BioShock Infinite

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9926 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8,187 out of 9926
  2. Mixed: 1,100 out of 9926
  3. Negative: 639 out of 9926
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  1. TitaniumDragon
    May 2, 2014
    7
    Bioshock Infinite is a decent game which suffers from pacing and gameplay issues. The story is decent enough, but a let down compared to the first game, and not nearly as clever in its commentary about the world or video games. The best part of the game is your sidekick, Elizabeth, who is a sidekick done right and uses a very clever mechanic to make herself useful and meaningful, but theBioshock Infinite is a decent game which suffers from pacing and gameplay issues. The story is decent enough, but a let down compared to the first game, and not nearly as clever in its commentary about the world or video games. The best part of the game is your sidekick, Elizabeth, who is a sidekick done right and uses a very clever mechanic to make herself useful and meaningful, but the game itself failed to make itself dynamic enough for her to be used to her full potential.

    The story of the original Bioshock is what really made the game special. Unfortunately, this game's story is not up to the level of the first game's story; you don't feel the same drive onward, and, unfortunately, because of the first game's twist, it is more obvious that there is going to be a twist in this one, which somewhat bothered me as I saw the twist coming from the very start of the game.
    Unlike in the previous games, in Bioshock Infinite, your character, Booker DeWitt, has both a name and a personality. Booker speaks up throughout the game, talking to the various NPCs, and especially to his sidekick, Elizabeth.
    The best and worst part of the game is the various transitions between realities; not only do you draw things between worlds, but you actually travel between worlds at various points in the game, to realities where things played out differently, including (eventually) a reality wherein Booker died after coming to the city.
    The problem, ultimately, is that the game never really delivers on the story; it is alright, but it isn't spectacular, and the world-skipping, while a neat idea, never really ends up having the punch that it should, as well as making it so that what we did earlier didn't really matter in that particular world (or maybe it did - who knows?). The whole "dead in one world, alive in another" thing is never really properly explored or followed up on, even though it was built up in significance, and the end result is that while it advanced the plot it really failed to make the game awesome.

    The ultimate weakness of this game lies in its gameplay. Bioshock Infinite is every bit the sequel to the previous Bioshock games, and this isn't a good thing - the gameplay is very similar to what it was in previous games, and while the enemy variety is a bit better in this game, there's nothing quite as exciting as some of the Big Daddy fights were in the first game. The Handymen are alright replacements for them, and make for reasonable enough fights, and your first fight against the various new types of enemies is neat enough, but as with the previous games, the lack of real bosses hurts the game a bit.
    The normal soldiers who are running around in most of the game are not terribly difficult or interesting enemies to fight, and while some of the battlefields are very interesting and dynamic and make good use of Elizabeth's powers, many of the fights are the opposite - very static things where you just hide behind cover and shoot the enemies, gradually grinding your way through the group without changing what you had summoned into the fight with Elizabeth at all. Elizabeth's powers are really neat, but without a reason to run around during the fight (something some of the special enemies provided at times, especially the handymen, as well as some of the more interesting environmental setups) they often didn't end up very interesting as they just were a piece of whatever I summoned in at the start to help me, rather than something I brought in mid-fight to swing things in my favor.
    The actual weapons in the game were very standard for a FPS, with the usual assortment of weapons, and unfortunately the upgrades system really encouraged you to try and stick to as few weapons as possible so that you could make the most use out of your upgrades - this is one of the major flaws of upgrade systems, in that they actually frequently reduce the variety of gameplay by encouraging you to not use a variety of weapons. Some of the weapons were also vastly better than others, and by the end of the game you pretty much had your pick of which weapon to use most of the time, rather than giving you a scavenging feel.
    The vigors are supposed to help mix things up from the usual FPS point of view, and it is nice to have weird weapons in a game, but ultimately I only ended up using a small number of the vigors - really, the only good ones were the ones which temporarily incapacitated foes, including the one that gave me a free ally for a bit, and as a result I pretty much only used three vigors through most of the game. They also didn't fit into the world at all thematically.
    All in all, the gameplay didn't really match the ambiance the story seemed to be trying to create, and the gameplay was too slow for the game itself - the game would have been better if it had avoided making you run around looking for change all the time.    … Expand
  2. Metalsand
    Apr 21, 2013
    9
    While not perfect, this game is nearly a perfect blending of story, immersion, and game play, the latter of which is it's only flaw, albeit a minor one. Not since Skyrim and the original Bioshock have I been so immersed within a game world, and been surprised at the twists and turns of such a unique game. The world is fleshed out, the characters have emotion (something somewhat lackingWhile not perfect, this game is nearly a perfect blending of story, immersion, and game play, the latter of which is it's only flaw, albeit a minor one. Not since Skyrim and the original Bioshock have I been so immersed within a game world, and been surprised at the twists and turns of such a unique game. The world is fleshed out, the characters have emotion (something somewhat lacking in Skyrim, made up by a massive amount of lore), and the game play...well it's not bad. I liked it in fact, but I've had better. Unlike Fallout 3, or Skyrim, I would not play BioShock Infinite again anytime soon. The story was amazing and so were the characters...but that was it. The game play, and therefore the replay value was somewhat bland.

