Even God is entitled to a do-over...
Though it shares a name with the original game, Infinite is more of a spiritual follow-up, set in a new time period and a new location- in 1912 and in the city of Columbia- a literal city in the clouds that was originally built as a means to demonstrate American values and exceptionalism to the rest of the world but now exists separate from the Union. Into this supposedly holy place comes Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent and private investigator who owes a lot of money to some very bad people. Fortunately, they have thrown Booker a lifeline- 'Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt.' The girl in question is Elizabeth, a young woman who's been held prisoner in Columbia her whole life for some unknown reason. But finding her is the easy part- as it happens, a mysterious brand on Booker's right hand identifies him as the 'False Shepherd', which makes him a target for nearly everyone on Columbia, and a civil war between the Founders and the anarchist group Vox Populi is set to erupt.
Though Infinite looks quite different from the original Bioshock, it plays pretty much identical- you move through fairly linear areas, many of which are open enough to give you strategic choice during battles, and you can loot barrels, cupboards and other containers for money, health and other items. The controls are different enough from traditional FPS games that it can throw some people off, but for the most part they are smooth and responsive enough. The combat also revolves around the familiar dual-wielding from the previous games- guns in one hand and your Vigors (this game's version of the plasmids) in the other. You can have up to two of each equipped at one time and can switch between them via a radial menu when you want to switch it up. The guns feel accurate and satisfying, as headshots can pop skulls and the more powerful guns such as the shotgun can send people flying back, arms and legs flailing. And the new melee attacks using Booker's skyhook only adds to the brutality, as he uses it to snap necks, or lodge it into an enemy's neck or chest and use the spinning blades to gouge into their bodies.
The vigors meanwhile, are similar to the plasmids in their general use, right down to using salts (instead of Adam) to restore the power to use them. The early vigors such as Possession and Devil's Kiss let you turn enemy soldiers and gun turrets against your enemies, and toss exploding flame grenades respectively, while more advanced types include the Murder of Crows- which summons a flock of hungry crows to attack your foes- and Bucking Bronco- which launches your enemies into the air and suspends them there for a few seconds. You can upgrade your vigors at specific vending machines to either increase their power or add new effects to them- such as upgrading Possession to possess human opponents or increasing the effectiveness and range of traps that you can lay. You can also combine the vigor effects for more advanced effects- such as unleashing a Murder of Crows and then setting them alight with Devil's Kiss for increased damage, or shocking an enemy with Shock Jockey and then using the Charge vigor to cause them to erupt into a burst of sparks that can take out an entire room of enemies. As with the previous Bioshocks, you can spend your money at the numerous vending machines in Columbia to upgrade your weapons and vigors, but as money isn't as abundant as it was in Rapture, you really need to pick and choose your upgrades, focusing on what works best for you rather than spreading money and upgrades round everything.
And on top of all this, you usually have Elizabeth with you at all times, and Irrational have clearly spent a lot of time on her AI so you're not playing one long escort mission. For one, she normally stays close to Booker and out of sight, so that she isn't in danger. She also has a habit of seeking out health packs, salts, extra ammo and even extra money and tossing them to you at the right time- a press of a button and Booker turns and snatches her gift out of the air before turning back to his previous position and continuing the fight. The other major part of Liz's contribution is through the 'tears' that dot Columbia- portals to other 'worlds' that can allow her to bring new things into the game space- whether it be a pile of health packs or salts, things to take cover behind, extra weapons and even mounted turret guns and other friendly allies. You can only have one tear opened at a time though, so you normally end up having to juggle between tears in order to keep the battle in your favour.
I mentioned the skyhook earlier, and this is mainly used to get around on the skyrails which are used for transporting freight cargo (and people) around Columbia's many levels and floating islands, and can also be used by yourself to get around- aim at a nearby rail and press the X button, and Booker launches himself into the air and latches on, letting himself glide around at high speed. Then you can leap off onto other rails or onto solid ground, and it's something you need to use in order to reach higher places on maps to use the sniper rifles or RPG's that may be hidden there or find some peace from enemies- but since most enemies can use the skyrails themselves, it isn't a permanent solution to your problems- more like a trick you can use to get away and create some space for yourself.
You'll need every trick up your sleeve, as the combat is a lot more challenging than in previous entries. You can have enemies coming at you from every angle (including from the sky), including battle barges with mounted turrets, flying mosquito turrets, enemies with RPG's- to stay alive you need to be constantly on the move and aware of what's going on around you, switching out vigors and weapons where necessary. And then there are the 'Heavy Hitter' class of enemies who can act as game changers when they appear- some are just normal human enemies powered up with vigors, but there are many other types too. The Mechanized Patriot appears as a robotic automaton dressed as George Washington or some other famed US President and armed with a mingun as they come straight at you, while the hulking Handymen are essentially Big Daddies on Speed- not only can they hit hard, but they can leap all over the place, toss dead and living bodies at you and electrify the skyrails to stop you using them. Though this sounds pretty overwhelming, Irrational does a good job of easing you into things with small battles, before adding in large skyrail networks and mutiple levels to really test your mettle.
