Windows Bioshock Infinite (Contains Spoilers)

jabingla2810 · Mar 26, 2013

Let's talk.

Spoiler free post:

I got an early copy of the game and finished it over the weekend, and have been DYING to talk about!

Now it's finally out, how is everyone finding it?

My Spoiler free short review:

I loved it, being a massive fan of the first game I was really worried that I wasn't going to like this new setting, but I had nothing to worry about.

Columbia is such a rich setting, from the beautiful, sun laden posh area's to the down trodden, dark and neglected "hidden" area's, this place seems real, it has depth, history, thick with conflict and cover ups.

I won't get into the story, it's best discovered on your own.

In terms of gameplay, this was by far the best game in the series. Always introducing new mechanics, always pushing forward. The gun combat is smooth, and the vigors add so much fun and variety. The Skylines are a genius addition; they really add an element of verticality to the combat.

There is little to no backtracking, very little in the way of fetch quests, and my personal favourite, no "Cover me while I do this" moments! (Something a grew to loath during Bioshock 2)

Elizabeth, a girl who you are sent to rescue and is with you for most of the game is joy to be around. Its not often you can say that about AI allies! She never gets in the way and actually helps you get out of some sticky situations during combat.

If you are a fan of the series, I'm sure you are already playing this!

If you're new to Bioshock, or even on the fence, I cannot recommend this game enough.

I look forward to hearing your impressions as you play through!

What part are you upto, and what are your thoughts?

SingularityG · Mar 26, 2013

I am still in the part of downloading the damned 20GB.

Towelie1288 · Mar 26, 2013

already pre-loaded cant wait to play later today

Wardenski · Mar 26, 2013

I have a thesis to write

.

I really want to play this game when I have no worries so I can bask. I will try to hang on until I finish my last results chapter.

The surround sound and the quality of the sound effects in Bioshock 1 and 2 (minus the bugs) were some of the best I have ever heard in a video game.

I don't have the largest subwoofer (BK xls200) but the bass the big daddies produced (more so in Bioshock 1) was biblical.

blasto2236 · Mar 26, 2013

I am LOVING it. I've been a huge fan of the series since 2007, but like most I found the sequel to be lackluster.

Infinite has turned all of that around. They've done a fantastic job of recreating that initial experience of exploring Rapture. I think that was my biggest gripe with Bioshock 2. The joys of exploring Rapture for the first time were a big part of the experience, and some of that charm wore off in the sequel.

*Very minor spoilers ahead*

I just got to the part where I've rescued Elizabeth and we are looking for Comstock's airship.

Also, I'm surprised at how smoothly the game is running for me in 1080p. I have a Late 2011 iMac with no upgrades, and the game gives me a warning about my graphics card every time I launch it. But sure enough, it runs at full spec without so much as a hiccup. Pleasantly surprised!

Okay, back to nonstop Infinite.

Cougarcat · Mar 26, 2013

It looks amazing, I'm holding off for the Mac version. I have way too many games to play anyway.

I'm one of those weird people who preferred the sequel over the first game. I felt it had a personal urgency the first game lacked, you had a personal stake in the outcome. The dual-wielding combat was much more fun than the original. I hear Minerva's Den was even better, but I haven't gotten to that yet.

TedM · Mar 26, 2013

I loved the setting of bioshock, but I didn't love the game. I feel like it really missed some good character development / connections. The would you kindly twist wasn't enough for me. But I was still hyped about the new game and also I was wary. Elizabeth is an amazing character so far and I'm really enjoying it.

Hakiroto · Mar 26, 2013

I downloaded it through Steam this afternoon and I managed to play about an hour. So far, so good! I can't wait to get back on it again. Also, it looks amazing on my new iMac!

MRU · Mar 26, 2013

Excellent so far, had a couple of crashes though? Running at 1920x1080 high/ultra settings - framerate locked.

MacPro 2008, 5870 HD, 24Gb ram.

Edit.. Hdmi audio caused crash, disabled all is well.

blasto2236 · Mar 27, 2013

No crashes for me, but I left all the textures, etc. on Normal.

Can we go ahead and start discussing the ending here? Or should I make a new spoilers thread? I beat it last night and almost immediately started playing through again to see how the events at the beginning jive with the ending. I have to say, they did a really great job of building everything slowly, while essentially maintaining a breakneck speed from the moment you find Elizabeth all the way through to the end.

I think this is an almost guaranteed frontrunner for GOTY for me, and possibly of all time. I'm a real sucker for that time period, and they just completely nailed it in every way possible. I think it has even surpassed the original.

