Thoughts on Bioshock Infinite

[Thomas]

http://frictionalgames.blogspot.se/2013/...inite.html

[failedALIAS]

I'd really like to see some discussion of the action-story relationship done with a game like Dishonored, as a parallel to something like Bioshock Infinite. That said, I couldn't agree more with the Combat Design segment.

[failedALIAS]

I have many mixed feelings about the case of removing combat from a game like Shock. But a good point to mention in favor of your proposal, is that when playing the original Bioshock,(and sequel) the biggest source of entertainment I found in it WAS the discovery, fueled by my advancement in the beautifully haunting city of Rapture. Combat to me was indeed fun, but considered nothing more than a diversion, a sweet side dish in my meal. Another food metaphor would be, to say, that every enemy was a single sprinkle on my sundae.
Where with Infinite, I felt as if I were eating a spaghetti; every once and awhile being force fed a gummy worm. And now I'm hungry.

[WALP]

damn I better hurry up an finish it myself so I can read thomas holy words.

[failedALIAS]

damn I better hurry up an finish it myself so I can read thomas holy words.

I don't think there are any spoilers. None I could find.

[Ghieri]

I agree that the game tried to be two different games and failed at both.(Not to say that it still wasn't an amazing experience) It's just that sometimes the story and game play stumbled over each other. Sometimes I tried to play a voxophone and be afraid to move because combat or dialogue would start.

I also agree that the tears were not used to their full potential. They could have been used instead of voxophones, but how would one be able to move and explore while listening?(Not that you could really move before because of the aforementioned problem with them)

Also, I didn't understand why vigors were there, with there being no explanation for them.

[Kreekakon]

Also, I didn't understand why vigors were there, with there being no explanation for them.

Well first of all the main reason they're in the game is Plasmids/Vigors are mostly a staple of the series.

Plotwise it is explained in a Voxophone recording which displays Jeremiah Fink mentioning a brilliant biologist he's observing through a Tear. This is a nod to either Dr. Yi Suchong or Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, which in turn would imply that Fink may have drawn inspiration from their work on Plasmids to manufacture his Vigors.

[Ghieri]

Plotwise it is explained in a Voxophone recording which displays
Jeremiah Fink mentioning a brilliant biologist he's observing through a
Tear. This is a nod to either Dr. Yi Suchong or Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum,
which in turn would imply that Fink may have drawn inspiration from
their work on Plasmids to manufacture his Vigors.

I must have missed that, or I forgot about it.

Though, in the first two games, you actually know the background of plasmids that took a sizable portion of Bioshock to explain. In Bioshock infinite, you just get "We copied bioshock" as the actual, in game explanation? That's not a very strong thread.

You could argue that it would be redundant to create a new explanation, but I think necessary in order to make Columbia stand on it's own feet, and not just be a cheap rip off of Rapture.

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Well first of all the main reason they're in the game is Plasmids/Vigors are mostly a staple of the series.

Yeah if I understood the blog post correctly, that's exactly what he was criticising. Elements like Plasmids and vending machines were in the game just because they "belong" in a Bioshock game, with no thought given on whether it makes sense or not. Almost as if they wanted to make something new but at the same time were afraid of straying too far from familiar territory, resulting in the disconnected feel he's describing. Of course I can't say if he's right, since I haven't played the game yet...

I'd really like to see some discussion of the action-story relationship done with a game like Dishonored, as a parallel to something like Bioshock Infinite. That said, I couldn't agree more with the Combat Design segment.

Oh yes, I'd love to read a comparing article about that, too. Like I said, I haven't played Infinite yet, but I feel that in Dishonored, combat fits very well with the story. It's an integral part of what defines Corvo as a character, in a way - when playing a mostly lethal run, I actually roleplayed him as being so struck by grief and bitter anger over the loss of his love, that he had lost a lot of his sanity and humanity. It was a very engaging experience!

Also the close and personal nature of the killing methods and the fact that you can choose how to deal with an area full of enemies (combat, non-lethal takedowns, stealth, exploring for alternate routes...) helps to avoid a feeling of "clear this room of baddies, then advance with the story".

Last but not least, the powers have a very strong connection to the world and the lore behind it. I only wished they had put more focus on this aspect of the games setting and backstory (with the Outsider and everything) and Corvo's personal motivations instead of focussing on the fairly shallow and boring rebel characters that mainly serve to give you orders.

Now, on to playing Infinite so I can compare them myself!

[Statyk]

http://goo.gl/tbZOr

Gizoogle + Blog entry. Ha.