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Product DetailsPlatform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard
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Product Description
Platform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard
Amazon.com
BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter like you’ve never seen. Set in 1912, players assume the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the flying city of Columbia on a rescue mission. His target? Elizabeth, imprisoned since childhood. During their daring escape, Booker and Elizabeth form a powerful bond -- one that lets Booker augment his own abilities with her world-altering control over the environment. Together, they fight from high-speed Sky-Lines, in the streets and houses of Columbia, on giant zeppelins, and in the clouds, all while learning to harness an expanding arsenal of weapons and abilities, and immersing players in a story that is not only steeped in profound thrills and surprises, but also invests its characters with deep emotional bonds.
A brand-new BioShock adventure set in the mobile sky city of Columbia.
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Features
- Immersive Story: From BioShock creators Irrational Games comes an all-new chapter of the BioShock story. The year is 1912 and you’re Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent with his life on the line. His mission: rescue the mysterious Elizabeth from the sky-city Columbia or never leave it alive. But why is everyone so afraid of a young girl?
- A City in the Sky: The BioShock franchise leaves the depths of the ocean to soar among the clouds in the flying city of Columbia. A technological marvel, it’s a beautiful and vibrant world that has a very dark secret – a secret that not only threatens the existence of Columbia but could change Booker forever.
- Sky-Lines: Using his Sky-Hook, Booker is able to dish out severe hands-on punishment and traverse the city’s hook points and Sky-Lines, turning them into weaponized roller coasters.
- Tears: Your traveling companion Elizabeth is more than just a pretty face – she has the power to open Tears in time and space. Booker can use these Tears to shape the battlefield and turn the tide in combat by pulling cover, weapons, turrets, and other resources out of thin air.
- Vigors: What would a BioShock game be without a variety of devastating powers surging through your body to be unleashed against all that oppose you? From throwing explosive fireballs and lightning to unleashing a murder of crows upon your victims, Vigors let you tailor your play style for maximum effect.
- New Combat Experience: With deadly weapons in one hand and powerful Vigors in the other, you will fight your way through the floating city of Columbia to freedom. All the while you’ll be capturing zeppelins to destroy all onboard, riding Sky-Lines to launch devastating aerial attacks, and opening world-changing Tears to gain the advantage. You’ve never seen combat like this. Weapons, Tears, Vigors, Sky-Lines – every system in the game can be combined for devastating effect.
- 1999 Mode: The player can unlock a secret version of the game called “1999 Mode” that gives experienced players a taste of the kind of design and balance that hardcore gamers enjoyed back in the 20th century.
Additional Screenshots
 Save Elizabeth & use her powers. View larger |  Avoid pursuing 'Songbird'. View larger |  Utilize the Skyline rail system. View larger |  All-new mechanized enemies. View larger |
Product Description
Indebted to the wrong people, and with his life on the line, hired gun Booker DeWitt has only one opportunity to wipe his slate clean. He must rescue Elizabeth, a mysterious girl imprisoned since childhood and locked up in the flying city of Columbia. Forced to trust one another, Booker and Elizabeth form a powerful bond during their daring escape. Together, they learn to harness an expanding arsenal of weapons and abilities, as they fight on zeppelins in the clouds, along high-speed Sky-Lines, and down in the streets of Columbia, all while surviving the threats of the air-city and uncovering its dark secret. WINNER OF OVER 80 AWARDS
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
81 of 110 people found the following review helpful
Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Edition:Standard
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Good
+Solid story and narrative that really draws the player in
+Very thematically ambitious
+Gorgeous world really draws you into the experience
+Solid gameplay mechanics
+A lot of variety in ability and gear to help change up the experience
+Elizabeth is a very well crafted character
+The music and audio is very good; the voice acting is fantastic
The Bad
-Slight dips in framerate from time to time
-Death can feel a little disorienting
-Some choice decisions fail to have an impact
---
Note: The Following Review is Long
In 2007 the original Bioshock came out and added a layer to gaming that few games have been able to do. The game was not nearly as big of a success as other titles of the year such as Halo or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but it quickly seized hold of an enormous cult following that became very emotionally attached to the game. The game was so beloved and so much of a success that when Bioshock 2 came out a year later it couldn't have hoped to be as beloved. After all, the original Bioshock was groundbreaking from a narrative standpoint. A game that reached so high any game which followed it couldn't hope to come within an arms length of its legacy. Nevertheless, Bioshock Infinite is here and it reaches. In some regards, perhaps even higher than the one that started it all.
