay your considerable debts you are sent to retrieve a girl, though you don't know why, and as the two of you travel together, your loyalties shift. Now, instead of being in a leaky delapidated underwater city you are in Columbia, a city in the air. The ziplines you use to move between floating segments are okay, but they don't make up for the loss of atmosphere from Bioshock 1 and 2. In those games you had a sense of dread. At the same time you looked forward to fighting a Big Daddy, you sort of feared it too. Here there's never really much of a challenge. There are one or two battles with lots of enemies, and that's fun, but those are few and far between. Heck, there's even a music cue to let you know when all the enemies are gone. Really? The enemies aren't very challenging, and the non-human ones can be good, like the Patriots, but none of them is as creepy as a Spider Splicer. So it's obvious I found this game considerably lacking, particularly in comparison with its namesakes, but another thing that bothered me is the background. In this world, there are still basically slaves, and women are treated like children and Jewish people are degraded. Everywhere there are posters that avow Anglo white, male supremacy, and I know it's supposed to be for the atmosphere, but I still found it disturbing and distasteful. I don't want to see those sentiments and ideas institutionalized, even if it's supposed to be the bad guys. Maybe if I hadn't played the first two games I'd like this better, but I still wouldn't be crazy about it, and playing it as the third in the series leaves me thinking that these guys went backwards in so many ways -- It's too easy and the society is disturbing, but not in a good way, and you can only hold two weapons and you have to wait for autosaves. Ugh. I've played Bioshock 1 and 2 at least four times each, and will undoubtedly play them again. But Bioshock Infinite is infinitely less appealing. I didn't even play through the ending on my second runthrough, and I'm pretty sure I won't play it again. If you haven't played Bioshock or Bioshock 2, play those instead of this.

After all the hype about this game, I had big hopes for it, especially since I'm a huge fan of the original two Bioshock games. (yes, even the second one!) While it didn't hit me as perfect right away, it's definitely a masterpiece of a game once it gets flowing. The opening sequence was fantastic, on par with the first game. The storyline took a little time to get into, but once it took off, it really enjoyed going through Columbia and seeing how everything progressed. The gameplay is smooth and seamless, and the difficulty was difficult without being overly frustrating. (Except when I was trapped at a respawn point with a big guy charging at me continually with no salt and hardly any ammo. Argh!) It's a game that's fun to play if you're not into the whole story thing, but much MUCH better if you want a space/time-based story with plenty of room for introspection after it's all said and done. The game's story was simple, and quickly got complex, and the further I got into the game, the more I wanted to see where it was going. Booker DeWitt is a Pinkerton agent who apparently owes a lot of money to the wrong sorts of people. He gets an assignment to head to a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, similar to the start of the first Bioshock, only telling him to "bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt." Obviously, once he gets to Columbia, he realizes that he has no idea what he got into. Once he meets the girl, Elizabeth, the story starts getting more complex and interesting, but I won't say more than that. Like I mentioned before, the introduction to Columbia was very well done, and I really enjoyed seeing how this veritable paradise slowly reveals it's underbelly. As the game goes on, the marvel of a floating city in the sky slowly vanishes, but you never lose sight of the fact that you can't jump off ledges to explore very easily. A lot of questions pop up, and not all of them are answered by the end. Some are answered, but not in the way you may expect. Kind of feels like a J.J. Abrams plotline sometimes. I think that's what kept me going with it, though the going got slow for a bit in the beginning. The gameplay was fluid and easy to get a handle on, especially if you were comfortable with Bioshock 2's dual weapon/powers schema. The graphics were well drawn, animated with mocaped actors and actresses and felt very similar to Dishonored in many ways. I'm glad they didn't try to put stealth into the gameplay, as that would have felt very out if place. The enemies come from all directions, but never seem out of place. when a large enemy appears, you know why they're there and where they came from, instead of wondering how and why they spawned in such a place. Video games are learning from each other as the years are going on, and this game is proof that the narrative FPS/RPG can work beautifully and not repeat the mistakes of so many predecessors. Some people didn't appreciate Bioshock 2 in the series, but I felt that it played its part well enough, and fits in the schema very well. Bioshock Infinite eventually touches on the similarities to the old games as well, even though you don't have to have played the older Bioshocks in order to understand this game. Luckily, the game comes with the first Bioshock on the disc, so you don't have to go completely unprepared. This game won over 80 awards, and I think it deserved every one of them. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a perfect 10, but a 9.5 out of 10 sounds like the right score to me. I look forward to playing this game again once all the DLC comes out.

