BioShock Infinite

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1990 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,653 out of 1990
  2. Mixed: 180 out of 1990
  3. Negative: 157 out of 1990
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  1. sparriskrigaren
    May 27, 2013
    7
    For me, this game is overrated. On the plus side, it's very pretty and has amazing art direction and design.. but on the minus side.. well, the story is not amazing. Really, it isn't. It feels cheap, and filled with obvious "whoooaaaa"- and "AHAAA"-moments. The game holds your hand all the way through and proposes no challenge except for you to push buttons and shoot enemies. You alwaysFor me, this game is overrated. On the plus side, it's very pretty and has amazing art direction and design.. but on the minus side.. well, the story is not amazing. Really, it isn't. It feels cheap, and filled with obvious "whoooaaaa"- and "AHAAA"-moments. The game holds your hand all the way through and proposes no challenge except for you to push buttons and shoot enemies. You always know where to go and the game is more than glad to tell you that. Also the areas are a little repetetive, if it wasn't so damn pretty I'd give it a score 6/10. Average. Parts of the story are really dumb and silly, in the same way "The Da Vinci Code" was. It's like it's made to make stupid people feel smart. I don't know, I'm disappointed.

    Also, the vigors are not very exciting, I ended up not using most of them. You just sort of find them at random, they doesn't feel too connected to the game or gameplay.    … Expand
  2. aadms
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    The story is quite extraordinary, and that's what carries the entire game but the frustrating game mechanics and shooting is below par to give this any higher of a score. I recommend this game as a rental, or buying it half-priced. It takes about 15 hours to play (I died a lot on normal setting), which is better than the average first person shooter, but its ending is such that you'llThe story is quite extraordinary, and that's what carries the entire game but the frustrating game mechanics and shooting is below par to give this any higher of a score. I recommend this game as a rental, or buying it half-priced. It takes about 15 hours to play (I died a lot on normal setting), which is better than the average first person shooter, but its ending is such that you'll never want to play it again. The first person camera frame is too narrow to get an appreciation of your surroundings when you are being attacked from all directions. I haven't seen a camera frame this narrow since Dead Island.. The floating islands of the city are quite spectacular, but your path through it is linear. The populace in the city are all the same and non-interactive. The bottom line is the story is great but is it a fun game to play? No, not really.… Expand
  3. Oxcart
    Apr 7, 2013
    7
    Few games totally upended genres as effectively as the original Bioshock. The weird amalgamation of shooter and sorcery-style gameplay, the settings, the story writing...all of it was fresh, original, and thoroughly unexpected at every turn. Bioshock 2 tried to keep up with that legacy, although didn't quite have the steam (seriously, no pun). So how did Infinite do in keeping up theFew games totally upended genres as effectively as the original Bioshock. The weird amalgamation of shooter and sorcery-style gameplay, the settings, the story writing...all of it was fresh, original, and thoroughly unexpected at every turn. Bioshock 2 tried to keep up with that legacy, although didn't quite have the steam (seriously, no pun). So how did Infinite do in keeping up the Bioshock mantle? In short, it did pretty well. Make no mistake: Infinite is a radical departure from the games that have come before. For a change, you are not in the decaying and (mostly, not quite enough) abandoned city of Rapture, but rather the vibrant and very much alive...and flying, did they mention the flying part?...city of Columbia. Columbia is sort of the mirror-universe evil twin of the America we know and love: it's a place of racial segregation, theocracy, and mindless fervor based on a cult of personality built around a "prophet" whose bolts aren't just loose, they're missing. The other quirk the game design has, and this one is unique among all the games I've seen, is that nearly the entire game is an escort mission, but escorting someone fully capable of handling problems. That someone is Elizabeth, a character so well-designed and well-written that the folks on Irrational's "Liz Squad," the tiger team put together to make sure she was a good addition to the game, clearly all deserve major congratulations and probably a raise. (Read some of the development information to learn more about them.) Let me say this: I hate, capital HATE, escort missions. They annoy me. It's constantly trying to save a brainless AI from itself. I almost decided against Infinite because of Elizabeth, but got it anyway. Glad I did, because Elizabeth isn't your usual escortee. She's tough, very helpful, and never a hindrance. Environments are well-built, thematic, and engaging, not to mention unbelievably creative. So that's a lot of praise...why a 7? A few reasons. One, where environmental graphics are good, the people inhabiting this world are not well rendered; they all have a china doll appearance which is very unsettling. Texture resolutions are generally good, but some of the level decor does suffer from decreased resolution. Interactivity with the world is variable and, while occasionally quite good, does sometimes leave the player wondering why something has no interactions. But perhaps most frustrating is the total lack of directional input on character development. You are locked into the script as it was developed by writers and have no opportunity to make choices...and, frankly, the player's character is really rather a jerk, and that didn't resonate with me at all. Finally, Infinite does follow the Bioshock 2 approach of segmented world progression, meaning that when you leave a sector, there's typically no returning. That's a departure that started with Bioshock 2 and one of my least favorite things about the game. So, points off for poor NPC graphics resolution, the inability to change your character's insufferably-bad attitude, and lack of open worldness (or even its emulation). Still, don't misunderstand: 7 is a good score, and Infinite is well worth your time. It is a true piece of originality in an ocean of the mundane and the ONLY heavy-hitter release in the last three months that didn't leave me severely disappointed (I'm looking at YOU, Colonial Marines). A good and well-earned 7 for Bioshock Infinite, the year's first actual "you really should play this" game.… Expand
  4. osprey
    Apr 8, 2013
    7
    I loved both Bioshock and Bioshock 2 and this game is very good as well but it is not a 10. There are a lot of excellent ideas and all are well executed and the game is beautiful to look at but the atmosphere that was so compelling in the other 2 games is not as rich in this one. I had a lot of fun playing this game but the achievements were a little ordinary as compared with the oldI loved both Bioshock and Bioshock 2 and this game is very good as well but it is not a 10. There are a lot of excellent ideas and all are well executed and the game is beautiful to look at but the atmosphere that was so compelling in the other 2 games is not as rich in this one. I had a lot of fun playing this game but the achievements were a little ordinary as compared with the old games. The game grabbed me most when it referenced the old games so there was some emotional impact but not nearly as much as the old games. This game is worth playing and worth buying to encourage these kind of games being made but while a good effort it lacks the magic of the first 2 games.… Expand
  5. MikeE50
    Jul 2, 2013
    7
    Summary: 7/10, Good but not great. No spoilers review: My enjoyment of this game followed a straight line from 10/10 down to about a 3/10 by the end. The first hour or so should not be missed by any gamer. It's all downhill from there until gameplay is just a chore to endure to continue the story. There is also an unforgivable difficulty spike (yes, on easy) in the last portions. MusicSummary: 7/10, Good but not great. No spoilers review: My enjoyment of this game followed a straight line from 10/10 down to about a 3/10 by the end. The first hour or so should not be missed by any gamer. It's all downhill from there until gameplay is just a chore to endure to continue the story. There is also an unforgivable difficulty spike (yes, on easy) in the last portions. Music was excellent but the sound design had several extremely irritating elements and poor volume mixing that had me constantly muting. Visuals are mixed: most are excellent while others such as the characters are not up to par with recent games. The voice acting by the main characters was generally overshadowed by the lesser characters (Elizabeth being particularly bland--it's a bad sign when a non-talking mechanical bird is more interesting than a main character). My recommendation: play the first half, watch the rest on a video website for the story and visuals.… Expand
  6. xsonic28
    Apr 17, 2013
    7
    Here's the deal. Starts out incredibly slow, like want to throw myself off a bridge slow. Then about 1/3 of the way through it picks up and gets better. Is it the best game I ever played, no, its not even close to the best Bioshock game I've played, but it was entertaining and I did like the story. However the game mechanics leave a lot to be desired and it was WAYY to short. I feel like IHere's the deal. Starts out incredibly slow, like want to throw myself off a bridge slow. Then about 1/3 of the way through it picks up and gets better. Is it the best game I ever played, no, its not even close to the best Bioshock game I've played, but it was entertaining and I did like the story. However the game mechanics leave a lot to be desired and it was WAYY to short. I feel like I barely played it, they should have made it longer. I just think this game is getting good reviews because of the lack of quality games lately... but it doesn't deserve any lower then a 6.… Expand
  7. LiquidGamer