I will look back on this generation of gaming as being defined by Bioshock. It ushered in the new era in 2007, and it's closing it out now, 6 years later. I am so glad that there's a studio like Irrational out there that is really interested in telling stories in a meaningful way.

maroot · Mar 27, 2013

Steam

I downloaded Bioshock Infinite last night on my PC through Steam, but was wondering when they come out with the Mac version, if I will be able to download it to my iMac?

That would be nice, but if not...oh well...

Mike

PS. For free, if that wasn't clear.

blasto2236 · Mar 27, 2013

maroot said:
I downloaded Bioshock Infinite last night on my PC through Steam, but was wondering when they come out with the Mac version, if I will be able to download it to my iMac?

That would be nice, but if not...oh well...

Mike

PS. For free, if that wasn't clear.

It depends. One of the Aspyr devs (who are handling the Mac port) have said that it will be available through Steam, and they are hoping that it will be available as a SteamPlay game (ie, free for both if you bought either version), but can't make any guarantees as of yet. It'll be a lucky bonus, but I'll still be booting in to Windows to play Black Mesa anyway, so I can deal with it being Windows only if need be.

dreamsINdigital · Mar 27, 2013

Can anyone comment on how it's running and what mac they have? I'm looking to play on a 2011 MBP with 6750m.

Miharu · Mar 27, 2013

I was going to pick it up for console but then they announced the Mac version. Going to have to wait then.

Towelie1288 · Mar 27, 2013

it is an amazing game !!
really good story and gameplay so far
i am playing it on a iMac late 2012 3.4Ghz 8Gb RAM GTX 680MX all settings on ultra and its super smooth and runs flawless around 60-90 FPS and the graphics are amazing

blasto2236 · Mar 27, 2013

dreamsINdigital said:
Can anyone comment on how it's running and what mac they have? I'm looking to play on a 2011 MBP with 6750m.

I'm basically running the equivelent version of your specs on my iMac and it works great. I don't have any of the textures, etc on high, and those do get a little muddy. Going up to high or ultra is doable but does cause the framerate to slow considerably. The game doesn't lag, it just looks weird.

Anyway, my exact specs:

Late 2011 iMac
2.5 GHz quad-core Intel i5
4GB RAM
AMD Radeon HD 6750M w 512MB of GDDR5 memory
500GB HDD

You should be fine on a similarly spec'd MBP as long as you can deal with muddied textures here and there. Overall the graphics look amazing and the game played very smoothly.

dreamsINdigital · Mar 27, 2013

blasto2236 said:
I'm basically running the equivelent version of your specs on my iMac and it works great. I don't have any of the textures, etc on high, and those do get a little muddy. Going up to high or ultra is doable but does cause the framerate to slow considerably. The game doesn't lag, it just looks weird.

Anyway, my exact specs:

Late 2011 iMac
2.5 GHz quad-core Intel i5
4GB RAM
AMD Radeon HD 6750M w 512MB of GDDR5 memory
500GB HDD

You should be fine on a similarly spec'd MBP as long as you can deal with muddied textures here and there. Overall the graphics look amazing and the game played very smoothly.

Cool, thanks for the input! Were you playing at your native resolution?

blasto2236 · Mar 27, 2013

dreamsINdigital said:
Cool, thanks for the input! Were you playing at your native resolution?

Yep! The game defaulted to 720p but I upped it to 1080 with no issues. I think I also boosted a few of the other stats from "Low" to "Normal" with no problems. I only experienced the framerate drop when going to "High" or "Ultra".

XboxMySocks · Mar 27, 2013

God this game is a masterpiece. So subtle and great with so much story and Portal-like humour lightly tossed on.

utekineir · Mar 27, 2013

running pretty damn well on base 15" rmbp in win 7 x 64 boot camp

jabingla2810 · Mar 28, 2013

SPOILER! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO COMPLETE THE GAME!

So let’s talk about the story.

I’ve been trying to piece it together for a few days now, and my head is starting to hurt, so I need to write this down.

I may be wrong, may be missing pieces, so please, question and correct me if you know better than me!

I’ve kept it as bullet points, because I can’t think of any other way to piece it together!

The Primary Universe

Booker Dewitt refuses baptism to cleanse of his sins during the war.

Has a daughter called Anna, but his wife dies during child birth.

He turns to drink and gambling and gets into debt.

Robert Lutece offers to wipe DeWitt’s debts if he hands over his child.

Dewitt agrees to the deal, but changes his mind at the last minute, resulting in Anna’s little finger being party chopped off as she goes through a tear.

Dewitt syncs further into depression, scoring his daughters initials into his hand. AD.

The Lutece “twins” have mastered the ability to travel between universes and meet up after their deaths in an alternate universe.

With the guilt of what they have done to Dewitt, and knowing Comstock’s future plans for Anna in Columbia, they offer DeWitt the chance of revenge by taking him into Comstock’s universe.

Dewitt is taken to the lighthouse and the game begins.

