BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode One

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 654 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 434 out of 654
  2. Mixed: 162 out of 654
  3. Negative: 58 out of 654

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. GenericGamer286
    Nov 12, 2013
    1
    I see that Irrational's devs and advertisers are already doing their stuff, as usual waiting for user scoring to unlock to praise their DLC from their mediocre "Game of the Year", that "perfection", that "master-piece after which you won't play anything else, I swear, just BUY IT and you'll see".... Not on my watch!
  2. Cookse
    Mar 2, 2022
    0
    Just Bad. Written like a fanfiction.
    Redcons a lot.
    And people say BioShock2 was a souless cashgrab
  3. Slight0
    Nov 17, 2013
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's short. I explored every ounce of each map, got every piece of currency, looted every body, heard every npc's banter, collected all the audiologs, collected all the upgrade potions, unlocked all (but one) locks, and the game lasted me about an hour and forty five minutes.

    The story was pretty weak. The greatest thing Burial At Sea had going was it’s prettiness and awesome prologue rapture scenery.

    The ending undoes everything you’ve done in the main story. The explanation some people suggest where “this comstock didn’t become the prophet so he wasn’t stopped by booker’s sacrifice” is fairly nonsensical.

    You’re forgetting that the burial at sea comstock still created Columbia and the only way for him to have done that is to have been made evil/mentally damaged by being baptized. (according to what the main game lead you to believe) No baptizm no columbia no interdimensional machine; this is what we know from the main game. Also, if he already had a daughter, he had no clear reason to need to steal another daughter. Of course we could make up reasons, but that isn’t our job. It’s the writers job to at least allude to motives and character’s nature throughout the story not to leave it all up to us to invent on our own. I’d just write my own book then. Don’t get me wrong, I love some creative freedom, mystery, or room for imagination, but this is too much at once without any justification or explanation.

    Overall, if the writer’s let us know that one comstock still exists and still made columbia and still made the interdimensional machine, then NOTHING was solved from the first game. The baptism had NOTHING to do with booker becoming comstock and there are INFINITE other comstocks that made columbia which lead to the interdimensional machine which leads to him stealing elizabeth. Suddenly you start to not care about individual comstocks because, lo, they don't matter. Elizabeth knew this in the main game which is why she had the plan to stop all comstocks instead of killing just one. Suddenly she has forgotten this and has resorted to brutally murdering other comstocks in an inefficient and roundabout manner? You don’t even have to think that hard to feel this way; confused and meaningless is exactly how the story immediately presents itself to you.

    Not worth the money.    … Expand
  4. Kmita
    May 16, 2014
    0
    If you care about the story at all DO NOT BUY THESE DLCS. They have bits that are internally inconsistent and completely ruin it... not to mention the ending is complete crap.
  5. Avodeskorm
    Nov 18, 2013
    3
    Didn't learn anything new. Didn't see anything impressive. Didn't know that this would be 30 min to 2 hours long. Didn't like fighting the same enemies over and over again. Only thing that was interesting was what everyone had to say to Booker. And why he was in Rapture. The ending is a weak-sauce ending that is laughable considering how much I paid for this. Only the Fanboys who hold thisDidn't learn anything new. Didn't see anything impressive. Didn't know that this would be 30 min to 2 hours long. Didn't like fighting the same enemies over and over again. Only thing that was interesting was what everyone had to say to Booker. And why he was in Rapture. The ending is a weak-sauce ending that is laughable considering how much I paid for this. Only the Fanboys who hold this above their heads as the great gift from their god Ken Levine. Not worth 15$. Does not get how this is episode one in a series though.

