Astounding graphical design. Compelling plot. Excellent blend of old, new game mechanics.
- Cons Linear, low-ambiguity narrative. Surface-level treatment of difficult subjects. Shortage of save points. Stumbles near end.
Gorgeous to look at and complex in its construction, BioShock Infinite is a captivating addition to the popular first-person-shooter series.
Though BioShock Infinite is aggressively linear in a way that may leave you longing for the somewhat more open-ended storytelling of the earlier games, it's intricate and surprising, with enough twists and turns to keep you engaged through the 12 or so hours it takes to complete (at least on Normal, the second easiest of four difficulty levels). Critical to its success are the vocal performances of Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper as DeWitt and Elizabeth: His rough-edged world-weariness and her empty, and eventually pointedly betrayed, optimism beautifully accentuate the underlying theme of the difficulty of growing once you've gotten everything you think you want.
Luckily, the game succeeds as more than just a story. BioShock Infinite seamlessly appropriates certain components from the previous BioShock games at the same time it integrates new ones, so it feels both comfortable and daring. Longtime fans, for example, will recognize vigors (potions that give you superhuman fighting capabilities, such as setting your enemies on fire or blasting them long distances) as renamed plasmids, and "Salts" a different term for the EVE that powered them. The not-so-gentle giant Big Daddy protectors are rendered here as Handyman and Patriot androids (the latter deliciously bearing the faces of Washington and Lincoln). And you'll encounter a few other visual “cameos” that show just how different from Rapture Columbia isn't (one of my favorites were the teddy bears).
For the most part, combat hasn't changed much. Whether your weapons of choice are the vigors or more traditional firearms (there's a wide range, everything from pistols to flamethrowers), you can easily upgrade whenever you come across the vending machine, and swap between options. You always have access to all the vigors you've discovered (from a total of eight), though you're limited to carrying two weapons at a time—though this doesn't present much of a problem, because there are always plenty to grab in case you run out of ammo (which can happen frequently) or you just want an upgrade in your destructive capabilities.
There are some "feature enhancements" to fighting, however. More than being just a passive companion, Elizabeth can help you out quite a bit. She's able to locate useful items (ammo, salts, health packs) that she'll often throw you when you're in desperate need of them. And she can also produce larger constructs (such as walls for cover, decoys, or even full gunnery installations) by pulling them through "Tears," or holes between realities that eventually play an important role. Both capabilities are useful but have their limits, and relying on them to survive is not a good idea (as I learned the hard way).
Most intriguing among all the bigger changes is Columbia's Sky-Line system. Using a device you acquire early on, you can leap onto the metal rails that connect various buildings and locales and use them as lightning-quick transportation, a cunning combat ally, or both. Being able to speed past a pack of threatening enemies, only to revive your health and salts, then ride the Sky-Line back to the bad guys and rain devastation down on them from above is one of the most satisfying parts of a game that's packed full of them.