Bioshock Infinite

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]That sucks. Is it a vision thing? How does being able to see your avatar change the perspective for you?

Man no Half Life or anything? Portal? FP mode in Skyrim?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure it's a mental thing. I'm one of those people who just have to be extremely aware of their environment otherwise they lose their bearings. I guess that extends to gaming as I just always felt like I could never do that with FPS, whereas games like Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, and Uncharted felt very natural. My BIL is a huge Halo fan and made me play a few times (I even tried the campaign) but I always felt uncomfortable playing and was almost relieved when I stopped playing. The only games I've ever played and thoroughly enjoyed were the FreeSpace games, but that's a whole different animal.

But yeah never even tried any of those games you mentioned, and Bioshock and Portal especially sounds like they'd be right down my alley story wise.

This discussion has really made me wanna pick up a FPS game and almost force myself to go through it...

[QUOTE=CeltsGarlic]Oh, and sniper riffle is the best weapon. Hands down. Especially on PC where you can easily always aim for the head in a milliseconds.

Overall really memorable game, will try Tomb Raider later.[/QUOTE]

Well here's the great thing about this game: To me the SR wasn't even close to the best weapon in the game.

This points to the variety of play styles the game supports. This is something that I find a lot of other shooters struggle with. Cover based ones especially. You enjoyed long range fights, I assume this means you often found the high ground. I too found the high ground, but not to assume a firing position, but to get a fix on all of my enemies. I enjoyed running around, getting up close and personal and augmenting my style with gear and vigors.

So to me the best weapon in the game without a doubt was the shotgun, and now I used my code to unlock Comstock's China Broom Shotgun and I am sweeping (HAHAAAA!) through the game second time through.

You really truly can play this game a multitude of ways and nothing is forced on you as far as strategy. That's the mark of a good open FPS.

[QUOTE=nightprowler10]I'm sure it's a mental thing. I'm one of those people who just have to be extremely aware of their environment otherwise they lose their bearings. I guess that extends to gaming as I just always felt like I could never do that with FPS, whereas games like Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, and Uncharted felt very natural. My BIL is a huge Halo fan and made me play a few times (I even tried the campaign) but I always felt uncomfortable playing and was almost relieved when I stopped playing. The only games I've ever played and thoroughly enjoyed were the FreeSpace games, but that's a whole different animal.

But yeah never even tried any of those games you mentioned, and Bioshock and Portal especially sounds like they'd be right down my alley story wise.

This discussion has really made me wanna pick up a FPS game and almost force myself to go through it...[/QUOTE]

I think I get it. You don't like that you can't see all around you and such.

Well Portal that isn't the biggest issue in the world, but Bioshock was made to exploit that fact in many cases so you might have a steep learning curve with that part.

Easily one of the best games I've played in a very long time. Completed it over a weekend. Well worth the money!

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]Well here's the great thing about this game: To me the SR wasn't even close to the best weapon in the game.

This points to the variety of play styles the game supports. This is something that I find a lot of other shooters struggle with. Cover based ones especially. You enjoyed long range fights, I assume this means you often found the high ground. I too found the high ground, but not to assume a firing position, but to get a fix on all of my enemies. I enjoyed running around, getting up close and personal and augmenting my style with gear and vigors.

So to me the best weapon in the game without a doubt was the shotgun, and now I used my code to unlock Comstock's China Broom Shotgun and I am sweeping (HAHAAAA!) through the game second time through.

You really truly can play this game a multitude of ways and nothing is forced on you as far as strategy. That's the mark of a good open FPS.[/QUOTE]


Good point, I died almost every time trying to run and gun, probably misused vigors. Even tho, its definitely fun going all blast with shotgun, as it was my second gun for the most of the time.

Im currently thinking about getting first 2 bioshock's cause I never played them. This one impressed me a lot.

