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. Metals
    Apr 5, 2013
    10
    The first two hours, alone, of Bioshock Infinite are worth the $60 price point. The game begins by ‘importing’ you into the city of Columbia, a city with as much, if not more substance than Rapture (from Bioshock 1-2). The city is beautiful, well organized, alive, and full of atmosphere. The citizens go about their daily lives in believable, and in many instances, entertaining ways. TheThe first two hours, alone, of Bioshock Infinite are worth the $60 price point. The game begins by ‘importing’ you into the city of Columbia, a city with as much, if not more substance than Rapture (from Bioshock 1-2). The city is beautiful, well organized, alive, and full of atmosphere. The citizens go about their daily lives in believable, and in many instances, entertaining ways. The plot seems simple: infiltrate the city rescue the girl. In reality, the plot is far from simple. From the very beginning ‘nothing is true, everything is permitted.’ The combat itself is also a step above Bioshock 1-2: the enemies are more varied, both aesthetically and mechanically; every weapon is powerful in its own right; each vigour (equivalent of plasmid) is useful at one time or another; and strategy plays a more prominent role in combat. Simply said, go buy it!

    Bioshock Infinite: 9.5 10.0    … Expand
  2. Tepcio
    Apr 6, 2013
    10
    If you look closer, the environments are a little buggy. However, this is not a clue here. The story, characters, art direction and a way in which this game approach problems such as racism, are great. The most IMPORTANT game experience of all time.
  3. mcmanusaur
    Sep 7, 2013
    7
    ---Rating---
    Design: 3 /5 (the novelty of both the mechanics and narrative wears off after a while)
    Polish: 5 /5 (technically sound, and the setting's vibrancy is the main selling point) Value: 3 /5 (decent amount of content, but there is little conceivable replay value here) ---Review--- The first hour or so of Bioshock Infinite is utterly captivating, owing to the magnificent    ---Rating---
    Design: 3 /5 (the novelty of both the mechanics and narrative wears off after a while)
    Polish: 5 /5 (technically sound, and the setting's vibrancy is the main selling point)
    Value: 3 /5 (decent amount of content, but there is little conceivable replay value here)

    ---Review---
    The first hour or so of Bioshock Infinite is utterly captivating, owing to the magnificent sense of awe and wonder manifested by the game's beautiful setting. The floating city of Columbia presents shimmering visuals and captures the spirit of a period (namely the turn of the 20th century) that historical and retro-futuristic video games have largely ignored. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of lore tidbits littered throughout the game, the novelty of the setting gradually wears off as the gameplay and narrative never seem to match the setting's potential.

    Booker DeWitt is merely a generic film noir protagonist, and even though the player spends the whole game viewing Columbia from his perspective, there's a jolting sense of disconnect every time he rattles off one of his predictably cynical lines. This is because the player has no agency with regard to DeWitt's role in the narrative, which mostly consists of carefully sequenced set pieces.

    DeWitt's grit is contrasted by a pretty and endearing ingenue by the name of Elizabeth- whom the player is tasked with rescuing and escorting out of Columbia. While this unlikely combination produces its fair share of interesting exchanges along the way, the net result of this juxtaposition is simply that Booker's deadpan facade becomes even more difficult to relate to. As such, Elizabeth is undoubtedly responsibly for facilitating the majority of the player's emotional investment in the story.

    The story itself is a bit of a mess, abruptly transitioning from utopia to dystopia and milking the latter for all it's worth. Infinite flirts adventurously with serious themes such as racism, power, responsibility, and so on, but the game never manages to tackle any of them in a terribly nuanced manner, instead veering more toward black-and-white caricatures and using Elizabeth to point out the obvious to the player. The story also features a bit of inter-dimensional time travel nonsense that feels completely unnecessary and ill-conceived, given how many other narrative hooks the game utilizes to pad its length. By several hours in, there's an impending sense that the game has lost sight of its original narrative completely, and it only becomes more convoluted from there.

