Bioshock Infinite is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had with a video game. Every aspect of this game is of such a high quality that it was all that I was able to do and think about since it was released. Video games this good do not come along often, it is a game that will talked and argued about for years. It is incredibly ambitious and while it does falter every once in a while the overall experience is mesmerizing. 

The city of Cloumbia is the single most alive and well realized video game location ever created. From the second you enter the city you will be completely overwhelmed by all of the amazing attention to detail and fantastic art direction. This is one of the most awe inspiring games I have ever seen. My jaw was open in wide eyed wonder throughout the entire game. Every new area was just as stunning as the last and the environment is littered with audio diaries and other clues as the what is going on in this city. The fiction and mystery behind the city is fascinating and was the main driving force for me to having to play the game as much as I possibly could. The music and sound design is also stellar and really helps in creating the games atmosphere. 

The story of Infinite is impressive for a multitude of reasons. It features some amazing voice acting and writing that really bring Booker and Elizabeth to life. The facial animations of Elizabeth really are amazing and help make her one of the most unforgettable characters in any game I have ever played. Booker and Elizabeth’s relationship grows over the course of the game and by the end of it I needed to protect Elizabeth, not because the game was telling me I had to but because I honestly cared about her. Among all of the other amazing accomplishments of this game, Elizabeth is perhaps the most impressive. The relationship that grow between her and the player makes everything that happens in the game seem vital.  

The plot of the game is not at all predictable and always surprising. The game is constantly giving you little hints and clues as to what is really going on but they never give it away. The ending took me completely by surprise. I had no idea what was coming, but now that I have seen it the rest of the game perfectly builds up to it. After finishing the game I thought about everything I saw that I didn’t understand and it all makes sense. It makes me want to go back and play the whole thing again immediately so I can see all the subtle clues and make sense of them. It is a perfect ending that even makes the title of the game make sense. I wont say anything else about the story so I don’t spoil it, but know that is probably the best story ever in a video game that touches on a bunch of interesting themes like racism, nationalism, religion and even video games themselves.  

Bioshock Infinite is also just a really fun playing video game. The combat still feels very much like Bioshock but with some really great improvements. You still have plasmids, or vigors as they are called in this game, and you upgrade them throughout the game. There are eight Vigors in the game and they are all fun to use and offer different ways to play the game. There is also the skyline system which creates some of the most exciting fire fights I have ever had. Attacking enemies from the skyline is exhilarating and just looks cool as hell. There are a bunch of different types of enemies as well and they are all interesting in their own way even if none of them are as iconic as the big daddy. 

Bioshock Infinite is a tremendous achievement. It feels like I have been waiting for a video game to reach these heights my whole life. Infinite perfectly combines an amazingly well playing traditional game experience that we all love with an incredible plot and characters with adult themes that really makes you think. Most games are either a really fun well playing adventure with an average story or they have an amazing story but have to sacrifice some of the gameplay to make it work. Infinite has it all. One of the greatest games of all time that every gamer needs to experience.    

10/10

Dead Space 3 takes the series even further away from it’s horror roots. Dead Space 3 abandons horror and focuses all of it’s attention on becoming an action game. That will probably be very disappointing for players looking for atmospheric horror game in the vein of the original. The game still sports some incredible visuals in some areas but most of your time is spent in corridors and rooms that look just like the room that came before it. The previous games had a great sense of place and you felt like the USG Ishimura and Sprawl were places you had actually visited. Dead Space 3 has none of this. The early parts take place on an old fleet of war ships and contain some amazing space walk segments, but the majority of the game takes place on an ice planet. This ice planet looks great when you first arrive but the environment quickly becomes repetitive and I found myself missing the space segments from the beginning of the game. 

The story is also sub par. I found the 1st games silent protagonist to be the best way to handle the story in these games. The original Dead Space was all about atmosphere and barely told a story and was better for it. Isaac talking in Dead Space 2 did not really bother me because you were still alone for the majority of the game. In Dead Space 3 everyone talks all the time and none of it is interesting. The focus on telling a story detracts from the mystery and horror of the first game. 

Still, even with all these problems Dead Space 3 is a terrific playing action game. The weapons feel extremely powerful and the enemies explode real good. Blowing monsters apart with shotguns, saws and plasma cutters is amazingly satisfying. There is also a new weapon crafting system which actually works really well and allows you to create some truly unique weapons. The enemy encounters are not exactly creative but I never grew tired of fighting necromorphs throughout the games 11 hour campaign. The game also has co-op but I played the entire game by myself so I can not speak to how well it was implemented, but I can say that the inclusion of co-op does not take away from the single player experience in any notable way.  

Dead Space 3 left me feeling unsure about the future of this franchise. It seems to have forgotten what made it originally so compelling and unique but the gameplay is up there with the best in the action genre. I had a ton of fun blasting my through the game but I feel like Dead Space has lost it’s identity and has become just another shooter. A great shooter, but gaming is flooded with great shooters today and I was left wanting more.     

7.5