Bioshock: Infinite – Review

Having played both previous Bioshock games, it is fair to see my experience has been a mixed bag. However, Bioshock: Infinite has always been the one game of the three that has piqued my interest the most. This is due to the conversations surrounding it of people either adoring or hating it. As well as this, the massive stray in atmospheric tone was something that I was very keen to experience. So, here is what I thought of Bioshock: Infinite.

Story –

Bioshock: Infinite managed to do the impossible and not only matched the incredible story of the original game but also bettered it. Like the first game, Bioshock: Infinite creates characters that feel they have a genuine impact on the situations of the game. As well as this, it’s full of twists and turns around every single corner.

I didn’t think any video game twist could match that of the ‘would you kindly?’ moment of the first game. That said, Bioshock: Infinite’s ending, revealing that you are the father of Elizabeth, and also explaining the premise of never-ending worlds and scenarios, left me speechless. It left me with the feeling that only the best games leave me with, that being the feeling of emptiness. Upon finishing Infinite, I took a break from gaming, as I knew nothing could match what I’d experienced for a while. I needed time to take it all in. It was a phenomenal experience was capped off perfectly.

Characters –

Bioshock has always managed to create iconic characters. Yet, especially in the second game, characters are often left in the background. This leads to them playing little physical role throughout the story. This was far from the case in Infinite.

For once, your character is audibly present. You play as Booker DeWitt, voiced by the iconic Troy Baker. Booker is fleshed out as a person. His morals and reasoning are always being questioned throughout large portions of the game, only for it all to make sense in the end. Although generic in appearance, he is far from generic in his characteristics. Other characters that supplement the protagonist are also huge plays on the way the story pans out. Elizabeth is ever-present. She is constantly offering an opposing viewpoint to Booker’s morals and feelings. There are also side characters that physically have a presence but do not play a consistent role, such as the Lutece Twins or Songbird.

Lastly, there is the main villain. The main villain in Bioshock games is always the character on which the world and story build their foundations upon. Comstock for me regains the iconic status of villains like Atlas (Ryan). This is despite not being visually present for the majority of the game. This is due to the world Comstock has created constantly reminding you of his presence, even when he is not physically there.

Columbia –

The world of Columbia is a vast change in atmosphere and visual representation from that of Rapture. This was something I had been calling out for after the second game. I felt Bioshock 2 had hit a point where the game no longer felt as impactful due to the repeated world of Rapture Bioshock: Infinite addresses this perfectly by straying from what the series had become known for, whilst still including dark moments that remind us of Bioshock’s roots.

Infinite gives birth to a completely bold and new world. Columbia offers a new experience and message. Every single aspect of its scenery and messaging lands perfectly. For me it wasn’t just the best world of the Bioshock series, it was one of the most immersive video game worlds I have ever experienced.

Visuals –

Despite not being visually incredible, Bioshock: Infinite is still easily the best looking game in the series. This is due to the change in tone of the game, once again. The brightness and lighting allow for a more colourful and vivid world to look at. I suppose being a come from early 2013, it is impressive for its time, although there was definitely better-looking games at the time too.

Game-Play –

In many ways, Bioshock’s general game-play has never felt smoother. Gun-play is as precise as it has ever been in a Bioshock game. But, I felt that this could be somewhat of a complaint as Infinite feels more like a generic shooter than the first two games did.

In other areas of game-play such as navigation and customisation, navigation was handled poorly. The navigation arrow is no longer a permanent fixation. Instead, needs to be pressed every few seconds to display the correct path again. Infinite tries to be seen as a game that promotes arranging some sort of class set-up system, but really, I never customised any of my gear whatsoever. It felt as if it had zero bearings on how easy or difficult the game was. As a side note, I found the audio of the game to be odd on many occasions. This was particularly evident with voices being so much quieter than any other auditory aspect of the game.

Generally though Bioshock’s game-play is smoother than ever. Although there are many areas in which could be seen as a double-ended dagger, straying too far from what Bioshock was originally.

Music –

There are songs in Bioshock: Infinite that set the tone perfectly. One of the most memorable moments in the game is arriving at Shantytown and walking past two homeless, poverty-stricken children. The girl is singing Shake Sugaree, and for about five minutes I did nothing but stand there and listen to her sing.