    The Infinite's storytelling experienced isn't helped by the fact that its pacing is horrible, with gameplay becoming simply a chore that must be completed in order to reach the next stage of the story. In some ways the world seems to communicate to the player that they should explore the setting at their leisure to uncover the rich detail present in Columbia, but somewhat paradoxically there are countless points of no return that largely prevent this. However, easily the worst aspect of Infinite's pacing is the fact that the player seems to spend more time looting nearby corpses and containers than doing anything else. The boring looting process serves an interlude between every combat encounter and/or narrative event, destroying any sense of immersion the player managed to attain with regard to either of those.

    Infinite is thus very fragmented, and unfortunately the core gameplay isn't all that much more interesting than the rest. Despite the decent variety of weapons and vigors (as the token magical superpowers are called in this installment) available to the player and the enjoyably nonlinear qualities granted by the sky rail system, the gameplay just never feels like anything other than generic swashbuckling action under an unconventional guise.

    Bioshock Infinite has received tons of hype since its release, and while it possess an interesting and colorful setting, the game falls somewhat short in most other ways.    … Expand
  4. Dethstar
    Jun 17, 2013
    5
    Honestly don't get why PC gamers in particular would like this game so much. I like(Make that loved) Bioshock once I worked out a solution to the terrible field of view and was a little disappointed by BS but I had high hopes for this. As it turned out it was the first game I haven't been able to motivate myself to finish.

    As it is I just found it corny and lacking in atmosphere.    Honestly don't get why PC gamers in particular would like this game so much. I like(Make that loved) Bioshock once I worked out a solution to the terrible field of view and was a little disappointed by BS but I had high hopes for this. As it turned out it was the first game I haven't been able to motivate myself to finish.

    As it is I just found it corny and lacking in atmosphere. Much of the ideology and concepts seem to be aimed at a US audience but in terms of gameplay its nothing special and far more linear than I can enjoy. Not the most linear game ever but still I don't feel like I am making any choices which make a difference. Mediocre at best. The story and atmosphere is no way strong enough to carry a game which so linear for me.

    I think the odd racist comment is supposed to shock us into indignation and feeling something from this game but even that felt too contrived and more marketing gimmic than contributing to atmospherics. The feeling of being manipulated by a governing body which monitors us and controls our information and ideology? Read the news, we are living in far worse times in that regard so what is left to build a story around.

    Even the lead female character is too comic book (and not in a good way) to generate any real emotional response despite some great voice acting.    … Expand
  5. l3wdandcr3wd
    Apr 5, 2013
    6
    I've played system shock 2, Bioshock, and Bioshock 2 before ever touching or hearing about this game. I played on normal first. I am still replaying it on 1999 mode, as I didn't know about the unlock code. I found the combat to be somewhat bland and boring compared to the previous Bioshock titles. However the control over the mouse and movement is better, it doesn't feel like there wasI've played system shock 2, Bioshock, and Bioshock 2 before ever touching or hearing about this game. I played on normal first. I am still replaying it on 1999 mode, as I didn't know about the unlock code. I found the combat to be somewhat bland and boring compared to the previous Bioshock titles. However the control over the mouse and movement is better, it doesn't feel like there was any mouse acceleration this time around. The story was IMO terrible, they obviously had the rush a release as the ending was contrived BS, a cop-out as they couldn't think of and actual closing to the game. 1999 mode has made the game much more enjoyable for me and I find myself getting stuck in some combat sections, that's a POSITIVE thing for me. Overall I'd give the game a 6.5. Combat isn't super good, story is terrible. Do not pay full price for this, wait til it's cheaper.… Expand
  6. ChosenOne
    Apr 8, 2013
    5
    It's a good game. Visuals are there, game's universe is great. Companion behavior technically almost as good as in Uncharted 3. But gameplay itself is just pathetic. It feels like all game-designers has left the projects at the middle of development, and guys from Irrational, or 2K spend all the budget for the previews.
  7. roflgiraffe
    Apr 1, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Saying the graphics are mediocre is just a poor way of describing how you don't like the game, the graphics are fantastically colorful and leave a good feeling in your stomach, but that is probably the only decent thing about this game. The engine feels clunky, the fights that were portrayed in trailers didn't match up, the enemies lack originality or depth, the story line went everywhere (the only two remotely interesting parts being the very beginning and the less than climatic ending), and the abilities/mechanics felt watered down. It was a let down for all the hype that "Bioshock" has behind it, titles of which people genuinely enjoyed (you get a major tease of "Rapture" in the end.) I hope "Irrational Games" never has another thing to do with this franchise, or I won't be buying. That's for sure.

