BioShock Infinite

Bioshock infinite is one of my favorite games of all time,
The story is beautiful, the game is beautiful, its in general just a masterpiece.
I remember when i was about 5 or 6 years old, i would play this game with my brother because we loved Bioshock as a whole and we would take turns on the Xbox controller just playing through the entire campaign. I was never fully able to finish the game with him because he passed away about 6 months later from neuroblastoma and i played through the game a while ago as i saw it was on sale. When i went through the story, i couldn't help but cry just while playing it, at the story and also at the nostalgic memories this game has given me during that time. When i finished the game i really felt happy because i felt like i finished the game we weren't able to finish all that time ago.
This isn't a review, but rather just my story with this game and my love for it. I doubt anybody will find this but i appreciate you for reading if you have.

Racist Mormons build airships so they can practice racism more efficiently in their floating ethnostate. As John Bioshock it is your task to retrieve an inter-dimensional orphan in order to end racism and restore order to the universe.

I know that some people are still bitter about the Bioshock Infinite we could have gotten. Those criticisms are valid as a matter of opinion, but after this recent replay, I firmly believe that much of the audience was, and still is, far too hard on this game. It's brilliant, cerebral, and has aged very well. It's not perfect, but it's still my favorite Bioshock game. I only have two real criticisms, one big and one small. But first, some praise.
The presentation is wonderful. The art style is consistent, and there's tons of detail packed into each level. More importantly, the aesthetics reinforce the ideology of Columbia. The patriotic iconography, sanitized propaganda, and romanticized Americana all feed directly into the game’s themes. I adore the bizarre twist on Colonial Revival architecture, and it bleeds into everything. Outfits, enemy design (especially the robots), and weapons. The music is exceptional, and I love each and every one of the little musical stings that trigger during gameplay.
The gameplay is of its time, but still works well for me. Two-gun shooters were all the rage, but the traversal mechanics, Vigors, snappy gunplay, and Elizabeth's tear mechanics keep it from feeling like a thirteen year old piece of software. However, I do have some nitpicks about the gameplay to be explored later.
The voice cast is incredible. Courtnee Draper as Elizabeth is my all-time favorite voice performance in a video game. Elizabeth herself is an absolute standout from a gameplay perspective. I would consider her to be one of the medium’s strongest companion characters, both mechanically and emotionally. Her curiosity, awkwardness, and gradual understanding of the world around her make Columbia feel human. She never feels like a lame AI companion that only follows rigid scripting. You never have to babysit her, and the way she helps you in battle feels awesome.
The narrative touches on many sensitive subjects, especially race, the dangers of organized religion, and class dynamics. Not every aspect is handled perfectly, but I still respect how willing the game is to engage with uncomfortable ideas at all. It's shocking at times, but feels both warranted and earned. It holds up a mirror to America, religion, and the human condition itself. I fear that games like this might not be made anymore due to those types of subject matter, at least to the same extent as this one.
My big criticism of this game is that it simply tries to do too much. The narrative is excellent, but tries to tackle so much that some parts do feel stretched thin. It's a superb science fiction story mixed with a critical analysis of American and religious exceptionalism. As time goes on and I get older, all of it resonates deeper. As my understanding of the world, human nature, and history grows, so does my grasp of the concept that beyond the whole floating city thing and magic god-powers, all of the narrative is perfectly plausible in terms of character motivations and ideological drive. The writers simply understand human nature. Booker and Comstock work especially well narratively; their characters explore guilt, reinvention, and the danger of convincing yourself that your worst actions were somehow necessary.
My small criticism is a slight feeling of gameplay redundancy. Many of the Vigors sort of do the same thing, and many guns share ideal use cases. The upgrade economy also encourages players to commit to a chosen loadout early rather than experiment broadly. You can beat this game on most of the difficulties with only the starter pistol (my favorite weapon, mostly due to the sound effects) and one Vigor (Murder of Crows my beloved) without much trouble. On one hand this is fine, it lets players choose what they like the most thematically for their playthrough, but on the other, I would have preferred more diversity in the weapons and Vigors.
This remains a personal favorite game, even after all these years. I still remember my very first playthrough on the Xbox 360 way back in the day, and I imagine I'll keep coming back every few years to keep that memory fresh. The ending still lands for me. Even knowing every twist beforehand, it remains emotionally effective and visually memorable. I just love it.

An absolute masterpiece. My favorite. One of a kind.
When I finished this game for the first time, back in 2018, I was left with countless questions and emotions. The narrative is so dramatic and well written that it could easily compete with best-selling books on the New York Times list. It unfolds like a puzzle you slowly piece together throughout the game. Allegories and metaphors are everywhere, encouraging you to think and analyze not just shoot.
Female characters rarely get meaningful space in video games, and when they do, they are often shallow and underdeveloped. Here, Elizabeth is the heart of the game. She and the player character form a deep connection, and you genuinely begin to care about her. At times, I even found myself forgetting that Elizabeth was, in fact, an NPC (Irrational Games deserves immense praise for what they achieved).
As for the visuals, I must say as an architect that Columbia is a breathtaking place (though, personally, I would still choose Rapture). Here, the city is also part of the narrative, but not as structurally essential or central as Rapture was.
It is impossible to play this game and still think that video games cannot be art. The attention to detail in every aspect is astonishing; from the lighting and pacing to the music and visuals. The game explores a myriad of complex themes, including (among others) the dangers of religious absolutism, racism, love, loss, and the human desire for redemption. It feels like an outstanding and emotionally powerful book that you read with complete focus.
And when you reach the end… Well… you will be surprised.

usually i like to post goofy reviews but holy sh1t what did i just play. i dont think i've seen such an interesting concept in any video game series ever. this is one of the best games i've ever played.
ps: use the autohotkey script for iron sights.

I don't like Bioshock 1. I've tried it 800 times and it just never sticks.

I bought this on sale forever ago, fully expecting that I wouldn't like it, thinking maybe I'd refund it after giving it a shot. Instead, I sat there and beat the game in one sitting. I could not stop. I was so invested in the setting, and there was something interesting around every corner.

I'm a healthier gamer these days, but I'll always remember my irresponsible binge session with this one. The first 20 minutes were the most beautiful thing I'd seen in gaming, and the entire ending blew my mind.

BioShock Infinite will always remind me why video games are art.
I've played this game for the first time long time ago back when I was still just a dumb teenager. I returned to it after all this years and the amount of nostalgia just killed me. Literally. The opening sequence makes me feel so emotional. When I heard the beautiful choir singing "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" after landing in Columbia, tears started to flow down my cheeks. I just froze in place for good 15 minutes remembering the old... let's say not so good days of my life.
The vibes of this game are just immaculate, the world building is insanely good and Elizabeth is a very well written character. Twelve years have passed since the release and none of the modern FPS games could capture the feeling of this masterpiece for me.