Bioshock Infinite - Review

IT'S SO GOOOD!! I am so glad that my friend Toby and sister-in-law Jodie got me into Bioshock in the first place now, because this game is a legend. Irrational Games have done such an amazing job on this truly epic tale and I highly recommend to everyone! It doesn't matter if you haven't played 1 or 2, it's thoroughly enjoyable and needs more attention.

About:
First person steampunk styled action-RPG, full of loot, guns and vigor powers being able to throw fire or blast people into the air, you can't go wrong. Available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Released 26th March 2013. Thankfully this is only a single player game, with focus spent in the right place.

Story:
In the year 1912 you play as Booker DeWitt, the protagonist in Bioshock Infinite. A male contracted investigator for matters both private and public. Tough past, lumbered with dept and enough skill and personality to laugh in the face of danger, he is hired to find and bring a girl back to wipe away his dept. Mainly the entire game is set on Columbia, a floating paradise city in the sky. It really is Eden, so nice that you want to live there, forget about life and responsibilities, then live happily ever after. Sadly, this isn't the case.

You find the girl Elizabeth, locked up in a tower eager to explore the world (Especially Paris) and all it's glory. She thinks she is being freed and gives you all of her trust, this soon changes and....well I shouldn't say any more. Elizabeth is such an amazing character, full of personality and helpful at every point in the story. The dialogue between her and Booker is so well written you develop feelings for her, knowing how she feels minutes into meeting her. If you've seen this video, about how Elizabeth was created from 4 women to perfection, you'll know that she makes the game whole.

Gameplay:
Free roaming first person style is where it's at in current action-RPG's. So you literally experience what the main character sees and feels. In this case, it couldn't have been any better.
 
There's a decent variety of weaponry in Bioshock Infinite, from a one-shot kill shotgun to a 'Peppermill Crank gun' minigun style. You have so much choice going through the game that you won't know what to pick first! Gladly, there are many achievements/trophies given to people that like to experiment with all-sorts so you won't go dry of fun. You can hold 2 weapons at a time, swapping whenever you find another, switching between the 2 with a click of a button.

Like the other Bioshock games, this still has powers, but in Infinite they are called 'Vigors'. Like the weapons, you can hold 2 at once and swap between them but can choose what 2 you want available by holding down the swap button. They are all effective and are great to use in any event, some you use purely for battle, some for convenience. Each vigor has 2 functions, the first just uses it, the second (If you hold down the trigger) lets you lay a vigor trap so if anyone walks into it, boom.

So as you may have seen, heard or already know about Elizabeth's powers, you'll be pleased to hear that
she can use them in battle to help you out. At any point (If available) you can get her to open a tear on the battlefield, bringing forth an abundance of different weapons, health packs, automated turrets or sky-hooks for you to swing from. This can instantly turn the tide of battle as I've relied so much on this in certain places, wanting a little bit of time or just a distraction to regenerate my shield.


Upgrading is very simple. As you progress you will encounter a load of vending machines specifically designed to upgrade your weapons and vigors. You use your hard-earned (looted/stolen) cash to purchase numerous upgrades for each weapon and vigor, you'll want to upgrade your favourite's of each first. I just splashed out and went with whatever I felt like upgrading and it didn't turn out too good! When completing side-missions or scattered in the game you will encounter infusion bottles, that you can choose to upgrade your health, shield or salts. Go with shield if you're on a harder difficulty or don't like combat as this will make a crucial difference in battle. Health doesn't regenerate, but shields do.

It begins with 3 difficulty settings: easy, normal and hard. I had the game on normal difficulty on my first play-through and died quite a few times I have to admit. It's not that it's hard to kill people, but I did mess up some aspects of the upgrading systems therefor making an impact on my performance.

The graphics aren't 100%, but that doesn't matter, if you've played Bioshock 1 or 2 you'll know that they can pull off atmosphere better than anything else. The textures, colours, lighting and contrasts in every room and detail is amazing though, simple yet effective because it's not overwhelming.

Infinite is so well laid out that it is easy to navigate wherever you are, and once again not overwhelming so you can go to explore and not get lost. The layout of each map/level in the game is well designed to every detail so you don't run dry of health, ammo or money. There is always something going on, and never any 'filler'.

1999 Mode:
When you finish the game on any difficulty, you unlock 1999 mode. This is a reference to System Shock 2 released in 1999. It doesn't just appear on the menu if you haven't finished the story, you'll have to enter the good old Konami code then start new game with that difficulty. If you don't know what this mode is, it lets you play on a much more challenging difficulty and when you don't have enough funds to re-spawn, you'll be sent back to the main menu. A load of fun for hardcore gamers!

My Rating:
9.5

DLC?:
What can they add for DLC? Seriously I wouldn't even want to change a thing about the game. If they have to create more content, I hope it doesn't ruin anything. It says on the season pass description, it adds more areas, weapons and characters. So is it a stand alone add-on with another protagonist, or just more side missions for Booker? Who knows. All I know is that I'm extremely pleased with how it ended, because it got me thinking and fulfilled my expectations pleasantly.

Editions:
Available at the moment are the standard £40, Premium edition and The Ultimate Songbird edition. The Premium includes some in-game gear, 360 avatar costumes or PS3/PC theme, digital soundtrack, mini art-book, murder of crows keyring, mini-figure and lithograph for around £55. The Songbird edition comes with all of the above in a massive, wonderfully well designed box with a statue of Songbird (Obviously) for £110. I pre-ordered the Premium thinking about what awesome stuff you get with it, but went for a bundle with a headset on the day because of the value for money. Since this bird has flew to the top as one of my favourite games in all time, I am seriously considering the Songbird statue, if I can get my hands on one!!