    The only way you can say this is a 'masterpiece' is if you know nothing about game mechanics, never played the previous games, or have a less than average comprehension ability.    … Expand
  8. tunarolls
    Jun 1, 2013
    4
    People should really know the difference between graphics and aesthetics. The game looks nice, but not really graphics wise. Muddy textures were cleverly hidden by post-processing trickery. The story is shallow and makes use of multi-dimensional to make up for it. Intelligent people would only get the game, people would say. They treat quantum mechanics as magic and use it as cop-out forPeople should really know the difference between graphics and aesthetics. The game looks nice, but not really graphics wise. Muddy textures were cleverly hidden by post-processing trickery. The story is shallow and makes use of multi-dimensional to make up for it. Intelligent people would only get the game, people would say. They treat quantum mechanics as magic and use it as cop-out for plot holes in the story. I don't understand the 10s and 9s that people give to this game. The game mechanics is not even that perfect. Why should it even be called a video game if you don't even emphasize the game mechanics. Increasing difficulty increases enemy sponginess? Why can't you carry more than two weapons anyway? The weapon upgrades are meaningless, as the upgrades would only be countered by increased health of generic enemies, I should say. The weapons don't even feel that powerful because they don't stop your enemies on their tracks. All this flaws are then discarded because of the awesome ending? Biggest cop-out in a video game in this generation, more like. Infinite became meaningless with constants and variables. I scored 4 because of the aesthetics of the game, the sounds and the whole flying city thing. Not game of the year or even game of the generation material, as some people that has fallen to its mediocre plot and "mind-blowing" twist and ending. Buy Metro: Last Light instead.… Expand
  9. Beast_Pot_Pie
    Jun 2, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pros:

    - Decent lighting effects (overshadowed by low res textures)

    - Solid sound design and effects. Music in the game helps support the plot at points in creative ways.

    - Excellent, believable, voice acting. This is the strongest point of the game IMO.

    Cons:

    - Completely on rails experience. You have this amazing city in the sky, but you can't explore it. You can't use the sky rail to move from one side of the city to the other. There is no sense of exploration. Columbia is reduced to a bunch of kill hallways.

    - No sense of atmosphere. You never forgot for a second that you were at the bottom of the ocean in Bioshock's Rapture. You'd hear creaking noises from the water pressure, and see leaking water from the outside coming in, etc. However, Columbia is not this way. You forget that you are floating in the sky unless you actively stop what you are doing to look at a building move slightly. This is the opposite of immersion.

    - Bland, generic, boring, useless weapons. I used 2 weapons in this game (volley gun and pistol) for 95% of the game. Except for occasionally using the sniper and RPG, you don't need to use any other weapons. They are there as an artificial display of 'weapon diversity'. Even the guns I did use were boring even when fully upgraded.

    - The vigors are completely unoriginal and boring. I did not need to switch between vigors as much as I should of.

    - Atrocious enemy AI. They scream and run at you with a billy club while you have an RPG. They seem to take cover and uncover at scripted times.

    - Key plot details are left in purposely out-of-your-way places (the Voxophones). If you don't stop everything you are doing and listen to them, then you won't understand the story and ending. This is horrible and lazy storytelling. The audio logs in Bioshock 1 complemented the story, they were not essential to it.

    - The story is incredibly convoluted and poorly written, and a lot of complex details are rushed in and thrown at you during the last 20 minutes, so you are sure not to understand. Terrible pacing. Complexity is not a substitute for quality.

    - The game is about 8 hours long. This is just downright insulting. Spend $60 to play an 8 hour game? A horrible, boring, poorly written, game no less?

    - False Advertising: This was a completely different game than what was shown in the E3 demos. I understand developers sometimes have to cut things out here and there for time reasons. But this was full-on Aliens:Colonial Marines-like false advertising. Watered down visuals (no dynamic lighting), watered down physics (small objects in the world don't get picked up by Bucking Bronco like they did in the demo), watered down animations, watered down enemy AI, and watered down textures. Even the sky-rail is better implemented than the final product. I don't care if it was 'because of consoles' or not. No reason is justified for lying to us. I have no idea why Irrational is not getting sued like Gearbox did.