An alternate universe.

Now it gets complicated, another infinite amount of universes are created at the time of the baptism, and in themBooker DID get baptised, and born again as a new person. Comstock.

He goes on top meet Rosalind Lutece, a brilliant scientist and creates Columbia, as a reaction to his feelings about the war he fought in, and to ultimately seek revenge on the country who sent him there.

Comstock needs an heir to the throne, and somebody to ultimately carry out Columbia’s master plan, but Rosalind’s experiments with tears and multiverse travel leave Comstock infertile, and unable to have his own child.

Rosalind, through the use of multiverses, finds “herself” in Dewitt’s Universe, where she was instead born as a boy, Robert Lutece.

Together, Comstock, Robert and Rosalind, hatch a plan to bring Dewitt’s daughter, who is technically also Comstock’s daughter, to Columbia, to carry on Comstock’s work when he dies.

Dewitt agrees to the deal, but changes his mind at the last minute, resulting in Anna/Elizabeth’s little finger being party chopped off as she goes through a tear.

In Columbia, Comstock renames the girl Elizabeth, and with the Lutece’s discover she has the ability to open and create tears into other universes and times.

The Lutece twins forshadow the return of Dewitt, who will return for his daughter, so Comstock put things in place that will make this almost impossible.

Elizabeth is locked away in a tower, where her powers and abilities are studied and harnessed. A songbird is created to always protect her. Posters all over the city warn of the “False Shepherd” with AD scratched into his hand.

Comstock kills the Lutece “twins” because they know the truth of how he obtained Elizabeth and his master plan.

When this is DeWitt understand this, he knows the only way to stop this cycle from happening, in the infinite amount of ways it has, is to destroy Comstock at the source.

He returns to the time and place the Baptism took place, and lets multiple Elizabeth’s, from multiple universes, drown him.

Things I still don’t understand.

The Syphon. Is this the source of the tears? The reason they can happen?

How can Elizabeth create them? Is it because she has crossed from one universe to another? This would explain the Lutece’s ability to control them.

Random14 · Mar 28, 2013

Great game, really great game. I don't like the ending (I hate sad endings and/or ambiguous ones), but definitely fits with the rest of the game. I shouldn't be surprised after Bioshock (haven't played that one yet, but have read how the plot goes), but I had been hoping for a clear "good" ending. Aside from that its a quality ending, just not to my taste. Although I only got about maybe 2/3 of the voxophones, so I'm possibly missing some more insight into the ending, they help a lot.

Just wish that one recurring boss battle wasn't so annoying. The one near the end, if you've passed that point you can probably guess. I ended up being lazy and just going back to a vendor and restocking on health and RPGs every other minute.

SPOILERS

From what I can tell, the syphon is a "leash" on Elizabeth's power. As she mentioned, she had more control and power when younger, but presumably once they got the syphon tech up and running, they were draining her power ever since. The future Elizabeth mentions taking off the leash, but by then she's already lost too much hope/power to undo most of her timeline, except to bring Booker forward, give him a message and then send him back.

Which is why once its completely destroyed, Elizabeth has all the answers. As for Elizabeth's powers, I think one of the recordings has Lutece basically sum it up as due to her being in the wrong universe, or growing up in one. Or it could be a multiversal constant (a man, a girl with special powers, a lighthouse, something like that). "The universe doesn't like mixing its peas and porridge" or something like that. I'm still not entirely sure on everything, what was real in which world and the chain of events, not to mention a few mental delusions mixed up in there (as the Lutece quote at the beginning mentioned). Even worse for Booker since he jumped at least several worlds.

Not sure I'd call the Luteces the same as Elizabeth. They end up drifting through time due to one of their experiments being sabotaged, but I think there's possibly a time loop involved too, or inevitability or something like that (due to all the Bookers and Elizabeths and Luteces involved). Rosalind apparently doesn't mind her new state as long as she is with her "brother", but he wants to resolve the unfinished business with the girl, leading to the events of the game.

I forget exactly why the Luteces were "killed" as well as why Elizabeht was brought over (and exactly how much Comstock knew, such as various scenes from the game shown in metalwork on the zeppelin). Either just to cover up things, or because Comstock was evil and all that. Not sure the Luteces felt any guilt or just unfinished business either, they were... very odd, apparently even before they were no longer linear.

I'll probably get around to replaying it eventually (running fine on a 2010 iMac, but we'll see how the Mac specs are, the ports usually require more power), so much foreshadowing, but... the ending still leaves me pretty sad (and somewhat confused). And that moment with the singing and the guitar (in-game and during the credits) was awesome.

jabingla2810 · Mar 28, 2013

Random14 said:
Great game,..

I like some of your ideas. I think they make sense.

