BIOSHOCK INFINITE
Bioshock Aims For The Sky
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Genre: FPS
Platform tested: Xbox 360
AT Bioshock Infinite’s
announcement, gamers familiar with the franchise had much to be sceptical
about. After a relatively disappointing second instalment (no coincidence that
creator Ken Levine happened to sit that one out), there was little confidence
that anything would clear the bar set by the original BioShock. It looked like a port and re-skin of Rapture, the
underwater dystopia that was home to the first two games in the series. Make no
mistake, though – it may be the strongest in the series to date.
STORYLINE
Perhaps the best place to
start is with Bioshock Infinite’s
storyline. A game promises a lot when it relies solely on a single player campaign;
such is the prevalence of the online gaming market today. But boy, does it
deliver. The player assumes the role of veteran Booker DeWitt, a man given a
chance to ‘clear the debt’ by bringing a girl to New York to an unidentified
party. Of course in true Bioshock fashion, he is not simply a pair of eyes
behind a gun. He is much more than a contextual tool, as is Infinite’s whole
ensemble of characters.
We, as the audience, are
thrust into the narrative at a point where events are already set in motion, and
it is not long before the player is thrown into the splendour that is ‘Columbia’,
the city in the sky. A Self- proclaimed utopia: in reality, an
ultra-nationalist, racist, oppressive dictatorship run by the egotistical ‘Father’
Zachary Comstock, who assigns himself the status of ‘Prophet’. The ‘girl’ in
question is Elizabeth, who is seemingly imbued with a special ability to open
‘tears’ in space, and guarded by a giant mechanical creature dubbed ‘Songbird’.
GAMEPLAY
So all this talk about an
impeccable narrative is great, but what of the gameplay? Nothing particularly
new here – which isn’t a bad thing, of course – left hand uses ‘Vigors’ rather
than Plasmids, right is for old- timey guns, and upgrades come in the form of
various clothing (gear) that when equipped allow certain perks and abilities.
We are also given choices that affect the story slightly, allowing for more
replay value. The Vigors themselves are what make the series different from
your average shoot-‘em-up, and aid in various ways during battle with
Columbia’s forces. Personal favourites include Bucking Bronco (which propels
enemies into a state of low gravity for easy pickings), Charge (essentially a
re-skinned Big Daddy drill attack), and Return to Sender (a shield which
directs enemy attacks back at the enemy). Most have secondary functions, but
are rarely necessary. As for the enemies, there are various archetypes equipped
with alternates to your Vigors, which helps to even the odds. They will also
make use of the Skylines that accommodate Columbia, which are primarily used
for Booker’s transport needs, also contributing to some fantastic cinematic
sequences. The most memorable enemies are by far the Big Daddy substitutes, the
Patriots. Part intimidating, part satirical, these mechanical giants manifest
in the form of the founding fathers, which quote their historical counterparts
while riddling Booker with bullets. Strangely, they can’t help but serve as
irritatingly entertaining.
Thankfully, you have
something else on your side – Elizabeth. In fact, she is such a significant
element of Infinite that she deserves
as much focus as any of the game’s key aspects. For the first time in history,
gamers actually prefer the sections in which she accompanies you. Think of the
past annoyances of friendly AI – notably recent Resident Evil instalments – and
just how annoying, obstructive and useless they were. Elizabeth is nothing of
the sort. In fact, she is a delight in every way. She will toss you ammo, salts
(to power your Vigors) or health packs when you most desperately need them. Which
you will. She also contributes to
some helpful, well-scripted dialogue with Booker, which ranges from humourous
to story- enriching (in hindsight of the conclusive events, of course), thus
enlightening the quieter moments. In addition to all this, she will use her
special abilities to open tears, therefore providing a wealth of battle
tactics. Unlike Resident Evil 5’s Sheva, she is integral to both story and
gameplay, easily taking the mantle of the greatest AI partner a gamer could
wish for. Keen observation will also pick up on a sort of Big Daddy/Little
Sister mirroring between her and yourself as a player, though she is never
under any threat, as the game will tell you with a notification; ‘Elizabeth
will look after herself’. Well, thank God for that.
Bioshock Infinite retains the mechanics of previous instalments while fine-tuning the
smaller stuff. There’s still a selection wheel for Vigors, but Infinite trades in the weapon cycling
system for a Call of Duty style two-gun at a time feature, which will have you
constantly debating what to swap for what. There are often at least three guns
you may want to carry, but are subjected to being left to guesswork about what
might come in handy in the next encounter. The player will also benefit from
venturing into Columbia’s dark corners – often a rewarding experience for the
kleptomaniacs among us.
A few minor hitches, though:
Battles, once or twice, can seem overwhelming, and mis-spending of upgrades can
result in a challenge which is just the wrong side of good sport. Put frankly,
the enemies can be altogether downright irritating. Patriots are faster,
stronger, and better equipped than Booker ever is, and his virtuous Vigors just
don’t cut it often enough. Other criticisms of the game have said that Infinite’s objectives seem to
continually divert, resulting in the player forgetting why they are doing what
they are – but heck, it’s not proclaiming to be anything other than loyal to
the Bioshock series, which has had players doing this since 2007.
The graphics are decent
enough in the Xbox 360 version, but screenshots of PS3 and PC in particular
demonstrate that Infinite is running
Xbox 360’s graphics card to exhaustion. The odd loading icon appears in the
corner of the screen when passing through areas, and the occasional texture pop
haunts the system’s creaky hardware. The sound is, well, sound, however: a
great soundtrack accompanies the player as they journey through Infinite’s story, which, as you guessed
it, again serves as a vessel of narrative elements. The game also sees the
return of voice recordings in the form of Voxophones, which are highly
collectable and – yep – narratively beneficial.
VERDICT: Worthy of all the awards and
praise, Bioshock Infinite keeps
players occupied, and leaves them satisfied. The developers clearly ran a tight
ship, with every detail meticulously thought over and implemented with
masterful precision. Play through it once to have your mind blown. Play through
again, and appreciate the inner workings that went into doing so. Only parting
thought is where the series is headed next – but that is a definitively
exciting one. Bar = set.
RATING: 9/10
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