    This is the entire game: You go to an area, shoot some enemies, loot, talk to Liz or have a cutscene, then rinse and repeat. Game of the year? Are you joking?

    If you liked the first two Bioshocks in any way, do not buy this game. It is an insult to the Shock series of games.

    There was not one second of this game where I could say it was "game of the year" and "completely groundbreaking" and "setting a new standard for video games" or any of the other hyperbole tossed around from gaming publications.    … Expand
  10. Vasot
    May 5, 2013
    6
    Good game but there is no replay value after finishing it The game world and the story are a bit ridiculous for my taste and the graphics are very "cartoonish". I gave it a 7 for being a good game but this is not a classic as it is majorly overhyped by some people
  11. badatvidyagames
    Jun 24, 2019
    0
    Overhyped trash, wanted to replay it but the gameplay is so bad, boring and mediocre I couldnt finish.
  12. tazdevil41
    Apr 4, 2013
    6
    I find this game pretty boring and PC version is full of gamebreaking bugs. Twice the game has been impossible to continue in without redoing an entire level due to zero bug testing during development it seems.
    Sometimes Elizabeth just stands there instead of doing what she is supposed to and even resetting the checkpoint doesn't allow you to continue past this point.
    If devs are going    I find this game pretty boring and PC version is full of gamebreaking bugs. Twice the game has been impossible to continue in without redoing an entire level due to zero bug testing during development it seems.
    Sometimes Elizabeth just stands there instead of doing what she is supposed to and even resetting the checkpoint doesn't allow you to continue past this point.
    If devs are going to continue to release such shoddy products i am amazed it can get such a high review score.    … Expand
  13. partyintheback
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    Bioshock Infinite is a Bioshock game, period. I know it looks different and may seem different, but a lot of the things from Bioshock are in Bioshock Infinite. While Infinite has its own look and everything, which makes it feel new and fresh, this is a Shock game through and through, so you have a mix of the familiar with something entirely new. The combat is very similar to the firstBioshock Infinite is a Bioshock game, period. I know it looks different and may seem different, but a lot of the things from Bioshock are in Bioshock Infinite. While Infinite has its own look and everything, which makes it feel new and fresh, this is a Shock game through and through, so you have a mix of the familiar with something entirely new. The combat is very similar to the first game, but guns have more of a kick this time around. Plasmids also make a comeback in the form of Vigors, which allow for a lot of variation and experimentation in combat. There's also the inclusion of sky-lines, which make some fights really exciting and frantic. I'd say the combat scenarios are an improvement from the first Bioshock. You'll also be looting the environment and corpses for money, food, salt (for Vigors), etc.

    Bioshock's art direction is simply stunning. It takes a very talented art team to pull off something like Infinite, and the team at Irrational was definitely up to the task. The amount of detail in each and every environment is staggering. You'll definitely understand why this game was such an undertaking and took so many years to create when you see it in action. Then you have Elizabeth, which is one of the most realized characters in all of gaming. Elizabeth's animations and interactions are one of Infinite's many highlights.