You play as Booker Dewitt. He's got some debts to settle and believes he can do so. He must first venture to the floating city of Columbia. There he must rescue a young woman named Elizabeth. But it will not be easy. Columbia is a city ruled under the watchful eye of Father Comstock, a prophet who can supposedly see the future. It isn't long before Booker realizes that rescuing Elizabeth and escaping the city of Columbia will be much more difficult than he imagined. Quickly branded as a false prophet, Booker comes under attack.
Like the first game, Bioshock Infinite is a very thematically ambitious game. One that begins to elevate storytelling in gaming. There will surely be a lot of discussion to follow with this one. There's a lot of care taken with the world in which it takes place in, as well as with some of the themes it handles. And Bioshock Infinite opts to hold very little back. Here you'll be tackling themes such as racism, religion, false prophets, gender roles, even moments that will test your own morals. It's got a lot to say. The story and the world also come to life in the same way that Rapture does. While Columbia is not as dazzling as the trip into the underwater world, it does have a pulse just the same. You'll find Voxphones scattered throughout. These, like the original Bioshocks audio diaries, add a lot more to the tale at hand. They add to the story, the world and the atmosphere. To ignore them is to miss out on a considerable portion of the game. For those very curious about the world they're playing in, they will most certainly want to pick these up.
From the outset it doesn't seem as though there is much which separates Bioshock Infinite from it's predecessor. Indeed, it takes a moment to get there. Many aspects will be familiar to you from the outset. Instead of Plasmids, for example, you have Vigors. These allow you to do things such as possess machines and make them attack your enemies, or hurl explosive fireballs at your foes. If there are crows an area you can even turn them against your foes. There's a lot variety with the vigors, as well as many different ways to use them. There is a limit, of course, you need salts to be able to use them. Like the original there are also vending machines around where you can use currency to buy upgrades for your vigors or guns. You can also restore health.
Unlike the original, however, you don't stock up on health packs that will be used immediately when your life reaches zero. Rather you have one life gauge that doesn't recharge at all. You must find food or other means of sustenance to restore your health. There is, however, a shield you'll get early on that does recharge. If you can find cover in the midst of a gun fight or keep from taking damage your shield will recharge and you'll be ready again. This seems like it'll make the game particularly difficult at first, but Bioshock Infinite is not too challenging in and of itself. Sometimes the enemies can come in large waves. But should you bite the dust you are never punished too harshly. You'll respawn really close to where you died and you'll be given some health and some ammo. Your enemies will also have some of their health restored as well, so whatever killed you is usually still lurking. The only downside is that there will be times when you respawn and you'll need to take time to adjust to your surroundings. Though you never respawn far from where you've died, there are times when you'll feel disoriented and turned around when you do.
There is also gear you can put on to help you out along the way. These will enhance your abilities. And if you mix and match things will change. One piece of gear, for instance, allows you to run faster when your shield burst. Another lets you set people on fire when you attack them. This adds a layer of strategy and gives you a different means of approaching the bad guys. Get enough variety of gear and you'll be able to create different "builds" for your character. You might think of these builds as various job classes from an RPG. This all provides many different ways to tackle many of the big firefights in Bioshock Infinite.
Chances are you won't die too many times. Bioshock Infinite's biggest change to gameplay is adding Elizabeth into the equation. Elizabeth will accompany you throughout much of the experience and as such she is a companion. This isn't some game where you'll have to babysit, though. Elizabeth can't die. Although she will supply you with ammunition and health if you need it. This little tweak can make the game a bit easier than it has to be, but it won't make death impossible. She also helps you unlock doors when you come across them, although it is just a tad bit strange that you
What really helps Elizabeth along is how well realized of a character she is. How she develops and her facial expressions give her a lot of life. To say much more than that would be to spoil a lot of the fun of the game. Booker is not a bad character, by any means, but the story quickly lets you know it isn't about him. He's a man with a simple mission, but this is much more her story than his. She is truly a loveable and charming character. Not that Booker is bad, but he's primarily there to make sure you experience the story more so than to add a lot. While he makes commentary and quips (that are mostly to provide hints of where to go) every now and then the game makes no illusions about who is the star of the show here.
That being said, because of such a huge emphasis on its narrative and story, Bioshock Infinite often has a real clear path for you to go. It's a very linear game where you'll rarely (if ever) find yourself lost. That doesn't mean you can't explore. There is plenty off the beaten path where you can go off track for a moment to find gear, vigors and sometimes even going so far as to find a sidequest or two. If you ever find yourself exploring too much, a tap of a button will show the way to go in order to get back onto the right path.
