Irrational Games released it’s latest game, BioShock Infinite, in March to rave reviews worldwide. The game has been highly anticipated since its announcement in the summer of 2010, earning over 80 awards at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The game is similar to the series’ previous titles, but it has a completely new feel to it. Infinite is set in 1912, in a floating city called Columbia. You play as Booker DeWitt, a man with a debt that must be repaid. Your assignment is to rescue a girl named Elizabeth from her imprisonment in the city.
Infinite is immediately impressive. Everywhere you look, an immense amount of artistic talent has been added, from the movement of tree branches, to the citizens casually chatting, and even the subtle, slow moving clouds.
The beauty of Infinite is offset by how violent it can get. Booker is unwelcome in Columbia, and when he is recognized, the response is immediate and brutal. Booker has a wide range of guns, and special concoctions called Vigors that give him supernatural powers, the trademark of the BioShock series.
What separates this first-person shooter from others, like Call of Duty or Battlefield, is the story it tells. The entire game feels like you’re playing through a big budget adventure movie. The way you interact with the people and the environment makes you forget that it’s you playing it.
BioShock Infinite is a must-play for anyone who has an interest in gaming. Even people who don’t enjoy playing, would enjoy watching the story unfold. My only hope is that there is more to come from the geniuses at Irrational Games in the near future.