It's common knowledge that the original Bioshock is one of the best games this generation. Its atmosphere was unforgettable, and gamers everywhere will remember the world of Rapture for years and years to come. Irrational Games has undertaken the daunting task of surpassing such a landmark title, and now we have Bioshock Infinite. This game not only surpasses the first Bioshock, but does it so completely and immaculately that it makes that game seem insignificant by comparison. Irrational has taken such great care to make sure everything in Infinite fits together. The story and the gameplay are practically perfect. I don't say that lightly. The game does such a fantastic job of presenting itself...nothing is rushed. Every part you come across unfolds another piece of the story at precisely the right time. And between the shoot-em-up sections where you're exploring the many nooks and crannies around, the game keeps you simply enthralled. Like the first Bioshock, you start out in a lighthouse that dramatically transports you to a grand "utopia". In this case, it's a floating city called Columbia. You are Booker DeWitt, and the driving force in your quest is a simple command: "Bring back the girl, and wipe away the debt." You are to find Elizabeth, and bring her back to New York. How and why are not explained, and in the course of the game's 40 or so chapters, those reasons are revealed to be more amazing than you could ever imagine. Simply put, this game has perfected the art of video game storytelling. When the game starts, most people will immediately assume that they can predict the story. And it's almost constructed to lull the player into this frame of mind. But I will assure you, the plot twists will keep coming, and they WILL shock you. Just when you think you've got it figured out, something entirely new happens that you never saw coming. And the game continues this pattern right until the end credits. I have never played a game that did this so expertly. The combat in this game is phenomenal, and never gets stale. At its heart, it's a shooter. You have an arsenal of weapons throughout the game, but you can only hold two at a time. Also at your disposal, you have Vigors (analogous to Plasmids from the first Bioshock) that keep the combat crazy and make you feel ultra-powerful. Blasting enemies with a wide range of weapons, and then using Vigors to enhance your attacks is so much fun I can't even describe. Add in the skylines where you can fly through the battlefield while taking out foes, and this is one of the best combat systems ever. Later on, Elizabeth can open up rifts in space-time and summon things like cover, or weapons, or ammo, or even auto-turrets to help you. Simply put, playing this game will never get tired. When you're not fighting enemies, you're free to explore Columbia. And there is so much to find. To rush through the game would be to miss the story entirely. Seek out the Voxophones that expand the story. Look at all the posters and propaganda throughout the game. All of this serves to flesh out the experience, and you're meant to take your time. If the game has a weak point, at least it's the aspect that least matters in a gaming experience...and that's the graphics. The game is surely beautiful to behold, but it's also not up to par with how a AAA game should look in 2013. I would compare it to the first Bioshock. As you go through the game, the sights will be glorious. But if you walk close to the walls or want to take a look at a flower, you'll see completely blurry textures and low-quality renders. Of course, this also means that the game runs very well with nary a hiccup. And while the outdated graphics are a little disappointing, believe me when I say that it makes little difference in how absolutely perfect this game is in every other way. Rarely have I played a game that gets so much right so frequently. If you liked the first Bioshock, you MUST play this game. If you're new to the series, well good news...you don't need to play Bioshock to enjoy and understand this (though there is one tiny part where playing either Bioshock or Bioshock 2 will provide a brief "a-ha" moment). If you're tired of the same ol' Call of Duty shooter, don't pass this game up just because it's a first-person shooter. This is unlike any game you've ever played. A true highlight of this generation, and one of the best experiences in gaming. Ever.