[QUOTE=CeltsGarlic]Good point, I died almost every time trying to run and gun, probably misused vigors. Even tho, its definitely fun going all blast with shotgun, as it was my second gun for the most of the time.

Im currently thinking about getting first 2 bioshock's cause I never played them. This one impressed me a lot.[/QUOTE]

What did you get Infinite on? PC? If you got it on a console... did everyone get Bioshock too with the game or was that just pre-order?

Regardless, you can skip on Bioshock 2. The first one is another top-10 classic.

I'm taking my time with this game. Havent even got very far. I think there is a mission where Elizabeth tosses u a sniper rifle and you got to take out some guys. Took them out and got a lil further then saved. I've been exploring damn near everything and looting. Hate rushing thru a game like this and not uncovering things. Love the shotgun even with the low ammo. Not sure if I should try the Carbine as well. What you fellas think? Game is more difficult than past Bioshocks thats for sure. By difficult I dont mean dying alot and restarting. But the gun battles, turretts do work on you. If you dont take cover and be careful you can die.

The scenery is amazing. Find myself just checking that shyt out. Like when you had to break out Elizabeth and run along side the statue outside? I'm looking like wow, I should jump off this shyt. :oldlol:

Got suspended from my madden league so I'll have more time to dive into this.

Anyone getting or bought the season pass?

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]What did you get Infinite on? PC? If you got it on a console... did everyone get Bioshock too with the game or was that just pre-order?

Regardless, you can skip on Bioshock 2. The first one is another top-10 classic.[/QUOTE]


Bioshock 2 wasn't bad, imo it's action gameplay was better. But it certainly did not have the wow factor or plot of the original Bioshock.

I just finished Bioshock Infinite and was very surprised and pleased with how much I enjoyed it. I always thought the series would be a little too sci-fi for me but I was totally hooked with this one. I haven't played the original though. Do you guys think it's possible to go from Infinite back to the first one (which I never played) and still have an enjoyable experience?

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I just finished Bioshock Infinite and was very surprised and pleased with how much I enjoyed it. I always thought the series would be a little too sci-fi for me but I was totally hooked with this one. I haven't played the original though. Do you guys think it's possible to go from Infinite back to the first one (which I never played) and still have an enjoyable experience?[/QUOTE]
Yes. Infinite doesn't ruin much about the original Bioshock storywise. There's no skyline obviously, but you still get guns and super powers. Only thing I didn't like was the hacking minigame, which gets really annoying.

Charge vigor is the best vigor. Full upgrade = Hardest difficulty becomes extremely easy.

Maybe a stupid question, but after defeating the game, how do you guys tend to go about earning achievements? For instance, I think I found something like 67/80 voxophones. Do you guys just start over and look closer?

Also, is money all re-gainable? As in, if I scoured the second level my first time around and found every piece of money, will it all return when I beat the game and come back to that level again?

[QUOTE=ballup]Yes. Infinite doesn't ruin much about the original Bioshock storywise. There's no skyline obviously, but you still get guns and super powers. Only thing I didn't like was the hacking minigame, which gets really annoying.[/QUOTE]Nice. Good stuff. Thank you. I've been reading up a little on the first Bioshock and as I've become more comfortable with the style of this series, I'm actually pretty anxious to give that one a shot.

[QUOTE=CeltsGarlic]Oh, and sniper riffle is the best weapon. Hands down. Especially on PC where you can easily always aim for the head in a milliseconds.

Overall really memorable game, will try Tomb Raider later.[/QUOTE]I went through the game my first time mostly using Golden Eye logic, meaning I cherished the rocket launcher and kept it on me at all times, then usually had a machine gun or shotgun as my primary weapon.

However, after reading your comment, I'm now going back through the game and giving the sniper rifle another shot. The first time through I only used it for the necessary sniping of snipers and assumed it wouldn't help me much elsewise (Perfect Dark multiplayer logic). But man, after going out of my way to use it now, it's actually a lot of fun. Satisfying to stay out of range of non-sniping targets then completing head shots, something I struggled to do using other weapons.

