W

ell, what did I tell ya? If you are expecting to read a BioShock Infinite game review, you are better off with that at Eurogamer, IGN, GameSpot or some other website. What I am writing here is purely based on my experience with this game for the last few weeks.

Since my Xbox 360 is JTAGGED, I got my Bootleg copy of BioShock Infinite a few days before the actual game release. I ported it to the hard drive and started playing it right away. The following is an account of what I felt about this game, some recommendations and the philosophy behind its storyline  (from my perspective).

Side Note: If anyone knows how to Upgrade Xbox 360 JTagged Dashboard to latest version 3.XX, please let us know at techguy@thenational.net. I searched for some tutorials but I don’t want to take a risk by effin’ things up.

BioShock Infinite Welcomes You to the Land of False Prophets, Racial Slurs and Moral Fiber

I am old enough to call myself a gamer. In what sense, you might ask? I have been playing games since the Arcade Coin Game platform was popular, since Nintendo was DA THING – so on and so forth. Therefore, I think I am in a bit of a position to comment on today’s games. 

If I “like” a game, it is because of the appended reasons. (This is just my scale):

Does the game have a rich storyline?

Does it have next gen graphics?

Gameplay: does it suck or is it so-so?

For instance, if I look at DmC4, I know for a fact that they conveyed a very meaningful message. Nothing is what is seems on the media. You know how they portrayed Dante a terrorist, but the reality was quite the opposite of it. That’s why, despite of a drastic change to main character, I still loved the game; It was THE BEST!

Coming over to BioShock Infinite, the false prophet and false shepherd thing was a turn on for me – and of course, the graphics were an added plus point. I will say this; BioShock Infinite was a hyped game – so much so that you could build a castle over its foundations. It was rock solid, it had a sturdy gameplay and tons of visual treats for graphics buffs.

In fact, now that I think of it, even the sound effects were amazing as well.

I loved how Murder of Crows gnaws at its victims against the backdrop of their agonizing screams. Geeyaaaahhhhh, Aaaaaaaarrrghhhhhh, Aaiiiiiiiii, …..

 

BioShock Infinite Highlights – The Reason You Should Play it, IF you Haven’t…

First of all, this is the second game that Irrational Studio created. I’m talking about the guys at their Boston offices. BioShock 2 was made by 2K Marin, which is one of the reasons as to why it had a slightly different opening.

BioShock Infinite opens in the same way as the original installment did. You see Booker Dewitt, sitting right next to two individuals with weird English accent. It is probably near the middle of the night, with a heavy downpour; the same old sea, and a lighthouse in perspective.

As soon as it starts, you don’t go underwater; you go all the way to the top, beyond the skies. This is Columbia, a city marred by “civil war” like era, with rebels here and there and skylines, which I will talk about later. Everything is offered as pure morsels of awesomeness.

Anyway, BioShock Infinite is brainchild of Ken Levine, the Co Founder of Irrational Games. The day he announced that he wasn’t done with the BioShock franchise, I knew something was cooking up. The guy already got recognition upon the release of first title. Rapture; the underwater city, blew our minds off because of its raw originality and purely new concept. Kevin slapped the FPS genre on BioShock 1 and we got away with a great game.

Where Does BioShock Infinite Come In?

BioShock Infinite starts in year 1912. You are Booker Dewitt; the protagonist who’s working hard to clear a “debt”. You will understand the whole debt thing when you will see some flashback cut scenes in the game. He is headed to Columbia, a city in the skies, which resembles a lot like the old America version.

 I see a slight Abe Lincoln resemblance whenever the Patriot is charging at us

Columbia, as a matter of fact, is not a perfect Utopia of blissful existence. Black people, who are mostly the inferior part of Columbian society, are suffering because of Comstock; the false prophet in this game. The guy took part in some kind of war and emerged a hero for the city. Anyhow, you will figure it out on your own.

On the Subject of Racial Slurs in BioShock Infinite:

I used “Black People”, two words that I do not resent using for BioShock Infinite. If in any way, I have offended my African American brothers, do know this that I am apologizing beforehand. I am just trying to clear the concept here, as comprehended by me.

