A Game For The People, By The People

“Retrieve the girl and wipe away the debt!” Words you hear all to often in Bioshock Infinite. Just because Infinite is set in a more wholesome setting than its predecessors does not mean it is child’s play. On the contrary, it is a far more advanced world than both Bioshock and Bioshock 2.

The game is set in 1912 during the growth of American exceptionalism and based in the cloud city of Columbia (literally, it is a city in the sky), where you play as the character of Booker Dewitt, a troubled man with a troubled past. The player is sent on a mission by an unknown man to retrieve a woman named Elizabeth Comstock who is locked away in a tower and guarded by the fearsome Songbird. As you begin the game, it’s soon discovered that the city of Columbia is a perfect utopia that brings excitement and technology to new heights (both literally and figuratively). Some would agree that it brings an almost steam punk type atmosphere to the table. The prophet Zachary Hale Comstock leads his people to what he believes to be a brighter future. While walking through the city you start to imagine that the angelic world could not possibly have been baptized in sin. After rescuing Elizabeth and narrowly escaping the Songbird though, the many dark secrets the city of Columbia begin to appear.

The gameplay for Infinite is amazing. The graphics offer a nice balance between realistic and cartooney and the storyline is strong and almost untouchable. Booker Dewitt is a great lead character and it was a fun experience seeing his dark past unravel as the story continues.

Elizabeth is personally one of my favorite female characters ever to be created in video gaming history. She is strong, smart, and self confident character with a childlike innocence. At times you care more about her story than you do about Dewitt’s.

Bioshock Infinite is fantastic, and has one of the greatest endings I have seen for a franchise for awhile. If you have never played either Bioshock or Bioshock 2, then you will still highly enjoy this game. If you are a fan of the franchise and have played the games that came before, then you will love the little nods to the previous games. Infinite is a game not to be missed by anyone, and if you haven’t played it yet, then what are you waiting for?