Bioshock Infinite is the third Bioshock game brought to us by 2K Games. Though it's the third game, it's really a stand-alone title. There are little tidbits here and there throughout the game that experienced Bioshock veterans will recognize as references to previous games in the series, but overall, the game flies solo. You don't have to have played the previous two to enjoy this one. Though story-wise it's not as connected to the other two, the gameplay is very similar. You still have your magic abilities, which in the world of Bioshock Infinite are explained with science. They're called vigors, and they come in multiple unique varieties, ranging from the power to control crows and send them to peck somebody's face off, to the power to use water to grab another person and pull them to you, disarming them along the way. The vigors are great fun to use, and you can really use whichever fits your style the most. Same goes for the guns. Bioshock doesn't get overly creative in its weapons, but it's still tremendous fun to experiment with the entire arsenal. You got your basics, such as the shotgun, machine gun, sniper rifle, and pistol, with other, more explosive options such as the volley gun, RPG, and hail gun becoming available as you progress. The best gun in my opinion was the "hand cannon," because it's pretty much a shotgun in pistol form. It's a blast to use, and very effective against most enemies. You get to carry two guns at a time, which might seem kind of bland, but it's not overly noticeable since most players will find two guns they love and stick with them. Overall, the gameplay is really fun, though it does get a bit repetitive, especially when you have to fight the same enemies over and over with slight variations. Even though you might tire slightly of facing the same type of enemies, the numerous ways in which you're able to dispose of them keeps the gameplay fresh throughout the experience.
Besides weapons and plasmids, you can also change your clothes, and depending on what you're wearing you will get different advantages. You never actually get to see yourself, so you don't get to see the clothes, but the advantages these items offer give you the freedom to create different playstyles to suit your mood. It's definitely not as deep a system as you'll find in most RPGs, but it does make for an interesting extra layer of strategy.
As far as characters go, Bioshock has one of my favorite of all-time, and her name is Elizabeth. You know those games where you get stuck protecting a character and they die so easily that it almost becomes unfun? Not Elizabeth! Not only does she travel with you and not need protection, but she actually genuinely helps you. If she sees you're low on health, you may hear "You're health is low! Catch this," and you turn, catch the health and regenerate. Same goes if you need ammo, salts (to refill your vigors) or other weapons in general. She's also as lovable as a character can get. She's wonderfully voice acted, charming, and by the end of this game you'll be in love with her. I won't get into her too much, since I could write nine pages on her, but trust me, she's awesome. Other than her though, the game goes downhill in the character department. Booker DeWitt (the character you play as) is really cool, but throughout the game you really don't know much about him, and it can somewhat draw away from the story. There are other side characters that you get audio logs and occasional conversations with as well, but while they add on to the story, I feel they didn't make the experience that much better. It almost seemed like the game tried to make some of them more relevant than they actually were, and in a story like Bioshock's, it doesn't have to have a plethora of characters because Elizabeth and Booker are able to carry the story pretty much by themselves.
The visuals in the game are pretty darn nice. You're in a floating city in the clouds for goodness sake, and Bioshock Infinite does a great job in using that to its advantage. It's fun how the game combines old-timey with advanced technology, and the combo results in a fun and exciting atmosphere. The graphics aren't what I would call realistic, but that's not what they are aiming for, and what you get is exactly what fits with the game.
Back to the main draw of this game for me. The story. It's deep, and if you're not paying attention, it can be very confusing. Though I will put that as a con, it's almost a pro, because though the story can be confusing, it really has a great payoff in the end. It's filled with fun twists, few that you'll actually see coming, and by the end of the game, you'll be questioning your own sanity. Most FPS stories leave me with a bad taste in my mouth, but Bioshock really changes that. I was ultimately satisfied and actually loved the end of this game, which as I hinted at, is rare for an FPS. Give yourself to the story, and you will be paid off, trust me, and take in as much as you can from the world and characters around you. I said some of the side characters were bland, but I also said they add things to the main story, some of which are very important. I really need to stop talking about the story, so I don't give anything away! Just believe me that the story is one of the very best you will ever experience in a game, and it will occupy your mind long after the final credits roll.
Trust me on this, folks, play this game! It's going to be worth it. The game has an involved, twisting story, and varied gameplay that seemed to last just long enough without getting stale. The game isn't perfect, but it's good enough that I feel everyone should at least give it a shot. There are slow times in the game, but they don't last long and the story picks it right back up in no time. Overall, the game deserves an A. It's definitely worth a look, so do yourself a favor and check it out.
