BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite is the third game in the BioShock series. Announced on August 12, 2010, it was Irrational Games' final project."Interview with BioShock Infinite Lead Artist Shawn Robertson" article by Mike Sharkey at GameSpy.com It was released on March 26, 2013 for PC (Steam), Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3;"The world is about to change for BioShock Infinite fans." post on the Irrational Games blog"A Message From Ken Levine" post on the Irrational Games blog August 29th, 2013 for Mac (Mac App Store and Steam)Aspyr Mac FAQs: BioShock Infinite article on The GameAgent Blog! and March 17th, 2015 for Linux (Steam). BioShock Infinite takes place in an entirely different setting than the previous BioShock games, but shares similar features, gameplay, and concepts with the previous ones.
==Plot==
===Overview===
BioShock Infinite is the third game in the series and takes place in the airborne city of Columbia in 1912, where the player assumes the role of Booker DeWitt, a disgraced ex-Pinkerton agent. Booker has been given the job of finding a mysterious and powerful woman imprisoned in Columbia since birth named Elizabeth in order to wipe his debts away, and the story follows the unlikely duo as they journey to escape the flying city while discovering its twisted secrets.
Following in the footsteps of previous BioShock games, the world of Infinite explores the chaos that results when strong ideals are taken to an extreme. Here, the philosophical concept of "American Exceptionalism" is perverted into ultranationalism, religious fanaticism, and social Darwinism. Flags, patriotic music, and propaganda posters promote the idea that Columbia is a 'haven' from the so-called 'unwanted' of the world, as the player progressively learns more about its society, inhabitants, and the darkness that lies within it.
===Storyline===
In 1912, Booker DeWitt is taken by the mysterious Lutece Twins to an island lighthouse off the coast of Maine. With instructions from the Luteces to "bring us the girl and wipe away the debt", DeWitt enters the structure which houses a rocket silo that transports him to the flying city of Columbia.
Booker's presence in Columbia goes unnoticed until he is identified by the letters "AD" branded on his hand. This is a sign of the 'False Shepherd' which city leader and prophet, Zachary Comstock, prophesied would 'lead the lamb (Elizabeth) astray' and bring about Columbia's downfall. Booker, now a wanted man, fights his way to Monument Island where Elizabeth is held within a tower. Inside it, he discovers a large device called the Siphon and the ability Elizabeth possesses which can open Tears, rips in the space-time continuum that lead to other parallel worlds. After freeing Elizabeth, her warden, the Songbird -- a thirty-foot tall bird creature -- attacks and destroys the tower, and Booker and Elizabeth narrowly escape with their lives. The pair work towards the First Lady's Aerodrome, planning to take an airship to Paris, a city Elizabeth has always wanted to see. When Booker directs the ship to New York City with the intention of delivering Elizabeth to the Luteces, she knocks him out and flees. He awakes to find the airship under the control of Daisy Fitzroy, leader of the Vox Populi. The 'Vox' are a rebel organization made up primarily of those of the working class, foreigners, and people of color, all of whom suffer in some way at the hands of Columbia's government and society. Fitzroy offers to return the airship if Booker recovers a shipment of weapons from the slums of Columbia.
Booker rejoins Elizabeth and they venture deeper into the city. While Elizabeth uses her ability to manipulate Tears to aid in their journey, she grows disturbed by the physiological and psychological consequences of manipulating reality on Booker and the other citizens of Columbia. One Tear leads them to a world where Booker has died and become a martyr for the Vox Populi, who are in the process of a violent revolt. That universe's Fitzroy believes that this Booker undermines her Booker's sacrifice, threatening to weaken the Vox Populi cause, and so turns her forces against him. Elizabeth is forced to kill Fitzroy to prevent her from executing a Founder boy, and as she and Booker prepare to leave Columbia by airship, Songbird attacks and crashes it.