    But Bioshock Infinite is ultimately all about the narrative, which it delivers on from beginning to end. This game's story is hands down one of the best in the business, even going as far as surpassing the original Bioshock. While Bioshock was a masterpiece, its ending left a little something to be desired. But this isn't the case with Bioshock Infinite. This game has an ending that'll blow you away.    … Expand
  14. Joeklein90
    Apr 8, 2013
    6
    Bioshock Infinite was no doubt a very pretty game. The vistas that they created with Columbia's floating city were very unique and artistically very beautiful. I found myself looking off in the distance several times in aww of how they came up with this gorgeous landscape. The games graphics are no doubt a step above the other Bioshock games and the story seems to follow with itsBioshock Infinite was no doubt a very pretty game. The vistas that they created with Columbia's floating city were very unique and artistically very beautiful. I found myself looking off in the distance several times in aww of how they came up with this gorgeous landscape. The games graphics are no doubt a step above the other Bioshock games and the story seems to follow with its complexity, trying to connect several different parallel universes with the one your in. Although this all seems good and dandy the game is not what people are hyping it all up to be.
    My biggest problems with the game is how mediocre the gameplay is. It's basically the same as the other bioshock games but with the addition of Elizabeth's powers that can open tears to other universes popping out useful objects/items to use in the environment and the hook that allows you to ride on rails. These additions can be fun but their nothing to get excited about, you basically never need to use them except for a few key spots towards the end of the game. the game was so easy I played the whole way threw on hard and the AI was very bland and predictable. I loved in the previous bioshock game that you could upgrade bullets for the gun making them shock or explode on impact and when you upgraded the gun the look would change a little based on what you upgraded on it. Infinite completely took this quality out including replacing hacking with a simple plasmid/vigor power that you just shoot to hack an object. This thoroughly disappointed me and further limited how you fought a group of soldiers that just blindly came charging at you.
    The game is just way to short at a gameplay time of 8 hours, that alone makes me laugh at the price of $60. The reason why you killed people was questioning It seemed several times in the game that I was murdering hundreds of innocent people for no reason. It felt like their was combat just for the sake of combat in several places of the game and it took me out of the experience making me question why the hell am I murdering all these people.
    Bioshock Infinite is basically a mediocre game with a washed over gameplay style of the other installments with much needed content that was taken out from the previous games, a short story, repetitive combat, lack of material in the game besides the story, and very badly programmed AI that can be predictable on any difficulty of the game. The story is a little unique and left me thinking about it for several days after beating it and the graphics are very beautiful but its not enough for me to say its worth $60. I played 8 hours, beat it, and will probably never touch it again. This game simply just needs more content and better gameplay with the hacking of the original bioshock in it and the upgrading of weapons from bioshock 2. I recommend waiting for the hype of the game to go down and the price to drop to about $20-$30 before buying it. People are influenced too easily by the previews of games and the HYPE developers put on their games that they forget how much your actually getting for your money, but, if thats good enough for you maybe $60 is worth it.
    Check out Fallout New Vegas if you want to see what I mean by having $60 worth of content in a game.    … Expand
  15. benjaminavatar
    Apr 12, 2013
    9
    Fantastic game, fantastic story, fantastic graphics, fantastic gameplay, fantastic characters, fantastic locations, fantastic twist, fantastic enemyes and truly sad ending.
  16. Stemot
    Mar 31, 2013
    9
    All I can say about this game is WOW! The game starts amazing the player in its initial moments and does not let. The visuals are great and while the plasmids from the early Bioshock games return the added elevation and skyrail mechanics really add to the combat. The game is very linear, which plays wonderfully into the games story with it's many twists and turns that I only began to startAll I can say about this game is WOW! The game starts amazing the player in its initial moments and does not let. The visuals are great and while the plasmids from the early Bioshock games return the added elevation and skyrail mechanics really add to the combat. The game is very linear, which plays wonderfully into the games story with it's many twists and turns that I only began to start to figure out just as the reveal was coming. Also, I know that there are many things I have missed on my first playthrough that are embedded into the games ascetics revealing more story. Worthy of all the 10/10 scores? Game mechanics wise maybe not but story wise? Absolutely.… Expand
