Endless Possibilities with Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite is terrible!  Why?  Well, because I planned on sitting down for a couple of hours of mindless gaming, and got sucked into a world I didn't want to let go.  A couple of hours turned into an entire night, and now I have a whole lot of crap I have to catch up on.  But all I want to do is jump back into Columbia.  Damn, life’s priorities can be frigging complicated.

We've all come home from a long day at work: brain tenderized, eyes twitching, and aggravation bubbling in our throat.  All we want is mindless activities to stop our mind from atrophying.  But you slip in the new video game you purchased and synapses start firing.  Your thumbs take a back seat to story and suddenly you're thrown into a world you don't want to leave.  A video game with a pulse—does the myth really exist?  You bet your ass it does, it's called Bioshock Infinite.

WARNING: non-gamers should not proceed further in this article.  Games will be put on a pedestal.  If for some strange reason, gaming does not tickle your naughty bits, then feel free to move on.  Thank you and have a nice non-gaming life—if that's even possible.

Keep it up.  I'll beat the non-gamer right out of you! 

Every gamer has that one game that doesn't do much, but throw bodies into our view for us to mow down in blood splattering glory (Not that there’s anything wrong with that).  There's no thinking, barely any strategizing, and absolutely no story.  You gain more health and a bigger gun to rip through even more enemies, just to get to the next level.  But is that a game that will add memories that'll last forever?  Is this the type of game that keeps you talking about it, even after you've turned it off?  Nope.  It's mindless fun.  Fun that will soon get old and die alone, because deep down inside there's nothing there: no story, no plot, not even a main character whose name you can remember. 

Pew. Pew. Wait...I forgot--Why am I doing this again?

Bioshock Infinite graced gaming shelves this past Tuesday, and if you haven't stepped foot yet in Columbia, then stop reading this article and go buy the damn thing, because it's that good.  I can't possibly review the game yet, because I have something called a life that no matter how hard I try, continues to get in the way.  Damn.  So, instead I'll leave you with first impressions.

Safety first, Sir.  Your finger shouldn't be on the trigger until your ready to kill something. You might hurt yourself.

STORY:

Booker DeWitt, protagonist, is sent to retrieve a girl named Elizabeth, to remove his debt.  He soon finds himself entranced in the City of Columbia, where alternate history, racism and steampunk lay within the cracks.  Once he finds the girl, crazy gun battles with blood soaked goodness ensue.  Oh, and there’s a giant mechanical bird chasing you…enjoy your stay.

*Sniffle* I wuv you Tweety bird. Just don't eat me--Okay?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

As an artist/writer I look at a lot more than just how the game plays.  I look at the world first, and then I let the story sink in.  For the first hour and a half of Bioshock Infinite, all I did was run around in the remarkable city that Irrational Games dumped every ounce of love they had, into.  There wasn't any fighting, tearing off heads, setting people on fire, or even much dialogue.  Just wandering and discovering all the nook and crannies the developers slipped into the world.  One word: fascinating. 

Crap, I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore.

From the moment Booker Dewitt (main protagonist) opens the door to Columbia after a forced Baptism, you are graced with beauty and innovation.  The art direction and idea wraps itself around you and sucks you right in, without the help of conflict.  Right away, I want to know more about this crazy city in the sky.  Why it came to be?  Who's the man in charge?  Why I'm there?  And if you take the time to look around and gobble up all the conversations going on, then you start to piece some things together.  Roaming the streets, I stopped and listened to every conversation, eat every forgotten snack and tried all available mini games.  This truly was a remarkable experience, and I would have been just fine doing that for many more hours, but conflict keeps people interested.  So…

Not soon after taking in all the sights and sounds Columbia had to offer, I was attacked in the middle of a fair.  All the sweet colors and fantastical elements turned to stress and exasperation, as I attempted to stay alive and get to my next objective: find Elizabeth.  I was almost sad to see the tranquil city vanquish, and all the evil hatred break through.

Hey, how are ya?  Mind if I just grab you by the head for a second?

Quickly you'll feel right at home with Infinite, if you've played any of the other Bioshock games.  There are vending machines for your health and bullets, upgrades for your vigors (the special powers in the game), and guns.  The only problem is money is damn hard to come by, even after scrounging around every area, I still didn't have enough to upgrade a vigor and then if I did, I'll have no money for health or ammo.  Dang it, life in the sky is hard.

The eerie silence and underwater landscape of the first Bioshock is replaced with continuous outdoor sounds, and a view of wide open sky.  If the first Bioshock made you feel a little claustrophobic and lonely, Infinite gives you continuous conversations and a sandbox feel.  Just zipping around on the sky-rail, clouds and buildings whizzing by your head, allows the player to feel the immensity of the floating city, and just how far Irrational Games has come as a developer.

Don't look down.  Don't look...damn, I just pissed myself.

I've only had time to gain four vigors, but so far, they are a spectacle to watch.  If you have a sick sense of humor, Possession could be a fun vigor to use.  Zapping an NPC with it will cause them to fight for you and then after it wears off, they'll commit suicide.  I zapped a normal citizen who had a club in his hand, and after a few moments he decided to beat the crap out of his face with it...hilarious.

Deleted scene from the Abyss.

And then you’ll meet Elizabeth.  No, she's not your average NPC partner that happens to run into every wall, like they're magnetized.  She has a life that hasn't been written into gaming code yet...until now of course.  When you’re off inspecting something, there's a good chance she'll run off to experience life herself.  And when you're ready to move on, she's right there to back you up.  Unbelievable.  I can't imagine what type of code had to be written for all this, but it makes Bioshock Infinite a step toward the future of gaming.  She not only talks to you throughout your struggle, but she’ll find money, ammo, and anything else of interest for you, swiftly becoming an asset.

Hmm...if only you really existed, then there'd be no reason to leave the bedroom. 

Of course you could be the type of gamer that bypasses all this extra stuff and just goes right to the bloody battles—and there are bloody battles—but that's what gaming is all about: you get to write your own story.  I have no doubt the entire beginning sequence can be run through in a matter of minutes.  I'm sure the designers wouldn't like to see that happen, but it's your game, you paid for it, so you deserve whatever experience you want.

Alright, I'm pretty sure I left the stove on.

I'm no more than a handful of hours into the game, and it could go completely downhill from here, but I highly doubt it, especially with Irrational's track record so far.  If by some chance you were on the fence with Bioshock Infinite, sway no further.  Just go ahead and buy it, you'll thank me, and then thank yourself.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue Elizabeth from a giant mechanical bird…

So far, so good: 5 out of 5 stars (did you expect anything less?)

Happy Easter!

UPDATE:  I've crushed the game, and it is awesome!  The ending might have you banging your head against a wall (but in a good way), so make sure you do a search and find all the articles explaining every morsel of goodness. 

4 out of 5 stars (minus 1 star because the original Bioshock is 5 out of 5, and nothing...NOTHING beats the original)