Review: An early 'Game of the Year' contender in "Bioshock Infinite"

(A short note: I don't know why this article seems to be in a bunch of different fonts. Blogger apparently can't make up its mind.)

(wikipedia.org)

Going into “Bioshock Infinite,” I knew it was going to be something special. What Irrational Games and 2K managed to accomplish with the original title in the series was nothing short of amazing – “Bioshock” is a masterpiece that I’ve played numerous times over for nothing more than the sheer enjoyment of it. “Bioshock” told an amazing tale, set in a fantastical location with one of the most unique and surprising twists ever presented in a video game.

And against everything that I thought was possible, “Bioshock Infinite” tops its predecessor in nearly every possible way. Not so much a sequel to the original title as it is a continuation of the series’ lore, “Bioshock Infinite” will astound and captivate gamers with its intricate story of love, loss and redemption.

(I also just want to make something clear. There was a “Bioshock 2” but it was little more than an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the original title and should be regarded similarly to the third live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie – like it never happened. So if or when I refer to “the last Bioshock” know that I mean the original and not 2.)

“Bioshock Infinite” initially draws you in with its unique setting, the floating city of Columbia. The city draws more than a few parallels to Rapture – its leader is wildly charismatic, it was created as a refuge for a chosen few and exists in a place where no one thought a city could. However, your first impressions of Columbia will be wildly different than of Rapture. The city isn’t in the midst of a bloody civil war – quite the opposite. Columbia appears to be thriving. Its streets are clean and its white citizenry all obey and worship the Andrew Ryan of Columbia, their prophet, Zachary Hale Comstock.

If you thought it was odd I mentioned the race of the citizens of Columbia, congratulations on careful reading. On the surface, Columbia appears to be a paradise but eventually the curtain is lifted and we find that underneath the veil of happiness and unity are the ugly realities of racism, xenophobia and class struggle. It becomes clear that Columbia is only paradise if you’re white, devout and well-to-do.

As you explore the streets of Columbia as protagonist Booker DeWitt, we find that he is no more comfortable in this setting than any of us would be but he can’t let these astonishing discoveries sway him from his goal – finding a woman named Elizabeth, who is being held somewhere in the city, and bring her back to New York. Booker’s only knowledge of his task is that collecting the girl will repay his debts, but just what those debts are remains a mystery and a central point of the story.

The Motorized Patriot is a fearsome foe though not very bright. (Vg247.com)

One of the more interesting  aspects of Columbia, especially from a gameplay point of view, in the vast network of Sky-Lines. These suspended rails were originally created as a means of transporting goods around the city but eventually also came to be used as a method of transporting people as well. With a nifty gadget called a Sky-Hook, individuals can attach themselves to the rails and be rocketed toward their destination in a manner akin to a roller coaster. You get several opportunities to ride these Sky-Lines throughout “Bioshock Infinite” and they are an incredible addition to the game as they are not only incredibly novel but also add a new layer to combat.

I’m finding it hard to explain much more about the story and setting since they are both so intricately tied together. And since I would hate myself for ruining even a bit of the story, I’ll jump right into the technical and gameplay aspects.

Overall, I found the gameplay and story of “Bioshock Infinite” to flow much more naturally than that of the first game. The narrative of this title is more focused and it keeps the action moving from one location to the next without feeling heavy-handed or contrived.

For instance, in “Bioshock,” each newly discovered area would play out similarly. Upon your entrance to a new location, you’d be given a task or series of tasks to complete in the given area. As you traverse the area, completing tasks, you would also be given the opportunity to face the mini-boss character Big Daddies and collect/save its Little Sister. “Bioshock Infinite” on the other hand keeps the action moving from one area to the next thanks to its expertly crafted story. Rather than leaving the gamer to his own devices, allowing them to decide when and how to proceed, “Infinite” keeps you focused on your next task. Unfortunately, this means that the epic battles against Big Daddies have been eliminated. It also removes the one element of choice and uniquely affecting the story yourself, but I’ll get into that later. On the whole, “Infinite’s” finely crafted story and the way it directs gameplay makes Columbia feel like a larger, living city rather than just a collection of areas.

The Handyman is a massive enemy that will track you relentlessly. (Justpushstart.com)

Though you aren’t given as much free time to explore every nook and cranny of Columbia (or, I should say, you don’t appear to have as much free time), exploration is still very much essential in “Bioshock Infinite.” Gone from this title are portable medical kits. Instead, Booker will have to rely on found foods and items to restore his health and salts on the fly (more on salts in a bit). At first, I was wary of this change but eventually found it to give the combat a much more visceral feeling and made me much more considerate of my actions, knowing that I couldn’t just restore my health at the click of a button. “Infinite” does include a shield mechanic, though, to give players a bit of a safety net.

