Beauty and Brutality go Head to Head in BioShock Infinite
- By Matthew Cooper
It’s always special when you get to witness something that in some way shapes the future of the gaming industry. BioShock Infinite does just that. It brings new life to a genre that many believe has gotten stale. It also reminds us that single player first person shooters are still able to tell good stories. With all of its components working together, Infinite becomes what is arguably the best game in the BioShock series.
The first few moments of Infinite mirror those of the original BioShock. You, Booker DeWitt, are given one simple goal - “Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt”. DeWitt travels to a lighthouse and is soon blasted past the clouds into Colombia, a floating city. Seriously. The moment I laid eyes on Colombia, my jaw dropped. It is truly a sight to behold.
Of course when you actually do get the girl, the plot is complicated and what started out as a “save the princess from the castle” storyline becomes something bolder than what the average video game is willing to tell. The less you know the better. The ending is slightly confusing but the game as a whole is open to interpretation. It’s a great discussion topic and the story is one of Infinite’s greatest successes.
However, every great story requires great characters. BioShock Infinite does not stumble here. The “princess” that you have to rescue is Elizabeth, although she doesn’t stay that way for long. Her character arch is one of the stories main components. It’s interesting to see a once innocent girl become hardened by tragedy and violence. It’s made even better due to the fact that Elizabeth is so damn likeable. Courtnee Draper delivers a wonderful performance as Elizabeth, giving her an extremely charming personality. Troy Baker is also strong as Booker DeWitt. His character is also tragic and it’s interesting to discover more about his past.
But BioShock Infinite’s greatest character is actually the floating city of Colombia. Set in 1912, Colombia has a relaxing and steampunk feel to it when the game begins. Everyone is happy and the world is absolutely gorgeous. However, Colombia is not at all how it first seems. As the story progresses, Colombia is revealed to be a city of white supremacists and extreme nationalists - people who subject interracial couples to public stonings and force African Americans and Irish Immigrants to work 16 hour days in terrible conditions. And on the other side is the Vox Populi, essentially a more extreme version of the Black Panthers. It’s all a bit too realistic and is frightening to witness. To make matters worse, you are looked at as the “False Shepherd” (Colombia’s version of the anti-christ). Everybody wants to kill you and bring Elizabeth back into captivity. What results is some brutal violence that contrasts beautifully with the environments.
Fortunately, Infinite’s gameplay is as good as its story. As in the first BioShock, the shooting is complemented by Vigors (renamed Plasmids). These range from fire grenades, a hoard of crows that will peck away at enemies, a wave of water that will send enemies flying backwards, and a lot more. You also possess a skyhook, which you can use to either unleash brutal executions or to ride Infinite’s Skyline - essentially a rollercoaster in the sky. You can shoot while on the Skyline and riding above your enemies and then dropping down to execute someone is exhilarating.
The variety of Vigors and weapons lends for a large number of strategies and approaches to combat. Elizabeth also is very helpful and will throw you health packs and ammunition. She can also summon certain things into the environment because if story related reasons, which also warrants different approaches. The battlegrounds are all spacious, and combat was always fun. I look forward to replaying the game using different Vigors and weapons. No two people are going to have the exact same experience in Infinite.
I do have one minor complaint with the game, and that is the choices you are allowed to make. Occasionally you will be able to choose between one of two actions, but your decision doesn’t change the outcome of the story. When you think about the later portion of Infinite’s story it makes sense, but as a gameplay choice it’s unnecessary.
However, as a whole, Infinite rarely misses a beat. The game will likely be praised in the years to come as one of the best single player first person shooters ever made. It’s delightful to see something unique in the gaming industry, and BioShock Infinite delivers.
9.5/10
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