| Platform: X360/PS3/PC | Publisher: 2K Games | Developer: Irrational Games |
| Reviewer: JayWood2010 | Genre: First-Person Shooter | Rating: Mature |
Six years ago we received a game by the name of Bioshock that would take you through the memorable underwater world that is Rapture. Now in the world of Bioshock Infinite we will be taking another adventure through Columbia the flying city. 
In Bioshock Infinite is set in 1912 and you are a man by the name of Booker Dewitt. The only thing you know is that you are going to this flying city to rescue a girl named Elizabeth to wipe your debt. You don’t know Booker’s backstory or what debt he is talking about. Much of this is told throughout the game of Bioshock Infinite but unlike most games there is no cut scenes what so ever. It is all told by conversations with characters, collectables and recordings you find, and even the city it’s self. You can view posters and even learn about the characters and world. Which oddly the world plays a huge role in the character’s as well. Another thing that should be noted is the character of Elizabeth. The game would not even be half as good if it wasn’t for the life like character of Elizabeth. Whether she is sad, angry, or happy you can tell just from how she is reacting whether it be voice or animations. She will even relax against walls or sit on benches if you are standing still. With all this said I actually figured out what was going on about half way to two thirds of the game. I was expecting some huge twist in the game to happen somewhere but it never surprised me in anyway. The story was told well enough and gave you enough clues and hints to what was really going on well before the final scenes of the game. This left me underwhelmed and confused at the same time. The confusing part is that Elizabeth has some super natural power to tear new dimensions into the world. They never really explained how she got this power and a few other loose ends in the game but it will have you thinking throughout the game and use your mind. Even after the credits are rolling you will look back on the story trying to figure out certain things. The story didn’t exactly blow me away but the original take on Bioshock Infinite was also refreshing in a way that I cannot explain.
As much as Colombia the Flying City is interesting and beautiful. The characters pop and the story is told through the city, the gameplay falls short in so many ways and throws new spins to a genre that desperately needs new takes. Bioshock Infinite is a First Person Shooter but brings some unique gameplay styles to separate its self from other FPS games. Elizabeth not only can open new dimensions for the story but she can also create objects for you in the midst of a battle. She can give you cover, maneuvering abilities with hooks, a turret, or even spawn you a crate full of weapons. She also helps in other ways like throwing you ammunition, med kits, or salt packs to regain vigor. While this allows you to not have to search for ammo and such things as much, it can also be exploited easily. Just find a powerful weapon and use it nonstop. Don’t worry, Elizabeth will find you more missiles randomly. Speaking of vigors previously, vigors are back from Bioshock 1&2. This time however, you do not have to stab yourself with a needle and shoot up. Now you just drink the vigor for new powers. There is eight different vigors that ranges from Crows to lightning. This adds a new dynamic to the game and can be a lot of fun at times. Unfortunately the shooting mechanics and guns was not near as fun. While it was certainly not bad the artificial intelligence in the enemies was dull and boring giving you no real challenges. They basically did one of two things. Either run straight at you and try to melee you or run shortly and then stop and shoot. This made things extremely easy without much strategy, something that FPS games needs to have. They do have more than one enemy though and some of them can offer a decent challenge for you. However when you do die, you just respawn immediately by either walking through a door or Elizabeth reviving you. All the enemies you previously killed are still dead, the ones you didn’t just gets a little more health. You also get more ammo and basically just run and gun again. The iron sites are also worthless. You might as well just shoot from the hip the entire game because this guy is like a marksman. I can kill a man across the map with a pistol in 3 shots easily. When things are said and done Bioshock Infinite did bring some new things to the table but it didn’t really pefect the things that makes for a great FPS game either.
The one thing that draws people in for Bioshock is the beautiful world that Irrational Games crafts and once again Irrational Games pulled it off. The world is beautiful, original, and you will want to view it. From the people, the posters, and the way the City floats in the sky. It is a stylized game so not everybody will enjoy this specific art style but I will say that there is one specific part of the game that just looked beautiful. This involves a lighthouse if anybody knows what I am talking about. The graphics may not viewed as the world’s best graphics, but the design of the city, Elizabeth, and the art style does set it’s self apart from every other game as its own.
Bioshock Infinite is a well-crafted game when it comes to story. It is confusing at times and without viewing all the collectables you may even miss much of the story. If you pay attention you may figure out what is going on before the final scenes but for such an original take I have to applaud Irrational games. The gameplay could have been improved but either way I’d recommend this game simply off the beautiful world of Columbia.
| Graphics/Artstryle | 9 |
| Story | 9 |
| Gameplay | 8 |
| FPS Genre | 8 |
| Overall | 8.5 |
