Graphics
Bioshock was the reason I bought an Xbox 360 back in 2007. The intro blew my mind. The fire on the water, the lighthouse, the lighting…it all looked amazing. Bioshock Infinite never failed to capture that same wonder, as the first time I walked through the candlelit baptism scene early in the game, I literally uttered, “Wow.” Infinite looks great, but the graphics aren’t as ground breaking this time around because the console has basically been pushed to its limit. Artistically however, the game really rocks, as there are numerous scenes that are very memorable, from the Hall of Heroes to Elizabeth’s powers later in the game. I have to point out the negatives too, and the only thing I noticed were some frame rate issues. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it’s noticeable at multiple times throughout the game.
Bioshock was the reason I bought an Xbox 360 back in 2007. The intro blew my mind. The fire on the water, the lighthouse, the lighting…it all looked amazing. Bioshock Infinite never failed to capture that same wonder, as the first time I walked through the candlelit baptism scene early in the game, I literally uttered, “Wow.” Infinite looks great, but the graphics aren’t as ground breaking this time around because the console has basically been pushed to its limit. Artistically however, the game really rocks, as there are numerous scenes that are very memorable, from the Hall of Heroes to Elizabeth’s powers later in the game. I have to point out the negatives too, and the only thing I noticed were some frame rate issues. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it’s noticeable at multiple times throughout the game.
Sound
This time around the protagonist speaks! I was a little worried about the voice acting, the dialogue, and how cheesy it could potentially be, but shame on me for being a doubter. The voice acting is very solid throughout, as the voxophones serve as one of the main drivers of the story. The score is also very unique and well done, most notably the more mellow scenes, such as the arrival into Columbia (“Hallelujah.”) Also, the licensed music is pretty great. I loved the old-school music from Bioshock and Infinite continues to use the same type of songs throughout the game. “Old Time Religion” at the start of the game is catchy, yet creepy given the scene, and was a perfect choice. The music intensifies when enemies are present and calms back down once they’ve all been dispatched, a nice touch if you ask me. Attention to detail here is obvious and Infinite’s score rivals that of blockbuster movies. Keep an ear out for the awesome Beach Boys cover, along with Tears For Fears and Cindy Lauper.
This time around the protagonist speaks! I was a little worried about the voice acting, the dialogue, and how cheesy it could potentially be, but shame on me for being a doubter. The voice acting is very solid throughout, as the voxophones serve as one of the main drivers of the story. The score is also very unique and well done, most notably the more mellow scenes, such as the arrival into Columbia (“Hallelujah.”) Also, the licensed music is pretty great. I loved the old-school music from Bioshock and Infinite continues to use the same type of songs throughout the game. “Old Time Religion” at the start of the game is catchy, yet creepy given the scene, and was a perfect choice. The music intensifies when enemies are present and calms back down once they’ve all been dispatched, a nice touch if you ask me. Attention to detail here is obvious and Infinite’s score rivals that of blockbuster movies. Keep an ear out for the awesome Beach Boys cover, along with Tears For Fears and Cindy Lauper.
Gameplay
At the end of the day, Infinite is an FPS, but adds a twist to the traditional run and gun formula of most games. Vigors (Plasmids), give you special abilities to assist in combat, allowing for multiple strategies when playing. Gameplay mechanics are top-notch, as everything controls very smoothly. Shooting, aiming down the sights, running (finally!), and interacting with the environment work very well and there’s not much I could suggest to improve. There have been gameplay changes, many for the good, but others are a toss-up. Some vigors are new, and I found that mostly all of them are fun to use. Skylines are an awesome addition to the series, and really make battles intense and fast paced. I only wish there were more of them throughout the game. This time you can only carry two guns, a strange change akin to other shooters. Puzzles and hacking are gone, as are stockpiling first aid kits and eve. Instead we have a replenishing shield and salts must continually be found to refill your vigors. Are these good or bad changes…I don’t really know. However, I was slightly disappointed in some weapon and gear options. Bioshock upgrades physically changed the weapon’s appearance, but in Infinite they change nothing. Also, I liked the gun selection better in Bioshock, whereas Infinite seemed to strive for a bit more realism. Also, only four pieces of gear can be worn at a time, and most of them seemed pretty useless. These complaints are minor, but seemed like downgrades.
At the end of the day, Infinite is an FPS, but adds a twist to the traditional run and gun formula of most games. Vigors (Plasmids), give you special abilities to assist in combat, allowing for multiple strategies when playing. Gameplay mechanics are top-notch, as everything controls very smoothly. Shooting, aiming down the sights, running (finally!), and interacting with the environment work very well and there’s not much I could suggest to improve. There have been gameplay changes, many for the good, but others are a toss-up. Some vigors are new, and I found that mostly all of them are fun to use. Skylines are an awesome addition to the series, and really make battles intense and fast paced. I only wish there were more of them throughout the game. This time you can only carry two guns, a strange change akin to other shooters. Puzzles and hacking are gone, as are stockpiling first aid kits and eve. Instead we have a replenishing shield and salts must continually be found to refill your vigors. Are these good or bad changes…I don’t really know. However, I was slightly disappointed in some weapon and gear options. Bioshock upgrades physically changed the weapon’s appearance, but in Infinite they change nothing. Also, I liked the gun selection better in Bioshock, whereas Infinite seemed to strive for a bit more realism. Also, only four pieces of gear can be worn at a time, and most of them seemed pretty useless. These complaints are minor, but seemed like downgrades.