    In the original Bioshock, they offered the ability to hold ALL of the weapons, so you could switch to whatever weapon was appropriate for that situation. In Infinite, not only are you restricted to two weapons, but your companion will GIVE you ammo, health, salts when you run low. Not once did I have to rely on my abilities or a unique strategy to handle a boss, I just had to press 'F' to succeed in whatever category I was in danger with rather than adapting to the situation. Sure, it was nice to have a companion that wasn't useless, but it could have been done so much better. For instance, maybe she could offer only pistols (since how the hell do you carry a rocket launcher under that dress)? Or maybe she can carry health and salt remedies when you run low, sort of how you did in the original Bioshock but with a companion?

    Long story short, Bioshock executed good game play, great story, and excellent immersion, while Infinite made decent game play, excellent story and great immersion, and I'm glad they made it, since it makes up for Bioshock 2 deviating so far from Bioshock 1.    … Expand
  3. BadlyBrowned
    Mar 30, 2013
    10
    In every way a worthy successor to Bioshock, Bioshock Infinite has a case to even be a better overall game as well. It has a great combination of gameplay, imagery, plot, and characters. The game is simply beautiful and proves that you don't always need more polygons to make a good looking game. The imagery and art design is excellent and really makes me want to argue that video gamesIn every way a worthy successor to Bioshock, Bioshock Infinite has a case to even be a better overall game as well. It has a great combination of gameplay, imagery, plot, and characters. The game is simply beautiful and proves that you don't always need more polygons to make a good looking game. The imagery and art design is excellent and really makes me want to argue that video games truly are art. Throughout the entire game I wanted to explore every nook and cranny for all the subtle details in the art and environment.

    The gameplay mechanics are not wildly innovative from previous Bioshock games, with Vigors now replacing Plasmids, but more polished. You same combination of firearms and powers is still as fun in Infinite as it was in Bioshock. However, Infinite boasts sky hook lines, which are sort of rail lines that you can attach yourself onto to travel around a level faster and jump/attack down onto enemies. Furthermore, your ally, Elizabeth, can open tears, which are portals into other dimensions, and bring in stuff from those worlds: such as health, ammo, or allies to help fight your enemies. I should also note that although you are escorting your AI partner Elizabeth throughout most of the game, she never becomes a burden to watch over. Once the shooting starts, Elizabeth knows how to take care of herself so you can focus on fighting the bad guys, and she will even throw you health packs, ammo, or Salts (magic potions essentially) throughout the battle when she sees you are getting low.

