I hope you brushed up on your quantum mechanics and inter-dimensional travel theories because I will be reviewing the latest installment of the Bioshock Universe.

            Created by the original developers of Bioshock, Irrational Games gives us Bioshock: Infinite. Taking place in 1912, you play as one of the most developed characters in the Bioshock series, Booker Dewitt. Two mysterious people tell Booker that he needs to go to a city in the sky to retrieve a girl to wipe away his huge gambling debt. As Booker wakes up on a small boat in the middle of the ocean in a storm, he is given a small box that holds a pistol, a key, and a picture of the girl. Once docked at an abandoned lighthouse, Booker makes his way to the top only to find a door that has a mysterious lock that opens after Booker puts the correct code in. After the door’s lock is unlocked, the lighthouse emits a strange noise, which is found out to be a code to the ship above and the ship blares back the same noises which signals for the door to open and allow Booker safe passage to the city in the sky. Once inside the lighthouse you notice a small red chair which Booker comments on in his trademark sarcasm, with a prompt from the game you seat yourself in the chair and it immediately straps you in and starts a countdown while you and the chair are put into a pod that is shot upward above the clouds, with a robotic voice telling you how high you are above the clouds. Once reaching the maximum height, you are given an amazing view of the city in the sky, Columbia. After taking part in a “baptism” you awaken in a garden surrounded by statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, with people praying to them. After leaving the garden you make your way to an observation deck where a child hands you a telegram from Robert Lutece, a quantum physicist with an odd knack for predicting the “future” that tells Booker to not choose 77 at the raffle. After some walking you come to a carnival where you get your first Vigor, a drink invented by the people of Columbia to give them powers, Possession, and see some of the future enemies you will be facing. Getting past a gate that was closed by a robotic merchant you make it to the raffle and, despite what the letter from Robert said, choose ball number 77. Being declared winner of the raffle you are given a choice of either hitting an interracial couple or Jeremiah Fink, one of the inventors of Vigors, yet no matter what you choose Booker is apprehended by the police and declared the “False Sheppard” by Fink once he sees the initials A.D. on Bookers right hand. After a brief quick time event you must fight off the police and make it to Monument Island where the girl is being held. Fighting through what seems like an army of police you finally make it to Monument Island and make your way up the statue. Nearing the top you come to a room where there are 3 items in containers in front of switches, flipping the switches will change the object just a little bit such as a different color or texture. After leaving the lab you come to an observation room where scientists would watch the girl to see if her powers manifested anymore, after finding the room she is in, you get the first look at the girl. Following her through her tower you eventually hit a dead end where you must get out of the safety of the tower and climb the side of the statue through high winds; once reaching the top you go through a door and immediately fall through the floor and land on the floor of a large library where you are then assaulted by the girl who reveals that she hasn’t actually seen anyone else for years and introduces herself as Elizabeth. A few moments later a statue of the main antagonist, Zachary Hale Comstock, plays a flute-like device and summons the city’s defender, Songbird, a giant metallic bird created by Fink to protect Elizabeth. With the metal monster on its way to kill Booker, Elizabeth attempts to stall Songbird and open a locked door. With no luck in either of her attempts, Booker hands her the key that he received on the boat and they both escape from the tower only to be attacked the entire time. Reaching an elevator, which is destroyed before they can get in, Elizabeth tries to get more information about Booker but is interrupted as they are thrown off the tower and fall to a Sky-Line, a form of high speed transportation, and with the help of a Sky-Hook, and follow the line until it is destroyed and they both fall to an artificial ocean.

            With mechanics that are new and some that are reused from the first Bioshock, Infinite gives the player only two weapons to hold at a time in the right hand but with the addition of being able to use a power in the left hand. Along with the gunfight, Elizabeth will also help you by either providing ammo, health, or Salts, the energy needed to use your Vigors, and provide you with a tactical approach with her Tears, windows or doors that can see into different worlds. As stated before with options of a more tactical approach, players are given a chance to actually strategize rather than go in guns blazing.

             With amazing voice talents from Troy Baker, Courtnee Draper, and Kiff VandenHeuvel, Infinite is an amazing game with both story and graphics. It deserves a solid 9.5 out of 10.