BioShock Infinite was a critical darling on its release in 2013, and it’s also a certified sales success across numerous platforms. A few months after its hyped-up launch, it stepped aboard a crazy proverbial rollercoaster of oscillating fan response and journalistic reflection, leaping between “beloved” and “loathed” with reckless abandon.
A quick internet search reveals equal numbers of articles about how it’s terrible, beloved, overlooked, underrated, and overrated, and these endless reversals show no signs of stopping.
At its core, Infinite is a breezy combat-focused first-person shooter video game. That’s a notable change from its two predecessors, which have much more in common with the System Shock games and the “Immersive Sim” genre. The first two BioShocks present the player with equal amounts of narrative, exploration, creepy ambience, and fun action combat, and they’re designed to balance slow thoughtful moments with player-driven carnage.