    Storytelling and character wise, this is up there with the likes of the Half Life series in setting the tone on how to tell stories in a first person shooter. Booker is excellent as the Player Character, but it is Elizabeth who really steals the show as the story's protagonist. She is one of my favorite video game characters of all time now, Irrational Games succeeded and creating a likeable, personable, strong character in Elizabeth. Gender aside she is simply a great character. From racism, working class struggles, religious extremism, violent revolutions, and metaphysics, Bioshock Infinite covers a whole lot of ground with their themes, and I personally never felt it was too overwhelming. However, the metaphysical aspect is certainly a subject that I could see getting confusing, especially if you have been rushing through the game and not picking up voxophones and other subtlties that realy add to the story telling. It's not until many hours into the game when you discover just why it's called Bioshock "infinite." However, unlike some other recent games I did not feel the twists or the ending soiled the game. In fact by the time I got to the end it felt like the logical conclusion. All in all Bioshock Infinite is a triumph of art and storytelling in gaming. Words like "magnificent," "spectacular," and "amazing" come to mind. Simply put, PLAY THIS GAME.    … Expand
  4. SSH83
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    10 for originality. 8 for story. 7 for interesting tear and vigor. 5 for overall combat fun. The combat is fun the first few times. Though as game goes on, the combat design got lazy. Bigger enemies start to become plain invincible to most of your abilities, which means gameplay actually devolve into shoot-n-run-to-cover just like COD. 4 for over-hyped Elizabeth which is actually10 for originality. 8 for story. 7 for interesting tear and vigor. 5 for overall combat fun. The combat is fun the first few times. Though as game goes on, the combat design got lazy. Bigger enemies start to become plain invincible to most of your abilities, which means gameplay actually devolve into shoot-n-run-to-cover just like COD. 4 for over-hyped Elizabeth which is actually just scripted banter and cutscenes, and close to zero interactivity. I felt more connected to Bioware characters.… Expand
  5. emacinnes
    Apr 7, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bioshock Infinite, building off the largely successful BioShock, and the repetitive Bioshock 2, failed to recapture the sense of wonder, interesting game play and engaging storyline of the original. Firmly placed in the "trying too hard" category, Bioshock Inifinte plays out like a mad mix of Fringe, Deadwood and Looper, except not anywhere near as balanced or well thought out as any of those. Then it was steeped in so much unrelatable Americana that it, for me, caused a disconnect between the the story and the player. The worst part, and that sounds overly dramatic, because it implies it was bad, when merely average is the result, is the combat, which, while technically well implemented, got so boring and uninteresting that I placed the game back down to Easy difficulty to just "get through it quicker", to see if it was going to go anywhere worthwhile, and it didn't, with easy-to-guess time travel results at the end, partly because a twist is expected and therefore everything is taken with a pinch of salt early on, partly because the story devolves so quickly, with such a strong desire to confuse, that it really only leaves one option left to explain it, and partly because the gameplay itself provided insufficient distraction from the story to allow the twist to remain more hidden.

    Tehcnically, it's all well implemented, generally fine graphics, player controls are responsive and clear, good animations, nice textures, generally good aesthetics, stable with no crashing, with only one standout occasion of blatantly recycling a location for four fights, which was disappointing.    … Expand
  6. Oldelpaso
    Mar 26, 2013
    9
    Bioshock Infinite is a huge relief in an industry whose releases are saturated with non-inspired and recycled crap in order to make a buck or two. It's not perfect downsides include tedious looting, easy combat and some pacing issues towards the last third of the game. But Infinite shines in its artistic direction, and really pulls you into its environment with so much rich attention toBioshock Infinite is a huge relief in an industry whose releases are saturated with non-inspired and recycled crap in order to make a buck or two. It's not perfect downsides include tedious looting, easy combat and some pacing issues towards the last third of the game. But Infinite shines in its artistic direction, and really pulls you into its environment with so much rich attention to detail. Columbia really is something to behold. The set pieces are massive and will leave you in constant awe of what you just saw.