And you’ll need that safety net (especially on the harder difficulties) because combat has been refined even further. No longer can you carry an arsenal of weapons, Booker must make do with only two guns at one time. In addition to guns, Booker also can use his Sky-Hook to for melee strikes, which are mapped to a face button (about the only worthwhile addition from “Bioshock 2”). Melee makes combat early on a bit more interesting but becomes nearly worthless halfway through the game, unfortunately. Booker can also perform executions with his Sky-Hook but beyond looking cool lose their worth later in the game. With certain gear, executions can give you some health but even performing an execution can be a risk to your health sometimes.

Gear are pieces of clothing Booker can wear to grant him special bonuses to his combat skills, the effectiveness of consumables and other useful perks. Four pieces of gear can be equipped at once (Hat, Shirt, Pants and Shoes) and it’s a good idea to tailor your gear to your current situation, especially on higher difficulties. Obtaining gear requires a bit of careful searching though, as they can’t be bought and usually aren’t just out in the open.

But Booker doesn’t just need to rely on firearms as he also has access to a wide variety of powers thanks to vigors. In “Infinite,” vigors work similarly to plasmids in that they grant the user some sort of supernatural attack. A few are basically copies of earlier plasmids but a few have interesting effects. Bucking Bronco, for instance, pops affected enemies into the air for a short duration. It’s the same idea as the Whirlwind Trap from the original game, except it can now be used offensively. Also, each vigor can be charged up to produce a trap effect. And much like Eve from the last game, salts are now used to govern whether or not you’ll be able to use a vigor.

Songbird is Elizabeth's protector though his origins are very much a mystery. (Boothammer.com)

However, Booker has an even more valuable resource available to him in combat than weapons or vigors. After rescuing Elizabeth, she will more or less be his constant companion for the rest of the game. Booker doesn’t need to baby-sit Elizabeth, which is thankful because no one would want to play a game that’s just one long escort mission. While you’re playing, Elizabeth will often come across ammo, weapons, salts and money that Booker can use. But she also has another trick up her sleeve – opening tears.

Tears (like, “There’s a tear in my shirt” and not the stuff that comes out of your eyes) are windows into other worlds, as Elizabeth puts it at one point. During combat, you’ll often come across elements and items that she can bring into our world from another. From weapons to health kits and even cover, making use of tears is essential to victory. You can only have one tear open at once, though, so be aware of your surroundings before eliminating cover to bring in something else.

And Booker will need all the help he can get as he tries to escape Columbia with Elizabeth. Though you’ll most usually be battling soldiers and police, every so often you’ll encounter a Heavy Hitter. While not quite as durable or ferocious as Big Daddies, Heavy Hitters are no less dangerous and require plenty of firepower to bring down. The most common type is the Motorized Patriot, a clockwork robot that wields a powerful chain gun.  Patriots are durable but have a weak spot on their back that can be exploited. But the most interesting Heavy Hitter enemy is the Handyman. Part machine and part human, these monstrous enemies are not only amazingly tough but also very intelligent. Quite the opposite of the Patriot, Handymen can deftly move around environments thanks to their mechanically enhanced size and strength. Once spotted, a Handyman will relentlessly pursue you, electrifying Sky-Lines to cut off escape routes and even throw enemy characters at you from afar. Handymen are so interesting to me because even though they are biomechanical monsters, their few lines of dialogue paint the portrait of tortured, tragic souls that are merely pawns of their creators and constantly wish for death.

But the granddaddy of the Heavy Hitters is Songbird. A massive flying creature, Songbird is charged with protecting Elizabeth and keeping her on Columbia. Throughout the game, I expected Songbird to play a larger role as events unfolded but unfortunately his role was rather small. You don’t ever get to find out much more about him than I’ve told you here, which seems like a criminal oversight for such an interesting foe.

One aspect of “Bioshock Infinite” that disappointed me a bit was that, despite the emphasis on small changes having larger effects in the narrative, your actions in the game don’t necessarily have an effect on the outcome. In the original game, choices you made over the course of the game affect which ending you receive. Whereas this game offers a handful of choices near the beginning but they don’t seem to have an effect on anything.

There are so many more elements of “Bioshock Infinite” that I’d love to discuss and talk about here, but I can’t as I already fear I’ve said too much. Don’t worry, though, there are many, many more wonderful surprises in store for you if you play “Bioshock Infinite.” Games like this don’t come around often. There are a great many themes at play in this title, but they are all expertly blended into a cohesive tale that is both simple yet infinitely complex. Even after completing it once and most of another play-through, I still find elements that surprise me or add a new light or a new twist to what I thought I had understood completely. What makes “Bioshock Infinite” so special is what makes great literature so special, that it is ultimately open to interpretation and anyone who plays it could come away with very different ideas or opinions.

To me, “Bioshock Infinite” already has “Game of the Year” won. You’d do well to have played the original “Bioshock,” as it is somewhat related to this title, but it isn’t necessary as this title easily stands on its own. There are also at least three planned pieces of DLC in the pipes (with a Season Pass available for purchase as well), though there isn’t any information about any of the packs yet.