    Apr 24, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When reviewing a game with the Bioshock name it is important to take in to account the games that came before it. In no way does this game compare to the previous titles, but as a standalone game it is worth playing for the overall experience. However, I was not a fan of the majority of the new abilities, my favorite part of the story was the final sequences that were mainly story based with little action or excitement--visiting Rapture gave me memories of what some on Metacritic consider an "overated" game but the first Bioshock was revolutionary--not overated. In this podcaster's experience reviewing games Infinite was a good game but looking at the Critic Reviews, I feel it is overated. Listen to all my reviews on the show, Liquid Gamer Podcast http://waip.tripod.com… Expand
  8. shaun8pickles
    Jun 23, 2013
    7
    So it came out, the game everyone was waiting for. But was it worth waiting for. I say yes, and no. The game is not deserving of its critical acclaim. The game when you get down to nuts and bolts is not amazing. Its good. The story didn't really even blow me away, but it was pretty well written. And the ending was just stupid and left more questions than answers. This games hype wasSo it came out, the game everyone was waiting for. But was it worth waiting for. I say yes, and no. The game is not deserving of its critical acclaim. The game when you get down to nuts and bolts is not amazing. Its good. The story didn't really even blow me away, but it was pretty well written. And the ending was just stupid and left more questions than answers. This games hype was through the roof, and I did not find it to build up to that hype. 1. It was much, much shorter than the first two Bioshocks 2. The ending... What? 3. Replay content is pretty low and I did replay it, and I can say it wasn't worth it 4. Defending the floating ship near the end was a pain 5. The confusing story, don't even get me started. But it did have its pros, I really liked how helpful Elizabeth when she gives you ammo and such. I also liked how they kept vigors, and the enemy types are varied which I liked. I also loved the steam-punk, cartoonish design they gave this game. I also loved the floating city and it how it wasn't linear the whole way through. The games beginning was great, but kinda had a "dip" after that where I lost interest (I did beat the game twice), I honestly think they should have kept the series in Rapture. I would recommend this game to anyone who liked the first two and who like confusing stories.… Expand
  9. Sevendust94
    Mar 27, 2013
    7
    When you fire up this game, you can tell immediately that a lot of money, thought, and time has been put into this game, There are many things that stand out or are innovative. What stands out the most to me? i would say the backdrops and scenery. These are the most detailed surroundings in a game I have ever seen. The graphics are very well done and the game controls are very well done,When you fire up this game, you can tell immediately that a lot of money, thought, and time has been put into this game, There are many things that stand out or are innovative. What stands out the most to me? i would say the backdrops and scenery. These are the most detailed surroundings in a game I have ever seen. The graphics are very well done and the game controls are very well done, although aiming is similar to Bioshock 1, and so it still feels rather imprecise. So why only a 7? You might be surprised, but it is the story that is a letdown. It is the same, tired themes, straight out of evry college and university classroom across America. "America is evil", "the founding fathers were corrupt men", and the super-played out "religion can go too far and is dangerous, especially Christianity"......those narratives are not taking a risk, they are now MAINSTREAM. If you want to be innovative and unique in storytelling, you can spew the same stuff we could easily see or hear on MSNBC, or the BBC, or any college classroom, or Assassins Creed, or movies, or almost any tv series or drama being broadcast today. We have ALREADY seen societies without God or organized religion. The Soviet Union and China in the 1900's? 100 MILLION PEOPLE DEAD.......THOSE ARE THE FALSE UTOPIAS......but sadly, Ken Levine must remind us and drone on about the evils of Christian fundamentalists and so on......what a non risk this is. So tired, so lame, so done a million times before, so false, so silly, so egotistical, an so the easy choice. This isnt new, this isnt being daring....IT IS MAINSTREAM and it has been for years. Remember when young people would rebel against mainstream thought and chose to be different? Young people are not like this anymore. Every college kid thinks the same way now, and they all drink the same kool-aid dished out by their professors, and it seems Ken Levine is no different. Way to be on the cutting edge there Ken.… Expand
  10. ForTheGames
    Mar 27, 2013
    7
    As far as a shooter goes, Infinite is fast and generally gives you something pretty to look at, but if you're looking for a "fresh" experience. I'm not sure this is one.
  11. Auritone
    Aug 15, 2013
    7
    Let’s get this out of the way.
    I’m quite disappointed with Bioshock Infinite.
    I was looking forward to a big world to explore with interesting characters, a great story, and of course some satisfying action to spice things up. What we get with Infinite however, is a game of missed opportunities. Unlike the original Bioshock the beautiful world of Columbia feels more like walking    Let’s get this out of the way.
    I’m quite disappointed with Bioshock Infinite.
    I was looking forward to a big world to explore with interesting characters, a great story, and of course some satisfying action to spice things up.
    What we get with Infinite however, is a game of missed opportunities.
    Unlike the original Bioshock the beautiful world of Columbia feels more like walking through Madame Tussauds than a city. Sure people are doing things, but they all have the feeling of waxworks that you can’t interact with in any way other than listen to their conversations, or, when the action picks up, shoot them in the face.
    A big drawing point of the original Bioshock was the story, which fit perfectly with the setting and the action. In Infinite everything feels a bit disjointed. The idea of the vigors is basically a crossover of the plasmids from the original, which caused the fall of Rapture and so played a part in the original story, but in Infinite they are like most other things in Columbia, just sort of there.
    These vigors are the source of your special powers, but these powers are strangely useless. It doesn’t feel like the action was designed around them as the original was. They feel like something that is there simply because they were in the original, which makes them rather inconsequential. As a matter of fact you can go through the game without using them.
    Then there’s the story. On the surface you get a very humane story of redemption and the frailty of men and human ambitions (along with political commentary), with some very emotional and well voice acted scenes, but the minute you walk through your first tear in time and space is when the story starts to fall apart, and from tear to tear in the fabric of reality, the story opens one problem after another ending in a rather contrived mess.
    Then we have Elisabeth. Now, Elisabeth is largely a well realized character (though there are some serious problems with her in regard to the story), but her presence is both a welcomed addition, because she’s a likeable and interesting character, and a major problem in terms of gameplay. She basically acts as a default lifesaver. You run low on health, she magically finds health. Run low on vigor, she finds salts. Out of ammo, she supplies. Leave a vending machine without buying anything, a lot of coins magically appear at her feet. (For some inexplicable reason she can’t seem to pick up lockpicks even though one of her main abilities is picking locks.) This makes the game a lot easier than it needed to be and removes tension from the fights. Then there’s her ability to apparently render herself invisible to enemies. Considering that your character is there to free her, protect her, and bring her back to New York, it feels very contrived that she’s only in any danger in cutscenes where the player has absolutely no control. During fire fights, where bullets and grenades are flying all over the place, she’s in no danger what so ever. Again this simply removes tension from the fights and undermines the whole idea of you protecting her.
    So what we are left with is basically the FPS which is the main element of the game, and it unfortunately feels a little sluggish. Now, even in the original the FPS elements were not the best parts of the game, but since everything else worked so well, I sort of forgave it its shortcomings in that area. In Infinite it stands out as it’s the only thing that’s actually left for you to do. That is such a shame considering the obvious amount of work and love which went into the realization of the city in the skies and the presentation of the game as a whole. It’s not that the shooting is bad, it’s just not as good as seen in other more “focused” games.
    Now, this may sound extremely negative, but despite its shortcomings I actually enjoyed Infinite.
    It’s a good game!
    It’s a very beautiful, well presented shooter, but it could and should have been so much more.
    I still recommend it, but just realize that behind the beautiful facade there really is nothing much to uncover, and that’s a shame.    … Expand
  12. RunAwayDonut
    Mar 26, 2013
    7
    Bioshock Infinite has great potential, but somehow disappointing at the same time. For me, it a very awesome game, however after you played it, you just feel that something has gone very wrong about the game. The E3 footage has absolutely gone, they weren't in the game. Because if they are, the game might become so much better in presentation because those footage has so much potential.Bioshock Infinite has great potential, but somehow disappointing at the same time. For me, it a very awesome game, however after you played it, you just feel that something has gone very wrong about the game. The E3 footage has absolutely gone, they weren't in the game. Because if they are, the game might become so much better in presentation because those footage has so much potential. What the E3 has shown us is so different than the final presentation of the whole game. For me, I think the original sound effect are awesome, they don't need to change it. The reason is because the sound effect that they are finally using is the same sound effect we have heard over in many games. The E3 Demo shows a store, has gone. I'm so excited to see that store to be honest, but now nothing left. And the postman scene, has also gone as well which disappointed the heck out of me.