Realizing they cannot leave Columbia without stopping the Songbird, Booker and Elizabeth seek the instrument to control it. While continuing their search for escape, they begin to unravel a conspiracy behind the founding of the city, through Tears and a specter of Lady Comstock brought to life by her husband using a Siphon on Elizabeth. The Lutece Twins are revealed to be not actual siblings, but rather two versions of the same quantum physicist from different realities. "Rosalind", the female Lutece, is originally of this reality whereas "Robert", the male, comes from another. Having been rendered sterile and artificially aged from his use of the "Tear" device while obtaining his 'prophecies', Comstock had taken Elizabeth from his alternate self in Robert's universe and adopted her as his daughter, groomed to be the city's future leader. Comstock had the Luteces construct the "Siphon" to subdue her powers, then plotted their murder, along with that of his wife, to conceal the truth about Elizabeth's origin, and blamed Lady Comstock's death on Daisy Fitzroy. However, in the process, Comstock inadvertently spread the Luteces throughout the multiverse through the attempt on their lives, giving them the same powers as Elizabeth. Reaching Comstock House, Elizabeth is captured by Songbird. Booker follows but is drawn into the future by an elderly Elizabeth who has suffered decades of torture and brainwashing in Booker's absence; she has inherited Comstock's cause and wages war on the world below. She reveals that Songbird would always stop Booker's rescue attempts in the past, and implores him to stop this future from coming to pass by offering the means to control Songbird.
Booker returns to the present and rescues Elizabeth, and they pursue Comstock to his airship. Comstock demands that Booker explain Elizabeth's past to her, and why Elizabeth is missing a finger. Booker becomes enraged and drowns Comstock in his baptismal font when he begins to attack Elizabeth and blame Booker for all her hardships. Booker denies knowledge about Elizabeth's finger, but she asserts that he knows but does not remember. Booker decides to destroy the Siphon so Elizabeth can access her full power and learn the truth. With Songbird under their control, the pair fend off a Vox Populi attack, before ordering Songbird to destroy the Siphon. When the device Booker used to control Songbird is destroyed, he attempts to attack him. Elizabeth opens a Tear, transporting the three of them to the underwater city of Rapture, Booker and Elizabeth remain safe inside, but Songbird is transported outside and crushed by the immense pressure of the ocean.
Elizabeth takes Booker to that reality's surface and lighthouse. They travel out through the building's door to a place outside space and time containing countless lighthouses and alternate versions of them. Elizabeth explains that they are within one of an infinite number of possible realities both similar and drastically different due to choices that have been made. She shows Booker the truth, that on October 8, 1893, Robert Lutece approached him on behalf of Comstock, requesting that he "give us the girl and wipe away the debt", referring to Booker's infant daughter, Anna DeWitt –- the origin of Booker's "AD" branding. Booker reluctantly agreed to sell Anna in order to pay his gambling debts, but soon changed his mind. He arrived too late to stop Comstock escaping to Rosalind's universe through a Tear; the closing of which severed the child's finger. Comstock subsequently raised Anna as Elizabeth, his daughter. Due to the severed finger, Elizabeth exists in two realities at once, her finger in Robert's reality and the rest of her body in Rosalind's. This is what gives Elizabeth the ability to open and create Tears at will. Later, Robert, feeling guilt for his actions, convinced Rosalind to help him bring Booker to Columbia in Rosalind's reality to rescue Elizabeth. Hence the rowboat at the beginning of the game. Elizabeth explains that whatever actions Booker takes against Comstock, Comstock will still remain alive in at least one of these universes; the Luteces have tried to enlist a Booker from different universes numerous times to end the cycle, but the result is always the same.
The only way to break the cycle is to prevent Comstock from being created in the first place. Elizabeth transports Booker to the place he went to be baptized and cleansed of his sins after his actions at the Battle of Wounded Knee. Booker avoided baptism at the last moment and later fathered his daughter Anna in Robert's universe, while in Rosalind's universe he took the baptism, found religion, became Comstock, and never had children. Comstock, sterile from exposure to the Luteces' technology, was aware of his identity as Booker and engineered Anna's abduction to provide him with a blood-related heir for Columbia. Booker and Elizabeth, at the baptism, are joined by alternate versions of Elizabeth from other universes. Booker allows them to drown him, preventing his baptismal choice from ever being made and thus stopping Comstock and Columbia from ever existing. One by one, the Elizabeths begin to disappear, the screen cutting to black before the original does.