Yeah you can go back and play Bioshock. Infinite so far doesnt have much to do with the first Bioshock. I actually might play Bioshock again as I missed the one achievement of beating it on the hardest difficulty without using Vita Chambers. If you're an achievement hound like myself and you do play Bioshock? The very first board before you go into the machine? Make sure you get the 1st recorder. If you miss this? You cant go back to this level and get it. you'd have to do the entire game all over to get all 100. The starting level is the only level in Bioshock you cant go back to for obvious reasons. Not much of a spoiler but I figured I'd save you the time of playing thru it again. I did and had no problem.

The story, the enviroment is night and day when you play it. That game is amazing.

As far as collectibles in this game and Bioshock 1 and 2? I used youtube helper guides. Just ran thru each level and searched for them. Some I already had but again it wasnt that time consuming for me honestly. I also was able to loot extra stuff I overlooked, unlock safes etc etc

[QUOTE=GOBB]Yeah you can go back and play Bioshock. Infinite so far doesnt have much to do with the first Bioshock. I actually might play Bioshock again as I missed the one achievement of beating it on the hardest difficulty without using Vita Chambers. If you're an achievement hound like myself and you do play Bioshock? The very first board before you go into the machine? Make sure you get the 1st recorder. If you miss this? You cant go back to this level and get it. you'd have to do the entire game all over to get all 100. The starting level is the only level in Bioshock you cant go back to for obvious reasons. Not much of a spoiler but I figured I'd save you the time of playing thru it again. I did and had no problem.

The story, the enviroment is night and day when you play it. That game is amazing.

As far as collectibles in this game and Bioshock 1 and 2? I used youtube helper guides. Just ran thru each level and searched for them. Some I already had but again it wasnt that time consuming for me honestly. I also was able to loot extra stuff I overlooked, unlock safes etc etc[/QUOTE]Appreciate the advice. Hate when I accidentally overlook something in a game only to not be able to go back and get it later, so thanks for that heads up too, because I think I'll be hitting up the original Bioshock next.

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I just finished Bioshock Infinite and was very surprised and pleased with how much I enjoyed it. [B]I always thought the series would be a little too sci-fi for me but I was totally hooked with this one.[/B] I haven't played the original though. Do you guys think it's possible to go from Infinite back to the first one (which I never played) and still have an enjoyable experience?[/QUOTE]
Glad to hear that, because I'm not into the sci-fi type games at all. Hell, outside of COD, GTA, and RDR I don't really get into non-sports games period. But after seeing the trailer and doing some reading on this one, I've talked myself into getting it. I'm just waiting for the end of the semester because I'm swamped with papers, finals, etc. in the next month or so.

I do have a question, though. Is this a game where I'm going to be lost if I didn't play any of the other games in the series?

[QUOTE]I do have a question, though. Is this a game where I'm going to be lost if I didn't play any of the other games in the series?[/QUOTE]
You won't be lost at all but there are little references and homages to the original Bioshock that you will not appreciate as much unless you played it. So if you can, play the original but it's definitely not necessary.

[QUOTE=KG215]Glad to hear that, because I'm not into the sci-fi type games at all. Hell, outside of COD, GTA, and RDR I don't really get into non-sports games period. But after seeing the trailer and doing some reading on this one, I've talked myself into getting it. I'm just waiting for the end of the semester because I'm swamped with papers, finals, etc. in the next month or so.

I do have a question, though. Is this a game where I'm going to be lost if I didn't play any of the other games in the series?[/QUOTE]Like Qwyjibo said, it's definitely not necessary to play the previous games. This was my first Bioshock and everything still played out wonderfully. I will say, it might help to come into things with an open mind. I made myself buy into things from the get-go, and that made the experience that much more enjoyable (as opposed to being pessimistic and insisting the game "wow" me).