    The story is a twist, which we will expect from many games especially in the Bioshock series. To be honest I think that the story is nearly perfect if you are looking at it as a whole. The story has twisted a lot especially in the middle of the game. To be honest, the presentation of the story is a bit bad because most of the time, you are trying to fight to a place to get what you want, then run off. I still remember the level when you go into the Hall of Heros I think, to get a electric virgor which is basically lighting bolt. After the level where to take the Virgor, you found that in the next level, a bunch of them appears in front of you. A Box full of the same virgor showed up in front of you and was just there, like an accident. When I see this I was immediately like WHAT IN THE HECK. And the worst thing is that many things that we used to like about the series has gone. Hacking system has gone and replaced with a virgor which you will get in the very first level. This made me feel that the entire game is missing something very important. The game feel shallowed and empty without these great features that we used to like. And seriously, the gear system is aweful, you are allowed to wear 4 gears, but these gears are quite over powered. Unlike in Bioshock 2, you are allowed to have tons of them but its a headache to choose between them. In this case, Bioshock 2 actually has greater potential and setting systems allowing players to interact with. I found a lot more fun with bioshock 2 than in Bioshock infinite. The thing that I absolutely do not buy about the game is the representation of the storyline. The storyline is fine but the presentation just doesn't feel right. Most of the time you are going to pull, or punch, or what so ever the button, lever. And thats basically all. Oh yeah, and open doors. The voxophones aren't very interesting now, because there were absolutely not much of them. Instead they have view point which is basically a machine that you turn the thingy on the side to see an animation goes. Those aren't very interesting and it just feel like it doesn't make sense at all. Level design is not expressive like before no more, the developer focused too much in combat this time, seriously too much. The game now feels like a Call of Duty campaign. That is not Bioshock. Bioshock should have more expressive scenaries. Where are they?? The sky-lines are disappointing as well because most of the time you are just going around in circles. Picklocks are downright annoying because pick locks are hard to find out-through the world. And the ending, is just.... well... no comment.