In a post-credits scene, a Booker awakens in his apartment on October 8, 1893. Hearing a baby in the next room, he calls out for Anna and opens the door to her room before the screen cuts to black.
===Main Characters===
*Booker DeWitt
*Elizabeth
*Robert Lutece
*Rosalind Lutece
*Zachary Hale Comstock
===Locations===
*The Lighthouse
*Town Center
*Comstock Center Rooftops
*Monument Island
*Battleship Bay
*Soldier's Field
*Hall of Heroes
*Finkton Docks
*Finkton Proper
*Shantytown
*Factory
*Emporia
*Downtown Emporia
*Comstock House
*Hand of the Prophet
*Sea of Doors
==Gameplay==
===Overview===
Infinite features a range of environments that force the player to adapt, with different weapons and strategies for each situation. Interior spaces feature close combat with enemies, but unlike previous games set in Rapture, the setting of Infinite contains open spaces with emphasis on sniping and ranged combat against as many as fifteen enemies at once. Combat also take place while the player is traveling at great speed along the Sky-Lines, a major transport system of Columbia."BioShock Infinite for PS3: Gameplay Q&A with Ken Levine, New Screens" article by Sid Shuman at Playstation.blog
Booker gains powers and abilities by using Vigors and Gear that are found throughout Columbia. Booker can find up to eight different Vigors and multiple Gears (separated in hats, shirts, pants, and boots). Unlike the previous games Booker can now change Vigors and Gears whenever he wants to and does not have to search for machines similar to Gene Banks.
Vigors grant active powers such as telekinesis, electricity manipulation, or animal control (exemplified by Bucking Bronco, Shock Jockey, and Murder of Crows respectively).
Once DeWitt has found Elizabeth, she will accompany the player throughout much of the game. Elizabeth has her own set of abilities complimentary to DeWitt's. Elizabeth has the ability to open up Tears to create cover, ammunition, or other useful objects during combat."BioShock Infinite preview: Tears in the Sky-line" article by Christopher Grant at Joystiq.com The players are able to command Elizabeth on what Tear they want her to open. Elizabeth also occasionally provides DeWitt with ammunition, Salts, health kits, and money based on what the player needs the most at the present situation, and will also revive DeWitt if he is killed during a fight. 
Infinite features several varieties of enemies. Unlike the previous BioShock games, sometimes enemies will not attack on sight but instead will remain neutral to DeWitt unless the player performs an action that causes them to become hostile.
Players can also use a navigation arrow, which is different from previous BioShock games in that it can be toggled with the down key on the bottom of the d-pad.
On January 12, 2012, Irrational Games announced the 1999 gameplay mode, which is designed to make the game more challenging for hardcore players. 
===Enemies===
*Columbia Citizens
*Police
*Soldiers
*Basic Security Automatons
**Gun Automaton
**Rocket Automaton
**Mosquito
**Barrage Automaton
**Security Zeppelin
*Heavy Hitters
**Fireman
**Zealot of the Lady
**Beast
**Motorized Patriot
**Handyman
**Boy of Silence
**Siren
===Weapons===
Sky-Hook apart (which acts as a non-upgradable melee weapon requiring no ammo), the player can only hold two weapons at a time, but most can be picked up if found. With the exception of the Crank Gun, each one of them has its own ammo type and can be upgraded four times. It takes 21,984 Silver Eagles to upgrade all of them in the game.
*Burstgun
*Carbine
*Crank Gun
*Hail Fire
*Hand Cannon
*Heater
*Machine Gun
*Pistol
*Repeater
*RPG
*Shotgun
*Sky-Hook
*Sniper Rifle
*Volley Gun
===Vigors===
The player has a selection of Vigors (or abilities) to use in addition to usual weapons, which like them are limited to two at a time to be equipped. However unlike weapons, the player can switch them at any time with previously found Vigors from a game menu. They all require Salts to be used, independently on which ability this resource is used, and each one of them can be upgraded twice. Not including purchasing the base Vigor, it takes 14,481 Silver Eagles to upgrade all Vigors in the game.
