In late March, 2K Games released the third installment of the Bioshock series, Bioshock Infinite. And while the game did not follow the storyline set up in the previous games, Bioshock, and Bioshock 2, it caught everyone's eye. New fans and the old alike were entranced by the promise of a new game and a new world to explore that was still in a format they were familiar with. 2K Games did not disappoint.
Set in 1912, the player controls a former soldier at the Battle of Wounded Knee named Booker DeWitt, a rough and roguish type man who is hired to retrieve a captive teenage girl named Elizabeth from a tower in the center of Columbia, a floating, God-fearing city in the sky. He doesn’t exactly know who hired him or why they want the girl; he just knows it will pay off a debt he can’t pay otherwise and is haunted by the message, “Bring us the girl, wipe away the debt.” Although he saves her, two groups pursue DeWitt and Elizabeth: the Founders of the city led by Zachary Hale Comstock and the Vox Populi, a rebel group that represents the common people of Columbia led by a woman named Daisy Fitzroy.
Quickly, it is evident that Elizabeth possesses certain abilities that serve as a cause for keeping her captive her whole life by Comstock, the leader of the church-centered, cult-like society in Columbia. DeWitt soon finds that the girl he rescued has the ability to manipulate rifts into different times and places and that she is the center of the conflict between the Founders and the Vox Populi.
Throughout the game, the player works with AI-controlled Elizabeth and uses a combination of gear, weapons, and powers granted through chemical drinks called vigors. The player can also use Elizabeth’s abilities to help in battle. She also finds ammo, health aid, and other useful things while in battle. The controls are very similar to those in the other Bioshock games, but one new feature is the skyhook, an object used as a melee weapon, in addition to being used as a way to access Columbia’s Skyline railway system.
Bioshock Infinite won many awards for its appearance alone, but I found the plot to be deeply engaging, and the characters were so interesting that by the end I felt as if it had been actual people the entire time. This is a game you won’t want to stop playing, not only because you can go sightseeing for hours and marvel in the delight that is 2013 graphics, but also because the storyline is fast-paced, and you’ll be dying to know what happens next. One of the most intriguing parts of the game is all the hidden salutes to anyone who has played the first two games, which range from minor details to major parts of the plot that intertwine with the previous storyline. So while playing the other games beforehand is not necessarily required to enjoy the game, I recommend it, as it will make an already wondrous experience many times better.
If you decide to play Bioshock Infinite, be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions, a beautiful setting, and an ending that will leave you speechless.
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