    Its not all that bad, apparently the graphics are good, for me I think its still great in the x-box which I played on. Environment is insanely beautiful and it caught my breathe all the time. The design of places are amazing. Somehow weird if you ask me but I love it. The thing that I loved most about the game is the use of language and the propaganda art which we can find them all over the places.They are stunning and very creative. While talking about creativity, Bioshock Infinite has the most creativity that I have seen in all my gaming years. Everything are just so creative, its addicting to look at what the designer's creaivity. Voice acting are great and inspring. Its not a bad game but the developer really have to think about why people play Bioshock. The game feel like a COD campaign, not much different than it because it focuses on combat most of the time. We don't expect that. We expect Bioshock to have great atmosphere and realistic events happening throughout the game, it doesn't have many of those which can be a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT for Bioshock fans. I hope that the developers can rethink about their changes. If the game follows the footage we saw from the E3, the game might have greater value and will at least have its potential, finally feel like a Bioshock game. Thing that doesn't need to improve, has improve. (Combat) The one it needs to improve, doesn't. And there is no fresh idea either. Which is why this game is disappointing.    … Expand
  13. Steveico
    Apr 2, 2013
    7
    Bioshock infinite is a good game. It is not great but it is good. The game had beautiful visuals and a unique art style. Game play wise, the game was OK. It is like a normal FPS shooter which has a cool new feature with sky lines that you can travel through the battlefield quickly. Story wise the game is great. The end actually makes you think and actually feel some emotion for some of theBioshock infinite is a good game. It is not great but it is good. The game had beautiful visuals and a unique art style. Game play wise, the game was OK. It is like a normal FPS shooter which has a cool new feature with sky lines that you can travel through the battlefield quickly. Story wise the game is great. The end actually makes you think and actually feel some emotion for some of the characters. The reason I gave this game a seven is because I felt like it was a bait in switch from the E3 demo. The demo showed a very expansive environment that you can traverse and it made it seem like the game was sort of open world. The enemies also introduced at the E3 demo don't play a big role. The boys of silence and the siren are just bosses that appear once in a specific stage. I also got very annoyed when the game recycled the same boss three times to explain some backstory to the player. You only see the handyman four times. In my opinion the game is worth playing for story but not for gameplay.… Expand
  14. RaunchyRam
    Apr 5, 2013
    7
    General Fanboy Distaste
    Bioshock Infinite is a good game in and of itself. But sadly is has nothing in common with the Bioshock series/franchise, except for a single cutscene. 2K could have independently released this game with a different and cut out that singular cutscene. But it seems they rather use a already thriving name to produce greater sales. I honestly do love the other two    General Fanboy Distaste
    Bioshock Infinite is a good game in and of itself. But sadly is has nothing in common with the Bioshock series/franchise, except for a single cutscene. 2K could have independently released this game with a different and cut out that singular cutscene. But it seems they rather use a already thriving name to produce greater sales. I honestly do love the other two in the series though but this one seemed like a cash in.