  17. GameInterpretor
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    After playing this game I have one word to describe how I feel about it. Wow; it was one of the most fascinating and well thought out games that I've ever had the pleasure of getting my fingers on. It runs well on a wide variety of machines and my goodness the ending? It will set your brain on fire. I'd like to congratulate Irrational Games on this monumental triumph and I have to say IAfter playing this game I have one word to describe how I feel about it. Wow; it was one of the most fascinating and well thought out games that I've ever had the pleasure of getting my fingers on. It runs well on a wide variety of machines and my goodness the ending? It will set your brain on fire. I'd like to congratulate Irrational Games on this monumental triumph and I have to say I look forward to more Bioshock in the future and maybe if we're lucky we can see more of Booker Dewitt and Elizabeth.… Expand
  18. fukustream
    Mar 29, 2013
    8
    One of a kind game, enjoyed it. The soundtrack and sound-effects are pretty amazing too! The only major drawback is the graphics. Sloppy texture and details, but the overall game still held together beautifully. I can just close my eyes and imagine how much more beautiful this game could have been made, especially for those who got an extremely high-end rig. I guess 2K spent just enoughOne of a kind game, enjoyed it. The soundtrack and sound-effects are pretty amazing too! The only major drawback is the graphics. Sloppy texture and details, but the overall game still held together beautifully. I can just close my eyes and imagine how much more beautiful this game could have been made, especially for those who got an extremely high-end rig. I guess 2K spent just enough money to satisfy a majority of players and didn't want to spend a penny more to make it a legend. But overall, still a pretty game.… Expand
  19. Kamal
    Mar 31, 2013
    9
    Bioshock Infinite is a flawed game which elevates games as a story-telling medium as high as Columbia itself. For the first three-quarters of the game I had a mixed feelings about this one. The city of Columbia is beautiful, but eventually is experienced as a long narrow corridor. The themes of racial discrimination, American exceptionalism, fanatical religious teachings, income inequalityBioshock Infinite is a flawed game which elevates games as a story-telling medium as high as Columbia itself. For the first three-quarters of the game I had a mixed feelings about this one. The city of Columbia is beautiful, but eventually is experienced as a long narrow corridor. The themes of racial discrimination, American exceptionalism, fanatical religious teachings, income inequality and violent uprisings are there, but are left as themes, and undeveloped themes at that. The chatter of the citizens is atmospheric, but too rare, and the citizens themselves are wooden figurines without emotion. Even Elizabeth, for all care and labour the designers have put into her is far from the girl we've expected since gameplay video at E3'11. Yet, for all its shortcomings, Infinite shines in the last quarter of the game. The asylum part was my personal favorite, tragic, yet nuanced and beautiful at the same time. And its main point that you can't wash away your sins, but have to live with them and let them make you better is delivered so masterfully, that you are left pondering it long after the credits and the ending scene. Surely, it's a variation on the Planescape theme --What can change the nature of a man? Regret. but that doesn't diminish the game in any way. So while I'm longing for what the game could be, I still find it hard to give it anything below 9. It's not perfect, but you would do yourself a disservice if you miss it.… Expand
  20. Jexiah8bit
    Apr 5, 2013
    9
    It's official: We have a new poster-child for how a good story can be told through the art of video game development. You owe it to yourself to look past the gameplay flaws and play this game, if only for its beauty and artistic interpretation.
  21. psychotic
    Apr 3, 2013
    9
    this game is amazing, brilliant, one huge problem the ending it was not as abd as me3 but that ending WTF?, its confusing odd and is just 20 minutes of walking. The rest of the game is great some levels feel a little lazy cough* cough* shanti town, but its still a great story and the tiny tie in to rapture brilliant!!
  22. arthurdepr
    Apr 8, 2013
    10