Working down my backlog of games I finally had the chance to play and beat Bioshock Infinite. As a big fan of the first two games I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Infinite. While the game was in development I had the chance to read a few articles and see a few early pictures of the development of the game. Having finished the game I can definitively say that Bioshock Infinite is... just okay. In trying to create something different enough to be called new yet similar enough to be called Bioshock, Irrational Games, the development studio behind the series, has created a strange in-between game that comes off as considerably less charming and less engaging that previous Bioshock titles. --------------------- STORY: You are Booker Dewitt, a veteran of the US Army and the battle of Wounded Knee, and a former employee of the infamous Pinkerton Detective Agency. Your charge is to infiltrate the sky-city of Columbia and retrieve a girl named Elizabeth. All the information you're given is that you have a debt and by retrieving the girl the debt will be paid. What unfolds after Booker enters Columbia is an interesting story that follows many of the same lines as the original Bioshock title. The leader of Columbia, a man named Comstock is a god-like figure that Columbians' refer to simply as, "the prophet". Comstock's persona is represented in almost every aspect of life in Columbia, from larger-than-life statues scattered about to entire floating-islands dedicated to his life. Clearly this is a cult of personality. Comstock is similar to Andrew Ryan in that both reject the meddling of the United States for similar reasons and set about creating their own utopian society that goes horribly wrong. --------------------- GRAPHICS The graphics are again very similar to Bioshock. Character models and the look and feel of everything from buildings to art style are almost identical to that of the original titles. The major change of course is the setting. Columbia floats high above the land and seas below. The graphics are a mixed bag, however. Outside areas (and there are many) in Columbia take on an almost blinding sheen. Everything outside is annoyingly bright and blurred giving the graphics a very soft almost dream-like state. Perhaps that is intentional but I found it extremely annoying. Interior areas are better and feature excellent use of lighting to lend the environments different characteristics. The first area you encounter after you enter Columbia, a temple-like setting where new citizens of Columbia are baptized are excellent examples of the lighting effects as daylight pours through different colored stained glass lending a somber, meditative state to the level. The other obvious complaint with the graphics is that the original Bioshock was released in 2007 and little has changed. --------------------- GAMEPLAY: Gameplay in Infinite is, as you'd imagine, very similar to the previous Bioshock titles. This is a first person shooter with the added benefit of magic-like powers. Except know the powers are known as "vigors" instead of plasmids. Vigors are pretty much exactly like plasmids with few cursory changes. Instead of injecting vigors you drink them. Vigors use "salt" and salt can be replenished by drinking salts scattered around the game, buying them outright from vending machines or acquiring `gear' that imparts salts when certain criteria is met. As Booker you're allocated four-slots to equip `gear' which is a not so clever way of granting passive abilities to the player. For example some gear might impart a bonus for melee attacks that lights enemies on fire or another piece of gear might increase your weapon accuracy while riding sky-lines. The single biggest change is the addition of Elizabeth who after you rescue is a NPC that accompanies you on your journey through Columbia. Really when all of the other tweaks and setting change is boiled away, Infinite is about Elizabeth. Happily she is a contributing member of your part and she is essentially invulnerable. She takes care of herself, hides during battles and even scouts out the surrounding area to provide Booker ammunition, health, and money. Elizabeth plays a central role in the story and has the ability to open tears which are essentially windows into parallel universes. Her power comes especially handy in the heat of battle where Elizabeth can open a tear to provide you with health items or ammo or even a friendly sentry gun. All told your adventure through Bioshock Infinite will probably take around a dozen hours. There are 51 trophies all told and all of them are offline. --------------------- THE GOOD: (+) The story is generally good though things can get confusing especially toward the end (+) Graphics are a mixed bag - interior areas retain the same moody atmospherics that were so prevalent in the original Bioshock titles (+) Elizabeth; she is a contributor more than a drain and constant source of frustration (a la Resident Evil 4) more NPCs should be modeled after her --------------------- THE BAD: (-) Graphics frequently appear white-washed and blurry particularly in outdoor areas (-) Same basic graphics as the 2007-released Bioshock, in other words the engine is dated (-) Very little has changed besides the setting; other changes (e.g. vigors) are simply renamed properties from previous Bioshock games (-) The story has plenty of plot holes and contradictions --------------------- CONCLUSION: Bioshock Infinite is a good enough game that I recommend purchasing it especially at the reduced price it's selling for currently. However, that doesn't diminish the fact that this is essentially the same game that was released 6 years ago with a different setting. Hopefully the inevitable sequel in the Bioshock franchise on next-gen systems is a bit more thought out and developed.