Most areas are not too big, but they are filled to the brim with a lot of details. For the most part, Bioshock Infinite doesn't look that much different than the previous two games. This is fine as they were gorgeous looking. Here there is a lot of detail to the world. One of the chief criticisms lodged at Bioshock 2 was that we'd already explored quite a bit of Rapture. A return there wasn't exciting enough. Columbia definitely is. The tone is very similar, but the atmosphere is not. Instead of going down dark corridors you're exploring a lot of open spaces. Not everyone you meet is someone who has lost their mind either (and some do not even care to try to kill you). Especially in the beginning moments of the game, you may come across citizens having idle conversation. Likewise, where as the original Bioshock was pretty dark in its environment, Infinite is not afraid to let the sunshine in. Many of its set piece moments stand in contrast to the original.
The audio is just as good. The sound effects are great. But what is the most rewarding is listening to the voice acting. All the performances are great. Comstock, in some cases, can be downright haunting (particularly listening to him on Voxphone). It helps to make a pretty engaging experience. If there was anything about the presentation that might be a bit of a nuisance it might be that from time to time the frame rate can get a little choppy.
Bioshock Infinite is not for the weak-hearted however. It's a violent game with some pretty gruesome death moments. Nothing to cringe worthy for those who have played the original Bioshock or other violent games. What makes it more startling is that there is a much deeper context to much of it here. As in, moments in which you'll see innocent people brutally murdered before your eyes or treated very poorly. Much of this is put forth for thematic or story driven purposes. It can be brutal, but it isn't here just for the sake of shock or as a means to see how far they can push the envelope. There are many things thrown into Bioshock Infinite as a means of either reinforcing how horrible the bad guys are, or reinforcing how horrible the society you're in is. Read more ›
+Solid story and narrative that really draws the player in
+Very thematically ambitious
+Gorgeous world really draws you into the experience
+Solid gameplay mechanics
+A lot of variety in ability and gear to help change up the experience
+Elizabeth is a very well crafted character
+The music and audio is very good; the voice acting is fantastic
The Bad
-Slight dips in framerate from time to time
-Death can feel a little disorienting
-Some choice decisions fail to have an impact
---
Note: The Following Review is Long
In 2007 the original Bioshock came out and added a layer to gaming that few games have been able to do. The game was not nearly as big of a success as other titles of the year such as Halo or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but it quickly seized hold of an enormous cult following that became very emotionally attached to the game. The game was so beloved and so much of a success that when Bioshock 2 came out a year later it couldn't have hoped to be as beloved. After all, the original Bioshock was groundbreaking from a narrative standpoint. A game that reached so high any game which followed it couldn't hope to come within an arms length of its legacy. Nevertheless, Bioshock Infinite is here and it reaches. In some regards, perhaps even higher than the one that started it all.
You play as Booker Dewitt. He's got some debts to settle and believes he can do so. He must first venture to the floating city of Columbia. There he must rescue a young woman named Elizabeth. But it will not be easy. Columbia is a city ruled under the watchful eye of Father Comstock, a prophet who can supposedly see the future. It isn't long before Booker realizes that rescuing Elizabeth and escaping the city of Columbia will be much more difficult than he imagined. Quickly branded as a false prophet, Booker comes under attack.
Like the first game, Bioshock Infinite is a very thematically ambitious game. One that begins to elevate storytelling in gaming. There will surely be a lot of discussion to follow with this one. There's a lot of care taken with the world in which it takes place in, as well as with some of the themes it handles. And Bioshock Infinite opts to hold very little back. Here you'll be tackling themes such as racism, religion, false prophets, gender roles, even moments that will test your own morals. It's got a lot to say. The story and the world also come to life in the same way that Rapture does. While Columbia is not as dazzling as the trip into the underwater world, it does have a pulse just the same. You'll find Voxphones scattered throughout. These, like the original Bioshocks audio diaries, add a lot more to the tale at hand. They add to the story, the world and the atmosphere. To ignore them is to miss out on a considerable portion of the game. For those very curious about the world they're playing in, they will most certainly want to pick these up.
From the outset it doesn't seem as though there is much which separates Bioshock Infinite from it's predecessor. Indeed, it takes a moment to get there. Many aspects will be familiar to you from the outset. Instead of Plasmids, for example, you have Vigors. These allow you to do things such as possess machines and make them attack your enemies, or hurl explosive fireballs at your foes. If there are crows an area you can even turn them against your foes. There's a lot variety with the vigors, as well as many different ways to use them. There is a limit, of course, you need salts to be able to use them. Like the original there are also vending machines around where you can use currency to buy upgrades for your vigors or guns. You can also restore health.