    The reason why there is no life in this review is because this DLC can be considered dead and makes me feel dead just talking about it. And as always BIOSHOCK INFINITE chooses to follow plot instead of character.    … Expand
  6. dragernen
    Nov 16, 2013
    4
    jeg bliver sku skuffet at de laver det på den her måde fedt spil men en lorte dårlige sluning og der er kun 2-3 timer spil i det og det lyder som om de kun har lavet den her dlc eller de her dlcer som kommer er kun for at for flere penge

    I am disappointed that they're doing it this way great game but bad sluning and there are only 2-3 hours of play in it. and it sounds like they only    jeg bliver sku skuffet at de laver det på den her måde fedt spil men en lorte dårlige sluning og der er kun 2-3 timer spil i det og det lyder som om de kun har lavet den her dlc eller de her dlcer som kommer er kun for at for flere penge

    I am disappointed that they're doing it this way great game but bad sluning and there are only 2-3 hours of play in it. and it sounds like they only made ​​this dlc or here dlcer which comes only to more Money    … Expand
  7. Johnnythat1dude
    Nov 19, 2013
    0
    Absolutely dreadful and lazy. They promise Rapture and try to force Columbia into it, using the same items as before just calling SALTS Eve now. There are no real splicers in the game, the splicers bear few deformities, some not at all, and rather than appearing as people who were once members of the city, they are scavengers. The entire style of Rapture is absolutely ruined and is notAbsolutely dreadful and lazy. They promise Rapture and try to force Columbia into it, using the same items as before just calling SALTS Eve now. There are no real splicers in the game, the splicers bear few deformities, some not at all, and rather than appearing as people who were once members of the city, they are scavengers. The entire style of Rapture is absolutely ruined and is not the same in the least bit. It defies canon also mostly taking place in a sunken part of the city, but for a piece of the city to be sunk it would be cut off from Arcadia providing all of the oxygen, therefore would not be functioning. Sander Cohen is brought back and his style is ruined and for some odd reason has something to do with Little Sisters when he would never be in charge of such a thing. Suchong makes several audio diaries of which do not talk about plasmids, so that is out of place for his recordings. They over advertise a new Plasmid that is actually just like a level 3 Frost Blast. A new weapon is added, the Radar Range which is ripped from early designs of the Xcom game and is a bit overpowered. The tears and such are back which should have no place in Rapture, Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine do not even have any recordings, there is barely anything of the two in the game, and for some odd reason there are sky hooks in Rapture and even a few rails. Rapture is dead, they have just killed the once beautiful city of Andrew Ryan. If you liked Bioshock Infinite get it, if you actually loved real Bioshock and loved Rapture you will be furious.… Expand
  8. Perigorn
    Dec 13, 2013
    0
    Wow, are you kidding me, $20 for a "season" pass for this way too short DLC! (Only took me a few hours to finish). Levels are not that interesting, etc. Story was good, but gameplay was just over-used same-old same-old. No originality. I hope number two is way longer and more original and challenging. It just seems like ever since the original BioShock 1, the team has been trying toWow, are you kidding me, $20 for a "season" pass for this way too short DLC! (Only took me a few hours to finish). Levels are not that interesting, etc. Story was good, but gameplay was just over-used same-old same-old. No originality. I hope number two is way longer and more original and challenging. It just seems like ever since the original BioShock 1, the team has been trying to capture the same "lightning in a bottle". This is typically the case in MANY franchises that try to crank out sequel after sequel. After this I'm doing buying into this series, peace out!… Expand
  9. Expospeed
    Dec 1, 2014
    4
    Burial at Sea can be completed in less than 1 hour. Nothing new here. My breakdown is as follows:

    1. Graphics: 9/10 - excellent as the original game
    2. Gameplay: 2/10 - linear, and super short
    3. Story: 2/10 - what story?

    Overall, below average DLC.
  10. PaulSeralt
    Jan 4, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The only good part of this dlc is the beginning, where you can see Rapture when it was still full of life, it's the "wow" moment you have at the beginning of Infinite and that you don't in the beginning of the original Bioshock.
    But the dlc is very short (1,5 h at best) and it's story undermine a lot of Bioshock Infinite story. I regret I have played it.    … Expand
  11. goobyplz
    Jan 3, 2014
    4
    I bought it for 5 euros at the steam sale and Im glad i didnt buy it for full price. The episode is extremely short. The gameplay "shooter experience" is very dull and boring, even worse than the standard game. To be honest you only play this DLC for the story.