I decided to refrain from reviewing the game until I completed it. Once I completed it, I needed a couple of days to let the overwhelming emotions settle. Yes, it's that good. You play Booker DeWitt and, unless you've been living under a rock with all the marketing that has been thrown into this game, you're tasked with bringing back a girl from the city of Columbia - a city in the clouds that meanders its way over the continental US. The year is 1912. For those of you who have played the original Bioshock, you will see some familiar elements. Vigors replace plasmids and powering your vigors require "salts" rather than Eve. Another familiar element is that--like Rapture--Columbia is intended to be a utopia away from earthbound imperfections...and, of course, things go horribly, horribly wrong. Unlike Rapture, however, you get to see how things go to hell first-hand. Bioshock Infinite is not for the timid. You'll see racism. You'll see the horrible treatment of workers at the turn of the Industrial Revolution. You'll be treated to some of the ugliest parts of American History and how the "norm" of these subjects would appall our modern sensibilities. Keep in mind, however, that Bioshock Infinite doesn't do this merely for shock value, but rather to immerse yourself in a timeframe and period where "utopia" for someone living in 1912 would be extremely DIFFERENT from what you and I have in mind. Bioshock Infinite is fantastic in its socio-political treatise as well as its treatment of an alternate religion that worships our founding fathers. The highlight of this game, as you may have seen in numerous reviews, centers on Elizabeth who is the crux of this story and our emotional axis of rotation. She keeps us grounded and her book-smart (but world-naiveté) behavior is voiced to excellent perfection and you will wind up caring about her welfare as you go through thick and thin. I can't remember the last time where a video game character made me forget that I was playing a GAME so much because of the emotional investment that her character generates. Gameplay wise, Bioshock Infinite is a very solid shooter. Elizabeth's ability to open "tears" in space-time fabric helps you obtain support in the form of cover, weapons, med kits, ammunition, etc. She will occasionally come across money and toss you some cash as you scrounge around for supplies...or even toss you the much-needed ammunition clip as you get low on multiple rounds...or the occasional salt to supply your Vigors. She's not a "cheat", however, and will get you whatever she can find - she is not a bottomless reservoir and her occasional help is more deeply appreciated as a result. Vigors are fun, too, with my favorite being "Murder Of Crows" which allows you to unleash a horde of crows at your foes to relentlessly peck at them to either give you time to escape or whittle your enemies down as they thrash about. That said, as fantastic as a shooter as Bioshock Infinite is, there will be several moments in the game where violence does come into question and Elizabeth once again becomes an excellent foil in that regard. I don't want to ruin the plot any further along these lines, but the dialog during these moments is phenomenal and does throw light on the subject rather than completely hide it away, especially during moments where Booker begins to show his own regrets and misgivings. Booker's development is subtle and does not devolve into Hollywood-esque depths of "and then he became a new man" cliche. And the end to this game...wow, what an end. I will say this much - everything will make sense in the end and there are no plot holes or loose ends to speak of. The entire story arc is very complicated, but the revelations will numb you and completely spend your emotional reserve. IGN said something along the lines of, "Ok ... so this is Bioshock...where's the plot twist? I'm ready for the plot twist. Where is it?" I guarantee you that you won't see it coming...but once you do experience it, the entire story arc makes resounding sense...and it'll make you want to play it again to catch every nuance and "the evidence is right in front of you" moment to appreciate the experience that much more. Game of the year? Hell, I'd say Game of the Past Two Decades. Do yourself a favor and pick this up now!