Tag: Bioshock

Don’t Try To Dig What We All Say: Trey’s Games Of The Generation Pt. 1

A little over a year ago, the powers-that-be in gaming decided that the time had come, and released the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, bringing to a close the longest console “generation” in gaming history: Seven years for the PlayStation 3, eight for the Xbox 360. This nearly decade-long era saw major shifts in the video game industry and its consumer base: Microsoft rose to new heights thanks to great first-party titles and Xbox Live; Sony handily won the new optical media fight as Blu-ray rose to prominence over HD-DVD; and Nintendo opted to fight on their own terms by releasing the Wii on unsuspecting consumers worldwide.

The “console wars” raged on… sort of. As people who grew up playing games got older, started families, and began earning “grown-up” amounts of money, it became commonplace to have more than just one console in the house. Hell, I can’t think of a single friend with even a passing interest in games who didn’t own at least two systems, and most households had all three present. Exclusives still exist, but the majority of titles (including many of those on this list) are now cross-platform at launch, or “timed exclusives” that eventually ended up on every platform.

Thanks to that, this list is not limited to just one system from the past generation, though I did tend to play more things on the 360. This list is in no way meant to be “comprehensive;” there will be things missing that you might have included, or things I included that you might have hated. I’m not claiming these are the best games from the past generation, or even that these are my absolute favorites. When I think about the last eight years, though, these are the titles that stand out most sharply.

Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360)

No, I don’t mean the entire franchise, though the Ezio trilogy is certainly one for the ages; I mean Assassin’s Creed, the much-maligned, admittedly imperfect first entry in the series. Many people may have forgotten that this blockbuster gaming giant started off as a PS3 exclusive, and after the reveal trailer, I was ready and willing to spend $500 at launch. The mission structure got a little repetitive, but watching Altair go from a real asshole to a real assassin was genuinely moving, and the open-ended free-running inspired greatness in later titles such as Infamous and Sleeping Dogs.

Battlefield: Cad Company 2 (Xbox 360)

Of all the games on that list, I don’t know that any approach the return-on-investment provided by “Bad Co 2.” We played the single-map beta for this game all night, every night while it was active; the full game consumed weeks’ worth of our lives over the next year; and the Vietnam expansion pulled us back in well after the fun should have run out. For me, this game is the standard by which all other multiplayer shooters are judged, and found wanting. Find me another game where “ram the objective building with a tank until it collapses” is a legitimate strategy, and then we’ll talk.

BioShock Infinite (PC)

I struggled at every turn with which BioShock game to put on this list, and it wasn’t until I was writing these blurbs that Infinite cinched the win. I still think the original has better atmosphere, the supporting characters are stronger, and Rapture still kicks Columbia’s ass in terms of environment. As a representation of this past generation, though, I think Infinite stands above its predecessor, because when you get right down to it, it is a better game. The relationship between Booker and Elizabeth maintains perfection from start to finish, and in my opinion is far more worthy of accolades than the title’s admittedly muddled metaphysical elements.

Borderlands (Xbox 360)

Erich literally had to trick me into playing this; after nearly a week of bugging me about it, he came over under some pretense, installed it on my 360, and shoved a controller in my hands. Six (maybe eight?) hours later, he finally managed to get the disc and leave for home, despite my protestations. For weeks after that, it was almost impossible to get a copy in Tuscaloosa, as anyone with a friend and a console snatched them up. I know the sequel is seen by many as some sort of co-op mecca, but for me Borderlands will always come back to fighting Nine Toes (he also has three balls) in split-screen at 4 am.

Dead Space (Xbox 360)

I have one word: Fear. Few pieces of entertainment have ever instilled in me the fear that the first Dead Space managed. Playing it became a catch-22, trying to balance my desire to keep going with the almost physical dread that came with being in Isaac’s boots. The next two iterations were greeted with mixed feelings and open hostility, respectively, but I don’t think anyone would deny that the original helped break new ground in horror. On some level, games like Amnesia and Outlast owe their success to Dead Space, just as Dead Space built from the foundation established by Resident Evil 4.

