Friday, March 22, 2024

BioShock Infinite Review for PC

To say that BioShock Infinite truly moved us during the course of this review will be an understatement. It did more than that; it got us thinking. Video games are often looked at from a distrustful point of view by people outside the gaming community. They are at times even referred to as a danger to the society, and are easily dismissed as crass, contentious, violent and what not. This needs to change; the skeptics need to alter their attitudes, solely for the reason that they’re missing out. Pityingly enough, their cynical approaches are not letting them experience one of the most creative of mediums around. They are failing to benefit from something as mindboggling and as astoundingly magnificent as BioShock Infinite.

Main Image

Maybe someday, they will play the game, and maybe someday, their minds would be so boggled that they’ll never ever think of dismissing video games in the manner they usually do. We can forget that for now, as we have a more important task at hand, and that is, trying to most effectively describe the overall caliber of this game through this review.

- Advertisements -

As we all know, it takes place on a city suspended in the sky, called Columbia. Filled with glee and merry at first, this world reeks of amazing sights. A carnival greets you at the start with its spellbindingly gay atmosphere, and before you know it, you’re in battle with a humongous yet beautiful singing-bird-thing called a Songbird. As if that wasn’t jaw-dropping enough, the fight ends with you finding yourself on a beach; a beach in the middle of the sky, complete with waves, umbrellas and sand castle-building toddlers. You see, the developers have ensured that your first encounter with this unforgettable realm of Columbia – cloud-filled and sun-bathed in the most eye-grabbing of manners – consumes you with amazement, so you can prepare yourself for more of the same to come.

You play Booker Dewitt, a war veteran who’s been sent to Columbia in 1912 to bring back Elizabeth, a young woman being held captive there. But the city has other plans for him. Its political and religious landscape is too complicated for him to identify with, leading to Booker’s seemingly unending struggle with the main antagonist, Zachary Hale Comstock and more importantly, with himself.

Screenshot 1

- Advertisements -

The developers over at Irrational Games have kept the flavor of the series alive, yet nothing is similar to what we’ve experienced within the previous games. This title effortlessly weaves you an awe-inspiring narrative filled with mature takes on politics and religion, and how the intricacies of both these aspects are timeless. As we rescue Elizabeth, it is learnt that she possesses a special power of opening up tears in the fabric of space-time, and traveling through time. This ability of hers helps you solve the entire riddle that makes up Bioshock Infinite, setting you up for an ending that has so much in it to soak in that you’d want to see it twice, or thrice perhaps to finally get your breath back. Surely, it’s one of the most endearing climaxes in gaming history.

Screenshot 2

And the gameplay isn’t any less endearing either. There’s one element in this department which overshadows the rest – Elizabeth. The bold decision of making this character something more than just a companion has worked wonders for the game. Elizabeth is alive; she’s her real self all the time. She hides during combat but keeps supplying you ammo, salts and other useful items. And when not in combat, she’ll still be helping you out with stuff like picking locks, solving puzzles, pointing out to supplies and finding money. Elizabeth is adorable and charming; she’s someone you’ll never want to take your eyes off; and most importantly, she’s something no other AI companion character has ever been.

- Advertisements -

Screenshot 3

This game has been infused with a similar combat system to the earlier entrants. The Plasmids of Rapture have been replaced by Vigors, while Salts are required to power them instead of Eve. But these don’t bring diversity into the game as much as the tears and skylines do. Small tears are scattered throughout Columbia, and at your wish, Elizabeth will open them for you, giving you temporary access to health packs, guns, rocket sentries and other useful stuff, thus encouraging strategic thinking.

The entire landscape of Bioshock Infinite is given a new meaning by its skylines. Acting as a rail system, they serve two purposes. During combat, you can take their advantage for escaping or approaching enemies and during usual gameplay, you can employ them to move through the auspicious milieus of Columbia. Few other joys in gaming can match the joys of sklylining through Columbia and multitasking with such activities as gunning down enemies, jumping from one skyline to another or just exploring the environments. This addition as well as others like the availability of tears, Elizabeth’s helpfulness and the large battlefields give the game’s combat a new dimension altogether.

- Advertisements -

Screenshot 4

With Columbia, Irrational Games has surpassed the benchmark it had set by creating the vast illustrious world of Rapture. The game’s art direction oozes brilliance with each and every visual. The grand yet murky city is the perfect setting for the story which too can be described by the same two adjectives. And the exuberance of this world is punctuated by some equally exuberant characters. Elizabeth and Booker aside, others like the Lutece twins, Cornelius Slate, Jeremiah Fink and Zachary Hale Comstock have all been molded into peculiar memorable personalities who have received full justice from their respective voice actors.

The game performed pretty well on our PC throughout the entire playthrough. Its top-notch graphics were a treat to gaze at, but the real winner has to be its use of music and sounds. Collectively, they keep you grounded in the fact that the game is set in 1912. From the first big sequence – Booker’s first encounter with the Songbird – right up till the last one, the game is cinematic brilliance. And while you might realize that its pacing could have been better, by the time the it ends, you’ll know that the slightly slow pace in the middle is just a setup for its spectacular ending.

- Advertisements -

Screenshot 5

Final Word: BioShock Infinite clearly is one of the finest gaming experiences around at the moment. With its wholly realized world, the game devours your attention from the word go. Its action is just as enjoyable as its excellent contrivances. It’s a game filled with so much to absorb and so much to consume that your mind wouldn’t bother wandering for even a second while you’re playing it. We recommend it to all, regardless of your tastes. Do not perform the grave mistake of missing out on this masterpiece.

Graphics: 10/10
Sounds: 10/10
Environments: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Overall (not an average): 10/10

- Advertisements -

Related Articles

Latest Articles