People have been raving about Bioshock Infinite and while I agree that it's a great game, it's perhaps overrated - at least as far as the plot goes, which seems to be hyped about the most; it's anti-climactic and needlessly convoluted. The game store sales rep assured me no background with Bioshock was needed to love the game, but I can't help but feel I might have had a better connection with the plot if I had.
Still, everything else was superb - breathtaking graphics/settings, very likable characters (the side character is actually quite helpful and interesting), and satisfying gameplay. I particularly liked the Vigors, which I actually used quite often, unlike the gimmicky "magic" powers in certain games where such abilities exist for the sake of existing without really adding anything. The mythos of Columbia is well-fleshed and enmeshing with a convincing cultural development, so much that the game should be required playing as a warning of what nativism can lead to in its purest form. Themes of sin and redemption are skillfully executed without causing any eye-rolls.
This was my first foray into first person shooters, and I had trusted Bioshock Infinite to court me into further exploring the genre, something I've put off for a number of years - and it succeeded.
Rating: 4/5