Fallout 3 (PC)

I own the collector’s edition of Fallout 3 on the 360, lunchbox, bobble head and all; I even used a friend’s GOTY edition disc to install all of the extra content. It wasn’t until I picked it up this past summer on a Steam sale, though, that I really took the time to appropriately explore the Capitol Wasteland. The game is still captivating: The landscape is simultaneously beautiful and desolate; the characters are appropriately realized; the sheer amount of content is staggering; and finally, the number of nods, homages, and references to all things sci-fi warmed my insides. The moment that still sticks with me the most is when I snuck up behind a feral ghoul sitting near a fire, took him out, and searched him to discover that his only possession was a teddy bear. It was heartbreaking.

Far Cry 3 (Xbox 360)

Beth and I received Far Cry 3 as a very generous gift from her parents, but it came at a cost. After we each unwrapped ours on Christmas morning, her mom sat us down and pointed out that the cover prominently features a man holding a gun, a person buried in the sand, and dead bodies hanging in the trees; she then read the laundry-list of reasons the game is rated Mature by the ESRB. After acknowledging that we were adults, and could make our own choices about what to play, she politely wrapped up with, “I don’t know if there will ever be a ‘Far Cry 4,’ but I can guarantee you it won’t be under this tree.”

Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

I knew I would have to buy an Xbox 360 after playing the first Gears of War at a LAN / System Link party in my dorm; I had to be physically restrained from going to Wal-Mart that very instant after my first chainsaw kills. Gears of War 2 only improved upon that formula, with Horde mode being the best inclusion by far. Few cooperative experiences match the thrill getting everyone settled into the right location and rhythm during the early waves, only to have everything fall apart at the claws of a well-placed ticker. It only gets better when one person, alone and out of ammo, manages to finish the wave using nothing but the stock of their shotgun.

Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

There is not a game on this list I am more ambivalent about at times, or one I have said more terrible things about in the heat of the moment. I picked Halo 3 up at midnight, played some multiplayer, and then finished the campaign in one sitting after everyone else had logged off and gone to bed. I hate the story, yet have played the campaign multiple times, and some of the set-pieces still get my heart pumping. The multiplayer options opened up by Forge are staggering, and we still played custom games (Said the Liar!) for hours at a time years after release.

Mass Effect (Xbox 360)

I had no interest in Mass Effect when it came out. Our friend Oz got a copy the first day, then convinced Erich to play it, and several months after the fact I borrowed it and decided to give it a chance at their insistence. I play for six hours, and the next day was overjoyed to discover that a store nearby still had a collector’s edition in stock. To this day, I feel the Mass Effect series is the closest we’ve gotten to games that genuinely capture the spirit of something like Star Trek, and the vast galaxy exploration still impresses with its sheer size.

Metal Gear Solid 4 (PlayStation 3)

I bought a PlayStation 3 to play this game; in fact, I bought the system bundle that included the game. I’ll admit that the cutscenes can get both tedious and extraordinarily silly, but the core gameplay and story remain true to the excellence that is Metal Gear Solid. I could write pages about this game, but all that needs to be said is that the opening moments of your return to Shadow Moses brought tears to my eyes. Those tears evaporated shortly thereafter, of course, when I found myself using *(@^ing Metal Gear Rex to fight Metal Gear Ray as building crumbled around us.

January 14, 2015
Review: Bioshock Infinite: Burial At Sea Part 1

Photo courtesy stuff.co.za

Bioshock Infinite is still in the running for my Game of the Year and the wait for Burial at Sea has been a long one. Infinite released in March and Burial at Sea did not see release until mid-November. Even for a piece of single-player DLC that is a long wait and there is no telling when we will see Part 2 surface.

Irrational has given us an interesting premise to start with sending us back to Rapture with an alternate version of Booker and a more mature femme fatale Elizabeth. The first twenty minutes of Burial at Sea does feel like something new and wonderful for the series and not one gun shot is fired. We get to see Rapture in all its glory. The Rapture we have only heard about in audio logs. Shops are open for business, residents walk up and down the passageways and Big Daddy’s are swimming the deep working to keep Rapture in pristine condition.