If you haven't played the previous Bioshock then you will miss a little bit of nuance in the game. You don't need it, but it makes you appreciate what they were attempting to do on a bit of a deeper level that... I can't explain here without spoiling.

Have any of you guys been keeping up with all the pseudo-intellectual scrutiny this game has been under?

[url]http://sexyvideogameland.blogspot.nl/2013/04/bioshock-infinite-now-is-best-time.html?m=1[/url]

[url]http://superopinionated.com/2013/04/03/booker-dewitt-and-the-case-of-the-young-white-lady-feels-a-bioshock-infinite-review/[/url] (warning, severe case of the white guilt)

[URL="http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s3733057.htm"]http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s3733057.htm[/URL]

These salty idiots are hilarious to me.

[QUOTE=Rake2204]Like Qwyjibo said, it's definitely not necessary to play the previous games. This was my first Bioshock and everything still played out wonderfully. I will say, it might help to come into things with an open mind. I made myself buy into things from the get-go, and that made the experience that much more enjoyable (as opposed to being pessimistic and insisting the game "wow" me).[/QUOTE]
Well, I'm going to have more free time on my hands this summer than usual, so I may just buy both Bioshock games and play them.

[QUOTE=KG215]Well, I'm going to have more free time on my hands this summer than usual, so I may just buy both Bioshock games and play them.[/QUOTE]

Again, I'm not sure if it's because I pre-ordered but my PS3 copy came with Infinite AND Bioshock on the same disc.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]Again, I'm not sure if it's because I pre-ordered but my PS3 copy came with Infinite AND Bioshock on the same disc.[/QUOTE]
:cheers:

I ordered a copy off Amazon that came with both Bioshock and Infinite. Should I play Bioshock first or does it really matter?

[QUOTE=KG215]:cheers:

I ordered a copy off Amazon that came with both Bioshock and Infinite. Should I play Bioshock first or does it really matter?[/QUOTE]I played Infinite first and aside from an Easter Egg that harkens back to the original at one point (that I was able to appreciate anyway because it merely requires you be familiar with the primary gist of the first game), I don't think there's much to lose from playing Infinite first.

I just finished Bioshock 1 a few weeks ago. Your gaming interests sound very similar to my own (GTA and RDR are some of the select few non-sports games in my catalog) and as previously alluded, I'm not a big sci-fi guy. So with that in mind, I must tell you Bioshock 1 felt [i]way[/i] more sci-fi than Infinite. The first one is darker, bleaker, colder, creepier, fuller of zombie-like opposition, all of that.

Real deal Bioshock fans likely would have a lot to say in a "Bio 1 vs. Infinite debate" but as someone like you, I must say I very much preferred Infinite. I'd probably recommend playing that one first if you're not big into all the sci-fi stuff. I preferred Infinite's story, setting, atmosphere, controls, gameplay... just about everything aside from the inability to upgrade weapons with neat things added on like what could be done in the original.

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I played Infinite first and aside from an Easter Egg that harkens back to the original at one point (that I was able to appreciate anyway because it merely requires you be familiar with the primary gist of the first game), I don't think there's much to lose from playing Infinite first.

I just finished Bioshock 1 a few weeks ago. Your gaming interests sound very similar to my own (GTA and RDR are some of the select few non-sports games in my catalog) and as previously alluded, I'm not a big sci-fi guy. So with that in mind, I must tell you Bioshock 1 felt [i]way[/i] more sci-fi than Infinite. The first one is darker, bleaker, colder, creepier, fuller of zombie-like opposition, all of that.