The Syphon stuff imparticular fits in with my account of things.

At first I shared your feelings of underwhelment with the ending, but the more i've thought about it, the more I've grown to love it.

I still have some blanks in my head, and maybe some wrong theories, but when I try to piece it all together, my head hurts!

There aren't many games that have such a long lasting effect on me.

skottichan · Mar 28, 2013

jabingla2810 said:
SPOILER! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO COMPLETE THE GAME!

So lets talk about the story.

Ive been trying to piece it together for a few days now, and my head is starting to hurt, so I need to write this down.

I may be wrong, may be missing pieces, so please, question and correct me if you know better than me!

Ive kept it as bullet points, because I cant think of any other way to piece it together!

The Primary Universe

Booker Dewitt refuses baptism to cleanse of his sins during the war.

Has a daughter called Anna, but his wife dies during child birth.

He turns to drink and gambling and gets into debt.

Robert Lutece offers to wipe DeWitts debts if he hands over his child.

Dewitt agrees to the deal, but changes his mind at the last minute, resulting in Annas little finger being party chopped off as she goes through a tear.

Dewitt syncs further into depression, scoring his daughters initials into his hand. AD.

The Lutece twins have mastered the ability to travel between universes and meet up after their deaths in an alternate universe.

With the guilt of what they have done to Dewitt, and knowing Comstocks future plans for Anna in Columbia, they offer DeWitt the chance of revenge by taking him into Comstocks universe.

Dewitt is taken to the lighthouse and the game begins.

An alternate universe.

Now it gets complicated, another infinite amount of universes are created at the time of the baptism, and in themBooker DID get baptised, and born again as a new person. Comstock.

He goes on top meet Rosalind Lutece, a brilliant scientist and creates Columbia, as a reaction to his feelings about the war he fought in, and to ultimately seek revenge on the country who sent him there.

Comstock needs an heir to the throne, and somebody to ultimately carry out Columbias master plan, but Rosalinds experiments with tears and multiverse travel leave Comstock infertile, and unable to have his own child.

Rosalind, through the use of multiverses, finds herself in Dewitts Universe, where she was instead born as a boy, Robert Lutece.

Together, Comstock, Robert and Rosalind, hatch a plan to bring Dewitts daughter, who is technically also Comstocks daughter, to Columbia, to carry on Comstocks work when he dies.

Dewitt agrees to the deal, but changes his mind at the last minute, resulting in Anna/Elizabeths little finger being party chopped off as she goes through a tear.

In Columbia, Comstock renames the girl Elizabeth, and with the Luteces discover she has the ability to open and create tears into other universes and times.

The Lutece twins forshadow the return of Dewitt, who will return for his daughter, so Comstock put things in place that will make this almost impossible.

Elizabeth is locked away in a tower, where her powers and abilities are studied and harnessed. A songbird is created to always protect her. Posters all over the city warn of the False Shepherd with AD scratched into his hand.

Comstock kills the Lutece twins because they know the truth of how he obtained Elizabeth and his master plan.

When this is DeWitt understand this, he knows the only way to stop this cycle from happening, in the infinite amount of ways it has, is to destroy Comstock at the source.

He returns to the time and place the Baptism took place, and lets multiple Elizabeths, from multiple universes, drown him.

Things I still dont understand.

The Syphon. Is this the source of the tears? The reason they can happen?

How can Elizabeth create them? Is it because she has crossed from one universe to another? This would explain the Luteces ability to control them.

The Syphon was part one of her "leash" it was to keep her from truly mastering her abilities, but it was also a potential to give Comstock the ability to control her powers (Lady Comstock's tomb is an example of this).

I'm assuming you sat through the credits. My theory to that little bit, the Universe loathes a vacuum, so it created new Prime (Booker & Anna) DeWitts.

I loved the ragtime cover of INXS' "(Everybody Wants to) Rule the World". I was kinda dumbfounded when I found the first "red tear" and heard Creedance spilling out.

I'm curious as to what the DLCs will be. I'm hoping more story stuff, and not just challenge maps.

This is my Game of the Year already, even though I adored Tomb Raider, this blew that out of the water. We'll see how well it stands up to Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls and Remember Me.

blasto2236 · Mar 28, 2013

jabingla2810 said:
I still have some blanks in my head, and maybe some wrong theories, but when I try to piece it all together, my head hurts!

There aren't many games that have such a long lasting effect on me.

Great timeline of events earlier in the thread. I think you've pretty well nailed it.

As for the ending, I was a little disappointed until I watched it a second time and then started the game over again. They do such a good job of building that plot slowly. Much better pacing than the original game.

It's too early to say for sure, but I get the feeling this will end up being one if, if not my absolute favorite game of all time.

Windows Bioshock Infinite (Contains Spoilers)

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