Once Booker and Elizabeth are sent down to the sunken Fontaine’s department store is when Burial at Sea becomes more familiar to Bioshock fans. This is not a bad thing but it certainly feels like territory we have been over before. Twice, actually. There are dark corridors with water leaking through, splicers running around and even a creepy baby carriage connecting us to the original game. Don’t get me wrong, it is an enjoyable experience, it just quickly becomes a case of been there, done that. They could have kept me in the brightly lit wonders of the city the entire time for what it is worth.

The gunplay you know is back with very few changes. Guns are mapped to your right hand and plasmids are back (not vigors, this is Rapture) including Shock Jockey, Possession and the new (yet not) Old Man Winter. With the shortened length of the DLC it feels like we are quickly forced to find the plasmids instead of relishing in them after plenty of time searching. I think it would have worked better to start you out with two of them and find the Old Man Winter. While in combat using the mix of weapons and plasmids are as fun as any other Bioshock title.

A little piece of Columbia makes its way to Rapture with Booker’s ability to use skyhooks (called air grabbers) to maneuver around, reach new areas and give you the upper ground in firefights. Elizabeth is in her giving mood again as well tossing you eve, health and ammo when you get yourself in a pinch. She can also use her tear ability to create weapon barrels, gun turrets and even a samurai warrior to slice up splicers. The mix of Rapture and Columbia works very well.

The long wait for Burial at Sea makes the story’s length a disappointment. You can finish in one sitting of about 90 minutes. I took around two hours taking my time to walk around and enjoy the sights of a living Rapture in the beginning. Knowing all you know from finishing Infinite takes away a little of the mystery in Booker’s reasoning and his relationship with Elizabeth. They do a good job throwing a wrench into it at the very end that does get you interested in what Part 2 has to offer when they give you control of Elizabeth for the first time.

Where do you go after you know the story of Infinite? It seemed definitive and perfect so returning to Rapture seems a bit anti-climatic. As I said I wished we could have seen more of the Rapture we are offered at the start of Burial at Sea. We have seen the beaten down and dilapidated underwater city before. Let’s get more of a look at it during its apex. Maybe with Part 2 we can get some more of that. With Part 1 there is not a whole lot of different ideas, just a mixture of previous games into a short Bioshock cocktail.

NERD RATING- 7.5/10

December 17, 2013
Bioshock Infinite: Burial At Sea Trailer

Photo courtesy stuff.co.za

After a long wait the first piece of single player DLC for Bioshock Infinite, Burial at Sea, is available today. You return to Rapture shortly before the city’s fall as an alternate Booker who seeks help from Elizabeth to find a little girl. Check out the launch trailer for the DLC below and keep a look out for our review.

Burial at Sea is $15 or free for Season Pass members.

November 12, 2013
Bioshock Infinite: Burial At Sea Returns To Rapture In November

Photo courtesy ggwallpaper.com

Bioshock Infinite released back in March and it has been a good wait for the promised single-player DLC, Burial at Sea. We now know that Episode 1 of Booker and Elizabeth’s Excellent Rapture Adventure will release on November 12th. Episode 1 will have you taking over Booker the night before Rapture’s fall while Episode 2 will let you control Elizabeth in the underwater city.

Burial at Sea will cost $14.99 and is free for Season Pass owners.

On a side note: Really? Three days before the PS4 launch? Now I have to use what I lack the most: time management.

October 25, 2013
Live Action Trailer For Bioshock: Burial At Sea Goes Old School

Photo courtesy stuff.co.za

Irrational Games wants to remind you that Bioshock: Burial at Sea is still coming with this trailer which is a trip for fans of old documentaries like me. Myles Bloom is searching for answers to see if the secret city of Rapture is real in this “Fact from Myth” feature that looks like a TV documentary from the 70’s.

Bioshock: Burial at Sea will release this year. Hopefully.

