: In the mean time, someone wrote something that exactly describes how I feel
: about storytelling in games, although probably better and in a less
: inflammatory way than I ever could.

: http://criminalcrackdown.blogspot.com/2011/03/trouble-with-being-batman.html

: I leave it for folks to read, reflect on, and apply to Bioshock Infinite.

Just finished it my first playthough of it and all I can say is "wow".

I have NOT read the above link (avoiding spoilers at the time) but I WILL read it now. First, I'll leave you my review (not having read any others)

Easy to digest Likes / Dislikes

+ It was great, from beginning to end, I enjoyed it all the way.

+ game play was great

+ Adaptable training (the game learning how much "help" to give you) did an excellent job

+ I never once felt like I was being coddled though the game and encounters (you know what I mean, constant hand holding, warnings, screen pop ups)

+ Notifications DID pop up when I was illegitimately (example) forgetting to use things when I had them for a long time

+liked that there was NO telekinesis, made encounters much more engaging.

+The ability they added to...replace(?) telekinesis felt balanced and fair,but....

-by the time I got it I didn't really...need it. Got better at using all the other stuff!

-Didn't really use or take advantage of the clothing modifiers. I know the system was to replace gene tonics from the first game, but I didn't like it the same.

+Liked that it took me HOURS before I earned more than 2 achievements. For me personally, this is one way I know I'm going to like a game. I actually felt that I earned a lot of the achievements, even the ones that are weapon grinding. I think I liked them because for once, I was actually ENJOYING setting up encounters to combine certain guns, vigors (multiple at the same time sometimes!) and environments and enemies.

+Loved that there was no compass glowing and flashing at me every time I wanted to go off the main path (which was pretty much all the time. Shit, for the first 1.5 HOURS I didn't even fire a weapon... and I didn't even care)

Elizabeth's AI

+ I was skeptical of everyone saying how good she was going to be and how you'd never have to babysit her etc. I shouldn't have been. Wow, was I wrong!

+Elizabeth was probably THE BEST NPC I've encountered in an FPS that follows you for 70% of the game. (I wouldn't con't say, Cortana, because she doesn't play like this)

+I never once felt like I had to deviate from how I wanted to play or handle an encounter because
of her presence.

+They did a GREAT job of making feel like I had to protect her (as a player and gentleman :P) even though its apparent that shes invincible. You know how Sgt. Johnson is invincible in Halo 3 but you can see him keep taking damage and never getting killed and how that can kinda...take you out of the moment? That doesn't happen with Elizabeth. She tends to hide when the gloves come off and she flees her hiding place when an enemy comes up on it. While doing that, she still manages to stay close to you and help you out which brings me too...

+ SHE FRIGGIN HELPS YOU OUT, BRO. She will give you any item you need when you are low (if it is nearby on the battle field) such as health, salt or ammo and when things are a little less heated, she helps you find things in rooms, but she doesn't always find stuff. Let me explain: There were several rooms in the game where I would search out every nook and cranny looking for items and I would start to leave when she'd quip "hey, there are some lock picks overhere! you should grab them" and I'd be like "no way, I totally tore this room apart there isn't anything more here" only to find that I was mistaken. She'd also find money when I would miss it.
-She'd also find money every time I'd spend it, which felt odd to me.
-At times during her encounters with you where shes not...happy, she'd still find money and exclaim it happily, which didn't gel with the mood or her tone. "I'm upset with you Booker DeWi- OH LOOK A DOLLAR!!"

+ When I'd be poking around an area longer than she'd care for, she'd huff or sit down in a chair or lean on a wall like I would be doing if she were taking me shoe shopping. This mechanic was very well done and made the experience more believable. Nicely done.
+There were lots of times where I couldn't tell if I was leading her through the streets or if she was leading me. For real.

+I didn't even notice until 3/4ths of way in that why you'd aim your gun at Elizabeth it would go down to a resting position. They made it seamless and not really noticeable When you'd be interacting or talking to her it made it feel more natural.
+Her path-finding was damn near perfect except for two areas (in my play through at least).

- 1.) was when I'd be riding the rails and I land some where really quickly and see her zoom by me missing the jump. NBD, I remember thinking, I'll just wait right here for you to reverse or loop back around..... and I'd wait, and I wouldn't see her. I'd turn around and OMG SHES RIGHT BEHIND ME. That scared me the first time, because she spoke and I wasn't expecting it. I was able to duplicate it several times. So yeah, there is a fault here.

- 2.) Got to a part of the town where a shop was on fire but you could go into it. I stand in fire, I get hurt. K. I look over, and Elizabeth is just standing in the fire, looking at a picture on the wall. Derp.

Aside from those two moments where I was briefly reminded I was playing a video game, everything else was top notch. I hope other studios take note- they made HUGE strides with her. I cared about the character through the game. I didn't think they'd be able to make me but they did.

Enemies

+Opposition felt varied and not as repetitive as BS1 or BS2. Heavy hitters and other special enemies actually felt like a force to be reckoned with and enhanced the normal thugs with bats or guns.

+I found myself rooting for one faction one moment and then hating it (or going "you fools") a while later.

+ Enemies got tougher as the game went, things like more armor and fearsome appearance.

+ I died maybe 5 times on normal and each time I did it was my fault for thinking I was invincible or getting complacent.

- The encounter with the main antagonist was lackluster... to me.

- The "boss" fight at the end was pretty damn fun.

+ Not every encounter has to be a fight, and that was refreshing.

Guns and abilities (vigors)

- Guns didn't really offer anything new to me. Probably more to do with me getting bored with FPSs, but still. There were two classes of weapons for the two factions and they were just direct analogs of each other. Meh.

+ You can only carry two at a time

+ I did not stick with the same 2 guns though the game. I actually switched way way more than I thought I would

+ Melee was fun, varied, and rewarding most times.

- Melee is weak at the end, unless...

+You pick the right clothes to enhance them but...

- Then melee becomes too powerfull and insta-kills most enemies.

+Only a few core vigors this time, each up-gradable.

- Each vigor had the same secondary "trap" ability except for two. Do you want to lay a trap made of fire? Electricity? Crows? A gust of wind? etc.

+Upgrading vigors really makes you think, because they cost lots of $$$ and you don't get a lot for 80% of the game

The payoff

I will not spoil the ending.

I'll say this, there were some things I expected/guessed to see in the ending and they were there, but were different enough that I still went "wow" at the end. The whole way it ended played like a movie, that I was playing. I felt like I was there. Probably the best cinematic (yet playable) experience I've had in a long time. The ending still had SEVERAL twists that really surprised me and WOW. Wow is all I can say.

I would hope that this game will impress even the most cynical and jaded of gamers. However, as with most anything in life, if I spend all my time telling you how great something that's going to prime certain expectations and that can actually ruin the experience. Better to go in with a blank slate and clear mind, I feel.

Still. I really enjoyed this game, I can't wait to play it again to do the encounters differently or make the other choice that I didn't take the first time. Out of all 3, this one surpassed my love of the first, and really made me smile at the end.

Worth my $80 and I will be checking out the DLC for sure now.

9.5/10