14 DAY TRIAL // 
Without a doubt one of the biggest games of this generation was the original BioShock, as developer Irrational Games managed to deliver a never-before-seen narrative set in a unique environment, the underwater city of Rapture, with many great characters and a twist that won't be forgotten by players.
Now, Irrational has the job of surpassing its seminal piece with BioShock Infinite, a game that changes practically everything as it's set earlier in time, in a parallel universe, and on a floating city named Columbia.
The story is also changed although some gameplay mechanics have remained the same, as it's still a first-person shooter and you still get to wield different powers besides actual guns.
Does BioShock Infinite manage to reach or surpass the benchmark set by the original or should it be thrown off Columbia? Let's find out.
Story
Without a doubt one of the main selling points of BioShock was its unique story that critiqued objectivism and had a major twist that left its mark on a generation of gamers.
BioShock Infinite's story is drastically different, focusing on Booker DeWitt, a former government agent with great debts to nefarious individuals and, in order to survive his past, he needs to travel to the floating city of Columbia and rescue a young girl called Elizabeth.
On Columbia, things are radically different than in BioShock's Rapture, as Booker reaches the city while it's in a Golden Age of harmony under the watchful eye of Father Comstock, a messianic figure that leads the residents of the floating city.
Under the utopic surface, however, all is not well as two warring factions start opposing one another, in the form of the aristocratic Founders, who want to keep Columbia pure against the foreign invaders, and the Vox Populi, who want a more anarchic democracy in the floating city.
Booker and Elizabeth must navigate this conflict in order to reach safety but, as you can imagine, that's easier said than done, largely because Elizabeth is more than just a young girl, as her ability to open interdimensional rifts makes her extremely important to Comstock, who'll send many hulking enemies after her and Booker.
While there isn't a major twist, the ending of Infinite is definitely one of the most impressive and clashes wildly with the hectic finale of the original BioShock.
Gameplay
While the story definitely impresses, BioShock Infinite is still a game and a great one in fact. It's a first-person shooter and the actual shooting mechanics are very well done. All weapons feel different in Booker's hands and many have a feeling of weight and can easily stop foes in their tracks.
Besides using all sorts of weapons, Booker's offensive abilities are bolstered by the use of Vigors, which are similar to BioShock's Plasmids. These range from summoning a flock of crows to devour or at least distract your enemies, to a vigor that allows Booker to control turrets or mechanized enemies like the Patriots.
You can deploy these powers either as ranged attacks or by setting them up as traps. Combining different vigors while pumping enemies full of the more traditional lead is always impressive and you even get to improve these abilities by buying upgrades or by using different accessories like hats, pants, or boots.
Besides shooting your weapons and vigors, players can also explore Columbia by using the Skyhook on the city's skylines. Basically, while they act as lines for a tram, these things are essential in quickly zipping about and navigating the battlefield.
Elizabeth also plays an important role in combat as while the AI-controlled girl may look innocent, she is quite resourceful and powerful. She can help Booker by throwing him ammo or vigor salts, but also by opening tears in the dimension in order to summon turrets and other handy items.
In terms of her intelligence, Elizabeth is very smart and the various mechanics, from the animation to the voice acting and scripting all result in a lifelike companion that slowly forges not just a meaningful relationship with Booker but also with the player.
When you combine all these elements, BioShock Infinite truly shines and combat becomes a stunning experience that won't get exhausting anytime soon. You can skyhook your way around the battlefield, unleashing vigors at unsuspecting foes and then shoot them from afar or from close range. Throw in Elizabeth's help and her ability to open tears that contain resources, weapons, or other items, and you have a great combat system.
Enemies are pretty varied, as while you'll certainly face off against regular foes, either belonging to the Founders or the Vox Populi, you'll also encounter a variety of special enemies, from the hulking Handyman, to the Boys of Silence or the giant Songbird, which doesn't take too kindly to Booker freeing Elizabeth from her tower.
Level design is stunning to say the least, as the city of Columbia looks and fells unlike anything seen before. From its dramatic and imposing visual style, to its layout that feels like the one in an actual city, Columbia will certainly impress players, although there are a few moments when you're forced through more linear segments or to backtrack to start areas.
There are a few complaints, like Elizabeth sometimes not moving when she's required or with different invisible obstacles that prevent Booker from going forward but, in the end, BioShock Infinite does so many great things in terms of gameplay that most of the small inconveniences can be forgotten and might even be eliminated through patches and updates.
Visuals and Sound
BioShock Infinite is a stunning game and, at least on the PC, it truly shines through all sorts of impressive options that take advantage of current graphics cards. The stylized visuals and the dramatic effects work together to paint a gorgeous experience that will certainly delight players through most of the story.
The varied enemy design, ranging from the brutish Handyman to the cold Mechanized Patriot or the imposing Songbird, all the foes encountered by Booker look and behave like true opponents.
In terms of sound, the game performs flawlessly, with the voice acting turning both Booker and Elizabeth into lifelike characters who react to the crazy events surrounding them in drastically different ways. You can tell just by their tones that Booker has a violent past while Elizabeth has literally been raised in an isolated tower away from society and all of its beautiful or ugly facets.
The soundtrack is also imposing, combining orchestral music with licensed tracks that bring Columbia to life and make players feel like the floating city could have had a place in our own history.
Conclusion
BioShock Infinite is a stunning game that not only has a great story but also plays superbly with tight mechanics and intelligent AI, both in terms of Elizabeth but also in terms of the different enemies encountered by Booker. It currently has a few technical flaws, but most players won't even give them a second thought.
When compared with the original BioShock, it's hard to pick the best game as while they share the name and some of the mechanics, they each have their own strengths. While arguably BioShock 1 had the better story with the stunning twist, Infinite's gameplay is much more refined and action-filled throughout the plot.
