Bioshock Infinite Review
It's being hyped as GOTY 2013. But does it deserve it?...
Story:
Simply put, this is probably the best story I've ever had the pleasure to experience. I can't think of a game that has drawn me in so much that my jaw had dropped through the floor numerous times. It's a story that will be talked about for generations to come and will go down as one of the best of all time. A pure masterpiece of storytelling which I don't think can ever be beaten.
Graphics:
Columbia is one of the best looking worlds of this generation. I was initially worried about how a Bioshock would work in a bright, outside area. But, despite being the complete opposite to Rapture, it is perfect for the game. The characters sometimes look a bit blocky but the AI and animations of Elizabeth and other key characters is superb.
Sound:
The voice acting is simply faultless. It's so good, in fact, that you forget they are characters in a game. The script is just as good, if not better and both combined help make Infinite one of the most immersive experiences I've ever been through. The songs in this game somehow fit the atmosphere perfectly.
Gameplay:
This game plays almost identically to the first Bioshock game. Notible differences are that you now use Vigors instead of Plasmids. Also, the Skylines - wires placed around Columbia which you can ride around using the Skyhook. This opens up some interesting options in combat as well as being an integral part of progressing the story. At times, however, the gameplay fails to keep up with the story, and sometimes even gets in the way of the story. This less of a negative thing for gameplay, but more of a point to how good the story is.
Lasting Appeal:
The game lasts about 10 hours, which seems like the perfect length for this game. Any shorter and it would have missed out vital story segments, any longer and it would have started to drag on and include story segments that weren't needed. Playing this game through a second time is strongly advised as you notice more little details which wouldn't have meant anything first time around. It's similar to the Prestige (and most Nolan films) in that way.
Enjoyment:
There's nothing quite as enjoyable as unleashing a murder of crows on someone, then setting fire to them to incinerate everyone in combat. Riding around on Skylines while taking out herds of enemies comes pretty close though. Gameplay aside though, it's not enjoyable in the same way as Uncharted or games like that, but it is enjoyable in the same way as Inception and Donnie Darko in the way that it makes you think. When playing this game, you know you are witnessing history in the making - this game will still be talked about in tens of years.
Overall Score: 9.4
Not only is this probably going to win "Game Of The Year", but I'm struggling to think of a game that has had this much of an impact this entire generation.
