Introduction
I've felt different things as a gamer when I've played video games. But this game is like that party you go to, someone spikes your drink and you start tripping all over. But its that good trip. The original Bioshock is one game that is so ambitious and so different at the time. When all you could find in action games with first person perspective were the military shooters this was a breath of fresh air. It had a great reception, it was one critically acclaimed games and became a contender for game of the year in many online portals and magazines.
6 years later we arrive at the third Iteration in the series. A conclusion to the trilogy and story so vast that it might take a while for you to comprehend. The setting is stunning and has a rich atmosphere. At the centre of it all there is the duo of Booker Dewitt and Elizabeth. Set in the year 1912, high above the clouds in the floating city of Columbia built by Zachary Hale Comstock. Its like "The Venice of clouds." Parts of the city floating, moving and its all connected by a tram system. Bioshock Infinite takes you on a journey of intrigue and wonder. Here you, Booker Dewitt embark to rescue Elizabeth and return her to these people who promise to wipe his debts away and just the like the previous game its starts at a lighthouse. There is a rebellion in the city. An infamous group called the Vox Populi is wreaking havok in the city. As soon as you arrive in the city you are found with the initials AD tattooed on you and apparently according the local religion that's fits description of the false prophet who would bring the end of times. The whole city turns on you and amidst all that chaos you have to find Elizabeth.
The characters Booker Dewitt and Elizabeth are well written. But they lack a certain depth. The chemistry between the two is ok at best. There is some character development but its not something to gush about. The highlight of bioshock franchise does not lie in the characters but the plot itself and that's just a different way of telling a story.
Are we having fun yet?
This game has some of the most intense combat sequences when it comes to first person shooters. You as a player wield a gun on your right hand and drink a vigour to gain certain abilities on your left. The shock jockey was the vigor that did it for me and a shotgun in my right hand. It is so gratifying to shock and stun someone and then blow their face off with a shotgun. The combat is very enjoyable. There is stealth in this game to a degree but more or less you will be shooting through different areas and corridors of the city. I personally think that travelling the skyline with the skyhook is something that everyone will enjoy and Yes, the skyhook can be used to kill people too. I know at least some of you might have thought about it. Oh no, video games are making us violent! Anyway, Elizabeth is your companion in certain portions of game and she helps you out with her powers too, her powers are something to behold and guess what there's a giant steam punk eagle. It doesn't stop there. There is a intimidating machine gun wielding George Washington robot yeah you heard me. You don't want to mess with a machine gun wielding George Washington robot.
Playtime's over
It plays out like a first person shooter but with style. You have your basic set of guns and your several vigours. These vigours are tonics and they give you special abilities. the abilities and the weapons are used in combination to take out enemies. There are wending machines scattered through out the world to refill ammo and stock on health packs. You have to refill on salts too which power your vigour based abilities. There are other upgrades that you can buy through a special kind of vending machine. Upgrades are for both weapons and powers. It is also used to increase your maximum health and vigour capacity. The AI even on normal difficulty is moderately challenging and if you just run around like a maniac shooting people then you are going to die. You do have a shield which regenerates but its only going to help you so much. The powers and the guns need to be used strategically.Once you master the skyhook and the gunfights no one can stop you. Like a monkey that rose from the depths of hell you will swooping through set pieces blasting enemies away with your rocket launcher. The controls are finely tuned and it only took me like a minute or two to get use to things.
Now from a development perspective the gameplay systems and mechanics work like a well oiled machine. The AIs are one of best I've seen. Enemies are challenging and the AI of Elizabeth seems to work pretty well too. I think in the final days of the studio "Irrational Games" they've out done themselves.
Out of This World
It looks beautiful no matter how you see it. The art is heavy on vibrant colours and adhering to the setting, the place actually looks like a city from 1912 and only difference is that the city is actually floating above the clouds. Which make for an interesting open setting. Its built like your average city. There is a market area filled with shops and people going about their day while chatting up each other. There are trams connecting different parts of the city. It all just looks so surreal. The church at the beginning has some of the most profound and immersive environment art you will ever see and then the garden of new eden. It gets progressively better. Bioshock is one of those games which uses its environment to tell some amazing stories and the art style just complements it so well. They have an economy, a culture and a religion. Which is depicted in such a genuine way that its contributes to its repertoire to stand out. Then the Fair. There is so much detail that i forgot for a moment that I had a girl to rescue.
Technically The art is visually impressive. But its not pushing the envelope or anything. Its well optimized and gives you a stable frame rate of 30fps at 720p. But since the game came out almost at the end of 360 generation. It did push it to its limit. But for the amount of things happening on your screen at the same time just shows how much work was put into it. So kudos to Irrational Games.
The Voice In Your Head
When it comes to the worlds that have things which does not exist in the world that you and I live in. It gets hard to procure sounds of such manner. But this is where you see the magic of sound design. Bioshock infinite has some amazing sound effects and a beautiful set of soundtrack. So lets break it down shall we?
It is known that First person shooters need to have some of the most immersive sound design and engineering and the Sound effects in this game will not cease amaze you even after your hours of playthrough. They have a new array of sounds since its a new setting. But the prompt sounds which pops up every now and then gives it that familiar Bioshock feeling and just blends in with the rest.
Now soundtracks have always been integral to make video games that seem more cinematic and immersive. The opening scene of arriving at Columbia where you are opened to the church and they play "Will the circle be unbroken" is an assault on senses. You are just enamoured by the whole experience. I mean I had to remember to breathe. The soundtracks are composed by Garry Schyman and that Particular song was performed by Maureen Murphy.
Should You Pick It Up?
Well if you don't want to miss out on a conclusion to a franchise with such a rich and complex story, you better. The game defined the art of storytelling using just the environment. A lot of game artists still use the first bioshock as a benchmark when creating a detailed and a complex environments. This game follows in the same suite and tops its own high score by a mile. There were certain aspects which annoyed me a little. The stealth in this game is something that the players should avoid as they will more or less get caught and it will turn into a gunfight. The guns of your enemies can tag you from a mile away and it gets to a point where you don't even know who's shooting at you. It gets a little frustrating. But putting all this aside the developers at Irrational Games outdid themselves in delivering an immersive experience and an epic final conclusion to the trilogy. So,"Would you kindly pick this up?"