Real deal Bioshock fans likely would have a lot to say in a "Bio 1 vs. Infinite debate" but as someone like you, I must say I very much preferred Infinite. I'd probably recommend playing that one first if you're not big into all the sci-fi stuff. I preferred Infinite's story, setting, atmosphere, controls, gameplay... just about everything aside from the inability to upgrade weapons with neat things added on like what could be done in the original.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I remember doing some reading on the original Bioshock when I was thinking about buying Infinite, and it looked a lot different than the trailers I saw for Infinite. I'll probably give it a go eventually but may not ever fully take to it. Kind of how I was with the Undead DLC that came with my copy of RDR. I mean I enjoyed it, but never felt compelled to keep coming back to it after I played it, the way I did with the actual game.

Just briefly going through the early stages if Infinite, and I'm enjoying it. It's taking me a little bit to get the controls down; RDR was the same way and that eventually became second nature. But I've already been killed a few times trying to find the girl.

This can be for you or others that've played it, but do you use your guns more or the spells (or whatever they're called) more?

[QUOTE=KG215]Yeah, I remember doing some reading on the original Bioshock when I was thinking about buying Infinite, and it looked a lot different than the trailers I saw for Infinite. I'll probably give it a go eventually but may not ever fully take to it. Kind of how I was with the Undead DLC that came with my copy of RDR. I mean I enjoyed it, but never felt compelled to keep coming back to it after I played it, the way I did with the actual game.

Just briefly going through the early stages if Infinite, and I'm enjoying it. It's taking me a little bit to get the controls down; RDR was the same way and that eventually became second nature. But I've already been killed a few times trying to find the girl.

This can be for you or others that've played it, but do you use your guns more or the spells (or whatever they're called) more?[/QUOTE]Funny, I played The Undead Nightmare once and never came back.

Anyway, in Infinite, I definitely used weapons [i]way[/i] more than vigors my first time through. In fact, I think I was still using Goldeneye logic, because I rolled with a machine gun and rpg for nearly the entire game. I ended up going back and playing through it again using all the different weapons until I unlocked their achievements.

Also, the more you play, the easier it becomes to learn how to integrate vigors and combine them with one another (and with weapons).

[QUOTE=Rake2204]Funny, I played The Undead Nightmare once and never came back.

Anyway, in Infinite, I definitely used weapons [i]way[/i] more than vigors my first time through. In fact, I think I was still using Goldeneye logics, because I rolled with a machine gun and rpg for nearly the game. I ended up going back and playing through it again using all the different weapons until I unlocked their achievements.

Also, the more you play, the easier it becomes to learn how to integrate vigors and combine them with one another (and with weapons).[/QUOTE]
Thanks. And yeah, I think I played Undead Nightmare 2 or 3 different times, about 20-30 minutes each time; and probably a week or two in between. It just wasn't for me.

I played Infinite for about an hour this afternoon. I don't dislike it, and I was even semi-lukewarm about RDR and even GTA the first time I played them; but after I got going, I got pretty hooked. Since I didn't absolutely hate Infinite the first time, I'm sure I'll end up getting hooked.

I played Bioshock when it first came out and did another run through of it right after I beat Infinite and I think I enjoyed the Infinite experience more.

[B]Things I liked more in Bioshock:[/B]
- The plasmids were a better fit into the story and gameplay than the vigors were in BI. It made sense with everything that was happening in Rapture's society. The concept of vigors seemed a little shoehorned in.

- The Big Daddy encounters. There wasn't a single combat even in Infinite that was as good as these. Everything about it was awesome. The tension approaching them and them being so passive until you actually did something. Their relentless attack. The sad moment when you killed one with the little sister crying "Get up, Mr. Bubbles!". The closest thing you had to this in Infinite was Songbird and unfortunately, that was one part of the game that was totally underutilized.


[B]Things I liked more in Infinite:[/B]
- The story and characters. They were both much more personal and it worked better for me. While I liked the political angle and social commentary of Bioshock, nothing in that game got to me like the relationship of Booker and Elizabeth. It was even the little things like Elizabeth dancing in Battleship Bay after being freed. The reveals about them in the ending were perfect.

