Back in the wild and untamed days of 2007, Irrational Games released a virginal “BioShock” into the world. It astounded audiences with its rich and complex story while the heart-racing action engaged on a level we, as a public, hadn’t seen in quite some time.
And I couldn’t care less about it. In fact, I hated the game because everyone else continued to sell it like it was the Second Coming. I figured there was no way any game could be that good. It defied logic that so many people from so many different gaming backgrounds could love this game. Going into the original “BioShock,” my expectations were unreasonably high. Yet the game matched and surpassed those standards, winning me over.
For “BioShock Infinite,” those expectations have grown. I expected something above and beyond a timeless classic like the original. And just like the original, Infinite delivers.
The game takes place in 1912 and follows Booker Dewitt, a former Pinkerton agent and habitually drunk private investigator as he tracks down Elizabeth, a mysterious girl being held in the floating city of Columbia, and “acquires” her for an unknown client.
I say “acquires” because it isn’t clear whether you’re rescuing or kidnapping her. You’ll have to find out for yourself while traversing said floating city.
While the city seems well enough, with its creepy citizens and eerily familiar music — seriously, stop and listen to the music — there is a darkness underneath the sunshine.
This kind of place cannot exist without the exploitation of an underclass. And since Columbia seceded from America some time ago, those downtrodden masses are at the mercy of the unjust and prejudiced law that rules Columbia.
While tracking down Elizabeth, you’ll come across some of the most unsettling things I have ever seen in a game. For instance, I don’t think I have ever seen fully-functioning segregated bathrooms in a videogame before. “BioShock Infinite” has some serious stones to go after these issues.
The gameplay is highly reminiscent of the original “BioShock,” mixing gunplay and biological super powers to create one of the best shooter experiences I have ever come into contact with. It’s all the little things that add up to a perfect whole. The navigation helps without holding your hand. Elizabeth’s AI is superb and she is one of the greatest partners in video game history. Giving Booker Dewitt an actual voice and personality instead of the usual mute first-person protagonist is a stroke of genius.
Not only does “BioShock Infinite” get my highest of recommendations, it is the running for not only one of the greatest games of the year, but one of the greatest experiences of all time.