October 4, 2013
Amazon Offers The Best Bioshock Deal In The History Of Columbia…Or Rapture

Photo courtesy deviantart.com

If you have not played any of the Bioshock titles for some weird reason, Amazon is offering a deal that simply can not be beat. Until September 25th, you can buy the digital download versions of Bioshock, Bioshock 2 and Bioshock Infinite for only $19.99.

Only 20 bucks for two of the greatest games ever made and a decent sequel (that would be Bioshock 2). I really can’t think of a better offer on these games.

You owe it to yourself to pick these up if you have not played all three. Check out the sale here.

September 19, 2013
Ken Levine Unveils Bioshock Infinite DLC

Photo courtesy polygon.com

For those impatiently waiting on [amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock Infinite’s[/amazon_link] Season Pass to pay off, your day is today.

Literally.

Ken Levine and Irrational Games revealed that the first piece of DLC for the Game of the Year candidate would be titled Clash in the Clouds and that it is available today for $5 or nothing for Season Pass holders. In it, you take control of Booker competing against waves of various enemies on four brand new challenge maps. There will be 15 waves of enemies per maps with increasing difficulty. There will be “blue ribbon challenges” which are given out for dispatching enemies in distinct ways.

All of this wonderful, mindless killing will gain you cash which you can spend at the Columbian Archaeological Society where you can buy new Voxophones to listen to, character models to display and even new Kinectoscopes.

But wait! I hear you exclaiming. Weren’t we promised single-player DLC when we ponied up $20 for the Season Pass?

You would be correct and that will come in the form of Burial at Sea, a two-piece DLC that will see Booker and Elizabeth (or at least one version of them) return to Rapture on the night before the underwater city’s great fall. You will control Booker in the first part and players will finally get to control the newly gothic looking Elizabeth in the second part. Levine described Elizabeth’s DLC as more akin to “survival horror” so I am assuming that means she will not be making her way around Rapture with guns a blazing.

No release date was given for Burial at Sea. Both will cost $15 a piece or be included in the Season Pass. So the Season Pass cost us $20 and we will be getting $35 in content. Not a bad deal.

Are you excited to be returning to Rapture?

July 30, 2013
Ken Levine To Write New Logan’s Run Film.

How will Ken Levine follow-up the critical and commercial success of [amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock: Infinite[/amazon_link]? By making the jump to feature films. Warner Bros. has brought on the acclaimed writer to script a new version of William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson’s classic sci-fi story.

Will anyone else find it funny if Sanctuary ends up being a giant lighthouse?

June 18, 2013
Literary Nerdery- Week Of May 7, 2013

-[amazon_link id=”1595829946″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Art of Bioshock Infinite[/amazon_link]- $39.99

In The Art of BioShock Infinite, delve deeper into the city of Columbia-the fabled floating metropolis that serves as a beacon of technology and achievement for the early 1900s! This deluxe hardcover features production designs and concept illustrations focusing on main characters Booker DeWitt, Elizabeth, and Songbird from the highly anticipated BioShock Infinite video game. See the evolution of the Heavy Hitters, the populace of Columbia, the Sky-Hook, vigors, airships, and much more! This deluxe hardcover also features an introduction from BioShock Infinite Creative Director Ken Levine!

–[amazon_link id=”0345541936″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Into The Void[/amazon_link]- Tim Lebbon- $27

On the planet Tython, the ancient Je’daii order was founded. And at the feet of its wise Masters, Lanoree Brock learned the mysteries and methods of the Force—and found her calling as one of its most powerful disciples. But as strongly as the Force flowed within Lanoree and her parents, it remained absent in her brother, who grew to despise and shun the Je’daii, and whose training in its ancient ways ended in tragedy.

Now, from her solitary life as a Ranger keeping order across the galaxy, Lanoree has been summoned by the Je’daii Council on a matter of utmost urgency. The leader of a fanatical cult, obsessed with traveling beyond the reaches of known space, is bent on opening a cosmic gateway using dreaded dark matter as the key—risking a cataclysmic reaction that will consume the entire star system.

-[amazon_link id=”193700788X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13)[/amazon_link]- Charlaine Harris- $27.95

THE FINAL SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVEL

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart….

Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.
But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

-[amazon_link id=”140123027X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]World of Warcraft: Dark Riders[/amazon_link]- Michael Costa, Neil Googe- $24.95

A stalwart mage searches for a powerful artifact, stolen by dark riders, only to find his son accused of murder. A righteous priest, driven by a mysterious fervor, investigates a savage Wolf Cult. As the paths of these two men join, a fantastic adventure emerges! Supported by a cast of brave heroes, the two find out just how dangerous the wolf cult and dark riders are.

-[amazon_link id=”0805096175″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Prophet of Bones[/amazon_link]- Ted Kosmatka- $27

Paul Carlson, a brilliant young scientist, is summoned from his laboratory job to the remote Indonesian island of Flores to collect DNA samples from the ancient bones of a strange, new species of tool user unearthed by an archaeological dig. The questions the find raises seem to cast doubt on the very foundations of modern science, which has proven the world to be only 5,800 years old, but before Paul can fully grapple with the implications of his find, the dig is violently shut down by paramilitaries.

Paul flees with two of his friends, yet within days one has vanished and the other is murdered in an attack that costs Paul an eye, and very nearly his life. Back in America, Paul tries to resume the comfortable life he left behind, but he can’t cast the questions raised by the dig from his mind. Paul begins to piece together a puzzle which seems to threaten the very fabric of society, but world’s governments and Martial Johnston, the eccentric billionaire who financed Paul’s dig, will stop at nothing to silence him.

-[amazon_link id=”0765306115″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tunnel Out Of Death[/amazon_link]- Jamil Nasir- $25.99

Heath Ransom, former police psychic turned machine-enhanced “endovoyant” private investigator, is hired to find the consciousness of the rich and comatose Margaret Biel and return it to her body. Tracking her through the etheric world, he comes upon a strange and terrifying object that appears to be a tear in the very fabric of reality. He falls into it—and into an astonishing metaphysical shadow-play.

For Margaret is a pawn in a war between secret, ruthless government agencies and a nonhuman entity known only as “Amphibian.” Their battlefield is a multi-level reality unlike anything humankind has ever imagined. When Heath learns to move back and forth between two different versions of his life, and begins to realize that everyone around him may be a super-realistic android, that is only the beginning of a wholesale deconstruction of reality that threatens more than his sanity….

May 6, 2013
Scott’s Review: Bioshock Infinite

I will just go ahead and be honest with all of you right now. As I sit down to write this review I am having trouble finding the exact words to begin to describe Bioshock Infinite. I mean that in the best possible way of course. As my brain processes all of what I experienced in the city in the clouds named Columbia, I begin to have that same sense of wonder that I was left with after I played 2007’s Bioshock with one significant difference: Bioshock Infinite took everything I loved about the original and improved it greatly while adding what is easily the best written story of this gaming generation.

Now before we begin I want you all to know that this will be a spoiler free review, so have no fear while you are reading along. I will take the more difficult road and temper my want to just expose everything I discovered in this game because I love all of you. That is not to say that me or my fellow colleague, Trey Sterling (who will be reviewing the game also), will not have a later article discussing the complete epic mindfucks that happen in this game, but not today and not here!

Pitch Perfect

You begin the game as Booker DeWitt, a man that has led a life that has been quite unsavory. He has fallen in deep with the wrong people and has agreed to take on a peculiar job in order to clean his slate. You are being led out to a lighthouse in a roaring storm on a boat being rowed by two strangers. A lockbox is handed to you with a photo of a girl and other items. The message is very clear as to what your job is. Bring them the girl and wipe away the debt.

Once you reach the lighthouse, you make your way inside and are greeted with a basin of water to wash away your sins and biblical sounding messages framed on the wall. You make your way to the top and sit in a chair when when walls begin to close around you. Sound familiar? Instead of burrowing your way down into the underwater city of Rapture, you are rocketed skyward and when you break through the clouds you are treated to your first view of the floating city of Columbia. After landing you make your way into the city via unusual means and your adventure begins.

