This post is two-fold. First, for all the real gaming girls out there I will say that I respect the ever-loving hell out of you. This society may be run by nerds now, but I am sure some of you get plenty of flak from other groups of women sometimes for what you love to do. Nothing beats having a good video game conversation with a lady that knows her shit.
Second, this goes out to the guys who walk around and make fun of women who have video game themed t-shirts or other apparel and you question if they are just wearing it to be “cool” in today’s nerd world. Be careful what you speak out of your mouth.
Rae Johnston is the lifestyle editor at Techlife.net and someone made the mistake of questioning her gaming knowledge one fateful day while waiting for coffee.
Snarky guy in coffee queue eyes off my Bioshock Infinite t-shirt, suggests I “probably haven’t even played it”. So I told him the ending.
We here at Nerd Rating are in love with Bioshock Infinite. We will be doing a dual review for the game like we did for Tomb Raider last month. We are enjoying the game so much that we want one of our lucky readers to be able to get everything out of this amazing work that they possibly can.
“How can you do that!?”, I hear you screaming at your computer screen as people in Starbucks look at you like a mental patient.
It is as simple as answering five questions. Just read the five questions below and message us your answers to either our Facebook page or direct message our Twitter and be entered to win. That’s it!!
Ready? Set? Skyhook!
1. In what year does BioShock Infinite take place?
2. What is the name given to the game’s super-powerlike abilities?
3. Handymen have one weak spot; what is it?
4. Name three characters other than Booker or Elizabeth.
5. What was #4 on our “Five Reasons” to be excited about Bioshock Infinite?
Irrational has released all of the alternate covers for [amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock Infinite[/amazon_link] that were up for fan vote before the game released. All of the covers can be accessed on the Bioshock Infinite website and have copies available for print for the PS3, 360 and PC versions of the game.
Our dual review for Bioshock Infinite from Trey Sterling and I will be up soon.
See that author line below the title? Don’t believe that! Sometimes here at Nerd Rating we get backed up so I am doing our buddy Trey Sterling a solid and posting his five reasons to get Bioshock Infinite. Thus the title…pay attention!
On with the fun.
Photo courtesy thegamingliberty.com
One week from today, gamers will finally get their hands on BioShock: Infinite, Ken Levine’s long-awaited true successor to 2007’s BioShock. After a publisher mandated numerical sequel – which lacked Levine’s input and tacked on multiplayer – and several delays, we will get to experience the next step in BioShock’s evolution as envisioned by the team at Irrational.
To be perfectly honest, only Metro: Last Light has captivated my anticipation more over the last year or so. We’re going to try a new feature out where we give five high points to our excitement over big releases, and Infinite seemed the perfect guinea pig.*
1. The Story
From the opening plane crash and the “Welcome to Rapture” reveal of the city, the original BioShock asked us if we would kindly step into silent protagonist Jack’s shoes and guide him through that underwater Hell. Infinite changes things up a little by giving us Booker, in that he speaks and has a seemingly well-crafted personality; it also presents us with an almost-constant companion in the form of Elizabeth, as opposed to Rapture’s lonely corridors. “Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt” is about as far as I’ve allowed myself into this new tale, simply because I don’t want to spoil any surprises Columbia might hold.
2. Skyrails
If you’ve seen any trailers for Infinite, you have presumably seen Booker using these to move about; if not, why are you reading a feature about a game you haven’t seen any trailers for?! Go fix it and come back!
I am genuinely thrilled at the idea of using these roller-coaster style tracks to move between Columbia’s floating buildings, but it is also one of the areas the game could derail (intended) my expectations by not being as free-form as we’ve all been led to believe.
3. Time “Tears”
This is maybe the gameplay feature I know the least about, and I’ve been intentionally keeping it that way. What I do know is this: One of Elizabeth’s abilities let’s her tear holes in space-time, allowing her to transport the two of you – and enemies too, maybe – between different places and times. She can also use it to pull weapons out of thin air, so to speak.
4. The Songbird
Anyone who remembers that first BioShock teaser from years ago can attest to the sense of awe and terror inspired by seeing a Big Daddy for the first time. Games of a certain ilk thrive on having such enemies in them, enemies who present such an initial threat to the player that running is the only sensible solution. Half-Life 2’s striders, Metro’s librarians, and Fallout’s super-mutant behemoths are some prime examples. In addition to being terrifying, the Songbird has the added bonus of having unknown motivations that might, when all is said and done, make us question just who the real monster is.