Unlike the original, however, you don't stock up on health packs that will be used immediately when your life reaches zero. Rather you have one life gauge that doesn't recharge at all. You must find food or other means of sustenance to restore your health. There is, however, a shield you'll get early on that does recharge. If you can find cover in the midst of a gun fight or keep from taking damage your shield will recharge and you'll be ready again. This seems like it'll make the game particularly difficult at first, but Bioshock Infinite is not too challenging in and of itself. Sometimes the enemies can come in large waves. But should you bite the dust you are never punished too harshly. You'll respawn really close to where you died and you'll be given some health and some ammo. Your enemies will also have some of their health restored as well, so whatever killed you is usually still lurking. The only downside is that there will be times when you respawn and you'll need to take time to adjust to your surroundings. Though you never respawn far from where you've died, there are times when you'll feel disoriented and turned around when you do.
There is also gear you can put on to help you out along the way. These will enhance your abilities. And if you mix and match things will change. One piece of gear, for instance, allows you to run faster when your shield burst. Another lets you set people on fire when you attack them. This adds a layer of strategy and gives you a different means of approaching the bad guys. Get enough variety of gear and you'll be able to create different "builds" for your character. You might think of these builds as various job classes from an RPG. This all provides many different ways to tackle many of the big firefights in Bioshock Infinite.
Chances are you won't die too many times. Bioshock Infinite's biggest change to gameplay is adding Elizabeth into the equation. Elizabeth will accompany you throughout much of the experience and as such she is a companion. This isn't some game where you'll have to babysit, though. Elizabeth can't die. Although she will supply you with ammunition and health if you need it. This little tweak can make the game a bit easier than it has to be, but it won't make death impossible. She also helps you unlock doors when you come across them, although it is just a tad bit strange that you
What really helps Elizabeth along is how well realized of a character she is. How she develops and her facial expressions give her a lot of life. To say much more than that would be to spoil a lot of the fun of the game. Booker is not a bad character, by any means, but the story quickly lets you know it isn't about him. He's a man with a simple mission, but this is much more her story than his. She is truly a loveable and charming character. Not that Booker is bad, but he's primarily there to make sure you experience the story more so than to add a lot. While he makes commentary and quips (that are mostly to provide hints of where to go) every now and then the game makes no illusions about who is the star of the show here.
That being said, because of such a huge emphasis on its narrative and story, Bioshock Infinite often has a real clear path for you to go. It's a very linear game where you'll rarely (if ever) find yourself lost. That doesn't mean you can't explore. There is plenty off the beaten path where you can go off track for a moment to find gear, vigors and sometimes even going so far as to find a sidequest or two. If you ever find yourself exploring too much, a tap of a button will show the way to go in order to get back onto the right path.
Most areas are not too big, but they are filled to the brim with a lot of details. For the most part, Bioshock Infinite doesn't look that much different than the previous two games. This is fine as they were gorgeous looking. Here there is a lot of detail to the world. One of the chief criticisms lodged at Bioshock 2 was that we'd already explored quite a bit of Rapture. A return there wasn't exciting enough. Columbia definitely is. The tone is very similar, but the atmosphere is not. Instead of going down dark corridors you're exploring a lot of open spaces. Not everyone you meet is someone who has lost their mind either (and some do not even care to try to kill you). Especially in the beginning moments of the game, you may come across citizens having idle conversation. Likewise, where as the original Bioshock was pretty dark in its environment, Infinite is not afraid to let the sunshine in. Many of its set piece moments stand in contrast to the original.
The audio is just as good. The sound effects are great. But what is the most rewarding is listening to the voice acting. All the performances are great. Comstock, in some cases, can be downright haunting (particularly listening to him on Voxphone). It helps to make a pretty engaging experience. If there was anything about the presentation that might be a bit of a nuisance it might be that from time to time the frame rate can get a little choppy.
Bioshock Infinite is not for the weak-hearted however. It's a violent game with some pretty gruesome death moments. Nothing to cringe worthy for those who have played the original Bioshock or other violent games. What makes it more startling is that there is a much deeper context to much of it here. As in, moments in which you'll see innocent people brutally murdered before your eyes or treated very poorly. Much of this is put forth for thematic or story driven purposes. It can be brutal, but it isn't here just for the sake of shock or as a means to see how far they can push the envelope. There are many things thrown into Bioshock Infinite as a means of either reinforcing how horrible the bad guys are, or reinforcing how horrible the society you're in is. Read more ›
64 of 91 people found the following review helpful
By Axle F.
Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Edition:Standard
Fun:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A review from a REAL gamer and fan of the Bioshock series... ME!
I waited to finish the whole game on PC before writing a review as I am quite a fan of the first 2 Bioshock games. I played with a 360 Controller and it worked beautifully, so this review applies to the Xbox version as well. You will definately want to install this to the HDD if your Xbox 360 has the space as loading from disc can sometimes cause hangups on loading in the Xbox version.
I know that the rumor mills and PAID game reviews are saying this is the best game of all time and has achieved the mythical 10 out of 10 and that every gamer should own a copy... Well... I have to say that is just not true. The coveted 5 star, 10 points, or 100 point review scores are lying. A 100% score from a gamer is basically saying that a game with that coveted score is a GOD among all other games and that all other games should bow down before it and kiss its feet. Everyone should own a copy even if they only play flash games online. I do not feel that is the case here and is pretty much hype or just new players that have never played the first two Bioshock games.
Before people start exploding with anger as to why I only give it a "meh" 3 out of 5 and not 4 or higher is that, as a part of a SERIES of games, this one is a step BACKWARDS from the previous games. If this was its own game, in its own universe, and not connected any way to the original 2 Bioshock games; I would give it 4 out of 5.
I have to say this is a VERY SHORT GAME, they could have done so much more with this to get it up towards the amount of content that the first two games had, near 15 hours or more, but it looks like the Bioshock series has fallen to the DLC monster and time constraints that so many big game companies are forcing upon games now. I went all through the game and explored every little inch I could in the game, and it came out to under 9 hours of play time.
Since this game IS titled as part of a series/established universe, I will rate it as such and compare it to the previous games. I believe that ANY new game in an established series should ALWAYS try to out-do and improve upon the previous games.
Here we go:
First- Replay Value: The original Bioshock games were all about CHOICE and DIFFERENT paths and MULTIPLE ENDINGS to add what gamers like me call the holy grail of gaming known as "Replay Value" or "Replayability" and what companies call "Lots of people buying our games"... This is what makes a game worth buying over just renting, beating, and never playing again. Bioshock 1&2 had SUBSTANTIAL side quests that sometimes took an hour or more to complete, and were quite in-depth. There were many choices to be made that would change all manner of outcomes in the game and would give different endings. Bioshock Infinite seems to give you the ILLUSION of choice during the first 1/3rd of the game and then everything is set on rails from there. As for side quests, there really are none other than quickly exploring a side building with under 3 rooms in it and a few cypher loot hunts. You get the same ending in Bioshock Infinite no matter what you do in the game.
Second- Setting/Atmosphere: While the settings of the first two games are underwater and quite gloomy and atmospheric, even claustrophobic and frightening with sporradic placing of some enemies... Infinite is mostly in the open air and bright sun shine with open spaces, and what I call "Arenas" where you KNOW bad guys will be attacking you, so it has a completely different feel from the first two games, and just does not feel very... Bioshocky.
Third- The Weapons... In The first two games the weapons were very steam punk like, and you could see the upgrades you bought as they were added to the weapons. Such as spinning gears on the shotgun or the extended capacity add-on sticking out the side of the revolver. I loved the design of the weapons in the first 2 Bioshock games. In Bioshock Infinite you get rather plain weapons, some of them feel like copies of other weapons you already get in the game with maybe some red paint on them or such... They get no visible upgrades either. Instead, the upgrades are in name and text only with no change to the weapons visually.
Fourth- Ammo Types: There were DIFFERENT types of ammo in the first two Bioshock games: Armor Piercing, Exploding, Electric, and so on, with varying strategies to go along with nearly every enemy... Bioshock Infinite, none of that, just one type for each weapon and, to me, it felt like the basic enemies took a lot more hits to go down and ammo was much more scarce, especially near the end of the game. Pray and spray.
Fifth- Player Engagement: Bioshock 1&2 were very engaging all throughout the game, always making you wonder what might happen next or when some enemy may pop out at you since enemies were not constrained to just appearing in wide open spaces. There was quite a bit of backtracking and revisiting old areas with new things unlocked. Much fun could be had while playing the game in a darkened room. With Bioshock Infinite it felt so.... FPS Typical... Enemies drop out from the sky, shoot em', clear this area, move on, clear next area, move on, with very little backtracking or encouraged exploring or random encounters.
