I’ll be honest, I’m not quite a fan of BioShock Infinite. To be fair it did many things right, and in the end people who play video games should play this game. Now as some people have not played the game yet I will do what seems to be the polite thing and talk about combat first, then go to the mechanics I found skillfully executed, and finally talk of the games plot. Simply put the more you read the more damning the spoilers will get (This is your spoiler warning).
The weapons of Bioshock are nothing too unexpected. Shotguns, Rifles, and Heavy Weapons all fall into place as expected with variations on those concepts. The most interesting weapon was probably the Skyhook, which turns a punch into an industrial accident and making the player a walking OSHA violation. The sky-rails were kinda cool (more than I expected), but they honestly peaked in the middle of the game, once the game started introducing enemies that electrified the sky rails, they seemed more of a burden than an actual awesome thing. The enemies themselves and combat counters kept my interest but the encounters were not that different. You had generic soldiers and then something special like turrets, pyro-soldiers, flying turrets, heavy soldiers, crows, and the heavy melee guys. Most of the encounters were generally the same (few were actually memorable). The vigors of the game were useful, but I quickly found myself only really using the possession vigor and then maybe something else. In a way this was an indicator of how all combat was for me. I found a style to combat that worked for me and I pretty much stuck with it though the whole game. I've heard people who go through using different combat styles and getting through just fine. In short as long as you won, it really didn't matter all that much about how you did it. In this sense the combat is well balanced, but on the other hand, it doesn't give you the affirmative feeling you get from other systems. For instance other games try to reinforce particular archetypes of play (stealth vs brawn) and this system never allowed that to happen. This ended up with me feeling like I got through, but not that I was “doing it right”. I've heard people say that combat was the worst part of Bioshock Infinite I’m tempted to agree, I wasn't having the most engagement with Bioshock when I was killing.
A balanced combat system is not easy to make and when that same devotion and fervor is put into non-combat elements those other elements stand out and blend to create a very different experience. However the main character Booker DeWitt is a violent character who solves his problems down the barrel of a gun. In a way the comparatively lackluster combat reflects the banal tone the character has developed towards violence. In a way it’s his addiction, his lowest form of action, his “I give up! I’m doing this the quick way, the easy way, the way that I know works. I’m doing it the wrong way.” Booker’s personal vice is his violent nature, and Bioshock’s unfulfilling combat is a reflection of that. I’m not having fun with the combat because Booker isn't having fun. I’m just doing what works because Booker is just doing what works. I never got to a point in combat where I was “doing it right” because whenever I was in combat that's when I’m “doing it wrong”. It’s when he’s showing compassion and patience, when he's feeling emotions and even frustrations is when he is “doing it right”.
I think this is what people really liked about Bioshock Infinite. “Doing it right” wasn't about being a violent murder, it was being a person. For the longest time an FPS was about solving problems looking down the barrel of a gun. In Bioshock Infinite that preconceived notion of the first person perspective game is turned it on its head. It uses the first person perspective to show poignant emotional moments through the eyes of a man. It builds a relationship with a character that is deep and caring. It does what the first person perspective has been the best at in other media, It shows a world through the eyes of a person. And Bioshock takes it a step further, it uses the preconceived notion of an FPS to reinforce the experience of being Booker. It puts you in a constant struggle between violence and virtue just as the game revolves around combat and character.
At the core of Bioshock doing things right is the character Elizabeth. The blend of mechanics, both simple and extravagant come together to make her the most realistic companion in an FPS and one of the most enchanting characters seen in video games as a media. The extensive work that was put into letting Elizabeth go to any environment and stay engaged with the world brought to life a playful companion enthusiastic about the world around her. As the player searched environments, she searched as well, providing currency to the player in his times of need (particularly after searching an area for items, or visiting a vending machine and not making a purchase). Even when Booker was at his worst and in combat she still aided the player, helping by providing needed resources such as salts, health and ammunition. These minor touches made her presence felt, and more importantly, not felt, for the moments she was taken away. She even helped lead and guide the player always staying toward the path the player needed to go. Elizabeth did this with emotion as well, being joyful with freedom, angered with betrayal, and resolute with revelations. I’m truly excited to see where things can go if characters are treated with the same attention to detail as Elizabeth was.
The attention to detail in this game was not limited to characters, the plot itself was quite well executed. Irrational has a tendency to draw from 20th century literature for its narrative inspiration in the Bioshock series. Here, instead of a critical objectivist narrative poking at the smartest economists in the room, the team moves their sardonic eye from philosophy to american exceptionalism painted on the backdrop of an existential tragedy. If “Atlus Shrugged” by Ayn Rand was the literary inspiration for the original Bioshock “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard is the literary inspiration for Bioshock Infinite. Honestly, the parallels are stunning, especially compared to Lutece sibling’s overly witty dialog, to their most determinist coin flipping, to the important choices the player makes.
The attention to detail in this game was not limited to characters, the plot itself was quite well executed. Irrational has a tendency to draw from 20th century literature for its narrative inspiration in the Bioshock series. Here, instead of a critical objectivist narrative poking at the smartest economists in the room, the team moves their sardonic eye from philosophy to american exceptionalism painted on the backdrop of an existential tragedy. If “Atlus Shrugged” by Ayn Rand was the literary inspiration for the original Bioshock “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard is the literary inspiration for Bioshock Infinite. Honestly, the parallels are stunning, especially compared to Lutece sibling’s overly witty dialog, to their most determinist coin flipping, to the important choices the player makes.
To put things bluntly, both Bioshock Infinite and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” are both existential nightmares. Guildenstern and Rosencrantz can’t do anything to alleviate what will be their eventual death. The choices made will not affect the predetermined outcome. It doesn't matter if you throw the ball at the Vox Populi. It doesn't matter if you choose the bird or the cage. It doesn't matter if you want to be non-violent or not. It doesn't matter if you use the shotgun or sniper rifle. It doesn't matter which vigor you use, what style of game you play. It doesn't matter that you know the door code is “0451” you still need to pick up the piece of paper. It doesn't matter that you know you have no choice you still have to make the motions. You are trapped in a strictly determined cage of causality.
This is why I’m not a fan of Bioshock Infinite. It’s because I believe the choices you make determine your character and how you deserve to be treated. I disagree with this game on a purely philosophical basis (honestly it’s a first). However it’s execution of its experience is better than what I imagined it could be. It’s a sarcastic sacrifice of every freedom a person could have in laputan city of american exceptionalism. And yet even for my disdain of its philosophy, I find myself captivated by its charm.
I definitely recommend this game even at its $60 price tag. A must play for fans of single player shooters and easily one of the best single player experiences of the year.