5. Open-Ended Gameplay
It’s become commonplace these days for games in every genre to include some form of upgrade system, wither for your skills, your gear, or both. Yet few achieve the desired result of letting a player genuinely choose how they want to play; the most recent successes are probably Dishonored and Far Cry 3. The original BioShock was another example; to this day, I rarely meet people who played through it using the same weapons and plasmids I saw as indispensable. With the addition of Columbia’s open design and Elizabeth’s talents, here’s hoping Infinite stacks up.
The Final Expectation
When I pick up BioShock: Infinite next week, I plan on jumping into a historical thriller disguised as a shooter, with some heavy sci-fi themes to boot. I don’t expect any one fight to ever feel exactly like another, I expect to occasionally be terrified and hopelessly outmatched, and at least once I expect each character to do something that makes me loathe them even as I root for their success. Oh, and at least once I expect to use the skyrails to land on a zeppelin, set that zeppelin on fire, and then go sliding away as it crashes to the ground so very far below.
*That’s a total lie; Tomb Raider was supposed to be my first one, but I might have… not done it. As is evidenced by the inexistence of an article entitled “Trey’s Five Reasons: Tomb Raider.”
The countdown to Bioshock Infinite has officially begun as we are only one week away from one of the most anticipated games of this generation. To go along with the trailer that premiered during Sunday night’s The Walking Dead, a new trailer shows off the combat of the game. We get to see the first time Booker gets to use Vigor and that the Sky-Hook can also make a pretty handy (and bloody) weapon.
Can we please get someone to break date on this game…..now.
[amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock Infinite [/amazon_link] releases on March 26th.
If you were watching last night’s episode of The Walking Dead then you were treated to a new sixty second commercial for Bioshock Infinite. The CG trailer has protagonist Booker DeWitt jumping in to rescue Elizabeth from the crazed citizens of Columbia.
It kind of confuses me why they would go with a CG trailer considering how absolutely beautiful the game looks.
[amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock Infinite[/amazon_link] releases on March 26th.
In some of the greatest stories written, a creator must kill his creation before it gets out of control. Thus is the story of the Bioshock movie. At a recent BAFTA event, Bioshock creator Ken Levine was blatantly honest about why audiences never got to take a cinematic trip into Rapture.
He decided to kill his own creation.
“Take Two is one of those companies that gives a lot of trust to their creative people and so they said to me, ‘if you want to kill it Ken, kill it’. And I killed it.”
This came about after Universal trimmed the budget from $200 million to $80 million and director Gore Verbinski left the project over the budget reduction. And why did the studio suddenly get cold feet and slash the budget by so much? Would you believe [amazon_link id=”B001FB55H6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watchmen[/amazon_link]?
“There was a deal in place and it was actually in production at Universal, and Gore Verbinski was directing it. And what happened was – this is my theory – it’s a very big movie and Gore was very excited about it and he wanted to make a very dark, what he would call a ‘hard-rated’ horror film – an R rated film with a lot of blood. Then The Watchmen came out – and I really liked The Watchmen – but it didn’t do well for whatever reason and the studio got cold feet about making an R rated $200 million film.”
I don’t blame Levine for wanting to keep the movie from beginning if he didn’t feel wholly comfortable with the direction it was heading. As far as Universal getting cold feet, I don’t blame the failure of Watchmen, I blame the comic fans who clamored for a big screen version of the greatest graphic novel ever written and didn’t go and give it the support it needed.
Yesterday Halo was the centerpiece of Microsoft’s huge Xbox Live sale and today it is Assassin’s Creed’s turn to take center stage. Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood and Revelations get a big slash in price today to go along with the other games that are taking huge discounts until March 4th.
The Assassin’s Creed games are on sale for today only.
Irrational Games has announced that Bioshock Infinite will be joining the the growing groups of games to offer a season pass for its DLC.
The pass will cost $19.99 and include three DLC packs. The cost of the packs separately are $30. The exact nature of the DLC is not know at this time, but if you do purchase the season pass you will receive the “Early Bird Special” that lets you unlock four new exclusives including: pistol damage upgrade, machine gun damage upgrade, gold skins for pistol and machine gun as well as five Infusion bottles.
[amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock Infinite[/amazon_link] releases on March 26th.
The floating city of Columbia awaits us as Bioshock Infinite barrels its way to release. Now we have a look at the achievement list that will be in this spring’s largest game. Don’t worry, there are no plot spoilers in the explanations of the achievements. I am seeing a plethora of 5 point “kill enemies with different weapons and powers” so by this list it would seem like you will need multiple playthroughs to get a majority share of these.
My favorites would have to be the kill five enemies while drunk and kill five enemies with a headshot while riding the Sky-Line.
[amazon_link id=”B003O6E6NE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bioshock Infinite[/amazon_link] releases on March 26th.
Tin Soldier (10 points) – Completed the game on Easy difficulty or above.
Saw the Elephant (25 points) – Completed the game on Normal difficulty or above.
Stone Cold Pinkerton (50 points) – Completed the game on Hard difficulty or above.
Auld Lang Syne (75 points) – Completed the game on 1999 mode.
Should Auld Acquaintance… (10 points) – Unlocked 1999 mode.
Industrial Accident (5 points) – Killed 20 enemies with a Sky-Hook Execution.
Aerial Assassin (5 points) – Killed 20 enemies with a Sky-Line Strike.
A Real Pistol (5 points) – Killed 25 enemies with the Broadsider Pistol.
Passionately Reciprocated (5 points) – Killed 150 enemies with the Founder Triple R Machine Gun or Vox Repeater.
Street Sweeper (5 points) – Killed 50 enemies with the Founder China Broom Shotgun or Vox Heater.
Big Game Hunter (5 points) – Killed 100 enemies with the Founder Huntsman Carbine or Vox Burstgun.
Loose Cannon (5 points) – Killed 25 enemies with the Paddywhacker Hand Cannon.
On a Clear Day… (5 points) – Killed 30 enemies with the Bird’s Eye Sniper Rifle.
Here Little Piggy (5 points) – Killed 30 enemies with the Founder Pig Volley Gun or Vox Hail Fire.
Master of Pyrotechnics (5 points) – Killed 20 enemies with the Barnstormer RPG.
Seasoned to Taste (5 points) – Killed 30 enemies with the Peppermill Crank Gun.
Well Rounded (10 points) – Used all 8 Vigors against enemies.
Vigorous Opposition (50 points) – Killed 75 enemies either with a Vigor or while the enemy is under the effects of a Vigor.
More for Your Money (25 points) – Lured 3 enemies into a single Vigor trap 5 times.
Combination Shock (50 points) – Performed all 8 of the Vigor combinations.
Mind Over Matter (10 points) – Killed 20 enemies using Possessed machines.
Tear ‘em a New One (25 points) – Opened 30 Tears.
Strange Bedfellows (10 points) – Killed 20 enemies using allies brought in through a Tear.
On the Fly (10 points) – Killed 30 enemies while riding a Sky-Line.
Bolt From the Blue (25 points) – Killed 5 enemies with a headshot while riding a Sky-Line.
Hazard Pay (25 points) – Killed 10 enemies by utilizing environmental hazards.
Bon Voyage (25 points) – Killed 20 enemies by knocking them off Columbia.
Skeet Shoot (25 points) – Killed 5 enemies while they are falling.
Lost Weekend (10 points) – Killed 5 enemies while you are drunk.
David & Goliath (10 points) – Killed 20 “Heavy Hitter” enemies.
Heartbreaker (50 points) – Killed a Handyman by only shooting his heart.
Dress for Success (5 points) – Equipped a piece of Gear in all four slots.
Kitted Out (10 points) – Fully upgraded one weapon and one Vigor.
Raising the Bar (10 points) – Upgraded one attribute (Health, Shield, or Salts) to its maximum level.
Infused with Greatness (25 points) – Collected every Infusion upgrade in a single game.
Sightseer (50 points) – Used all telescopes and Kinetoscopes in the game.
The Roguish Type (25 points) – Used Elizabeth to pick 30 locks.
Eavesdropper (50 points) – Collected every Voxophone.
Grand Largesse (10 points) – Spent $10,000 at the vending machines of Columbia.
Coins in the Cushion (10 points) – Looted 200 containers.
Scavenger Hunt (75 points) – Completed the game in 1999 mode without purchasing anything from a Dollar Bill vending machine.
