"Bring us the girl and wipe away your debt". This seemingly simple mission is all there is for Booker DeWitt to go by, when he steps on pier of tower somewhere in the ocean. The girl in question is Elizabeth, the lamb of the prophet and a figure of a religious fervor for the Prophet and his visions of future. As Booker climbs his way up the tower, he's soon rocketed to the skies above, where Columbia welcomes its newest visitor in all its radiant glory. The city in the sky baskes in the sunlight, its inhabitants living the American dream of wealth and freedom.
Just like before in Bioshock series, Booker, Elizabeth or the Prophet are not the only protagonists of the story. The city of Columbia has equally important part and thankfully the game gives the player time to gaze upon its marvels and wonders in peace for a while before the real action begins. The floating districts, skyrails and plasmids all form the a unique feel for the city in the sky, where real world fashion and machines, such as zeppelins, of late 19th century are mixed seamlessly with these fantasy elements.
But soon enough Booker is branded as the False Prophet, a man of utmost evil and an enemy of the people of Columbia. So it is up to Booker's to make his way to Statue where Elizabeth is held and bring her back to New York and wipe away his debt. The combat is much like that of Bioshock 2, where you can utilize a weapon and a plasmid at the same time, one in each hand. While plasmids are effective and terrific fun to use, they are expensive (in salt, that serves as ammo for plasmids) and a bit limited in use. The sneaking aspect from earlier Bioshocks feel almost all gone, so you usually find yourself using the few combat efficient plasmids and weapons to deal with your foes. You can, however, combine plasmids to a greater effect, such as casting Murder of Crows to harass a group of enemies and then set the crows on fire with Devil's Kiss for a fiery destruction. Sadly it often feels more efficient to use your weapons to pick out the enemies and doubly so for the many wide open areas where a sniper rifle will bring calamity to all opposition you face. That being said, I truly enjoyed the combat for it felt dynamic and thrilling from beginning to end even if it would have been nice to be able to choose stealth in stead of direct combat.
After fighting his way to the Statue, Booker soon finds his way to Elizabeth who's trapped in the tower like a bird in a cage. Elizabeth is no ordinary girl, though. She can summon mysterious doors to other realities, called Tears. Together they make their escape and start a memorable journey to find the truth about Elizabeth, Booker and Prophet. The story is engaging if you have the patience to look for Voxphones, which are recordings done by various inhabitants of Columbia. Much of the story is pieced together by listening to these tellings as well as exploring the city and paying attention to little details in it. But those who did so are well rewarded with a memorable tale of one's principles, duties and importance of memories.
The one thing that set Infinite apart from its predessors for me was indeed Elizabeth. Her well caricaturized figure and lovely expressions made her feel like a real companion on your journey. The look of joy on her face while dancing for the first time in freedom, the hurt feelings reflected on her face when finding out some sinister facts or the look of grim determination when she knew what had to be done.. all these moments make you care more for her fate and mold the story more of a personal odyssey. Not only is Elizabeth a delightful companion during the quiet moments, but she's equally capable in combat. Luckily invulnerable during fights, she will prowling the scene for supplies and ammo and summon hazards and allies through Tears to help smite their common foes.
Bioshock Infinite is a rollercoaster of intensive combat and intriguing story that will leave a smile on your face with a hint of sadness, when the credits roll in and you put the controller down. I don't know where Bioshock can go from here on, but it doesn't matter. I'm glad getting a chance to experience this game and it will probably remain as my favorite FPS games for years to come.