I'm about half way through now. Like you,I marvel at my surroundings in the game constantly. We often take for granted the painstaking detail applied to these type of games. The imagination and skill that is required to bring such a world to life is amazing to me. I hope they publish a book[like they did with Rapture] that I can read. It would be cool to know all the backstory of the events in the game.
My Bioshock night...
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 On 04/05/2013 at 12:29 PM by atrophycosine See More From This User » |
Last night at approximately 12:30AM I beat Bioshock Infinite. While I didn't think it was the mind-blowing affair I had been led to believe from reviews and friends, I have to admit it shed a different light on a subject that has been hashed and re-hashed throughout gaming's history. I don't want to talk about what that is (that's a lie, I really want to talk about what that is, but I can't without giving away too many spoilers), but I will say this: When is a door not a door?
I really liked the story. A lot. It was evident that Ken Levine and company had really put some time and effort (and research) into getting all of the details of the plot devices correct. And that's something I can appreciate. Whether or not the plot devices work the way he wants in real life is a matter of contention, but since this is a work of fiction, I'm willing to suspend a certain amount of disbelief.
The world is beautifully fashioned and absolutely breathtaking. I can't count how many times simply stopped what I was doing in the game in order to experience the sights and sounds of the city itself. Marvelling at the architechture, examining the contents of shelves and boxes, simply looking at and listening to people. The music! Hummingbirds! And exploration has it's own rewards, as well, not just in achievementland, but in simply learning the lore of the world itself. Finding vocal diaries of the residents, viewing newsreel-like movies, becoming enveloped in the world itself. It makes for a more immersive experience, I feel.
The ending will be discussed for weeks or even years on end. At least until someone, whether that be Ken Levine or his staff or even a rabid fan, releases or pins down a definitive explanation for what happened. Until then, people will discuss, debate, engage, and otherwise argue about the meaning of it all. But then again, isn't that what stories like this are supposed to do? Make people interact in order to find the answer, the meaning? There are theories out now, and there will be more posited as more and more people play the game to it's telos. But will there ever be the definitive answer to the "What?" question? Who knows? But, as I heard in a documentary, "Quantum mechanics is the science of possibility."
That's all for me. I hope I didn't give too much away. If I did, my most sincere apologies, because I really want people who are playing this or who are are going to play this to know very little going into the game so that they may draw their own conclusions. Either way, if you're playing it for the first time, I envy you and your marvelous new journey. If you're planning to play it at a later date, I can't wait to hear what your first impressions are. And if you've decided to stay away from it, then nothing I can say will probably change your mind. But I hope I can, and I hope you do.
~B out
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