    Bioshock Infinite had an amazing story and level design and I rate the game high for it (9/10), even tho the gameplay was    I bought it for 5 euros at the steam sale and Im glad i didnt buy it for full price. The episode is extremely short. The gameplay "shooter experience" is very dull and boring, even worse than the standard game. To be honest you only play this DLC for the story.

    Bioshock Infinite had an amazing story and level design and I rate the game high for it (9/10), even tho the gameplay was pretty dull. But this DLC was just worse in every aspect...

    I'd say for 5 euros it's almost still worth it. But not for full price.    … Expand
  12. handheldfever
    Nov 21, 2021
    2
    A slap in the face to Bioshock

    I never thought I'd rather play Bioshock infinite. Everything is lesser here than even that game. Well, except for unskippable cutscenes and NPC blocking. There's plenty more of that. It's like I have to do a mini game obstacle course to get around Elizabeth's gigantic ass. Some times for over a minute. It happens all the time. They at least brought in    A slap in the face to Bioshock

    I never thought I'd rather play Bioshock infinite. Everything is lesser here than even that game. Well, except for unskippable cutscenes and NPC blocking. There's plenty more of that. It's like I have to do a mini game obstacle course to get around Elizabeth's gigantic ass. Some times for over a minute. It happens all the time.

    They at least brought in a weapon wheel. **** finally. But even that sucks. As I can't use the scroll wheel or any hotkeys to just cycle through weapons, like I could in Bioshock 1, 2, and Minerva's den. Elizabeth is honestly even worse now than she was in infinite's base game. And I'm not just saying that because of the NPC blocking. Needing to rely on her for med kits and stuff is still a massive pain. Especially when she just doesn't feel like helping.

    For some reason, even though we're back in Rapture, the vigors from Columbia are still here. The game starts with possession and devil's kiss. They didn't even bother to just call the shock jockey the electro bolt for as little as that does. No, even the bare minimum is too much to ask for. Same for the others. Upgrades for the horse Vigor can be found in gene banks. And instead of winter blast is old man winter. Why? And the already awful possession is somehow even worse. You still have to wait for it to time out before you can shoot turrets and stuff, but now enemies don't commit suicide, so even more waiting and taking unnecessary damage. Seriously, the pacing is awful.

    And for some insane reason, the Columbia sky hooks are here. Why? But this time they're called air grabbers. The melee combat mechanics are as bad as they were in Bioshock infinite.

    Also, this part of the DLC is $16.99 which is insane for how little value it's worth. You could buy Dishonored, Postal 2, or Mysteria occult shadows for less and they're all of more value.

    This is also the worst story in the Bioshock series. Or at least it would be if it weren't for part 2 of this stupid DLC. It retcons the ending of infinite, even though infinite's ending sucked anyway. And without getting into spoilers, Elizabeth is a horrible person. She actively puts innocent people in danger for no reason. And somehow. Burial at sea part 2 is even worse. With insane retcons and other idiotic stuff that just rips Bioshock apart. And of course, this game actively goes out of it's way to give the middle finger to Bioshock 2. I don't understand Ken Levine's hate boner for Bioshock 2. Especially since he is partly to blame for the state it was in.