As well as this, one of my favourite tracks used in a game of all time has to be Will the Circle be Unbroken. This song is used at the start of the game in some ways, and the minute I heard it, I knew this game was going to be something else. Every time it’s used, it invokes something inside me as the player. It is as if it adds meaning to anything around you.

Binding a Story Together Through an Ending –

An ending to a story-driven narrative is so vital. It is the foundation that can cap off or destroy an experience. There have been so many occasions for me in which I adored something, only for the narrative to be spoiled due to a disappointing ending. Bioshock: Infinite avoids this completely. It caps off with a heart-stopping and exciting ending, with twists at every corner. It was captivating, enthralling, and come the end, left me speechless. So much so that I booked a tattoo to commemorate my experience almost immediately after finishing the story.

Conclusion –

Bioshock: Infinite is the game I have been looking for. After getting sick of the repeated surrounding of Rapture, Infinite takes a bold step in a new direction. It tries something completely different whilst still retaining many elements of the original game. Bioshock: Infinite is a rollercoaster, and a story-telling masterpiece, and truly one of the best and most exciting games I have ever had the joy of finishing.

Final Score – 9/10

Bioshock – Review

So, after all this time, I have decided to actually give Bioshock a try. I played this game through the Bioshock Collection on PS4. I’ve sat back and heard the praise for this series of games, in particular the first game, for years. Despite hearing the constant praise, I never seemed to be interested in giving it a go, due to its ‘fallout’ style of game-play visually. However, this didn’t prove to be a stumbling block, and actually enhanced my experience.

Story –

To come out in 2007, Bioshock really is a landmark in gaming storytelling. Although I am usually turned away from dark stories or games, Bioshock drew me in. This game is dark, filled with interestingly psychotic characters and twists. This captivating story is obviously helped by the interesting and unique world in which Bioshock takes place in. It takes a lot to get me to play a game to the end, and having a captivating story is one of the key factors in enabling me to do that. Bioshock had the captivating story ten-fold. There has been few moments in my gaming-life that havve made my heart drop as swiftly and heavily as the ‘would you kindly reveal’, it was truly an iconic gaming moment.

(Source: VICE)

In terms of negatives my only complaint is that it does seem to end rather quickly, although that can be looked past as it prioritises quality over quantity.

Game-Play –

Bioshock’s game-play was what initially turned me off of it for so many years. I had played first-person perspective games with similarly styled game-play, such as Fallout, and was never really captivated. This translated over into my perceptions of Bioshock, however, I was pleasantly surprised.

Bioshock offers a very unique way of playing. A variety of weapons, ammunition, gene modifications and upgrades allow for the player to move their character toward the direction that they want to play. Although the gun-play and movement isn’t perfect, it isn’t awful for the time, especially for what a game like Bioshock is.

(Source: Port Forward)

World-Premise –

As I said in the summary of my feelings on the story, the main captivating motive for me is the world-premise. Even almost two decades later, Bioshock still has one of the most unique and interesting concepts for a world in a game. The idea of building an entire psychopathic and modified city underwater, is brilliant. Rapture is a place with so much detail put into it, with every being, visual and area fully fleshed out to its max potential.

(Source: PopOptic)

Rapture allows for the player’s own interpretations. It is whatever you want it to be for a large portion of the game. It plays into the game-play elements that I discussed through allowing and feeding into unique pathways for the player, such as choosing whether to harvest or purify the little girls for example. As a concept, and as an executed idea, there are few games even in the modern-era of consoles that have achieved the level of world-realisation that Bioshock did, and it is the main reason this game was so great.

Visuals –

For 2007, Bioshock has visuals of its time. The game looks like a good PS3 game, and that is fine. Obviously there was better games visually at the time, but Bioshock still holds up, especially to visually accomplish what it does in such an interactive world. It could look better, it could look a whole lot worse. Little details, phrases, posters and other depth-bringers are key to adding depth to the surroundings. These are ways in which graphical limitations of the time are brilliantly glossed over.

(Source: ScholarBlogs)

Conclusion –

I truly cannot believe it took me almost 15 years to give Bioshock a try. This game obviously has limitations of its time, but in other ways it excels and sets a new standard for games from the mid-2000s. The story and world-premise showed that video games could be a lot more than fun, and could also provide captivating and meaningful story-experiences. I certainly will be doing reviews on the sequel and Infinite in the near future. However, if you were like me and thought Bioshock ‘wasn’t for you’ then would you kindly reconsider and try it now. You will not be disappointed.

Final Rating – 8.5/10