There’s a scene when Booker Dewitt heads downstairs, and a black guy is knelt on the floor. He is scrubbing. Then there are multiple encounters with in game characters, where “mostly”, black individuals are complaining about the discriminating behavior of Prophet Comstock.

Remember the “Daughter Sick – Need Doctor” Screenshot from BioShock Infinite?

Although there are white folks who make up for the remainder of the inferior in-game population, most of the characters are black. There’s the “Vox” movement, which is hell bent on toppling Comstock’s regime.

The city of Columbia is obsessed with racism, sexism and superiority complex. I see people worshipping the founding fathers of the U.S. of A, but they also oppose their teachings through harsh actions. There is no tolerance of sense of equality among the Columbians in BioShock Infinite; you are either with the elite class, or you are fighting for the minority.

Who is Booker Dewitt?

Booker Dewitt and Prophet Comstock are the same person! Taddaaaaa. There you go, I spoiled it for you. In an alternate reality, Booker Dewitt is Comstock. When he accepts the waters of baptism, he becomes Comstock; a man hailed for his religious views and influence in the United States of America.

Dewitt took part in the Battle of Wounded Knee. However, he regretted his decision. As soon as the war was over, he headed for a different life; a religious man’s life. In a way, you are fighting against yourself, without realizing it. Or maybe you do realize it but it’s too late for you to go back and take action.

BioShock Infinite becomes a little confusing when you are headed to Chen Lin: The Gunsmith. You find this idiot kidnapped. It is already too late for a rescue because you he ends up dead by the end of this mission. However, the English couple, which I think is a depiction of your conscience and moral fiber, tells you that you have the option of bringing Chen Lin back to life.

This is where BioShock Infinite alters between the so-called “other world”, and “this world”. I did not like this part that much. It gets a little boring when you have to figure out what they are trying to convey.

One Game – Different Ways to Play It:

BioShock Infinite is a one player mode game. It would have been nice to have a co-op mode, but I still ended up enjoying the single player campaign. It is not the kind of campaign that you wouldn’t want to come back to. The reason is that there are different ways of playing BioShock Infinite.

You can either adapt to the in-game environment as a detective, or you can shoot first and ask questions later. If you are going the detective way, make sure you have heard every tiny bit of conversation, and investigated all in game objects. These actions will make the gameplay more enjoyable. Plus, you know that you are not heading directly into a combat situation, which saves you Murder of Crows or any other vigor of your choice. The salt meter depletes quickly, so watch out!

Side Tip for Combatants: You can use Murder of Crows, Shock Jockey or any other vigor of your choice as long as it helps you lay traps. These traps don’t have a spawn timer, so they don’t expire. As long as you have them laid down, you can even go through in-game areas, without worrying about them disappearing on you.

I love Murder of Crows in BioShock Infinite because it gives me time to shoot at the enemies. While they are having their flesh picked, I can enjoy their screams and kill them with any weapon of my choice. However, ammunition conservation and a well planned strategy are highly recommended for this game. I am playing it on Hard Mode, and there are times when I have to rely on Melee Combat just because I wasted the Ammo on an automaton…

And it Outshines Graphics Too: While BioShock Infinite is purely meant for PCs, I ended up playing it on Xbox 360. Right now I am in the middle of upgrading my system, so it will take me a while to gather all the expensive parts. Until then, I will be playing all kinds of games on Xbox 360.

There is a strong element of surprise in this game. I loved the part how you can charge on your enemies through Skylines. Your heart races at 100Mph when you are sliding down a skyline on full throttle. This is the kind of stuff that you need to enjoy by playing this game over and over again.

BioShock Skylines are a Marvel at Best – Hiiiii ooooo Silvvveeerrrrr Awwaaayyy!!!

In the end, though it doesn’t last for an aeon, BioShock Infinite is still a game worth trying. It has a strong replay value; you will not be disappointed at all. By the way, you should also try the “1999 Mode” in BioShock Infinite. I unlocked it via a cheat code combination.

To Unlock 1999 Mode and a 10G Worth Achievement:

Press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right and B and A. This is it on main menu after the Press Start Button screen.

You will be losing yourself in this game for a long time. Amazon is already selling a collector edition, a couple of hand gun replicas are also out there – make sure you have grabbed your copy of BioShock Infinite on any console of your preference.