BioShock Infinite

Following my underwater return with BioShock 2, 2013 brought the time for the grand, magnificent conclusion to the trilogy. The "father" of the franchise, Ken Levine, made a triumphant return to the helm (confirming the rumors that 2K was secretly keeping him busy), and instead of taking me back to the dark corridors of Rapture, he literally threw me into the clouds, introducing Columbia—a beautiful, flying city of 1912.

However, don't let the bright sun and vibrant visuals fool you. Behind the fairytale Art Deco and Beaux-Arts aesthetic lies a nightmarish world of religious fanaticism and extreme nationalism, led by the self-proclaimed prophet, Father Comstock. In the role of Booker DeWitt, a detective drowning in debt, my mission is simple: "Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt." The girl is Elizabeth, who has been locked in a massive tower-cage since she was a child.

This is where one of the craziest pieces of trivia in the game is hidden, showcasing the developers' obsession with detail: As you explore the Columbia of 1912, you might hear a barbershop quartet singing... "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys (which was released in 1966!) or a gramophone playing "Tainted Love" in a ragtime style. This wasn't a mistake, but a brilliant lore element! Industrialist Jeremiah Fink's brother was listening to these tracks through the rifts in time and space (Tears) opened by Elizabeth, and he was stealing them to make money in 1912!

According to my favorite source, HowLongToBeat, completing the main story of the game will take you about 11.5 hours, an ideal length that never gets tedious. If you are one of those gamers who search every single corner for extras and collectibles, you will need around 16.5 hours, whereas if you are going for 100% (Completionist), expect close to 31 hours of non-stop action.

Where BioShock Infinite touches perfection is in the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth, as well as its gameplay. Elizabeth is perhaps the best AI companion I have ever seen in a video game; not only is she never a burden, but she actively opens Tears to help you with medkits and ammunition. The action takes off—quite literally—with the use of Sky-Lines, the aerial rails where you slide at breakneck speed with your Sky-Hook, while simultaneously unleashing conventional weapons and "Vigors" (Columbia's version of Plasmids).

Even though the game remains strictly linear, the script utilizes the theory of parallel universes to deliver one of the most shocking plot twists ever written, proving that in the history of this franchise, there are always constants and variables ("Constants and Variables").

BioShock Infinite wasn't just a game; it was an existential, philosophical experience that left me completely speechless when the credits rolled. A true masterpiece that confirmed the video game industry can look any other form of art dead in the eye