Sixth- Enemy AI/Character Design: This is where Bioshock Infinite FAILS MASSIVELY! In Bioshock 1&2 the enemies were downright scary in how creative they were, they would stalk you, or flank you to get you from behind, or would run away and hide at times, popping up in entirely different areas. They would look for you if you ran away or hid. Every fight was different. The enemies/splicers in the first two games all seemed to be different, unique, and quite memorable in their own ways. One thing Infinite gets right is the main story characters facial expressions, especially Elizabeth... If they had spent as much time working on the game as they did her expressions, this would have been a much better game. As for the AI in Bioshock Infinite the enemies just come at you in mindless waves as if this was a Serious Sam game, they don't hide, they don't stalk you or look for you... They all know where you are with their magic radar sense. So just lots of shooting at generic police, rebels, robots, and heavies that all stand out in the open waiting for your bullets and powers to splatter their faces. Or the opposite, friggin' stands right on top of you Zerg rush style. All while they shoot mindlessly at you or at the item you may be hiding behind while you are required to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. I really did not expect Bioshock Infinite to have AI that is this downright TERRIBLE after the amazing experience from the first two games.
Seventh- Powers and Abilities: Those that have played Bioshock 1&2 know the massive amount of plasmids and abilities you could get and upgrade, you could play the game how you wanted, even as a stealthy character with some of the upgrades. In Bioshock Infinite it has been broken down into weapon upgrades, and I believe only 8 vigor abilities, with 4 clothing power up options. Infinite just feels "Dumbed Down" and over simplified from the previous games with NO STEALTH/invisibility this time. It has had most of the strategy taken out and just turned into a "run and shoot".
Eighth- Graphics/immersion: The game is quite stunning graphically; in the first 1/3rd of the game it is engrossing and enjoyable... But... As the game moves on it feels like they were in a rush to reach the end so it is just not as immersive as the first two Bioshock games. The graphics from the first two Bioshock games were and are still amazing, especially when it comes to water effects. Infinite just did not feel "on par" with the previous games or even when comparing to some of the newer games out there. It does look good but not jaw dropping good. Though, in all honesty, I couldn't care less about graphics as some people are but it seems important to some.
Ninth- Controls: I played the game for a short bit with keyboard and mouse and the controls were decently simple, typical FPS. Same for using the controller which I played the rest of the game with... Obviously the game feels better with a controller than the keyboard and mouse, since it was made for a controller.
Tenth- The Writing/Story Telling: Bioshock 1&2 were absolute masterpieces in original Videogame writing and storytelling, fully fleshing out the world and characters and making it hard to guess what was coming next, while giving some rather hard choices at times that would change the game play and ending possibilities while in the end giving a good feeling of closure and satisfaction. Bioshock Infinite is more of a... Well... Without spoiling the story, as convoluted as it seems to become, look up the definition of "String theory" and the game may make more sense in the end. Otherwise the story of Bioshock Infinite may sail over the heads of certain gamers. Since there is only one ending for infinite, it just doesn't feel complete or like it would have made a difference any way you went.
THE BOTTOM LINE TL;DR: Short Game... NO REPLAY VALUE! Horrible AI. Fun, but not very Bioshock feeling compared to previous games... It IS a fun FPS game on its own, but just didn't feel like Bioshock. Biosomething but not Shock in any way.
RENT IT for a console system and play through it before you even THINK about buying it.
I waited to finish the whole game on PC before writing a review as I am quite a fan of the first 2 Bioshock games. I played with a 360 Controller and it worked beautifully, so this review applies to the Xbox version as well. You will definately want to install this to the HDD if your Xbox 360 has the space as loading from disc can sometimes cause hangups on loading in the Xbox version.
I know that the rumor mills and PAID game reviews are saying this is the best game of all time and has achieved the mythical 10 out of 10 and that every gamer should own a copy... Well... I have to say that is just not true. The coveted 5 star, 10 points, or 100 point review scores are lying. A 100% score from a gamer is basically saying that a game with that coveted score is a GOD among all other games and that all other games should bow down before it and kiss its feet. Everyone should own a copy even if they only play flash games online. I do not feel that is the case here and is pretty much hype or just new players that have never played the first two Bioshock games.
Before people start exploding with anger as to why I only give it a "meh" 3 out of 5 and not 4 or higher is that, as a part of a SERIES of games, this one is a step BACKWARDS from the previous games. If this was its own game, in its own universe, and not connected any way to the original 2 Bioshock games; I would give it 4 out of 5.