- The world of Columbia was more immersive than Rapture. Which says a lot about Infinite because Rapture was awesome. This might be a personal preference because the goal of Bioshock was to create a sense of isolation. I just thought that having the random people around naturally added to the atmosphere of the city, its social structure and history. The contrast between this city in the sunny sky decorated in bright colours with all the racism and oppression was effective.

- The overall combat was better and really, it should be given how many years separated the games. I liked the more open environments and the additional aspect the skyrails added.

[QUOTE=Qwyjibo]I played Bioshock when it first came out and did another run through of it right after I beat Infinite and I think I enjoyed the Infinite experience more.

[B]Things I liked more in Bioshock:[/B]
- The plasmids were a better fit into the story and gameplay than the vigors were in BI. It made sense with everything that was happening in Rapture's society. The concept of vigors seemed a little shoehorned in.

- The Big Daddy encounters. There wasn't a single combat even in Infinite that was as good as these. Everything about it was awesome. The tension approaching them and them being so passive until you actually did something. Their relentless attack. The sad moment when you killed one with the little sister crying "Get up, Mr. Bubbles!". The closest thing you had to this in Infinite was Songbird and unfortunately, that was one part of the game that was totally underutilized.


[B]Things I liked more in Infinite:[/B]
- The story and characters. They were both much more personal and it worked better for me. While I liked the political angle and social commentary of Bioshock, nothing in that game got to me like the relationship of Booker and Elizabeth. It was even the little things like Elizabeth dancing in Battleship Bay after being freed. The reveals about them in the ending were perfect.

- The world of Columbia was more immersive than Rapture. Which says a lot about Infinite because Rapture was awesome. This might be a personal preference because the goal of Bioshock was to create a sense of isolation. I just thought that having the random people around naturally added to the atmosphere of the city, its social structure and history. The contrast between this city in the sunny sky decorated in bright colours with all the racism and oppression was effective.

- The overall combat was better and really, it should be given how many years separated the games. I liked the more open environments and the additional aspect the skyrails added.[/QUOTE]
Played for about another hour today. Thinking about going back and restarting, though, because my first go through yesterday (about an hour) I just kept running forward until I got stopped in a gun fight, or something else. Got too nervous, I guess, and thought more officers would come if I didn't keep going, so I never stopped to explore and look around. Found out today, though, that after I clear all the officers or whatever from a particular area, I can look around and find salts, silver eagles, etc.

I have gotten a lot more comfortable with mixing using my guns and vigors. You'd probably think I'm still pretty bad if you watched me, but I got through quite a few battles today with only getting killed one time. Maybe it's the bright and sunny atmosphere in an old-timey world, but the vigors do feel a bit out of place; even knowing the entire game is based in a land floating in the sky they still seem a bit off. I suck at using them correctly, too, so that may have something to do with it. I think I've successfully set a fireball trap once and a crow's nest trap once. Every other time I end up throwing them somewhere so far off target, they never come into play.

A few questions:

1.) The voxophones...how important are those? Because, in my haste of just running, shooting, and running some more the first portion of the game, I'm pretty sure I missed some of them. I mean they're pretty much just more story/background and not actually crucial to advancing in the game, right? I'm not going to miss something if I don't get them and and listen to them am I?

2.) Hours wise, how long did take you to beat the game? I've probably played about 2 hours total, and still haven't gotten to Elizabeth. I just got through the part where you get on Comstock's zeppelin, set it on fire and escaped, and called it quits at the gate to Monument Island. That's where Elizabeth is so two things: 1.) Does it still take a little while to find her and 2.) After I find her there's still more to the game, right?



I know I could find this stuff by just looking it up, but I'm afraid it'll consist of me reading through a walkthrough, and I don't want to that because it kind of ruins the element of surprise that's there the first time you go through a game.

if i order from amazon does it still come with the original bioshock???

[QUOTE=talkingconch]if i order from amazon does it still come with the original bioshock???[/QUOTE]
I ordered my from Amazon and it came with Bioshock, but it's not an automatic thing. You have to look for the right one.

