Bioshock Infinite: Who Knew How Pretty 1912 Was?

Hype in this current gaming climate can be dangerous. Every few months, a torrent of hype builds around something in gaming that, for better or worse, stirs gamers into a frenzy. This latest thing happens to be the third installment in a franchise that has seen amazing highs and the sting of utter mediocrity. It was lauded with so much praise that it hearkened to memories of Daikatana, or more recently the utter trainwreck that was Duke Nukem Forever. This game is Bioshock Infinite, and while it was an awesome game and easily one of the best titles to be released this console generation, it was bogged down by expectations that no video game could possibly live up to.

While the first two Bioshock titles were set in the underwater city of Rapture, Infinite is set in the flying city of Columbia, decades before the events of the first game in the series.The player takes control of a man named Booker Dewitt who is charged with rescuing a girl named Elizabeth from a tower in Columbia. Dewitt's arrival and subsequent actions within the confines of Columbia prove to cause a considerable ruckus, pulling the pair into a rebellion among the primarily Black poor population of the city, pitting you at odds with what initially appears to be the supernatural. The story takes twists and turns and involves a twist that you may not see coming if you aren't heavy into science fiction stories.

Gameplay is well done, yet nothing new. Bioshock Infinite is at it's core a First Person Shooter, and you have to appreciate that genre and it's quirks in order to even remotely enjoy this game. All the elements needed to make this a great shooter are present, though: fast paced action, enemy AI that isn't utterly idiotic, responsive control, and Elizabeth's special abilities prove to be quite the asset. Boss fights in Bioshock are quite epic in the grand scheme of things, and there's a moment where the character you initially think will be your final boss fight ends up being quite an ally. The weapon variety is pretty solid, with standard fare like machine guns, shotguns, pistols, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. Then there are the Vigors, which serves as the replacements for the Plasmids from the first two games. They run the range of defensive and offensive abilities from enemy possession to elemental attacks. It's all pretty cool, but nothing that hasn't been done before.

The best part of this game, besides it's obvious good looks,  has to be Elizabeth, as she serves as more of an assistant that a damsel. she will regularly find health and ammo refills during battles and money during calmer moments and she she picks locks during the game, making it possible to access new areas and find new items. Her presence in the game is definitely welcome, as she turns the damsel in distress trope regularly seen in games on it's head. Another notable character is the leader of the Vox Populi movement, Daisy Fitzroy. Fitzroy is the primary character of color in the game, and as leader of this rebellion movement, she proves to be a formidable character. It's sad that she doesn't take a larger role in the game, and she would be a strong playable character for upcoming DLC.

Bioshock Infinite is a solid game with stronger story elements and aesthetics than gameplay. It's easily one of the best games of this console generation, but given the general overall quality of many "major" releases this console generation, that may not be saying much. That isn't to say Bioshock Infinite isn't worth a purchase. If you need something truly special gameplay wise to get you to pay $60 or more for a game, you may want to wait for this one to drop in price.

Borderlands 2 = LOOT!!!!!!!

                In October 2009, GearBox and 2K Games released a video game that a lot of people overlooked initially. They released Borderlands which was a First Person Shooter with RPG elements built in. It was a well put together game that left the gaming community anticipating the sequel.  Move the clock forward three years and Borderlands 2 has come out just in time for the holiday season.  Borderlands 2 adds new playable characters, an actual villain, and the one thing that made the first Borderlands such a fun game, LOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

                When you first start playing Borderlands 2, you have to decide which character class you will choose. The class choices are Siren, Engineer, Assassin, Mecromancer, and Gunserker.  Each character has a different talent that you unlock at level 5.  Every time you level up you get a skill point to assign to a different skill tree. Each character has 3 skill trees that vary depending on the character. After you have decided on your character class you start the game and are immediately introduced to the antagonist of the game.  Unlike the first Borderlands, this game has a clear villain.  His name is Handsome Jack, and he spends a lot of time verbally harassing you.  The whole story revolves around you trying to stop Handsome Jack from gathering Eridium and awakening “The Warrior”, a mystical entity that can destroy the world. During your play through you will encounter characters from the previous installment that are there to help you on your journey.  Also different areas that you visited in the first game make an appearance in this game as well like Fyrestone, which was the place you first visited at the start of Borderlands.  While there is a lot going on with the story, what keeps Borderlands 2 as a huge game are the plethora of side mission. The good and sometimes bad idea about having a lot of missions is that they have a chance at becoming repetitive, but there are such a variety of missions that you will never get bored playing them.

                Gameplay in Borderlands 2 is very streamlined and simple. If you have played a First Person Shooter before, then you have an idea at what the button layout is. While Borderlands 2 is a very good single player game, it is best played with a group of people online.  Up to 4 players can play together in an online Co-Op game and fight the good fight to defeat handsome Jack.  The Co-Op aspect of Borderlands 2 was the major selling point to this game.  Adding more players to the game not only increases the difficulty of the enemies you are facing, but it also gives you better loot, whether it is Grenades, Shields, Guns, Relics, or Class Mods.  Nothing is more pleasing than trading loot with your fellow players. Maybe one player is better at using a Sniper Rifle where as you are better with Shotguns. This allows you and your team to play to each other strengths.   

                Overall Borderlands 2 is a great game, but it is not without its flaws. During my pIaythrough I experienced a lot of texture pop-ins when entering new areas and opening containers.  Also during my initial playthrough I received a lot of fire elemental weapons, which isn’t a bad thing, but a vast majority of enemies I faced were fire resistant.  These problem may vary depending on your console (Xbox360 or PS3), but they are small problems and do not take away from the game itself.  I would say if you are looking for a great FPS with RPG elements attached, and gameplay that keeps you wanting to continue playing, then I would suggest you pick up a copy of Borderlands 2.  Being that this game recently came out; it will run you about $50 - $60.  If you can afford it, pick up a copy next time you see one.