    Because I have a character limit, I'm just going to link these reviews.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM_bqM5juMs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0GKPA4JQLE    … Expand
  13. NShep53
    May 7, 2015
    3
    I love Bioshock. I love Bioshock 2. And I thought Bioshock Infinite was a great game. But Infinite's first DLC, Burial at Sea, belongs just there, at the bottom of the sea, where no one can find it. BaS was labeled as a "Return to Rapture" but all it does is muddy up and destroy the story of the first two games. Believe me, Rapture looks amazing in Infinite's game engine. It is just thatI love Bioshock. I love Bioshock 2. And I thought Bioshock Infinite was a great game. But Infinite's first DLC, Burial at Sea, belongs just there, at the bottom of the sea, where no one can find it. BaS was labeled as a "Return to Rapture" but all it does is muddy up and destroy the story of the first two games. Believe me, Rapture looks amazing in Infinite's game engine. It is just that the story in this DLC is awful and utterly pointless. It messes with Bioshock canon and doesn't make any sense. The gameplay is just your standard Bioshock gameplay with no big surprises and you just wonder why this was even made. Oh right, I will tell you. $$$$$$$ Just stay away.… Expand
  14. The_Moon
    Mar 18, 2018
    0
    Soundtrack: 8/10
    Graphics: 10/10
    Story: 8/10 Gameplay: 5/10 The soundtrack for the DLC complimented the game's setting, as I have come to expect from the BioShock series. The graphics, I had no issues at all with. The story really just sets up the sequel to this DLC, not a ton happens. However, it is enjoyable to go back to rapture and get some insight into the previous condition of    Soundtrack: 8/10
    Graphics: 10/10
    Story: 8/10
    Gameplay: 5/10

    The soundtrack for the DLC complimented the game's setting, as I have come to expect from the BioShock series. The graphics, I had no issues at all with. The story really just sets up the sequel to this DLC, not a ton happens. However, it is enjoyable to go back to rapture and get some insight into the previous condition of the city, before the events of the original BioShock. The gameplay is where I had some big issues. All of the weapons I used seemed to do uch less damage compared to the base game. This made it very difficult to play on hard mode. Despite this, it did fix some issues that I had with the original game like ammo being a little too plentiful at all times and the difficulty was even throughout even though it was very hard. The skylines in the DLC felt kind of out of place, but I understand that they wanted to keep some things from the base game to make it an easier transition from each other. Overall, I enjoyed the story and atmosphere but loathed the combat. I strongly suggest this DLC because it sets up the second DLC, which goes further in depth into the origins of certain enimies in the game and bridges the gap between the end of this DLC and the start of BioShock.

    Overall: 7/10    … Expand
  15. KolesAdlerov
    Feb 15, 2022
    4
    The Last of BI:BaS

    Gameplay:
    combat mechanics 6/10
    stealth (w/o powers) 2/10
    atmosphere [sky-rail in Rapture, really?] 6/10
    Gameplay as RPG & im.sim: 2/10

    Story 0/10

    Graphics 8/10

    Sounds & music [more voxophones?] 8/10

    .
    Broken Bioshock-arena game influenced by sjw.
  16. DinoBeam
    Dec 27, 2022
    0
    There's always a Man, there's always a Door, it always Spins! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  17. MaxTemp
    Jul 27, 2023
    0
    Just trash, don't waste your time on it, especially on hard difficulty, because it becomes the hobo sim, where you need to kill 5 enemies with 2 bullets, and the ending is just blunt. some say, that it's too short - naah, you will pray this game to end on the second part, because all you do is you are going the same ways and killing the same types of enemies. give me back the time, thatJust trash, don't waste your time on it, especially on hard difficulty, because it becomes the hobo sim, where you need to kill 5 enemies with 2 bullets, and the ending is just blunt. some say, that it's too short - naah, you will pray this game to end on the second part, because all you do is you are going the same ways and killing the same types of enemies. give me back the time, that I've wasted on that crap… Expand

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
77
#77 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 30, 2013
    50
    The high price and lack of polish make this one to avoid for now. For art-deco die-hards only. [Jan 2014, p.93]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 28, 2013
    80
    Short but generous trip into the underwater city of Rapture with all the perks we know from Infinite. This DLC benefits from an attractive setting and slower paced action. [Issue#237]
  3. Games.cz
    Dec 28, 2013
    70
    A promising start? A rather cautious one. The return to Rapture evades déjà vu feelings, but it doesn't deliver more than a spark of curiosity for its fans.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »