Earlier this year, the gaming community and gaming critics were full of praise for 2K and Irrational games’ latest hit, Bioshock Infinite. Within the time of release and now, the game has been perceived in a variety of ways. To begin with, it was an event you couldn’t afford to miss but in the months following on from release, the game seemed to receive criticism and has escaped many people’s minds to be a contender for game of the year.
While I’m not saying that Bioshock Infinite is my game of the year, I believe that it has it deserves to be recognised as a beautiful game and one which has a storyline worthy of rivalling any blockbuster movie. Now that the Burial at Sea downloadable content has been released, I feel as though Bioshock Infinite reemphasises its impact on the gaming community.
Before the game was released, I was caught up on the hype of Bioshock Infinite. I had only completed the first game the day before Infinite was released as I wanted to experience some of the series before I entered Columbia and instantly fell in love with the series thanks to its characters, gameplay mechanics and, most importantly, its atmosphere. Aside from the incredible and intense atmosphere, the first Bioshock will be remembered for Rapture as well as the brilliant twist in the story which still ranks amongst the best gaming memories I have.
When Infinite was released, many gamers were blown-away with the beautiful graphics and unique characters that featured in the city in the clouds. Soon enough this world was lost to revolution and a war caused by Booker’s presence. The world of Columbia ended up being rather disappointing compared to the wonderful surroundings of Rapture. Although the original impression which was made from the moment you arrived in Columbia soon wore itself out, it was still a great world to be in with some interesting characters including Comstock, Elizabeth and Daisy Fitzroy but, it was always going to fall short of the original.
I think that is why many have grown to dislike Bioshock Infinite or to disapprove of it months after playing it. The same thing happened recently with GTA IV, at the time the game was excellent but time hadn’t proven to be a worthy ally for the game. One of the major downfalls of the game was the lack of use of the vigors which have been so vital in previous Bioshock games. They served no purpose in Bioshock Infinite and just made the game almost a standard shooter with a brilliant story.
With the game focusing so much on the shooting mechanics, the game sometimes felt like your typical shoot-em-up and made sections including the infamous pointless boss fight halfway through the game extremely difficult and frustrating. Much like the end of the original Bioshock, they must have felt as though that section had to be there but was the most frustrating part of the game.
For me, Bioshock Infinite was mainly about the story and the story was excellent. With the release of the first of two episodes for Burial at Sea which places Booker and Elizabeth in Rapture, I think it’s easy to see some of the strengths of Infinite once again. While the story isn’t too exciting, returning to Rapture before the world falls apart is incredible. There are so many references for Bioshock fans to become excited at and provides more of a back story to the series.
Although the story is average, Burial at Sea continues the story of Bioshock Infinite well and ends the episode on a great cliff-hanger as you have no idea what is going to happen next. The types of enemies are varied which include familiar foes as well as a new special splicer. The combination of the solid shooting mechanics from Infinite and the world of Rapture fit well together and it almost feels strange to have a protagonist who speaks in this wonderful world. Splicers come in all shapes and sizes and prove to be far better enemies in this DLC compared to the gun-toting maniacs of Columbia.
With the chance to play through Rapture before its downfall is as much reason as any to own this DLC. If you enjoyed the first two Bioshock games but either grew tired of Infinite or now don’t rate the game then this DLC should at least make you think that Infinite is a great game, once again.
The Burial at Sea DLC is a little steep at £9.99 but if you are looking to buy both episodes, you can buy the season pass for £15.99. This DLC is as reason as any to put Bioshock Infinite back into your gaming device, especially if you are a Bioshock fan. Burial at Sea remedies some things that were wrong about Infinite and brings you back to a familiar setting with the continuation of a good story.
@SimonMarshall6
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