    There are no horror aspects, creepy at the slightest, and definitely no "survival" aspects like the others in the series. Ammo and Health items are thrown at you like a Lays Truck that left its hatch open. Just loads and loads of crap flying at you down the freeway. The enemies pose little to no challenge at all, save for the Mechanical Patriots and Handymen. But those enemies are just as easily handled once you get a Usage Deduction Upgrade on your Possession Vigor.

    Oh and yes the Vigors a half arsed drunken wink from across the bar. The Vigors are a rehash of your old favorite Bioshock Plasmids, but they couldn't be bothered to name them what they are.

    Gameplay
    There are quite a few guns, all fill their own little niche. But you can only carry two at any given time! Here is a tip, if you don't care about achievements or trophies then only carry the Carbine and the Volley Gun. Everything else is equally balanced. Other than this small problem the gameplay is fine.

    Vigors are powerful and all equally useful. I found my self only stagnant on one Vigor, Possession. This Vigor allows you to possess machines (and later people), making them give you money or fight for you. But this took out the need for hacking, so no mini game for hacking (which I didn't notice until just now).

    Story And Characters
    The characters are attractive and appealing. Booker has such a tortured past as well as Elizabeth. I can't help but love them. And when I was playing I constantly found myself saying, "I hope neither them die, they're so likeable". And that is what is the biggest problem for me in games, finding a character I "want" to keep alive.

    There is so much story going on at one point my mind wanted to explode. But once I figured it out (through the help of recordings) I loved it. But sadly the story is mystery like and once you know the twist it makes any subsequent playthroughs equivalent to spamming buttons to skip cutscenes. The only fathomable reason I can imagine playing this again is to entertain friends who aren't good at shooters or don't like playing video games.

    Graphics
    The graphics are beautiful, and the art style of some choice enemies are very Bioshock. Everything is bright and colorful, its like I tripped face first and got a Kaleidoscope lodged in my eye. The graphics of the large scale points of interest are beautiful and detailed to great extent.

    But alot of the smaller things that you see more frequently were ignored to make big objects look better. Such as roses on a bush, if you walk past one you can see edges and the backside, they're 2D and flat. Like I cut them out myself and pasted them to the bush!

    Sound
    I never noticed much out of the ordinary. Nothing annoying, other than Songbird's screeching. The voice acting is top notch. I stop everything I'm doing when the characters are talking, so I can give them my undivided attention. Booker De Witt is got the best possible voice actor for him, I can't imagine a single other person who could do better. And the same goes for the rest of the cast.

    Controversy
    This game is RASCIST, but it can't help it, its 1912 kid. The game's setting is in a alternate 1912, on a floating city called Columbia. The man in charge hated Abraham Lincoln and his emancipation. The people of Columbia even worship John Wilkes Booth to some extent, for killing President Lincoln. So of course Black Men, Women, and Children are still slaves or at the least hard laborers with little pay. So if you have a weak stomach for words like "Colored" and other stereotypes you might want to avoid playing. (Note: Its not just blacks that are portrayed negatively, Jews, Chinese, Native Americans, Mexicans, Irish, and anyone who isn't American Caucasian.)

    Overall Opinion
    Despite the negativity, Infinite (I refuse to call it Bioshock), is a pretty good game. Another great in a genre that is beginning to run dry (Single Player Games). But if it wasn't for the numerous raving reviews I wouldn't have bought it at full price.    … Expand
  15. MrLuBurt
    Apr 6, 2013
    7
    BioShock Infinite delivers great gameplay with a wide variety of different playing styles, although I only ended up using only 1 or 2 vigors throughout the whole of the game
    The story line was awful with a very gineric plot and most of the time found myself extremely bored throughout most of the game.

    Overall, even though the plot itself was very bad, the gameplay makes up for it...
  16. mna158
    Apr 22, 2013
    7
    Odd as it seems and no offense to the devs, but I really wanted this to be a Bethesda game. As good a little bit absurd the story and characters were, the designers presented me with a fantastic and interesting world but constrained me to one of the more linear and repetitive games I have played. I've heard it's better on the pc but combat felt jerky at times and the enemies repetitive.Odd as it seems and no offense to the devs, but I really wanted this to be a Bethesda game. As good a little bit absurd the story and characters were, the designers presented me with a fantastic and interesting world but constrained me to one of the more linear and repetitive games I have played. I've heard it's better on the pc but combat felt jerky at times and the enemies repetitive. That said I enjoyed the guns at first and the magic (vigors) a lot. The story was just so slow and convoluted that the revelation at the end left me uncaring. Good game overall, not worth the hype or the replay.… Expand
  17. toddisballin
    Apr 28, 2013
    7
    I liked BioShock Infinite, I didn't love it.