[QUOTE=KG215]Played for about another hour today. Thinking about going back and restarting, though, because my first go through yesterday (about an hour) I just kept running forward until I got stopped in a gun fight, or something else. Got too nervous, I guess, and thought more officers would come if I didn't keep going, so I never stopped to explore and look around. Found out today, though, that after I clear all the officers or whatever from a particular area, I can look around and find salts, silver eagles, etc.

I have gotten a lot more comfortable with mixing using my guns and vigors. You'd probably think I'm still pretty bad if you watched me, but I got through quite a few battles today with only getting killed one time. Maybe it's the bright and sunny atmosphere in an old-timey world, but the vigors do feel a bit out of place; even knowing the entire game is based in a land floating in the sky they still seem a bit off. I suck at using them correctly, too, so that may have something to do with it. I think I've successfully set a fireball trap once and a crow's nest trap once. Every other time I end up throwing them somewhere so far off target, they never come into play.

A few questions:

1.) The voxophones...how important are those? Because, in my haste of just running, shooting, and running some more the first portion of the game, I'm pretty sure I missed some of them. I mean they're pretty much just more story/background and not actually crucial to advancing in the game, right? I'm not going to miss something if I don't get them and and listen to them am I?

2.) Hours wise, how long did take you to beat the game? I've probably played about 2 hours total, and still haven't gotten to Elizabeth. I just got through the part where you get on Comstock's zeppelin, set it on fire and escaped, and called it quits at the gate to Monument Island. That's where Elizabeth is so two things: 1.) Does it still take a little while to find her and 2.) After I find her there's still more to the game, right?



I know I could find this stuff by just looking it up, but I'm afraid it'll consist of me reading through a walkthrough, and I don't want to that because it kind of ruins the element of surprise that's there the first time you go through a game.[/QUOTE]I'll say one of the things I convinced myself to do upon starting Infinite was to let myself get lost in the world, so to speak. I think that's half the fun. I didn't want to try to get to the end as soon as possible, because I think that nullifies a lot of the things the game does so well. In fact, it took me a while just to walk to and through the lighthouse at the beginning. I figured if I was going to break down and give this game a shot, I might as well try to maximize the experience.

So I don't know if that means you should start over or anything, but I felt examining the environment, discovering things, and letting the game come to you really paid off with this title. It almost got to the point where, when the game finally jumps off at the fair, I was kind of disappointed to say goodbye to the established atmosphere. If nothing else, looking around your environment will lead to the aforementioned discovery of everything from money, health, weapons, and upgrades (the last of which can be quite beneficial). The enemies are not the "always-re-spawning" type so once the fight music wraps up, you're usually free to look about your area without much of an issue, though that doesn't mean you might not come across two unsuspecting soldiers in the bathroom from time to time.

The voxophones are pretty well done in the sense that they can truly enrich the story and fill in blanks, but you're not going to be at a complete loss if you miss some. The ones most integral to the storyline are pretty much placed directly in your path. Still, they almost all have something worthwhile to offer in terms of piecing together the story. I'd recommend looking for them. There's also a trophy/achievement for finding all of them.

Regarding the length of the game, I think it depends how you're playing it. If you're running from spot to spot, not searching or discovery anything, and just looking for gun action, it's still a pretty lengthy game. And if you actually proceed at a slower pace, basking in your surroundings and discovering all their fun little ins and outs, the time will obviously increase. If you're two hours into the game, you still have a [i]lonnnnggg[/i] way to go. I mean that in the best sense though. There's still a lot of great stuff left.

If I had to guess, with combing my environment (I was worried about not having enough money for things so I was even searching trash cans), I have to think the game took me 25-30 glorious hours. I'm terrible at keeping track of that stuff though so maybe it was 20-25, or 15-20, ha.