In terms of outer appearances, Bioshock Infinite gives you a world which is a lot more beautiful than the run-down, broken and rotting world of Rapture- Columbia is largely bathed in sunlight with pure blue skies and wispy clouds which peer between the buildings, and its neoclassical architecture resembles a period of hope, with pristine white buildings and patriotic flags hanging from the spires and windows of nearly every building, the streets populated with smiling people who greet you in a cordial manner. But there's an ugly side beneath the veneer- the people of Columbia don't have a lot of respect for non-white races, with separate bathrooms specifically designed for Whites (with expensive furnishings) and 'Negroes and Irish', while those 'lesser races' are often seen cleaning and undertaking the street cleaning and other less desirable jobs. Then as time passes and civil war intensifies, the blue skies give way to burning streets and orange skies as massive battles rip through Columbia's streets, as the Vox Populi ransack homes and businesses. Though some of the textures and NPC's lack the detail of some other games out at the moment, Infinite more than makes up for it in terms of the sheer scale and variety of Columbia and its environments- including the Hall of Heroes which gives you a hideously skewed history of Father Comstock and some recent events in the real-world history, or the run-down shanty blocks of Finktown, where the Blacks and other 'minorities' are corralled into to be used as virtual slave-labor, and even the sprawling promenades and shops in Emporia, where you're free to explore the numerous stores, the old graveyard, and other locations. Infinite is at its strongest when you have the freedom to explore and notice all the details in each environment- such as a wooden board with the bloody scalps of the main Founder figures nailed to it (with a space saved for Comstock), or the fraternity hall occupied by cawing crows, piles of rotten fruit and statues of John Wilkes Booth covered in bird droppings.
Bioshock Infinite also trumps the original in terms of its story and character- whereas most of the original cast conversed with you over the radio; here Infinite's main players actually physically interact with you. Comstock is very much the Andrew Ryan figure- his image looms large over Columbia on posters, statues and the voxophones which help to fill in the story, and when he does start to taunt Booker via PA systems, his supposedly holy nature gives way to some sinister character traits while Elizabeth is perfectly realized as a Rapunzal-like figure who is both in awe of the world she is being introduced to, and yet also horrified at the notions of violence, racism and persecution. When she's angry at Booker, you can tell by her facial expressions and body language that he's in the doghouse, and as a result you might even tread lightly around her as a result. Even as you just walk through the environments, she stops and takes a closer look at certain objects and offer comments, and might even sit down or lean against a pillar to rest if you remain idle. There are plenty of other side characters that you interact with in Columbia too, though some of them are under-utilized, only appearing a couple of times- such as the Songbird, Elizabeth's guardian who mainly appears as a relentless pursuer, even if the relationship between the girl and the 'monster' is more complicated than that. Even your own avatar has a character for a change- Booker initially starts as a somewhat clichéd cynical, world-weary loner, by the credits you'll fully understand his motivations and his past mistakes.
Unlike a lot of games nowadays, there isn't a multiplayer element- so the main focus is purely on Infinite's single player, and it certainly lasts for a while, especially if you take the time to explore every nook and cranny and collect as many items as possible, it can take you about 12 or so hours on your first play through. And it makes sense for there to be a focus on the single player portion, due to the strength of Infinite's story. The final ten/fifteen minutes of the game in particular serves to offer you a quick barrage of revelations which turns everything that's come before on its head- Irrational were wise to throw in these curve balls at the very end of the game. Finishing the game also unlocks '1999' mode, which serves as the extreme difficulty- money is restricted, your enemies deal far more damage, and you can only be revived if you have enough money. So there is an old-school challenge there for those who desire it.
In all, Irrational Games clearly didn't waste the time they spent developing Bioshock Infinite. The delays leading to its release may have grated somewhat, but the result is a vibrant world that is full of detail and life, alongside some responsive controls, satisfying and involving gameplay and a sublimely crafted story that tackles some strong issues (racism, religion) and features some brilliantly realized characters. Bioshock Infinite isn't absolutely perfect, but it is extremely close to being perfect amongst anything released in the last few years. If you care about games with a strong story and immersive worlds, then you need to pick Infinite up. For those of you who are passionate about Bioshock, that decision is a no-brainer to begin with.