14) Bioshock Infinite {2013}Alright, here is my second to last modern AAA game, and could be one of my last ever at this rate. It also is my last modern AAA game that was on multiple platforms. So fair warning here!
I will probably repeat what has already been said. But I will try to not do too much of that, including repeating myself too much.
My only disappointment with this game was the gameplay mechanics. I know Bioshock/System Shock were not known for fantastic improvements in AI and gameplay. More so it seems it was about the RPG elements, and game narrative. But still, it’s 2013 for this game- I still feel like I’m playing Doom for a lot of these games. However, the battles I had were epic. The open feel of the spaces allowed me to take different approaches. So I would spend 30-60 minutes I think on some of them. This was a nice contrast to Bioshock, with the natural closed nature of Rapture. Those Handymen battles were a giant pain, and were the somewhat equivalent of Big Daddies. Although Big Daddies were more numerous, and a more creepy concept overall. The Handyman battles were more chaotic for me, and more scary.
An Eff you to the Songbird battle. At first I enjoyed it, but reading opinions about it, the battle ratcheted up the difficulty WAAYYYY too much. But the hardest battle should be the finale battles.
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The story is amazing. I still do not fully understand everything about it, but that doesn’t detract from it. It is more amazing the more I think about it, or just stuff happens in my life. I generally don’t put stock into the infinite universes. But something that really hit close to home was the this Booker took this path, this one also did, but those other ones didn’t. Like life decisions we make, there is always at least one alternate path. And what does that create?
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Almost as good as the story was the environment. I know Bioshock1 gets all the praise for Rapture, as it has in this thread. And rightfully so. But I legit felt like it was the early 1900’s here. Everything was done so well. And of course there is the racial inequality at the forefront basically. But the immersive details in the game were amazing.
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Comstock does not trump Andrew Ryan as a villain, or his overall character. His motivations were weak to me, where as Ryan was done so well and made sense. That said, Bioshock1 as I said here lost WAY too much steam IMO after Ryan. The game’s highpoint was there, and that was 66% into the game at best. Infinite’s twist went ALL THE WAY to the end. But the game kept going, and truly did end brilliantly. The peak was no doubt at the end. I loved how you were able to walk around still as the story was unfolding.
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***QB Eagles, QB Bills, QB Browns, Bo Jackson***