Developer:Irrational Games, 2K Australia
Publisher:2K Games
Price: $59.99
Platforms: PC,PS3, and Xbox360
Release Date:March 26th, 2013 (Out now)
Get it at these trusted shops!: Gamestop, Walmart, Bestbuy, Target, Steam, Greenmangaming
With depth, character and personality. Bioshock Infinite takes the next step up in the series. In this review I will provide very light on spoilers. As personally I truly want to have you enjoy what is in store for you when you get this game. You are in control of a man named Booker, who is sent to a lighthouse in Maine. The year is 1912. Genuinely to this, you see every ounce of this game presented with characters a wondering around in outfits, to match the era. Along with this is some of the cultural segregation. While this step is controversial, I think it was the right choice. Why fib, when you can help others see this past of human history and learn from the negative examples from fellow mankind. I do not see the wrong with this design choice.
A element of the game I have noticed whole hardly, the arch of the story felt much like the first Bioshock. This time, the rescue a princess from a tyrant approach. While yes, you could save the little sisters in both of the previous games, this time you have a overpowered chick as your sidekick. Elizabeth. Plus she is hot! She has the abilities to aid you in combat. Such as change the flow of combat. Such as bringing into your realm turrets, hooks to clamp too. And ammo plus heath depots. New to the game is some of the combat, taking away the classic way of being able to have an array of guns to have in your inventory. Resorting to the two gun maximum. Reducing how the first game brought the classic Fps fan out of all of us. You can pick up weapons from enemies, as well as replenish ammo from corpses. If you so choose to stick to a favorite weapon. While this is somewhat disappointing to only be able to use two guns at a point and time, unless you swap from near by. This leaves a sort of limited nature to the combat. While yes Elizabeth does toss ammo, Salt(replenishes your casting power), and healing kits. Usually this happens, other times she will leave you high and dry.
Healing and consuming salts in this game is slightly different in this game. Example, you can dash over a enemy, doing so sometimes displays they happen to have some rations or ammo to give you to help you during your travels. Now this sounds peachy, but consumables merely fill up a small part of your health. Kits on the other hand are the mac truck of impact. Specially if you are playing Hard difficulty. One slight draw back which would cause you to explore and farm a bit of enemies for cash(or cheat like most are doing to upgrade there weapons and vigor). While this adds time to the game play, as well as pace the game, is sort of a draw back for the game as a whole. Barely having cash in this game is pretty risky coming into the conclusion of the game. So, the only hint I will give you is farm a lot of cash when you see the right point to do so. Or it could risk you having a major hill to climb.
Now on to the magic in this game, or the Vigor. It is something you come across periodically. As you move forward, new vigors, while some are merely used for combat, are at points useless. Some such as Shock jockey, and Possession, being used for process through the game, you find yourself upgrading your guns more then tossing too many Devil Kisses too often. Not to disown most of these vigors. However personally the cost to cast Vs trying to locate upgrades and the silver coins to me felt like a waste of effort when you could upgrade a few guns that are dependable on your play style and just rip open some enemies. Near the end of the game I was mostly using the Repeater, and the Sniper Rifle. But please for this part, do bare in mind I am not ruling out the use or power of these abilities, simply there power vs cast cost to me felt unbalanced. Then by the time coming around to getting that flow right the game would have been beaten.
A new element to this game is clothing, not cosmetic. In this case primary used to buff Vigors, or whatever weapon you have laying in your pocket. To wear some of this useful gear, you will discover gray present boxes laying around in the game. From hats, to pants, as well as chest pieces. Which the chest pieces were rare to me to discover. Other then that I would find hats like I was in freaking Team fortress 2. Most if not all combinations of clothing were benefit to what I wanted. For example, I had on some gear that every time I killed a enemy 40% chance I would get back Vigor. Also if I smacked and killed a enemy, I would get health back. Then if I consumed a healing item, I would be invulnerable for a short period(A freaking life saver!~)
The enemies in this game were pretty challenging, which is a good thing. I did not play this in casual mode, I went all the way. You know like in those 80’s films in the back seat. Like a Boss. Speaking of Bosses, I did not see too many. Only in slight moments to try to take me off guard.
In a form I noticed that in this was not really a pattern to the bosses, but more of a who can survive the longest. Some were punching bags to test how strong you are. Others were in there to try to whip your backside. A few times discovering I was under powered. Finding cash like I mentioned before is what you would call a chore. Making most times all hell on earth. While you can re-spawn to life, like in the other games. This time you spawn from outside of your office. Or if Elizabeth is next to you, will revive you. Enemies also bare resistances to curtain Vigors example, tossing a possession on a certain boss lacks effectiveness. On the other foot fire works wonders. It is all experimental.
The bask tone of culture as I meant above is something I really wanted to address for this. As I know media and other outlets will bring it up like it is the new thing to complain about. In American history. Hell all history there was forms of slavery. As well as tyranny. Bad people did bad things. WE all understand this. To present it in a game. To set a tone, to show the darkness man from both sides is presentable to commit. Is something I personally can stand up and say. Respectable. The portrait of 1912. the two civilizations under one roof. One the poor lower class, and the upper rich class. Two sides of a coin. Two minds. One sees the importance of survival, and freedom. The other sees the valve of the dollar. And how it can make things work for them instantly. I was very impressed in some cases, the form of human hardship. Well done. Is this imagery make anyone involved with developing the game just as wrong? Hell no. Why do we read history books, if the bad elements make us flinch. We read from those said books to learn from the mistakes we made. And the advancements of good will to others. In this said game. Shows the twosided coin effect. Nuff’ Said.
In closing,
A game of class, and beauty. A example to all of the nay-sayers. New games can still innovate, and lure us into a world that can amaze us. As well as scare us. While this game has a ton riding for it, it also has some issues to it that is somewhat of a pain. One element, which only allows you to equip two guns at a time, is to me a cliche in modern gaming that holds back game play in a small fragment. Next is the cash obtained while adventuring in the game. While trying to upgrade Booker, you are left two options, spend sparingly, or do a exploit in which you repeat a certain area over and over. Personally not doing the exploit, my O.C.D. Kicked up feeling some of my abilities lacked luster in strength in certain fragments. Of course the game itself is playable and can be completed in somewhat of a minimal stature.(I wanted to feel overpowered, pouts.) Without any question this game will go down in the time bracket for myself and many others as the game to play for two thousand and thirteen. Replay-ability with “1999 mode”. What this mode is is a optional difficulty that gives you a big challenge. If you die, it is game over and you are brought back to the main menu. A very awesome element for those who love punishment(and BDSM). The game had a lot of structure and creativity on behalf of cultural stand points, and general History. As it was not coy to give you a mind bend here and there. I found myself addicted to the plot, wanting more. I give this game a 9.7. It is a testament to how to take your time, and good results follow in developing a game(take note EA & Activision).
FIN.