    I'm really trying to find meaningful mistakes to rate this game less than 10 out of 10... but I can't. Whatever the little, possible problems it might have, everything is washed away by how wonderfully briliant the overall experience is. When I finished the game, I was in awe. The graphics are stunning and the art direction is nothing short of fantastic, the soundtrack is excellent, theI'm really trying to find meaningful mistakes to rate this game less than 10 out of 10... but I can't. Whatever the little, possible problems it might have, everything is washed away by how wonderfully briliant the overall experience is. When I finished the game, I was in awe. The graphics are stunning and the art direction is nothing short of fantastic, the soundtrack is excellent, the gameplay addictive and the story... oh boy, the story. First of all, I've been noting that some reviewers are citing this to be an "incoherent mess". It isn't. It's a complex, deep story that revolves around so many creative fields and subjects (racism, religion, equality, fanaticism, metaphysics, EVERYTHING is in this game) that it makes me wonder what sort of amazing inspiration the guys at Irrational have been looking through. You WILL care for the characters, you will be shocked by the twists and the ending will make your jaw drop to the floor. Bioshock Infinite deserves ALL the praise it's been getting; was it hyped THAT much? Yes, but totally lives up to it, and manages to surpass it at every single turn. This is the prime example that games are, indeed, a major for of art.… Expand
  23. funkamonkey
    Apr 1, 2013
    8
    I've read a lot of reviews on here, some 10's and some 0's. I'd like to put the record straight.
    Firstly the graphics. Columbia looks good, but not 2013 good. The graphics are ok but they feel a 3 or 4 years old. The FOV can be ramped up but up close the Unreal Engine looks poor. The enemies are bland and repetitive and Elizabeth's character is very plain. The sound is top notch with some    I've read a lot of reviews on here, some 10's and some 0's. I'd like to put the record straight.
    Firstly the graphics. Columbia looks good, but not 2013 good. The graphics are ok but they feel a 3 or 4 years old. The FOV can be ramped up but up close the Unreal Engine looks poor. The enemies are bland and repetitive and Elizabeth's character is very plain. The sound is top notch with some classic early 20th century music thrown in for atmosphere.
    The story is neither here nor there. You can take it or leave it. Personally it left me with a bit of a headache. The gameplay is very good though. I had some of the most memorable firefights I've ever had in single player gaming and I enjoyed being able to have Elizabeth to bring in some cover or a bit of help.
    One question, why did they stretch the game out by making me backtrack through a whole area?? This spoilt it!! I gave up collecting everthing and looking for everything after the first couple of hours.
    I loved the start and the end but halfway through I stopped playing for 2 days and loaded Crysis 3 up again. When I got back it was worth it but you just feel cheated at times. It's as though the developers ran out of ideas and decided to pad the game out.
    Don't get me wrong I enjoyed playing Bioshock Infinite but it's nowhere near a GOTY and not a 10 out of 10. If I had paid £30 for this I would have been a bit upset but I paid £35 for this and Crysis 3 together so no hard feelings 2k. In short, good game to play over Easter but if it was an Xbox game, I'd be trading it in when finished. Wait for this to drop in price, it's worth £19.99.    … Expand
  24. hodub
    Mar 30, 2013
    9
    I've known about this game for at least two years prior to its release. I suspect that Irrational began working on this one right after they released the first game of the series. The atmosphere and narrative in this game are unique and immersing, and make it stand out amongst other run-of-the-mill zombie, WWII, or 21st century-based shooters. It's clear that Irrational put massive timeI've known about this game for at least two years prior to its release. I suspect that Irrational began working on this one right after they released the first game of the series. The atmosphere and narrative in this game are unique and immersing, and make it stand out amongst other run-of-the-mill zombie, WWII, or 21st century-based shooters. It's clear that Irrational put massive time and effort into this game's development. The game-play does echo that of the first Bioshock in some ways. Vigors are like Plasmids, and Salts are like Eve. Each gun and Vigor is upgradeable, and there are plenty of vending machines from which you can purchase supplies and said upgrades. My only real complaint about this game you can only carry up to two guns at a time. Fans of Halo or Crysis are probably used to this, but I'd personally like to have at least an additional weapon slot or two. Still, this doesn't hinder overall game-play too much. I like the fact that you don't have to babysit Elizabeth like you did Ashley from Resident Evil 4. She knows her way around a fight and knows how to assist Dewitt, even though she remains unarmed. But she never feels like a burden. Also, you don't have some Irishman asking if "you would kindly" be his errand boy every five minutes over a comm radio. You pretty much explore the world on your own as you would a Metroid game, though Elizabeth does drop hints on occasion as guidance. Though I've beaten this game once, it feels like one of those movies that has to be watched a second time in order to understand it better. Maybe I have to play through it a second time to better understand the story. Overall though, this is one of those rare moments where the game lives up to the hype, like Half-Life 2 did in 2004. The ratings, both by Critics and Users, are no joke. Try this game at least once in life.… Expand
  25. Rolfski
    Apr 7, 2013
    9
    Half-Life 2 just lost the throne as best single player campaign ever and the ending even tops the 6th Sense film ("I see dead people"), it's that good.

