BioShock Infinite, developed by Irrational Games has just been released – is it a worthy successor to the previous BioShock games – read on to find out what we thought.
In BioShock Infinite, you play Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent who is sent to the flying city of Columbia in 1912 to rescue a girl who has been imprisoned since childhood. He is not there by choice, he owes big on some debts and this is his last chance to make good on them.
The first thing I noticed was the effect of the rain hitting the water – it was amazing with a lot of detail added that really made you believe you were there. The first few minutes of the game have you pretty much just looking at the amazing visuals – the rain, the sky, the lighthouse – Irrational Games have done an amazing job and have pretty much got every last bit out of the current generation of consoles.
When you are walking around Columbia you pass by many of its inhabitants. Unfortunately they cannot be directly interacted with, however they often say hello, or you can just listen to them talking. Occasionally their talking is of relevance to the game and sometimes its just idle chatter. I do recommend taking the time to listen it, you won’t be disappointed.
There are also kinetoscopes placed around Columbia that you can use to learn interesting facts about Columbia and your surroundings. It is certainly worth taking the time to use them as it really adds to the atmosphere of the game. Along with the kinetoscopes, there are Voxphones which are recordings made by the residents of Columbia and again add to the atmosphere. And if you are into achievements there are ones just for viewing and collecting them.
Currency in the game is in the form of silver eagles. You can find these, and other provisions in boxes and trash cans, and all manner of other places. Currency is important, not just for buying provisions but also for when you get killed, more on that in a moment. I’m not quite sure why the inhabitants of Columbia feel the need to throw away money, but they do, and that’s good because you will probably need some at some point!
There are vending machines that you can use to buy items you are in need of, including ammunition, food and salt. Obviously you don’t have to use use them, but they are there if you are running short on something.
You may be asking why salt? Salt is used to power your Vigors and Vigors are a very important part of the game. Throughout the game you obtain new Vigors such as the Devils Kiss (which shoots fire at your enemies and burns them alive) and the Murder of Crows (which unleashes a flock of murderous birds against your enemies) and these can be used in conjunction with whatever other weapons you have. Some Vigors are more useful than others, and that will probably depend more on your style of gameplay, and thankfully you can choose between Vigors as the game progresses.
When you obtain a new Vigor, usually after defeating its current owner, its abilities are explained to you in the form of a short old style film, which fits into the time period of the game whilst at the same time demonstrating, often graphically, just what it does.
Talking of other weapons, you also obtain a Skyhook early on in the game and its placed on your left arm that can not only be used for killing people (sometimes in a very graphic way) but is also used to jump between levels via its magnetic properties. You even use the hook to attach to Columbia’s Sky-Line system in order to navigate your way around – and there are a number of instances where you have to use the Sky-Line system.
When you get killed, you come back (thankfully), less some silver eagles, but your enemies also get a health boost, which certainly makes it more interesting. Once you have completely the game you can play again in a special unlocked mode called 1999, which is significantly harder, resources are a lot harder to find, and worse still, if you run out of money and you die it really is game over. Hard-core fans will be happy!
From the start of the game you are searching for “the girl” and it’s a good 45 minutes or so before you actually find her. In fact, its about 20 minutes or so into the game before you even get a weapon, so take your time during those early stages in the game to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy your surroundings because pretty soon you wont have a chance.
The girl in question is Elizabeth and she will be your companion throughout the remainder of the game. She is also there to help you, and scavenge for you, finding all important ammunition, health and salt when you need it the most. She also has some pretty amazing powers such the ability to open tears in time and space (early on she opens a rift to Paris in 1985 where a cinema is shown playing Revenge of the Jedi) and pull things through that will help you. I really don’t want to give too much away, suffice to say she isn’t a damsel in distress and she is ever bit Booker’s equal.
There are also optional side quests throughout the game, and it is up to you whether you do them or not. If you do them, you will be rewarded with valuable resources that will aid you on your adventure, not to mention give you more of an insight into Columbia. One really nice thing here is that Elizabeth will often remind you about them just before you leave an area, in case you had forgotten, because once you leave an area you can’t go back.
The fight sequences work well and for the most part the enemies are fairly intuitive – and at times they are down right deadly.
I have tried to steer clear as much as possible any real spoilers in the game as the story is very well written, and the voice acting really brings the characters to life, and there are moments in the game where you just have to sit back and try to take it all in. You will understand when you play it, trust me!
From playing BioShock Infinite one thing was certain and that was this it is a worthy successor. You don’t need to have played any of the previous BioShock games to appreciate BioShock Infinite, however there are parts of the game that won’t mean as much to you if you haven’t.
And whatever you do, don’t let anyone spoil the ending for you as the story really does capture and captivate you from start to finish.
Even after completing the game, I found myself wanting to play more. Should I attempt to play 1999 mode, or just wait for the forthcoming DLC. Whatever I choose to do I will be visiting Columbia again. What about you, care to join me?
BioShock Infinite is available now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and looks to be one of the best games of the year so far. If you don’t already have it, buy it today, you won’t be disappointed.