One of the many, many things that Bioshock Infinite does right is that you are given ample time to explore and fully take in how fully realized the city of Columbia is. Citizens live their lives as you walk among them. They have conversations while kids play in the streets. Shops occupy not just business sections, but also, some float on there own and connect with other parts of the city to give patrons a chance to peruse their stock. You can walk up and view other floating parts through telescopes placed around. It is every bit as memorable as the first time you stepped foot into Rapture only this time instead of a cold, dead society you are greeted with a warm, lively version of 1912 America. Take your time and enjoy the quiet serenity, because it does not last.

The proceedings take a sudden and very racially charged turn and before you know it you are enemy number one floating thousands of feet above the ground with no where to go except towards your cargo. When you first begin combat it will feel very familiar to the original Bioshock with one noticeable difference being the Skyhook. The Skyhook is a spinning hook that is wearable on your left hand and is used in transporting yourself around the city on the sky rail system and also as a vicious melee weapon. You also have a pistol, your health bar and your vigor gauge (which takes the place of plasmids). You begin with a simple possession vigor which can be used to take over turrets in your favor and even other humans and have them attack others. Vigors are refilled with salts which can be acquired through bottles, vending machines and various other loot items found throughout the world of Columbia. As you begin the game, you will feel a sense of trepidation when using vigors, but have no fear, you can upgrade them as well as your health and shield (new to the Bioshock series) by finding infusions scattered throughout.

There are eight total vigors in Bioshock Infinite and they will be familiar to fans of the series, even with the new names. My personal favorites were Murder of Crows and Shock Jockey, especially when used in conjunction with each other. Shock Jockey is, of course, an electric field you shoot out of your hands Emperor Palpatine-style and Murder of Crows sends out a Hitchcock-like swarm of birds to eviscerate your enemies. Devil’s Kiss send out a fiery ball to set men ablaze while Return To Sender catches enemy projectiles and lobs them back. I won’t go through every one of them because I want you to have the pleasure of discovering them and finding out all the unique combinations that are possible.

Tear Columbia A New One

Just as the combat experience in Bioshock Infinite begins to feel like you might be in for a repeat of the previous adventures to Rapture, you are introduced to Elizabeth. She is the daughter of Columbia’s founder, Zachary Comstock, and the girl you are supposed to bring back from Columbia to wipe away your debt. She is trapped away in a monument and been carefully watched her whole life by the scientists and zealots of Columbia, but why? Why does Comstock keep his only daughter locked away from all outside interference and have literary propaganda thrown about the city promising she is the future savior of Columbia? Perhaps the fact that she can tear open the fabric of time and space to see anything she wishes in any time period. Yeah, that would do it for me too.

When you rescue Elizabeth from her tower prison you discover she has been protected and cared for by a huge, mechanical creature called the Songbird which you should know if you bought the massive $150 collector’s edition. He will make occasional visits to screw up your journey.

Once Elizabeth joins you in your escape from Columbia, this is when combat fully opens up and separates itself from the original Bioshock. You don’t have to worry about this being one big, long, annoying escort mission. Elizabeth can take care of herself and before the game reaches its completion she will have saved your sorry ass more times than you can count. She is always readily on hand and ready to toss you anything you happen to be lacking during the many frenetic gunfights you will encounter. You will see a prompt come on screen and Elizabeth yell at you and simply press the corresponding button and she will supply you with health, salts or ammo. I will warn you not to become overly dependent on this though because there will be times, especially during lengthy battles, where she will run out of supplies. So don’t get cocky and expect her to always come along and pull you out of the fire.

The biggest addition to combat in Bioshock Infinite is the fact that Elizabeth can open tiny tears in space and make available to you new ways to get the better of the people hunting you down. She can summons sentry guns, mosquitoes (floating automated machine guns), walls for instant cover, medical stations and even skyhook connections that allow you to get the higher ground in a hurry. You may consider yourself a Bioshock expert with your learned use of weapons and vigor combinations, but it is the mastery of those two things and Elizabeth’s abilities that will truly make you feel like you are a badass. You could play through this game over and over again and no two battles will ever be the same. Do you take cover behind a wall created by Elizabeth and use your vigors and weapons like a cover-based shooter? Have her create a skyhook connection and get to higher ground, rain down some Shock Jockey then take out a few guys with your sniper rifle? Have her summon a patriot and as your enemies are focused on him, sneak around and flank your enemies? My brain is literally spinning right now trying to remember just how many different variations I used and all the new ways I can try on my next playthrough.