    It's definitely on par with Bioshock 1 and might even edge itself ahead. Definite GOTY contender. You can't miss this one.    … Expand
  7. TheRisingRefuge
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    This game truly captures what an amazing video game can be. The world itself leaves you wanting to explore more and see what else there is to offer. On top of the world the level design is brilliant, with various sights to see, reasons to explore and the urge to see what Elizabeth will find or point out. The graphics are stunning as while you walk down various parts of the game the sunThis game truly captures what an amazing video game can be. The world itself leaves you wanting to explore more and see what else there is to offer. On top of the world the level design is brilliant, with various sights to see, reasons to explore and the urge to see what Elizabeth will find or point out. The graphics are stunning as while you walk down various parts of the game the sun glare and just various reflections make it to be a highly immersing world. The combat is very enjoyable, and enjoyable enough that after beating the game twice it still has a lot of entertainment value left in it. Possibly one of the greatest aspects of the game though is it's story, and the themes it touches on. The story mixed in throughout the world always leaves you wanting to know just a little bit more. The development of the story throughout though at a perfect pace where you don't feel bored or rushed through any part of the game. It all coming to a climax at the astounding ending, leaving you left to think deeply about the game, as well as drawing you back into it to play it again. Also Elizabeth, one of my most memorable characters to see in a video game, all credit to the Liz Squad at Irrational for making her feel real. This is an experience I haven't had in a video game in I can't remember how long and is probably going to hold the spot of one of the best video games I've ever played, if not the best. All the praise and credit they are getting is well deserved for this journey that you have to experience for yourself.… Expand
  8. timeknight
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    This game is amazing. Really, I don't know how else to explain it. Irrational games has done it again. Compelling characters, enthralling story lines, engaging gameplay... Where did they go wrong? For those who loved the plot twists and engagement of Bioshock 1 and for those who loved the world beauty of Bioshock 2, this game combines the best of both to create an entirely new experience.This game is amazing. Really, I don't know how else to explain it. Irrational games has done it again. Compelling characters, enthralling story lines, engaging gameplay... Where did they go wrong? For those who loved the plot twists and engagement of Bioshock 1 and for those who loved the world beauty of Bioshock 2, this game combines the best of both to create an entirely new experience. Though I was controlling the character, I found myself often stopping and looking at elements of the game, not just breezing through areas. They made this game for users to experience it, not just to enjoy it. Amazing! I hope Irrational continues to make these quality games.… Expand
  9. GameZoneXtreme
    Apr 20, 2013
    7
    I hate to do this to one of my favorite franchises around, but i must. This is not an awful game by far, it just doesn't meet with Bioshock 1 standards. Graphically not better than the first. Story not even close to the first. Gameplay... hmmm not better than the first but not terrible. Overall just a fun game and ok story line, nothing great. I'm a bit disappointed
  10. hiddenpheonix
    Dec 7, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The FPS is completely a train ride. The story and level seem to drag out longer than necessary while leaving characters purpose unexplained. The ending makes the whole story meaningless.… Expand
  11. BoTheMastaOfAll
    Aug 21, 2013
    6
    Alright all you fanboys and Inception worshipers I'm about to school you hard in why this game is completely 100% basically ok and nothing more. I think I'll rip on the combat first.

    In Bioshock 1 you could carry all your guns at once. Ammo would still be tough to come by for certain guns, but that was ok because you could carry your gun until you found or bought ammo for it. This is    Alright all you fanboys and Inception worshipers I'm about to school you hard in why this game is completely 100% basically ok and nothing more. I think I'll rip on the combat first.

    In Bioshock 1 you could carry all your guns at once. Ammo would still be tough to come by for certain guns, but that was ok because you could carry your gun until you found or bought ammo for it. This is why it made sense to upgrade weapons you weren't currently using. The upgrade system in B1 made sense because you always had access to the guns you upgraded. The upgrade system in this game is completely stupid because of the 2 weapon limit. I want to use the guns I spent money on upgrading, not be forced to discard them because I can't find ammo. The game also has several variations of the same gun for some reason. Why are there 3 different machine guns when clearly the original machine gun is the best one? These only serve to water down the chances of finding a the machine gun variant I upgraded. This still would have been ok if it were possible to upgrade all weapons in the game to full by about the 1/2 way mark, but you only have enough cash to upgrade a few guns by end game. If you hit a stretch in the game where you can't use your upgraded guns, too bad sucker! You wasted money, and you have to use sh*t tier weapons now.
    Despite this combat has a good feel to it... until you rescue Elizabeth. Don't get me wrong, she is the ideal escort mission, but right then is when the game starts to go from swashbuckling adventure fun to typcial brown/grey modern shooter. There's even health regen. Imagine that.

    Right when you go to the poor district of the city is when the game finally says "screw it, I'm a modern shooter, sort of" and goes complete corridor shooter. You still have magic, but it's not as well developed as I expected it to be from Bioshock 1. B1 had obvious issues with plasmids but I expected them to be rectified, not worsened. You never see the sun for the rest of the game btw. Everything is brown/grey, and color schemes like this for several hours really kills the mood of any game.

    Time for the story. It feels like all the writers were in the middle of writing a story set in a world about Nazi Germany (Everyone is basically Nazis. Hell, they're even all blonde and blue eyed) mixed with the French Revolution when some nutter ran in saying "Hey everyone guess what! I just discovered this great game called Half Life 2! LETS RIP IT OFF!". And so they did. They even have the Gman, except there's two of them, and they're British.
    The game sets up a compelling and organic world about revolution, racism, and showing the folly of violent uprisings. Or at least, it sets itself up to tell this story really nicely. Before it can get to that part, it decides to interject alternate reality scifi nonsense that obviously tries too hard to be deep. The worst part is though, is that the game expects me to be surprised at its plot twists. Imagine watching a gamer who says he's the best in the world, but then you watch him turn on god mode. That is what alternate realities are to stories; They are the story teller's equivalent of god mode. They declared open season on their own story and said to their audience "I can do anything now!". Because of this, I was able to predict every single plot twist. I knew that because the game devs activated god mode, they would try to pull the weirdest sh*t they could get away with, which was anything. None of it surprised me. It was as if a magician gave me the schematic to a trick, then expected me to be surprised even though he gave me the tools to predict the ending.

