BioShock Infinite
2013 · Irrational Games
Has it aged?Why ↓
BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter whose scenery deserves more patience than its gunmen. As Booker DeWitt, you enter Columbia, a floating city in 1912, to retrieve Elizabeth; you spend your hours shooting, casting magical vigors, riding overhead skylines and searching streets for supplies and recorded secrets.
Indebted to the wrong people, with his life on the line, veteran of the U.S. Cavalry and now 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.
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for Elizabeth and Columbia, not for a convincing account of revolution. Elizabeth's company and the Lutece twins' strange interruptions give the journey more personality than its gun battles alone could sustain. Columbia's sunlit architecture still dazzles; repeated civilian faces and streets emptied for combat expose the machinery. The treatment of the oppressed Vox Populi is harder to forgive: turning them into another murderous enemy wastes the questions the city's racial segregation raises.
Play it if
You listen to every voxophone recording, inspect propaganda posters and enjoy piecing together a mystery after the credits. You also like fights that let you swap between a shotgun, magical traps and an overhead skyline rather than stay behind cover.
Skip it if
You need a city you can meaningfully interact with, or want to resolve confrontations without shooting. Columbia's civilians offer little interaction, and the campaign repeatedly forces combat. Its explicit racism and bloody violence are also central, not incidental background you can avoid.
Common questions
- Do I have to protect Elizabeth during fights?
- No: accompanying Elizabeth is not an escort mission. She stays out of danger, throws you supplies and picks locks rather than becoming another health bar to worry about.
- What does 1999 Mode change?
- Finishing the campaign unlocks tougher enemies, removes the navigational aid and makes supplies more important. Death costs money; if you cannot afford another revival, you must resume from your last autosave.
- Where does Burial at Sea fit, and do I play as Elizabeth?
- Play the two-part Burial at Sea expansion after Infinite and the original BioShock: it connects their stories in Rapture. Its 2014 Episode Two puts you in Elizabeth's shoes, with sleep darts, non-lethal takedowns and stealth; that change of pace is its strongest reason to continue.
- Is Clash in the Clouds another story campaign?
- No: the 2013 Clash in the Clouds expansion offers four combat arenas with 15 waves each. Optional blue ribbon challenges impose conditions such as using particular weapons or avoiding damage; leave it alone if Elizabeth's story, rather than combat experimentation, is the attraction.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprint- Eurogamer10/10
A remarkable story, fantastic combat and an incredible world come together in a worthy successor to Irrational's BioShock, but the real hero is your co-star Eli
Tom Bramwell
Has it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 30k in Mar 2013.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗A little less liked than at launch, but still well liked.
No update in the last year.