A quick word to the wise when it comes to upgrading your abilities: build up your shield first. The shield is new to Bioshock Infinite and is a life saver on many occasions. It will regenerate unlike your health so getting this to maximum quickly is a very good idea. I actually upgraded my health last after my shield and vigors. My shield recharges and I can find food everywhere for small boosts until I could find a vending machine for a refills. I used my vigors almost constantly so upgrading them second just made sense so I could have more uses of my powers.

Enemies in Columbia range from meh to memorable. In Rapture you were truly freaked when you came across splicers for the first time or when you watched the Big Daddy lumber by on the other side of the glass. Columbia has a wide range of enemies, but none really jump out at you…with the exceptions of the Handyman and Boys of Silence. The easiest way to describe the Handyman is to think of the big badassery of the Big Daddy and let him run fast and jump far so he can be all up in your face before you know it. The Boys of Silence are only used in one area of Columbia, but it is more than memorable. You must remain unseen or they can call in an army of dead creatures. Believe me, after one time, you will quiet the hell down. The other members of the rogues gallery like firemen or soldiers do not give you the same feeling as the denizens of Rapture. They feel more like cannon fodder.

Infinite Possibilities

This is the hardest part of my review to write. I have to convey to you how truly amazing the story is without possibly giving away anything. Bioshock Infinite could be called many things. A look back on the racial tensions that has marred this country for generations. An indictment on American culture today when it pertains to the working class and the one percent. A look at family and how the dreams of parents for their children are not always what is best for either party. Bioshock Infinite is layer after layer of storytelling and as you delve deeper into Columbia you may think you have a grasp on what is going on, but you truly have no idea. There is one event about 85% into the game where you believe a big reveal happens and you begin to think that maybe your idea about the ending was a bit muted and disappointing and you, like me, will be completely wrong. I promised a spoiler free review and dammit that is what I am going to do, but I honestly have to tell you that the last thirty minutes of Bioshock Infinite left my jaw agape and my controller nearly slipped out of my hands. I can not stress enough that you should let no one ruin the end of this game for you. This is coming from a cynical bastard that does not care about spoilers. Don’t do it.

You should know that the skyhook system does not make this game into a huge open world adventure. Now that is so minute that it should not register when weighed against the overall incredible feeling of this game, but I feel that I need to let you know that. The skyhook is used in combat (amazingly) and it is used to funnel you betwen areas, like a fancy ass tunnel system from Batman: Arkham Asylum. You can go back and forth between areas as you want for side missions and what not, but don’t go into Infinite thinking you are going to be getting Bioshock: San Andreas. I am pretty sure if you are playing Infinite then you are familiar with the structure of the original Bioshock, but I had to put that out there for new adopters.

I can not say enough about the experience that is Bioshock Infinite. I have tried to explain how you immediately get lost in the world of Columbia and how smooth and free-flowing the combat is, yet there is no real way to truly put into words just how deep, emotional and satisfying this game is.

What Ken Levine and the team at Irrational have been able to craft with Bioshock Infinite is nothing short of awe inspiring. If you thought you got lost in the immersion of Rapture then you haven’t seen anything yet. It is a one of those surreal experiences of gaming bliss that only comes along a few times in a gaming generation. Bioshock, Mass Effect, Uncharted 3, all these belong in the same company. Bioshock Infinite should be held higher than all of them. It has taken everything that was good about Bioshock and made it great. That alone should tell you exactly how wonderful a game we are dealing with here. Then add to it that it also improved what made Bioshock great, adding in the greatest story of this console generation, and what you are left with is gaming history.

April 16, 2013