    Speaking of the ending, it totally sucks. It's some completely forced surreal ending ala Mass Effect 3 or Inception. It makes no sense, but it has to make no sense, because the game set itself up early on to have the ending make no sense. For lack of a better phrase, during the last 30 min of the game, the story goes up its own ass.

    On a side note, something I find really hilarious though is that all the reviewers who say that this story wrapped itself up in a nice neat bow, also called Halo's storyline convoluted.

    This isn't bringing into question the complete lack of relation to B1. There is one part where they make a nod to Rapture, but Andrew Ryan isn't here. I expected Ryan to interject to want you to kill Comstock because he's totally screwing up Columbia, but that didn't happen. I expected Elizabeth to relate to the Jewish doctor from B1, but that didn't happen. There are no ties to Bioshock 1, other than a glimpse of Rapture, but that's it. That scene basically served as a reminder to say "Remember, this is Bioshock". None of the B1 characters were even involved at all.

    Here's what I recommend: The ME3 remedy. Play the game until it starts to get really weird. Then stop and pretend that it ended in a sensible, satisfying way that makes sense for you and coincides with the world setup.    … Expand
  12. Strider
    Apr 4, 2013
    10
    This is by far one of the best single player experiences in recent memory. The gameplay is fun, the story is fantastic and well executed, and you actually care about the characters. That's rare in games these days, but Bioshock Infinite pulls it off wonderfully. I am a fan of the Bioshock series in general, and now after playing though Infinite, and again in 1999 mode, I can honestly sayThis is by far one of the best single player experiences in recent memory. The gameplay is fun, the story is fantastic and well executed, and you actually care about the characters. That's rare in games these days, but Bioshock Infinite pulls it off wonderfully. I am a fan of the Bioshock series in general, and now after playing though Infinite, and again in 1999 mode, I can honestly say this is my favorite of the trilogy. I am an older gamer, of the Atari generation, and still a hardcore gamer to this day. I have played so many games over the years that I am no longer easily impressed or engrossed by a game anymore. So I have to give kudos to the devs on Bioshock Infinite, they did it. An easy 10 out of 10.… Expand
  13. TheMaximalist
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    An excellent FPS that freshens up the genre like it's 2 predecessors did. This is a work of art that excels in every area, a must buy for action game fans.
  14. RippedCurtain
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    The Greatest game I have ever played. This made me so happy to play, every step the story took was better than the last, it did nothing wrong. Both Booker and Elizabeth are written perfectly, the game-play is fresh and exciting especially the skyline fighting. This blew me away, I'm speechless. Thank-you Ken and thank-you Irrational Games!
  15. Rockman9
    May 17, 2013
    7
    BIOSHOCK INFINITE gives you far fetched plot, so so gameplay, good art style combined with some unbelievably bad textures.
    Overall, just a mediocre game with stunning art style. A must buy but absolutely overrated.
  16. Tannhauser
    Dec 9, 2013
    2
    3 hrs in so expect minor spoilers.
    This game is not only supremely boring and linear, it's also aggravating and repulsive from a story point of view. So there's this beautiful city in the clouds, where people live in (seeming?) harmony, and my job is to... kill everyone?! Violently and indiscriminately? Seriously, why would I do that? Because they're devout Churchgoers (not a big fan of    3 hrs in so expect minor spoilers.
    This game is not only supremely boring and linear, it's also aggravating and repulsive from a story point of view. So there's this beautiful city in the clouds, where people live in (seeming?) harmony, and my job is to... kill everyone?! Violently and indiscriminately? Seriously, why would I do that? Because they're devout Churchgoers (not a big fan of religion myself btw)? Or because they haven't achieved race equality yet? Now how about changing these things through political and social means, you know, bringing about enlightenment and humanist thinking by educating people? But no. The only way to progress in this game is through mass-murder. Now if this was GTA I'd find that fun, too, but
    this game seems to be wanting taken seriously.
    Apart from that, it's just a very linear shooter with mindless enemies, repetitive gunfights and poor animation. Last night I actually fell asleep while playing go figure.
    A few points for the beautiful flying city, though.    … Expand
  17. Andrew5
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    Bioshock Infinite is a masterpiece. You can clearly see a lot of time and effort was put into this game with all the small details in the environment and people. The graphics are amazing and runs silky smooth on my PC. The gameplay is fun with fast paced action and using powers called Vigors similar to Plasmids in the original Bioshock. The story is amazing and you will have to playBioshock Infinite is a masterpiece. You can clearly see a lot of time and effort was put into this game with all the small details in the environment and people. The graphics are amazing and runs silky smooth on my PC. The gameplay is fun with fast paced action and using powers called Vigors similar to Plasmids in the original Bioshock. The story is amazing and you will have to play through this game yourself to find out.… Expand
  18. Mudpooch
    Mar 30, 2013
    10
    Im gonna keep this short.