    The gameplay is decent, sometimes it feels like a chore. The story leading up to the "twist" keeps you entertained and Elizabeth is an exciting/interesting character. Whenever I needed ammo, she was there. The ending was...okay? I don't think you can fully understand it without going online and reading 100+ forums/threads. We were    I liked BioShock Infinite, I didn't love it.

    The gameplay is decent, sometimes it feels like a chore. The story leading up to the "twist" keeps you entertained and Elizabeth is an exciting/interesting character. Whenever I needed ammo, she was there.

    The ending was...okay? I don't think you can fully understand it without going online and reading 100+ forums/threads. We were expecting the twist and it probably delivered for some...    … Expand
  18. Viadorn
    May 9, 2013
    7
    Bioshock Infinite is an FPS, albeit one with ambition. It also has one of the most headspinning endings of any game I've ever played (and I've played more than a few). It is a game that I appreciated a great deal more after I'd finished it, and in the days that followed the ending and the story stayed in my mind much more so than the gameplay, which in my opinion was the game's primaryBioshock Infinite is an FPS, albeit one with ambition. It also has one of the most headspinning endings of any game I've ever played (and I've played more than a few). It is a game that I appreciated a great deal more after I'd finished it, and in the days that followed the ending and the story stayed in my mind much more so than the gameplay, which in my opinion was the game's primary weakness.

    The world of Bioshock Infinite Columbia together with Elizabeth, one of the key supporting characters, really bring much of the game to life. Booker, the character you play as, I found to be a very difficult character to relate to and all the way through the game I found this to be a source of frustration. After all, he's basically two arms and a gun who happens to say and do some very stupid things across the course of the game.Though this is likely deliberate.

    Back to the gameplay; in Bioshock we had Plasmids, here we have Vigors. Pretty much the same things, and some of the Vigors are pretty imaginative. And guns, lots of guns. And many, many enemies. I think the sheer volume of combat was what brought the experience down for me, if I'm honest.

    In Bioshock Infinite, you'll often wander into an area, minding your own business, when suddenly, somehow every man and his dog in a mile's radius will not only immediately recognise you, but come charging at you firing weapons, rockets, grenades and allsorts. What the hell!?! All I can say is, Columbia must have the world's greatest optician if so many people can immediately recognise someone they've never met before from 100 yards away and around the corner.

    I found the combat to be complete chaos, and the sheer volume of it made the game something of a chore in my mind. The odd thing about it is, I really enjoyed the original Bioshock, and to a lesser extent Bioshock 2. If there were one thing I could change in Bioshock Infinite, it would be the combat. Having recently finished Far Cry 3 and having enjoyed it immensely, I think Bioshock Infinite suffered somewhat in the inevitable comparison.

    Despite not loving the combat, I plowed on through it because I wanted to get to the story and although some of the twists became predictable (one or two in particular) the story for me was where it's at.

    Thinking back across the story, there's a lot of foreshadowing the events that follow that will likely make replaying the game worthwhile, and for those who can find fun in the combat there's "1999 Mode". As I spent most of the actual year 1999 in an alcohol induced stupour I was initially tempted to check this out until I realised that it was basically the same game again with greater difficulty.

    All told, there's a good time to be had with Bioshock Infinite, it's story, setting characters, and sounds are a cut above those found in the typical modern videogame, and if you like your FPSes, this is likely the game for you.    … Expand
  19. YixsXBL
    May 11, 2013
    7
    Visually amazing, but overall in my humble opinion it wasnt as amazing as everyone is saying, the reason i never ended up beating this game was because i lost 2 hours of progress due to save issues and it just happened to be the part where you backtracked in the future and different paralleled worlds.... that ruined it for me still good just wish that never happened
  20. CaptainCornhole
    May 16, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Does this game live up to all the hype? In some areas it does, in other areas it falls short. The bests aspects of the game are its characters, setting, semantics and story. While the combat is arguably one of the games lower points. In many places the combat seems terribly scripted and some of the level design is awfully generic. And sadly there isn't that much variation in the enemies, the adversaries shown off in the trailer only make brief appearances in the latter half of the game. My biggest gripe however is the plot, I won't spoil anything, but too me it seems like the developers ran out of ideas and came up with a plot twist that would extend the length of the game. Sadly though in the process they throw every thing that was important during the first half out the window, characters, setting and even semantics.

