Bioshock is one of the very popular franchises which was supposed to make a revolution in shooter genre, although the games were good but never successful. But here we have the 3rd game which is unique, and hits bullseye of perfection.
Bioshock: Infinite is a 3rd game in series and isn’t a sequel or prequel to previous games. It stands on it’s own and takes everything that made previous games good, and polishes them to perfection. Set in 1912 during the growth of American exceptionalism, you play as Booker DeWitt who is an ex-agent of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and is sent on a mission by mysterious people to flying city of Columbia to find and bring back a mysterious girl Elizabeth. Of course nothing goes as planned and Booker has to fight his way through massive armies of law orders and save young girl and at the same time face his inner demons. The storyline will have everyone sit on the edge of their seat and will blow you away how fantastic it is made. It can easily become a movie if needed. You never get tired of it and you will want to continue.
The gameplay is same as in previous games just a bit better. Although you are limited to have only 2 different weapons you also can wield very incredible powers. Instead of ADAM like in previous game you now have vigors which quite is same thing can give you 8 different powers like shock or flame attacks, the list can go on. There are a lot of weapons to choose from and also you can upgrade them as well as your powers. Also you can find some different outfits which actually can give you boost on some abilities. You collect money from your enemies, or you loot it from different places. In addition to travelling on this sky city is using your hook like weapon on rails called Skyline, which gives you a whole new advantage over enemies. You can either shoot or pounce on your enemies with almost 1-hit kill. And last but not least, Elizabeth isn’t a damsel in distress. She can be very useful in tight situations. In times she can even throw you health potions or the gun you use right now to replenish ammo. Further down in the game you will be able to use her powers to make “Tears” which can summon different stuff like walls, ammo boxes, or even allies to possess.
The graphics is amazing. You just want to sit back and enjoy the flying city, and to be completely honest it’s more entertaining than Rapture. The citizens are also interesting to watch as they interact with whole world and have their own unique dialog. This is one of the rarest moments when graphics actually makes the game more interesting.
The soundtrack is bombastic and very well done. Garry Schyman who wrote music for previous games of franchise and also Dante’s Inferno is outstanding here. Everything is here for each mood of game. It will make you cry during memorable moments, or rage during firefights.
The voice acting and characters are amazing. Each character is great and you want to know more about him or her but there is no denying that Elizabeth is very well written character. You fell in love with her and just want to be with her all the time. She can be shy or happy, but in times she can be courageous or sad. She is everything for a perfect girl and very unique character. And most importantly she looks like a Disney princess but doesn’t feel like as she can take care of herself.
There is also some interesting themes going on during the game and built up a lot of controversy among critics and gamers alike. First of all, it’s just a game and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. There are some things about racism, religious beliefs and sexism. It happens in all new games but strangely enough here it is most discussed. Like the main antagonist who proclaims himself to be a prophet for all people in Columbia and very racist against black people. And most importantly you later help and fight against black people because plot demands it. By the end of game there are tons of information bombards you and revelation hits you very hard, it’s not bad but very hard to understand at first time.
There are no complaints about Bioshock: Infinite except for lack of different types of enemies. You fight normal soldiers, cosplays of Big Daddies(but no Big Daddies themselves), some magic powered enemies and George Washington patriot like terminator enemies. But on harder difficulties everything will give you a challenge.
Finally to say, this game is the best of the series and shouldn’t be missed. This is a true Shooter of 2013 and a definition of purity and perfection. A journey which shouldn’t be missed. And hopefully for the sake of art and greatness there will be no sequels to this franchise anymore. Because they won’t be able to top it over. 10/10.