    Its game like Bioshock that make you happy to be a gamer but more importantly its experiences such as Infinite that make you grateful to be alive... P.S Listen to all those people that give this game a low score, read their reviews take it all in, think about it, take them seriously and then when you've done that buy the game and then you can see for    Im gonna keep this short.

    Its game like Bioshock that make you happy to be a gamer but more importantly its experiences such as Infinite that make you grateful to be alive...

    P.S Listen to all those people that give this game a low score, read their reviews take it all in, think about it, take them seriously and then when you've done that buy the game and then you can see for yourself just how extremely wrong those people are...    … Expand
  19. Zudeare
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    By now it should be obvious how good this game actually is. everything in this entire game is perfect! its setting, graphics, narrative, game-play and it's mind bending ending, without spoiling anything, i can tell you that the ending is pretty hard to wrap your mind around. and i can't write this review without mentioning Elizabeth at least once, because she is without a doubt the bestBy now it should be obvious how good this game actually is. everything in this entire game is perfect! its setting, graphics, narrative, game-play and it's mind bending ending, without spoiling anything, i can tell you that the ending is pretty hard to wrap your mind around. and i can't write this review without mentioning Elizabeth at least once, because she is without a doubt the best sidekick you'll ever see in a video game! not only is she a well written character, but she is so useful throughout the entire game, in combat she'll give you supplies without it even bothering you. you owe it to yourself to buy this game, even though i got only 13 hours out of it, you won't regret it!… Expand
  20. feistin
    May 15, 2013
    7
    The game looks absolutely beautiful but it just is repeating itself from earlier Bioshock games. And it ain't half as intriguing or exciting in my book. I had hoped the developer would have come up with some new concepts but it is rather lacking in innovation in comparison to the first one. Where is big daddy..?! Competent game but not a GOTY. Kinda like Diablo 3 from last year.
  21. TheLivingVirus
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    A piece of art through and through.
    The amazing art style, the graphics, the narrative, the story, the characters, the gameplay just everything are in perfect harmony.

    One of the best shooters of all time!
  22. Shigawire
    Apr 23, 2013
    7
    I love Bioshock 1, System Shock 2. Bioshock Infinite has an incredible atmosphere, but then again, that's all it's got going for it. The game is absolutely playable. But it is a completely generic first person shooter. All problems in the game are solved in 1 way. Brawns, not brains.. Shoot with guns, take cover, use a tonic, take cover, jump on a "skyline" (gimmick to move from place toI love Bioshock 1, System Shock 2. Bioshock Infinite has an incredible atmosphere, but then again, that's all it's got going for it. The game is absolutely playable. But it is a completely generic first person shooter. All problems in the game are solved in 1 way. Brawns, not brains.. Shoot with guns, take cover, use a tonic, take cover, jump on a "skyline" (gimmick to move from place to place) etc.

    I'm not sure what Ken Levine meant with the "1999 mode" because there is NONE of the depth of System Shock 2 in this game. In this, I am disappointed in Ken Levine. He started some of the most seminal works in gaming, including the Thief games, System Shock 2, and Bioshock. Now Bioshock 1 was already a "step back" from System Shock 2. But having read about the "1999 mode" I naively assumed this game would move the opposite direction away from dumbing down the gameplay. But really, 1999 mode is just a difficulty setting, that's all it is.

    If you haven't played or been exposed to as many classics as I have, then I'm sure this will live up to the hype for you. But know that something 'better' has been made in the past, by the same man.

