User blog:Raziel Reaper/(OT) Ilan XD review: Bioshock Infinite


 * HEADS UP!: This is an off-topic, BELATED, review of the 2013 1stPS video game Bioshock Infinite, published by 2K. This review is unrelated to any GTA topic and was only made for entertainment. BTW, I know I'm two months late for the party, but thing is... I don't give a fuck.



Personaly, I'm not a fan of first person shooter video games; while they are really fun and I can spend days playing them, I find this genre to be generic and dull, with very few video games since 2007's Call of Duty 4 have some stand-out features. Last year we actually had a good year of FPSs with games such as Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3 and Halo 4. Oh and we had Call of Duty Black Ops 2.

This is where Bioshock comes. Originally released in late 2007, Bioshock showed off as a unique FPS for being a story-driven, morality focused, video game that gave you a gun in one hand, and superpowers in the other one. Both gamers and critics took interest in the game mainly because of its unique setting - an underwater city called Rapture, and its deep, sometimes insane, characters.

As Isaid, I'm not a fan of FPS games, hence I got Bioshock Infinite two months after its launch. But, you see, something in the Bioshock games was... different; they combined role-playing, horror and other features with the classic FPS formula, crafting an amazing world that felt EPIC.

And so Bioshock Infinite came into my life. I'm not going to lie, I don't think it was a good game. It was amazing! So, lets get started!

Story and Characters
Irrational Games (the developers) stated prior to the Infinite's launch that the game will feature singleplayer mode only. No multi, no co-op. And the truth is, you can really feel this in the final product: every little piece of the game is crafted with a piece of background information. Every character has its own story and motives, and the story is amazing from start to finish.

You play as Booker DeWitt, an ex-Pinkerton aganet who is in debt for some people due to his little gambling habit. He is given an offer: Booker has to travel to a flying-city (I'm not joking) called Columbia (I'm still not joking) to find a young woman known as Elizabeth, who is the not so damsel, but still a damsel in distress (Here I go). The first thing you'll notice in Booker is that he's not your typical silent protagonist like Jack and Delta from previous Bioshock games: he has a personality, his own motives, and he can make his own choices, seperated from the player's actions.

It's really hard to tell about the story without spoiling it, but lets say that Booker's arrival is not the kind one: Comstock, the founder of the city and a self-proclaimed prophet (AKA He's the bad guy) knows of Booker's mission, and rises the city against him. Booker now has to escape the city with Liza, who is much more powerful than your typical damsel in distress, while being chased by the police, rebels and a giant robot known as Songbird (just play along), who are interested in Elizabeth and her unique powers.

Bioshock Infinite builds itself amazingly at the premise. Unlike Rapture, who is featured in Bioshock1 after it was destroyed due to civil wars within its walls, Columbia is a lively and colorful setting. However, you soon discover the city's true colors: it is a place ful of racism and xenophobia, where people take religion a little bit too serious. Booker soon realizes that Elizabeth holds more secrets than he knows, including those of his past.

Now, I can't end this section without mentioning the characters. Bioshock Infinite is a rare example where every main character is likeable in some sort. Elizabeth is with no doubt the most human NPC I ever met in a video game, and those who wondered where is the romance promised by Irrational, it was recreated as a father-daughter relationship that can be heart-breaking at times. Oh by the way, look for the duo Rosalind and Robert Lutece - probably two of the best supporting characters in recent years, providing dark and cynical humor that I haven't encountered in years.

Overall, story gets a 10/10.

Graphics
Do you know these games that are beautiful when they are moving but ugly when they are freezed. Infinite is one of them. It is not the best looking game in recent years, but Columbia looks fantastic - a true marvel. The Unreal engine used for the game does its job well and characters, while not looking realistic, they feel real. Effects and fast-paced action scenes also look great.

9/10

Sound
The sonudtrack doesn't feature any memorable pieces. Music appears when it is needed, and while you won't leave the game with the music stuck in your head, the music pieces do they job well and evolve the atmosphere.

What really standout here is the voice acting. Bioshock Infinite has what I can call one of the best voice actings I ever heard in my whole life as a gamer. Everyone fits their role. Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper top everyone as Booker and Elizabeth.

10/10

Gameplay
Bioshock Infinite works similar to the previous Bioshock. A First Person game that gives you a firearm in the right hand, and superpowers for the left one. The biggest addition for the arsenal is a melee weapon called Sky-Hook (the cousin of Assassin's Creed Revelations' Hookblade), which works both as a deadly weapon that can reap your enemies apart, and a way to travel across the city using the "Sky-lines".

What really makes this game different from previous games is Elizabeth. You see, Liz has an ability to open doors to alternate worlds. This ability gives her the power to summon several objects that will aid the player during combat. Those obejcts can be heal begs, salts (the thing you need to activate your powers), weapons, ammo, turrents and a giant George Washington&Minigun robot. Yeah, I'm not joking.

Unfortunely, this aspect is what hurts the gameplay: On Easy and Medium difficulties, with Elizabeth by your side, you will pass the game with no sweat. And when she's not with you, the game may feel hard, even on medium/easy.

The violence here is also kinda out-of-the-line. While it played very good with BS1&BS2, due to their setting, it doesn't has the same balance as with BSI. The moment when you get the Sky-hook is a good example for that. Only in the final levels the violence finds its place.

But, saying that, the game is still fun as a fuck to play, and you can do some damn awesome combos with your weapons, powers and Elizabeth, and to say the truth, I never felt bored when playing the game.

Oh, and on another positive note, Infinite has some damn smart enemies that may use different tactics to ruin your attacks. *Thumbs UP*

9.5/10

Lasting Appeal

 * 10-14 hours of singleplayer adventure, without side-tasks
 * Story can be replayed several times. 'Cos it's fun.
 * One certain level there can make the zombies from CoD Zombies look like a bunch of pussies. - *SPOILERS*I mean, there are fucking ghosts there!*SPOILERS*
 * 1999 mode can keep you playing for several days.
 * No Multiplayer - unnecessary.

10/10

Final Verdict

 * + Amazing story
 * + Columbia is beautiful
 * + Excellent voice acting
 * + Elizabeth is the most helpful NPC in history
 * + Plot twists
 * - The fact it ends
 * - Gameplay inconsisted at times
 * - No world-changing choices like in previous games.
 * - Violence feels kinda out-of-the-line for the story
 * +/- Should I mention the ending?


 * Story: 10/10
 * Graphics: 9/10
 * Sound: 10/10
 * Gameplay: 9.5/10
 * Lasting Appeal: 10/10


 * Characters: 10/10
 * Innovation: 9.5/10


 * Ultimate score: 9.7/10