Campaign/Story
Well…I was hoping the campaign in Infinite would be amazing…and I wasn’t disappointed. That’s not saying it’s completely perfect, but it’s pretty freakin’ good. You are Booker DeWitt, a man determined to wipe away a debt by rescuing a girl from the floating city of Columbia. I was in awe the first time I saw Columbia, with so many bright and vivid colors, complemented by unique and interesting environments. Due to the outdoor, sunny nature of the game, there isn’t quite the intense paranoia feeling that was present in Rapture, but Columbia offers plenty of opportunities for emotional reactions. Shortly after your arrival you find the city is not quite as perfect as it looks, and your true adventure begins. I don’t want to spoil anything, but for the first time in years, I wanted to play the game just to figure out how it all would play out. As the campaign progresses, things get weirder and weirder, and the conclusion of Infinite had me standing in front of my TV for a solid five minutes as everything unfolded. It blew my mind. The campaign is driven through interactive cut scenes, along with voxophones. The main “villain”, Comstock, is fleshed out well and you’ll also get to know many other minor characters. I wish there would have been a few more “bosses” as there were in Bioshock 1, but again, not a big deal. The standard enemies aren’t as interesting since they are normal functioning people as opposed to adam injected splicers, but a few enemy variations kept things mixed up. Firemen, The Crow, Patriots, and Handymen will cause you trouble along the way. Despite minor shortcomings, this is one of the best campaigns I’ve ever played.
Well…I was hoping the campaign in Infinite would be amazing…and I wasn’t disappointed. That’s not saying it’s completely perfect, but it’s pretty freakin’ good. You are Booker DeWitt, a man determined to wipe away a debt by rescuing a girl from the floating city of Columbia. I was in awe the first time I saw Columbia, with so many bright and vivid colors, complemented by unique and interesting environments. Due to the outdoor, sunny nature of the game, there isn’t quite the intense paranoia feeling that was present in Rapture, but Columbia offers plenty of opportunities for emotional reactions. Shortly after your arrival you find the city is not quite as perfect as it looks, and your true adventure begins. I don’t want to spoil anything, but for the first time in years, I wanted to play the game just to figure out how it all would play out. As the campaign progresses, things get weirder and weirder, and the conclusion of Infinite had me standing in front of my TV for a solid five minutes as everything unfolded. It blew my mind. The campaign is driven through interactive cut scenes, along with voxophones. The main “villain”, Comstock, is fleshed out well and you’ll also get to know many other minor characters. I wish there would have been a few more “bosses” as there were in Bioshock 1, but again, not a big deal. The standard enemies aren’t as interesting since they are normal functioning people as opposed to adam injected splicers, but a few enemy variations kept things mixed up. Firemen, The Crow, Patriots, and Handymen will cause you trouble along the way. Despite minor shortcomings, this is one of the best campaigns I’ve ever played.
Lasting Appeal
Clocking in at roughly 10-15 hours on your first playthrough, Bioshock Infinite is the perfect length for me. I highly recommend you play the game on normal your first time and explore every nook and cranny of Columbia. It’s very satisfying to find a hidden wall, decipher a code, or find extra rooms off the beaten path. Due to the nature of its ending, you’ll immediately want to fire up a second playthrough when you’re done. I played the game through on Normal, Hard, and 1999 mode, and was still finding new things my third time around. Each difficulty also forced me to change my play style, which was fun given the various vigor options. I can’t wait for the three installments of single-player DLC that are on the way.
Clocking in at roughly 10-15 hours on your first playthrough, Bioshock Infinite is the perfect length for me. I highly recommend you play the game on normal your first time and explore every nook and cranny of Columbia. It’s very satisfying to find a hidden wall, decipher a code, or find extra rooms off the beaten path. Due to the nature of its ending, you’ll immediately want to fire up a second playthrough when you’re done. I played the game through on Normal, Hard, and 1999 mode, and was still finding new things my third time around. Each difficulty also forced me to change my play style, which was fun given the various vigor options. I can’t wait for the three installments of single-player DLC that are on the way.
Overall
I will say before I conclude the review that Bioshock 1 is one of my top 5 games of all time. This could mean I have a slight bias when reviewing this title, but honestly, with my expectations sky high before it was released, saying Bioshock Infinite exceeded my expectations is the best complement this game can get. The gameplay mechanics are very well done, and although I hoped for some more minor characters/bosses, this was one of the best games I’ve played in recent memory. Throwing down a 10 is something I debated on doing, but when I couldn’t really think of any ways I would improve the game (besides minor, nit picking items) I couldn’t resist. You owe it to yourself to at least play this game once.
I will say before I conclude the review that Bioshock 1 is one of my top 5 games of all time. This could mean I have a slight bias when reviewing this title, but honestly, with my expectations sky high before it was released, saying Bioshock Infinite exceeded my expectations is the best complement this game can get. The gameplay mechanics are very well done, and although I hoped for some more minor characters/bosses, this was one of the best games I’ve played in recent memory. Throwing down a 10 is something I debated on doing, but when I couldn’t really think of any ways I would improve the game (besides minor, nit picking items) I couldn’t resist. You owe it to yourself to at least play this game once.
- BBestvin
Rating
|
Description
|
9.5
|
Gameplay
Think Bioshock but with tweaks for the good. Carrying only two guns sucks but that’s a minor complaint. Vigors are fun and almost all of them are actually useful. |
9.5
|
Graphics
Columbia looks amazing, even if it’s not a leap in advancement the same way the original was. I was still in awe at some of the art direction and environments. |
10
|
Audio
Voice acting is great from Booker, Elizabeth, and everyone else. The musical score is one to be remembered and every use of licensed music is memorable. |
10
|
Campaign
You won’t want to stop playing until you figure out how this
massive story comes to a conclusion.
One of the best campaigns I’ve ever played.
|
9.0
|
Lasting Appeal
It’s a single player game, but it’s fun enough to play
again. 1999 mode makes you play
differently and incoming DLC will extend the replay value.
|
10
|
Overall (Not an average of above
scores)
|
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