I have to say this is a VERY SHORT GAME, they could have done so much more with this to get it up towards the amount of content that the first two games had, near 15 hours or more, but it looks like the Bioshock series has fallen to the DLC monster and time constraints that so many big game companies are forcing upon games now. I went all through the game and explored every little inch I could in the game, and it came out to under 9 hours of play time.
Since this game IS titled as part of a series/established universe, I will rate it as such and compare it to the previous games. I believe that ANY new game in an established series should ALWAYS try to out-do and improve upon the previous games.
Here we go:
First- Replay Value: The original Bioshock games were all about CHOICE and DIFFERENT paths and MULTIPLE ENDINGS to add what gamers like me call the holy grail of gaming known as "Replay Value" or "Replayability" and what companies call "Lots of people buying our games"... This is what makes a game worth buying over just renting, beating, and never playing again. Bioshock 1&2 had SUBSTANTIAL side quests that sometimes took an hour or more to complete, and were quite in-depth. There were many choices to be made that would change all manner of outcomes in the game and would give different endings. Bioshock Infinite seems to give you the ILLUSION of choice during the first 1/3rd of the game and then everything is set on rails from there. As for side quests, there really are none other than quickly exploring a side building with under 3 rooms in it and a few cypher loot hunts. You get the same ending in Bioshock Infinite no matter what you do in the game.
Second- Setting/Atmosphere: While the settings of the first two games are underwater and quite gloomy and atmospheric, even claustrophobic and frightening with sporradic placing of some enemies... Infinite is mostly in the open air and bright sun shine with open spaces, and what I call "Arenas" where you KNOW bad guys will be attacking you, so it has a completely different feel from the first two games, and just does not feel very... Bioshocky.
Third- The Weapons... In The first two games the weapons were very steam punk like, and you could see the upgrades you bought as they were added to the weapons. Such as spinning gears on the shotgun or the extended capacity add-on sticking out the side of the revolver. I loved the design of the weapons in the first 2 Bioshock games. In Bioshock Infinite you get rather plain weapons, some of them feel like copies of other weapons you already get in the game with maybe some red paint on them or such... They get no visible upgrades either. Instead, the upgrades are in name and text only with no change to the weapons visually.
Fourth- Ammo Types: There were DIFFERENT types of ammo in the first two Bioshock games: Armor Piercing, Exploding, Electric, and so on, with varying strategies to go along with nearly every enemy... Bioshock Infinite, none of that, just one type for each weapon and, to me, it felt like the basic enemies took a lot more hits to go down and ammo was much more scarce, especially near the end of the game. Pray and spray.
Fifth- Player Engagement: Bioshock 1&2 were very engaging all throughout the game, always making you wonder what might happen next or when some enemy may pop out at you since enemies were not constrained to just appearing in wide open spaces. There was quite a bit of backtracking and revisiting old areas with new things unlocked. Much fun could be had while playing the game in a darkened room. With Bioshock Infinite it felt so.... FPS Typical... Enemies drop out from the sky, shoot em', clear this area, move on, clear next area, move on, with very little backtracking or encouraged exploring or random encounters.
Sixth- Enemy AI/Character Design: This is where Bioshock Infinite FAILS MASSIVELY! In Bioshock 1&2 the enemies were downright scary in how creative they were, they would stalk you, or flank you to get you from behind, or would run away and hide at times, popping up in entirely different areas. They would look for you if you ran away or hid. Every fight was different. The enemies/splicers in the first two games all seemed to be different, unique, and quite memorable in their own ways. One thing Infinite gets right is the main story characters facial expressions, especially Elizabeth... If they had spent as much time working on the game as they did her expressions, this would have been a much better game. As for the AI in Bioshock Infinite the enemies just come at you in mindless waves as if this was a Serious Sam game, they don't hide, they don't stalk you or look for you... They all know where you are with their magic radar sense. So just lots of shooting at generic police, rebels, robots, and heavies that all stand out in the open waiting for your bullets and powers to splatter their faces. Or the opposite, friggin' stands right on top of you Zerg rush style. All while they shoot mindlessly at you or at the item you may be hiding behind while you are required to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. I really did not expect Bioshock Infinite to have AI that is this downright TERRIBLE after the amazing experience from the first two games.
Seventh- Powers and Abilities: Those that have played Bioshock 1&2 know the massive amount of plasmids and abilities you could get and upgrade, you could play the game how you wanted, even as a stealthy character with some of the upgrades. In Bioshock Infinite it has been broken down into weapon upgrades, and I believe only 8 vigor abilities, with 4 clothing power up options. Infinite just feels "Dumbed Down" and over simplified from the previous games with NO STEALTH/invisibility this time. It has had most of the strategy taken out and just turned into a "run and shoot".