*Bucking Bronco
*Murder of Crows
*Shock Jockey
*Devil's Kiss
*Possession
*Charge
*Return to Sender
*Undertow
===Gear===
The player has access to a large assortment of gear which confers special passive abilities. Each gear is an article of clothing, and only one of each type can be worn at a time. These can be changed at any time in their related option menu, however, a slot can't be left empty once it has been filled with a gear. The four types of gear are as follows:
*Hat
*Shirt
*Pants
*Shoes
===Items===
===Achievements and Trophies===
==Game Editions and Bonuses==
 	 	BioShock InfinitePremium Edition	BioShock InfiniteUltimate SongbirdEdition
Price 	$59.99BioShock Infinite Pre-Order Page (Archived). SRPSuggested retail price on Wikipedia.	$79.99 SRP 	$149.99 SRP
Game Disc and Manual 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes
The Art ofBioShock Infinite Artbook 	No 	Yes 	Yes
BioShock Infinite:The Siege of ColumbiaHandyman Figure	No 	Yes 	Yes
Devil's KissVigor Lithograph 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Murder of CrowsKeychain 	No 	Yes 	Yes
BioShock InfiniteDigital Soundtrack 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Three ExclusiveGear power-ups 	No 	Yes 	Yes
(Xbox 360) Booker andElizabeth AvatarCostumes 	No 	Yes 	Yes
(PC and PS3) BioShockInfinite Themes 	No 	Yes 	Yes
Songbird Statue 	No 	No 	Yes
===Premium Edition===
BioShock Infinite Premium Edition is a collector's edition of the game. It costs $79.99.
;This edition includes
:
*The Art of BioShock Infinite mini art book, including art and comments by the developers, and a hand-distressed cover.
*An exclusive 25 millimeter Handyman figure from the board game BioShock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia.
*A 5 x 7 lithograph of an advertisement for the Vigor Devil's Kiss.
*3-inch Murder of Crows Vigor bottle key chain.
*Digital soundtrack exclusive to the editions, featuring music from the game.
*Three exclusive in-game Gear power-ups:
**Bull Rush: Melee strikes from a sprint have a chance to knock the enemy down.
**Extra! Extra!: Audio logs also grant a bounty of Silver Eagles, the game's currency.
**Betrayer: Killing possessed enemies causes them to explode in a damaging fireball.
*Platform-specific Downloadable Content:
**Xbox 360: Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth Avatar Costumes.
***Booker's Avatar Costume features a fedora, blue tinted goggles, a jacket, and high boots.
**PC and PlayStation 3: BioShock Infinite Themes (Backgrounds, icons, etc.).
===Ultimate Songbird Edition===
This edition includes all of the above, as well as a Songbird statue. It costs $149.99. The statue is a "highly detailed, hand painted, resin-cast 9.75" statue" which is packaged in its own collectible packaging.
===BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition===
BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition is a re-release of BioShock Infinite including all its downloadable content, exclusively for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.
===Retailer-Exclusive Pre-order Bonuses===
BioShock Infinite featured a wide range of retailer-exclusive bonuses for pre-ordering the game:
Retailer 	Exclusive Bonus(es)
GameStop 	Comstock China Broom shotgun damage upgrade and reskin.
Best Buy 	Comstock Bird's Eye sniper rifle damage upgrade and reskin.
Amazon 	Free copy of BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt.“BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt” Prequel Announced! on Irrational Games' Website.For the PC Downloadable version, Amazon also gave $30 credit toward any 2K Game, excluding another copy of BioShock Infinite, BioShock Infinite's Season Pass, and other games for pre-order.BioShock Infinite [Download] on Amazon's Website.
GameStop International	GameStop, EB Games, and Micromania in Europe, Australia and New Zealand received the Fink Manufacturing Steelbook.GameStop International Offers Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus for BioShock Infinite on GameStop's Official News Website.
Steam 	Depending on total number of pre-orders made through Steam, those who pre-order received a free copy of BioShock, various BioShock Infinite-themed Team Fortress 2 content, and lastly a free copy of X-COM: Enemy Unknown. All three milestones have been reached before the game's release, unlocking the rewards for all who pre-ordered the game through Steam.BioShock Infinite on Steam Pre-Purchase Rewards! on Irrational Games' Website.
Microsoft Store 	1600 Microsoft Points.BioShock Infinite (Xbox 360) on Microsoft Store's Website.