    All that said, it is still a very enjoyable experience, and despite the poor engine optimization I would highly recommend this game.    … Expand
  21. kretell
    Jun 11, 2013
    7
    Id like to say straight of the bat do you think that because you can see the sky you have freedom Bioshock infinite is a good game im not knocking that but there is no freedom here. From trailers i saw I thought that you could travel around Columbia and serch every part in a similar way to a sandbox. No you sense of freedom you feel is because you are in a box that looks like theId like to say straight of the bat do you think that because you can see the sky you have freedom Bioshock infinite is a good game im not knocking that but there is no freedom here. From trailers i saw I thought that you could travel around Columbia and serch every part in a similar way to a sandbox. No you sense of freedom you feel is because you are in a box that looks like the outside. Have you ever seen the Truman show staring Jim Carey This i what bioshock is you love the game because you know no better but if you could go to the edge of that map you would realise that you in a box. yer you have room in your box but your freedom is still restricted. The skylines do not have any freedom to the either yer they can move you from place to place but not multiple places. Most of the time they are a loop anyway and you don't really even need to use them. only time i found it necessary was 2 handyman fights and that's only because i need to move away fast. Rapture in bioshock felt more free than this because even though you were walled in you were made to use every bit of space in every area and often go back for integral story. But in infinite the only time you tend to go back is to pick a lock or find upgrade potions. What im saying is the initial sense of WOW pretty ran out pretty fast for me when i realized that yet again i was playing a very linear FPS.
    Now don't misunderstand me i still enjoyed i don't dislike infinite i did enjoy my time with the game. There were things i enjoyed but nothing really stands out in my mind as memorable. Ive pretty much forgotten what happened in the story i know i was at first trying to take Elizabeth but end up saving her instead. but no moment there really stood out as a WOW moment. bioshock infinite is worth your time but rent it first or at least buy it 2nd hand. Its not as technical as the first game and the world just isnt as engaging.    … Expand
  22. curlzncrush
    Aug 5, 2013
    7
    The opening is so breathtaking and splendorous that it could be played at least a dozen times before the repetitive and often frustrating combat bogs down an intriguing (if somewhat less focused than in previous titles) storyline.
  23. Tzar95
    Dec 5, 2013
    7
    This game is overrated, A good game, not a great one. Critics report it to be on par with half life 2 and the original Bioshock, but Infinite does not deliver. Combat is decent, the game looks good, but its main selling point, the plot, is only slightly better than average.

    At many points the game gives you fake choices, something that seems as it will matter but in reality does not    This game is overrated, A good game, not a great one. Critics report it to be on par with half life 2 and the original Bioshock, but Infinite does not deliver. Combat is decent, the game looks good, but its main selling point, the plot, is only slightly better than average.

    At many points the game gives you fake choices, something that seems as it will matter but in reality does not affect the story. Not even weapon upgrades matter, as they do very little to improve the gun and the upgrade isn't felt like it was in the first two games. Combat has taken a step back, with a two weapon limit, shields, and no health kit or eve/salts storage.

    The main crime this game commits is adding vigors for no good particular reason. In Bioshock, the insanity of it fit perfectly. In infinite, they don't make sense in the context and aren't necessary for combat like they were in the original.

    This game is good, not great, and not to be modeled off of.    … Expand
  24. savionen
    Dec 30, 2014
    7
    Amazing environments, visuals and sound.

    The gameplay gets pretty dull and has the same issues that previous Bioshock games had. They don't throw many unique scenarios at you and would rather just throw more and more enemies at you.