    7/10 some incredible atmospheres, sceneries, great art direction as always.. but... Gameplay is king. And it is this game's weak spot unfortunately.
    Gameplay>Story>Art>Tech>    … Expand
  23. Scrove
    Aug 8, 2013
    6
    The game was stylish and had a decent story (but the ending was filled with holes), other than that, it was a very average game. Overly repetitive, dull upgrades, extremely linear, the environment wasn't interactive, and a terrible final boss fight.
  24. KingMob4313
    Aug 23, 2013
    6
    Incredible presentation, an interesting commentary on a the nature of US politics and American exceptionalism with gorgeous visuals, tight voice acting and an compelling plot...

    ...That is completely ruined by actually PLAYING the game. Having gameplay that hasn't improved much since the days of System Shock 2 is simply not acceptable nearly 15 years later. The combat is boring,    Incredible presentation, an interesting commentary on a the nature of US politics and American exceptionalism with gorgeous visuals, tight voice acting and an compelling plot...

    ...That is completely ruined by actually PLAYING the game. Having gameplay that hasn't improved much since the days of System Shock 2 is simply not acceptable nearly 15 years later. The combat is boring, clumsy and mind numbingly easy. This lack of responsiveness and the horrific violence in the game makes it more seem one step up from a quicktime event style execution game. It also feels more like filler in an already brief game. It is inferior to the previous two Bioshock in the manner of it being a game.

    If the game wasn't so stellar in every other way, it wouldn't be much higher than a 4 and you'd be better served catching the highlights on youtube.    … Expand
  25. alireza0fa
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    On of the best games ever made...for me is the best First Person ever played...when you playing Infinite,YOU hate any other games...
    10 for Bioshock Infinite...
    Thank's Irrational Games...& Thank you Mr Ken Levine ____________________ with this code you can play Bioshock Infinite On "MOD 1999": Xbox 360/PC Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A PS3: Up, Up, Down,    On of the best games ever made...for me is the best First Person ever played...when you playing Infinite,YOU hate any other games...
    10 for Bioshock Infinite...
    Thank's Irrational Games...& Thank you Mr Ken Levine
    ____________________
    with this code you can play Bioshock Infinite On "MOD 1999":