    I can always appreciate a good single player campaign with an engaging story and oh boy, did they deliver with Bioshock Inifinite. I just finished the campaign and it was fantastic. Probably the best campaign I ever played and that    Half-Life 2 just lost the throne as best single player campaign ever and the ending even tops the 6th Sense film ("I see dead people"), it's that good.

    I can always appreciate a good single player campaign with an engaging story and oh boy, did they deliver with Bioshock Inifinite.

    I just finished the campaign and it was fantastic. Probably the best campaign I ever played and that says a lot. The first Bioshock I couldn't really get into. I guess the city of Rapture was a bit too horrific and claustrophobic for my likings. But this game I love: Fantastic art direction, atmosphere, absolutely mind-blowing story (probably the best I ever played) and a great reflection on the darker parts of the history of the US. There's a lot to this game that makes you think and look things up on Wikipedia.

    People who are on the fence of getting into this game, I can wholeheartedly recommend it if you like a great story and can appreciate great art work and atmosphere. I you play a campaign for the action/shooting only, then this game is still very solid but might be not too spectacular for you.    … Expand
  26. Ganondork
    Apr 7, 2013
    9
    BioShock Infinite provides a blueprint for engaging players in a meaningful story and captivating their imaginations. Although it struggles in some respects, such as less than stellar boss fights, it manages to mitigate those struggles with excellent pacing and storytelling. This game has incredible production values. Everything from the atmosphere to the environments to the set-piecesBioShock Infinite provides a blueprint for engaging players in a meaningful story and captivating their imaginations. Although it struggles in some respects, such as less than stellar boss fights, it manages to mitigate those struggles with excellent pacing and storytelling. This game has incredible production values. Everything from the atmosphere to the environments to the set-pieces will astonish both old and new players. In many ways, this doesn't feel like a BioShock game. This is not the cramped, dark, and overtly tense game that was the original. This is a much more subtle and dare I say refined sort of tension one where you're unsure of the motives of any given person, including yourself. The climax and ending of the game are worth asking price alone. If you found yourself disappointed with the conclusion of the original, you will find yourself pleasantly surprised after you set down your keyboard and mouse, sit back from the monitor aghast, and begin filling your mind with the infinite.… Expand
  27. StaticSpine
    Mar 31, 2013
    9
    This game is totally worth the money and the time spent. The atmosphere is great. The story is awesome and has some mindblowing twists. Elizabeth is a nice character and helper and it's a pleasure to watch her relationships with Booker. the gameplay is similar to previous Bioshock games. A lot of exploring, collecting supplies, finding secrets and shooting enemies. The battles are prettyThis game is totally worth the money and the time spent. The atmosphere is great. The story is awesome and has some mindblowing twists. Elizabeth is a nice character and helper and it's a pleasure to watch her relationships with Booker. the gameplay is similar to previous Bioshock games. A lot of exploring, collecting supplies, finding secrets and shooting enemies. The battles are pretty boring though. You always try to end them up quick to move the storyline forward.… Expand
  28. Bestpony
    Apr 9, 2013
    7
    It's undoubtedly a triumph of creativity and level design but I think it should have been a first-person adventure game instead of a shooter. Strolling around Columbia with Elizabeth is a great experience and it usually makes you forget that there's almost nothing to do there except go through thousands of crates and barrels. The shooting part, however, is rudimentary, with standardIt's undoubtedly a triumph of creativity and level design but I think it should have been a first-person adventure game instead of a shooter. Strolling around Columbia with Elizabeth is a great experience and it usually makes you forget that there's almost nothing to do there except go through thousands of crates and barrels. The shooting part, however, is rudimentary, with standard weapons and magic powers, no cover system, and an under-utilized magnetic hook mechanic. When you factor in the fact that you are literally immortal and there is no way to fail, even on Hard (I should have tried 1999 Mode), and boredom starts to set in after just a few hours. It's great as an interactive experience, but not really as a game.… Expand
  29. DronScan
    May 24, 2013
    9
    The best of all the bioshock series.
    This game is highly recommended for all the people who want something other than a mindless shooting game.
    You will not regret it.
  30. Spacenakora
    Apr 10, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would love to give this game a ten out of ten. I so would. But alas, I cannot. I cannot fault Bioshock Infinite's beauty, the atmosphere of the city of Columbia. The Immersion of that, the two main characters of Elizabeth and Booker were amazing and enjoyable to have, the luteces were a great twist, I was enjoying the game until the end. Initially I had an amazing look in my eyes as the end played out... but it seemed rushed and all explained within the last ten minutes. A great twist that should of been given an extra 10-20 minutes to play out with multiple choices for the ending (Or even those choices you made earlier in the game actually counting to something)

    The combat brought a few great ideas (the tears and the skyline mostly) but once again only a handful of battles actually used them to a great extent. And some vigors were just... never used by me, they had potential but my play style was just not going to use them.

    However, despite these shortcomings, I come back to the immersion and the enjoyment of the game and thus I give this game a nice, well earnt nine out of ten.    … 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

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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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