Green Man Gaming 	Pre-Order includes the original BioShock and a choice of a second free* title from this list: Spec Ops: The Line, Civilization V, BioShock 2, Mafia II, or The Darkness II.
Plus $15 dollar credit to Green Man Games
===BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution===
BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution is a flash game provided to those who pre-order BioShock Infinite. It can be used to unlock exclusive in-game content.Official BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution Information Thread and F.A.Q. on 2K Games Forum.
===Steam Trading Cards and Postcards===
On July 11th, 2013, Steam added BioShock Infinite to their list of games supporting the Steam Trading Card system. This came about at the same time as the start of their annual Steam Summer Sale, which also included Trading Cards for the game specific to the sale.
==Downloadable Content==
The followings are the downloadable contents (or DLC) related to BioShock Infinite, and the detailed packs they include:
*BioShock Infinite Patches
*Season Pass
**Early Bird Special Pack
*Columbia's Finest
**Industrial Revolution Pack
**Upgrade Pack
**Comstock's China Broom Shotgun
**Comstock’s Bird's Eye Sniper Rifle
*Clash in the Clouds
*Burial at Sea - Episode 1
*Burial at Sea - Episode 2
==Related Media==
The followings are all the other media (books and music) related to BioShock Infinite, prior and after its release.
*BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt (Novel) - A short prequel to the game.
*BioShock Infinite Signature Series Guide - Official strategy guide.
*The Art of BioShock Infinite - Official game artbook.
*BioShock Infinite Soundtrack
==Development==
Prior to its announcement on August 12, 2010, Irrational Games had used the moniker "Project Icarus" to describe their next game, creating a teaser site in late July 2010."Teaser Site For Irrational Games' "Project Icarus" Goes Live" article by Jake Gaskill at G4TV.com Over the weeks leading to the announcement, the animation on the teaser site slowly built up to an animated infinity symbol on the day prior to the announcement."Irrational's 'Project Icarus' Revealed Tomorrow" article by Xav de Matos at Shacknews.com Employees of Irrational Games later revealed that the moniker "Icarus" began as an internal codename for the project, used in email correspondence etc., to avoid any leaks about the nature of the game."BioShock Infinite – Ken Levine Interview Feature" article by Keri Allan at TotalVideoGames.com
Irrational had been working in secrecy on Infinite for two and a half years since completing the original BioShock."Interview – Irrational Games’ Ken Levine" article by Stephen Nunneley at VG247.com The original BioShock engine, a modified Unreal Engine 2.x, was inadequate to support the game mechanics of the new game, thus the development team chose to work with Unreal Engine 3, modifying it with their own lighting engine and means to simulate the movement and buoyancy of the buildings in Columbia. Because of this, all of the assets for BioShock Infinite had to be made from scratch."BioShock Infinite Interview: Irrational's Director of Product Development, Timothy Gerritsen" article by Xav de Matos at Shacknews.com
In March 2012, the initial release date of BioShock Infinite for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 was announced to be October 16 of that year."BioShock Infinite Release Date Announced!" article on the Irrational Games blog However, on May 9, 2012, the release date was delayed to February 26, 2013, in order for Irrational Games to add some "specific tweaks and improvements." On December 7, 2012, the game was delayed yet again to March 26 "in order to give the team a few more weeks of this polish." The developers even included a humorous self-reference to this when Elizabeth enters the Duke and Dimwit arcade in Battleship Bay. There she mentions that the latest version of the Duke and Dimwit game was "delayed three times". http://www.cheats.us/game/pc/bioshock-infinite-num-1/cheats On February 19, Ken Levine was proud to announce that BioShock Infinite has gone gold, stating that it has been approved by Sony, Microsoft, and the PC makers.
This new engine and technology would have allowed the buildings to work dynamically from any scripted events. They float on their own and can be affected by changes in weather and such without assigned fashion. During a demo, a bell tower tilted over and collapsed, with the bell breaking off and sliding to a stop right at the player's feet. This entire event was unscripted and was generated by the combination of the physics engine and the in-game weather system.Game Informer #210, October 2010, Pages 51: Building On Thin Air panel states this event to be unintended. It should be noted that the finished game product had no such dynamic environmental systems.
==Reception==
BioShock Infinite received "Universal Acclaim" on Metacritic and is tagged as a "Must-Play" game, getting a Metascore of 94/100 on both PCMetascore for Bioshock Infinite on PCMetacritic, Retrieved February 25, 2020 and PS3Metascore for Bioshock Infinite on PS3Metacritic, Retrieved February 25, 2020 and 93/100 on Xbox 360.Metascore for Bioshock Infinite on Xbox 360Metacritic, Retrieved February 25, 2020
More contemporary reviews point out the game's convoluted story, citing that the amount of perceived plotholes and simpler gameplay haven't aged the game well.
==Videos==
File:Bioshock Infinite - "Beast of America" Gameplay Trailer -EN- (2013) - HD|Beast of America Trailer.
File:BioShock Infinite City in the Sky Trailer|City in the Sky Trailer.
File:Columbia A Modern Day Icarus?|"Truth From Legend" Teaser.
File:Ken Levine on Reinventing BioShock Infinite|Ken Levine on Reinventing BioShock Infinite.
File:BioShock Infinite Premiere Trailer|BioShock Infinite Debut Trailer, released August 12, 2010.
File:BioShock Infinite Early Gameplay Demonstration|BioShock Infinite Gamescom 2010 Gameplay Trailer, released September 21 on Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com, and September 22 elsewhere online."Ten Things You Should Know About BioShock Infinite: Day 1" article by Chris Remo at IrrationalGames.com
BioShock Infinite won Game of the Show and Best Xbox 360 Game by IGN at Gamescom 2010."Gamescom: BioShock Infinite Wins Game of Show" article by Martin Robinson at IGN.com"BioShock Infinite wins IGN’s Game of Show at Gamescom 2010" article by Collin Moore at IrrationalGames.com
File:First Few Minutes of BioShock Infinite|The first few minutes of BioShock Infinite.
==Gallery==
===Promotional Images===
BioShock Infinite Logo.png|The current logo.
BioShock Infinite Clean Logo.png|A clean version of the logo, as first seen in the teaser for the BioShock Infinite E3 2011 Trailer.
EGM Wanted Poster.jpg|EGM Wanted Poster.
Oct22-WALLPAPER standard HeroArt.jpg|An updated 2012 wallpaper.
bioshock-infinite-box-art-clip-1354390724.jpg|Official BioShock Infinite case.
Bioshock-Infinite-covers-small.jpg|The alternate covers.
bioshockinfinite0320131600jpg-480b88.jpg|Reaching for Elizabeth.
Coversleeve noborder.jpg|Front and back of BioShock Infinite's cover.
BSI Commercial Storyboard.png|The storyboard for the BioShock Infinite TV commercial created in cooperation with Blur Studios.
Press Kit Box.webp|Cover of a box sent to selected members of the press.
Press Kit 1.webp|The inside of the Press Kit.
Press Kit 2.webp
===Screenshots===
Welcome-Fairgrounds-01.png
BioI Citizens on the beach at Battleship Bay.jpg
Frat of the Raven-02.png
77sob.jpg
Luteceprisonbasement.jpg
IMN3ATeyvCwl1.jpeg
JmIdBy9v02EOq.jpeg
Comstock Police Force.jpg
BioI Elizabeth & Vox Handyman Factory.jpg
BioI Comstock House Warden's Office Boy of Silence.jpg
BioShock Infinite Main Menu.jpg|The Main Menu.
BI DLCmenu Admission Machine.png
==Behind the Scenes==
*Ken Levine revealed in an interview with Gamasutra that the plot's conflict would have been originally about tech geeks against Luddites, those who resist the proliferation of technology.BioShock Infinite's Strong Moments, Best Moments from Gamasutra
*The previous site for BioShock Infinite was WhatIsIcarus.com.WhatIsIcarus.com When searched now, it redirects to the main BioShock Infinite age gate.
==References==
==External links==
*Official Site
*BioShock Infinite (Official PlayStation Site)
*BioShock Infinite Gameplay, Walkthrough, Weapons & Trophy Guide (Gameinformer)
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