    Xbox 360/PC Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A

    PS3: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, O, X    … Expand
  26. TheDevilHunter
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    Bioshock Infinite: The best pc game of 2013, I am 100% sure of it. Story is brilliant, even though the ending takes some time to settle in, once you dig into it, it all makes sense. The setting is perfect, even though I was a bit suspicious about moving away from my beloved Rapture. Enemies are superb, well thought through and some are a bit challenging at times. This game follows up theBioshock Infinite: The best pc game of 2013, I am 100% sure of it. Story is brilliant, even though the ending takes some time to settle in, once you dig into it, it all makes sense. The setting is perfect, even though I was a bit suspicious about moving away from my beloved Rapture. Enemies are superb, well thought through and some are a bit challenging at times. This game follows up the good Bioshock series by keeping the game mechanics and the good feel, unlike most other new games coming out nowadays (See Far Cry 3, DmC, Tomb Raider, Dead Space 3, Hitman Absolution and so on..) The graphics are so-so. At a distance the graphics truly shine and some of the effects are just beautiful, but at close some items and textures are really poorly drawn, but nothing big. Here might be my favorite part: No quicktime events. I was really scared this game would follow up to the usual crap new console ported games come with, but Bioshock Infinite didn't bring anything awful from the consoles, it all worked very well on PC. No multiplayer however, unlike in Bioshock 2, but it wasn't really needed, even though it worked perfectly in Bio 2. My only complain about this game is that, it's too short. 15 hours of gameplay and it left me feeling like there should have been more gameplay with the Vox Populi for example. I hope the game developers decide to make tons of future dlcs for this game, as it needs more content. All in all, a fresh breath from all the crap we've seen come out in the last few years. Bioshock Infinite has all the major aspects put just where they need to be. 10/10.… Expand
  27. TheCrystalShip
    Apr 4, 2013
    10
    Great game, really intense, i wish this game would have last longer than 15 hours!
    The City looks great, the character are "belivable", the soundtracks just awesome!
    And the End... Ah this end...
  28. Revalations92
    Mar 26, 2013
    10
    From the very beginning I was blown away by the visuals, not simply the quality of the graphics themselves, but how every little detail of the world is fleshed out. From the posters and newspapers, to radio broadcasts and NPC conversations, Infinite really make the world feel real. I felt like I was presenting an E3 demo for the first few hours, as a walked around slowly taking in everyFrom the very beginning I was blown away by the visuals, not simply the quality of the graphics themselves, but how every little detail of the world is fleshed out. From the posters and newspapers, to radio broadcasts and NPC conversations, Infinite really make the world feel real. I felt like I was presenting an E3 demo for the first few hours, as a walked around slowly taking in every bit of atmosphere. Gameplay wise, I'd give it a solid 8.5/10. Its not revolutionary, but there are quite a few things that freshen it up, including impeccable pacing, and the wide open aerial sequences. Last, but certainly not least, it story. Story is the reason this game is such a masterpiece. It's aided greatly by the game world, as you'll hear NPCs having interesting conversations, and the environments themselves are constructed in a way that the player begins to ask questions. As in the original Bioshock you pick up recordings, which fleshes out the story even further. Elizabeth herself however is the greatest attraction. I felt as if she came out of a Disney movie, with an expressive face, flawless animations, and a curiosity that can clearly be seen. By the end of the game you really do care for her, which is a hard thing to do in a video game. In conclusion, the game really is perfection. Stop reading this and go buy it. Now. It will take you on a journey that few games can come close to.
    PS: Don't rush through it. Take your time and enjoy the little things. You'll be glad you did.    … Expand
  29. dakoslug
    Mar 29, 2013
    10
    Warning to everyone. Pay attention to the story details if you desire to understand such a complex ending. The game has to be the best first person shooter in quite a long time, it is definitely going to be the best one this year. The scenery and level design has to be praised here. The game is by no means linear however with a simple press of a button, you get a clear direction on whereWarning to everyone. Pay attention to the story details if you desire to understand such a complex ending. The game has to be the best first person shooter in quite a long time, it is definitely going to be the best one this year. The scenery and level design has to be praised here. The game is by no means linear however with a simple press of a button, you get a clear direction on where to go. Yet you can still venture off to a room where you can loot some ammo or search for voxaphones (audio tapes that give you tidbits of background information.) My favorite character is Elizabeth, she's smart and in the beginning of the game she lightens the whole mood. You see her grow as a character, as she learns more about her parents and her whole predicament. It's really great to see the main protagonist and Elizabeth become almost partners. Religion and racism play a huge role in Columbia, this adds a whole different type of realism. It's almost like they are trying to recreate America before it's civil war. Irrational games, thank you for such a gem.… Expand
  30. Purgatory1
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The atmosphere of this game is just stunning, the graphics, music, voices and so on just perfectly fit together. I've never been bored for a single second playing this game and you definitely have to fall in love with Elizabeth.

    There's really only very little to criticise, the gameplay overall is fantastic. The only thing I would change is the weapons system since you can't really focus on your favorite weapons because you need to change your weapons pretty often. That's because you either run out of ammo for your weapon or because you need to adapt your weapons to the tougher enemies.

    The story is very complex, maybe too complex for some people. Yes there remain unanswered questions after the ending and there's room for interpretations and it doesn't have a classic hollywood happy ending but that's one reason why Bioshock infinite ist outstanding. And in fact the game does reveal all important secrets about Booker/Comstock and Elizabeth/Anna, where they come from and what their motivations are. But I have to admit that I did like the Bioshock 1 and 2 endings a little more.

    However there is no such thing as a perfect game but Bioshock Infinite is as close as you can get, that's why I gave this game a score of 10.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 68 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 68
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 68
  3. Negative: 0 out of 68
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    92
    Play BSI slowly, relish the moments and don’t rush to the end. It’s certain that you will have lived one of the richest gaming experiences that, as far as narration, lyricism and story are concerned, will take a lot of time to forget! [May 2013]
  2. CD-Action
    May 7, 2013
    85
    A very solid, but not revolutionary shooter in an amazing setting, with a story that struggles to convey its authors’ ambitions and is only seemingly complex. The vision is less focused than in previous Bioshocks and it does a worse job on binding the plot with gameplay. [CD-Action 05/2013, p.46]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    May 1, 2013
    80
    Problematic plotting and excessive amounts of poorly balanced combat apply friction to what is otherwise one hell of a rollercoaster. [May 2013, p.80]
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