    One of the most overrated stories I've seen in a video game.
  25. NightshadeRaven
    Jun 9, 2015
    7
    It may not be the best FPS ever but there's no denying that BSI is a very good game full of stylish visuals and exciting combat. It's a very satisfying game but didn't hold my interest for more than a few hours.
  26. mackenzie129
    Aug 17, 2016
    7
    This is one of those "unhelpful types" I've met so many people that have played this and not the first one. Honestly as one of those "scary fans" This game isn't as good as the older two Columbia is too lit up and happy to be in the same franchise as the dark gloomy games before. Not to mention this game is pretentious so in fact that it's like Ken had his head up his arse while writingThis is one of those "unhelpful types" I've met so many people that have played this and not the first one. Honestly as one of those "scary fans" This game isn't as good as the older two Columbia is too lit up and happy to be in the same franchise as the dark gloomy games before. Not to mention this game is pretentious so in fact that it's like Ken had his head up his arse while writing the games story. Before you wonder yes I own and have beaten it on all three platforms… Expand
  27. RealJSCarpio
    May 3, 2019
    7
    Soy muy fan de esta saga, pero este ultimo me pareció un juego super desaprovechado, a mi parecer, o deberían haber hecho el juego mas pequeño, con escenarios mas pequeños o haber retrasado su salida, en el primer trailer se mostró algo brutal, con escenarios enormes y un monton de posibilidades en ellos, finalmente en la realidad, estan vacios, practicamente no hay que hacer nada, seSoy muy fan de esta saga, pero este ultimo me pareció un juego super desaprovechado, a mi parecer, o deberían haber hecho el juego mas pequeño, con escenarios mas pequeños o haber retrasado su salida, en el primer trailer se mostró algo brutal, con escenarios enormes y un monton de posibilidades en ellos, finalmente en la realidad, estan vacios, practicamente no hay que hacer nada, se acaba convirtiendo en un matamata, donde te sobran armas y ya no hablar de los poderes, que tienes 500 y realmente le acabas dando uso a dos como mucho, con esto me refiero que la idea era brutal en cuando a jugabilidad si realmente lo hubieran hecho como el primer trailer, pero al final se quedo en eso, una idea mal implementada, poderes y escenarios desaprovechados, una especie de call of duty con lago de esencia de Bioshock, al final hasta se me estaba haciendo largo el juego, como digo no es mal juego y gráficamente es precioso, pero no pasa de ahí, un juego decente, esperaba mucho mas.… Expand
  28. FastTriton
    Apr 24, 2023
    7
    Yes, this game is a must play even after the first part. Great characters and story, music and sound effects, gameplay is basically the same. And the unique world around you is something else.
  29. Yojimbo2015
    Jul 7, 2023
    7
    The Bioshock series takes to the skies, but there's something a lot less atmospheric about airships than a claustrophobic, Jules Verne-esque undersea realm. It's still a pretty game with an interesting story but once again the Achilles heel is the profoundly irritating "respawning" that goes on when you die, which essentially makes combat a tedious exercise in trial and error rather thanThe Bioshock series takes to the skies, but there's something a lot less atmospheric about airships than a claustrophobic, Jules Verne-esque undersea realm. It's still a pretty game with an interesting story but once again the Achilles heel is the profoundly irritating "respawning" that goes on when you die, which essentially makes combat a tedious exercise in trial and error rather than skill; making enemies a nuisance rather than a threat completely undermines what an FPS is supposed to be all about. Good, but not great entirely for this reason.… Expand
  30. Rickin10
    Apr 2, 2013
    6
    Did I miss something? Did Ken Levine on his extended promo tour utter the words, 'Would you kindly give my game an obscenely high score please Mr Reviewer?' Or could it be because the game actually offers us something thought provoking, even profound that screams I AM ART! I AM WORTHY! that reviewers everywhere have been blinded to the GAME'S shortcomings, or scared that they'l be seenDid I miss something? Did Ken Levine on his extended promo tour utter the words, 'Would you kindly give my game an obscenely high score please Mr Reviewer?' Or could it be because the game actually offers us something thought provoking, even profound that screams I AM ART! I AM WORTHY! that reviewers everywhere have been blinded to the GAME'S shortcomings, or scared that they'l be seen as lobotomized COD fan-boys if they fail to gush over this work of art?
    The game starts intriguingly and you'll be in awe the first time you enter Columbia and it's beautifully detailed environment. But once you realise the inhabitants are all a similar, barely functioning model and all your plans of freely soaring along the skylines to reach far off islands is not possible, the whole world is revealed as limited and lifeless as you obediently plod along linear paths with blurry floating boxes hanging teasingly in the distance. When they actually do appear, skylines are limited in their usefulness and just aren't as prevalent or as essential as they should have been. You can't carry any supplies and there is a stupid 2-gun limit which leads to infuriating uncertainty to which guns you should pick, and use your money to upgrade. While we're on the subject, if you want to upgrade these and get the more powerful evolutions of the vigors, be prepared to spend upwards of 40% of the game speed-humping tables, boxes and cupboards, spamming the 'a' button to collect loot between every.single.fight. This is made utterly infuriating in conjunction with one of the most obnoxious autosaves in living memory. There is no manual save and forget about being able to save when you want to quit to, y'know do life stuff. After a while the repetitive formula of fight, ransack, search for items, upgrade, fight, ransack.... becomes excruciating and to your regret you'll start whizzing past all the little details that you know you should be admiring.
    The combat is relentlessly frantic, with uninspired enemies who all have 100% accuracy that mostly just brainless rush you which feels rather archaic. Vigors are fun powered up and when you have enough Salt to utilise them properly but there are few of them that have much effect on the Heavy-Hitters, who are very poor relations to the BIg Daddies of Bioshock.
    The much-hyped Elizabeth is a mixed bag. She is amazingly alive and her facial expressions are great, as are the tears she creates for you in combat, even if again they are rather constrained. Her ability to not need protecting, not get in your way, and throw you much needed supplies during combat initially seems impressive...until you remember that in Bioshock it actually allowed you to carry stuff like health and Eve so you didn't need this artificial crutch. She is also by far the best,most well developed character in the game, constantly evolving like her moods. Refreshingly, she is never treated as a sex-object, and even when she does have a damsel moment, it is merely for you to unshackle her to allow her use her powers again. Even so, the players feels a huge sense of responsibility and protection towards her. However, talk of her as 'revolutionary' is pure hyperbole. The rest of the cast are underused and underdeveloped throughout, only Booker and Comstock receiving any kind of real explanation and satisfactory ending If I had to describe B.I. in one word it would be: limited. Everything in the previews promised genuine gaming evolution, creativity and freedom. Yet somewhere along the way everything seems to have been reined in. Was this down to the much documented troubles in development, this gen's aging hardware, or simply bad design choices. Who knows. What we've ended up with is Bioshock in the sky with some interesting but disappointingly underdeveloped new mechanics, playing second-fiddle to a genuinely profound story. A simultaneously good but hugely disappointing game that fails to live up to what it promised, and is the most critically overrated game since GTA4.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2013
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
8
#8 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Gamers' Temple
    May 27, 2013
    98
    An instant classic that should be kept in a special place in every gamer's collection.
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  2. GameFocus
    May 11, 2013
    87
    BioShock Infinite is a sure-fire game-of-the-year candidate, and definitely one of the standout single-player games of this generation.
    Read full review
  3. GameCritics
    Apr 19, 2013
    70
    Fuzzy-headed narrative and thematically irrelevant auxiliary mechanics make Infinite feel sloppy even when it's working. Combat increases in frequency and decreases in impact after the Hall of Heroes, so for most of its length the game sinks towards a deflated ending rather than rising towards a climax. However, that slow descent starts from a great height, so there is still much to value in Infinite even as it drowns in its own shortcomings.
    Read full review
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