Eighth- Graphics/immersion: The game is quite stunning graphically; in the first 1/3rd of the game it is engrossing and enjoyable... But... As the game moves on it feels like they were in a rush to reach the end so it is just not as immersive as the first two Bioshock games. The graphics from the first two Bioshock games were and are still amazing, especially when it comes to water effects. Infinite just did not feel "on par" with the previous games or even when comparing to some of the newer games out there. It does look good but not jaw dropping good. Though, in all honesty, I couldn't care less about graphics as some people are but it seems important to some.
Ninth- Controls: I played the game for a short bit with keyboard and mouse and the controls were decently simple, typical FPS. Same for using the controller which I played the rest of the game with... Obviously the game feels better with a controller than the keyboard and mouse, since it was made for a controller.
Tenth- The Writing/Story Telling: Bioshock 1&2 were absolute masterpieces in original Videogame writing and storytelling, fully fleshing out the world and characters and making it hard to guess what was coming next, while giving some rather hard choices at times that would change the game play and ending possibilities while in the end giving a good feeling of closure and satisfaction. Bioshock Infinite is more of a... Well... Without spoiling the story, as convoluted as it seems to become, look up the definition of "String theory" and the game may make more sense in the end. Otherwise the story of Bioshock Infinite may sail over the heads of certain gamers. Since there is only one ending for infinite, it just doesn't feel complete or like it would have made a difference any way you went.
THE BOTTOM LINE TL;DR: Short Game... NO REPLAY VALUE! Horrible AI. Fun, but not very Bioshock feeling compared to previous games... It IS a fun FPS game on its own, but just didn't feel like Bioshock. Biosomething but not Shock in any way.
RENT IT for a console system and play through it before you even THINK about buying it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Blackdawn
Platform for Display:Xbox 360| Edition:Standard|Amazon Verified Purchase
This game was fantastic. The story is top notch, graphics, voice acting, combat, and design were absolutely great. I cannot recommend this game highly enough to those looking for a great campaign
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Game
You have to play this game. It is one of the best 360 games of this year for sure. Pick it up asap.
Published 7 hours ago by Joshua W. Keyes
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Positive times a Negative IS ALWAYS A NEGATIVE.
Simply put the game was fun and exciting until you encounter the WORST ending in a video game ever. All the excitement of the game, working with Elizabeth, the gameplay... Read more
Published 11 hours ago by ssgtnelson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
Utterly original story, mature themes, great game-play, etc etc. Just play it. Thank me later.
If you are sick of the run-of-the-mill military shooters, this is your... Read more
If you are sick of the run-of-the-mill military shooters, this is your... Read more
Published 11 hours ago by Matthew H
5.0 out of 5 stars
Game was phenomenal
I loved every minute of this game. It was hard for me to put the controller down and played the game for hours on end. I loved the story and pretty much everything about the game. Read more
Published 15 hours ago by Raul Orduna
4.0 out of 5 stars
It was fun!
It was fun, but it was not Bioshock 1, but again it was better than Bioshock 2. My biggest complaint was it was short....I finished in 1 month and I'm not a dedicated player. Read more
Published 15 hours ago by S Johnson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great graphics... forgot how much time I spend looking for crap
Big bioshock fan - not necessarily for the game play but the fantastic story lines. Grabbed the latest greatest... Read more
Published 16 hours ago by Steve Senci
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bought it for the husband: review is as a viewer, not a player
Ok, so first, I'm not really a video game person. I play Lego stuff and Minecraft and WoW, and sit beside the husband with a book while he devours Assassin's Creed and Deadlands. Read more
Published 18 hours ago by A. Trotter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome game
I love this game and love the feeling of it but I gotta be honest, if I had to compare between Infinite and the first 2 bioshock, I gotta say that I loved the first 2 better than... Read more
Published 18 hours ago by Ahmed
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good story and settings
The visuals are great
The story is very good
Replay value however is minimum
That is why i gave it 4 stars
better off renting
The story is very good
Replay value however is minimum
That is why i gave it 4 stars
better off renting
Published 20 hours ago by C. Stsauveur
3.0 out of 5 stars
I beat it, dont plan on playing it ever again.
This game wasn't the best. The ending was lame imo. The graphics were not that good, the gameplay was blah. I just didn't really enjoy it as much as the first bioshock.
Published 1 day ago by Jacob P. Hammack
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Platform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard
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