My playthrough took about 17-18 hours (going by my playtime on Steam). This was on the hard difficulty and I tried to explore as much as I could. It was a VERY thorough playthrough. I did miss a couple voxophones though.

Some of the later voxophones reveal some pretty big elements of the story. They're not essential to the gameplay in any way but the later ones especially you should try to get to understand the big picture.

Yeah, I played another couple of hours today and combed through every area very closely, getting everything I could find. Spent most of that time just searching the different rooms in the tower on my way to Elizabeth, and the part on the beaches where you have to catch back up to Elizabeth and find her again.

Got mildly boring, though, since after you find Elizabeth it's a lot of walking/running around and picking-up stuff like money, ammo, and stuff to refill my health and salts bars. The lead-up to Elizabeth in the tower was really interesting, even though there weren't any battles or anything. Searching the beaches, arcade, and promenade felt kind of monotonous, though.

[QUOTE=KG215]Yeah, I played another couple of hours today and combed through every area very closely, getting everything I could find. Spent most of that time just searching the different rooms in the tower on my way to Elizabeth, and the part on the beaches where you have to catch back up to Elizabeth and find her again.

Got mildly boring, though, since after you find Elizabeth it's a lot of walking/running around and picking-up stuff like money, ammo, and stuff to refill my health and salts bars. The lead-up to Elizabeth in the tower was really interesting, even though there weren't any battles or anything. Searching the beaches, arcade, and promenade felt kind of monotonous, though.[/QUOTE]Yeah, maybe it's just a matter of finding a happy medium. Perhaps not necessarily blazing through everything, but then not coming to a crawl. I trust you've found your groove, yes?

[QUOTE=Rake2204]Yeah, maybe it's just a matter of finding a happy medium. Perhaps not necessarily blazing through everything, but then not coming to a crawl. I trust you've found your groove, yes?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the last two days I've really immersed myself in the game. I was only able to play for about 2-3 hours total the couple of days before that, so I got a little behind. Sat down yesterday, though, and played 3 or 4 straight hours (without even realizing it) and did the same thing this afternoon. I just got to the part where you get to Comstock House, Elizabeth's fingerprints get rejected, and you have to find Lady Comstock's crypt. The pace has really picked up, which I like, but I'm also a little jumpier because I feel like I'm going to get shot at every time I turn a new corner.

Some of the recent battles were just brutal, even on normal setting (well, at least they were for someone like me who doesn't play these type of games very often). The one where there's like 2 or 3 Firemen and a Mechanized Patriot, along with all the Vox took me 2 or 3 tries. Then the one where you're in the elevator and on your way to Emporia, but it gets hit by something and stops....that one took me awhile. Think there was another Mechanized Patriot, a Fireman, and a Handyman. The tears really help but I get panicky sometimes and forget to open one that can help me like a Mosquito or turret.

I'm a sniper rifle person, and usually go with the repeater or carbine as my second gun. But I'm much more comfortable sitting back, finding my bearings, and picking off enemies from a distance. I really only mix in vigors if someone surprise attacks me from behind, but usually I try to get up on a balcony or rooftop if there's a freight-hook available, so it's usually not an issue.

The darker, Apocalyptic setting in Emporia isn't really my thing, but I'm so hooked on the game and getting to the end now, it doesn't really bother me. If the game had started off this way, I probably would've only come back to it a few more times before being completely done with it.

[QUOTE=KG215]The darker, Apocalyptic setting in Emporia isn't really my thing, but I'm so hooked on the game and getting to the end now, it doesn't really bother me. If the game had started off this way, I probably would've only come back to it a few more times before being completely done with it.[/QUOTE]I'm with you on that 100%. I very much favored the pre-apocalyptic setting but as you said, I was so locked into the story at that point, I accepted the change without much issue. On subsequent plays, that portion of the game would stick out as my least favorite.

Also, regarding the sniper rifle, good call. I didn't try to use it extensively until my second play through. I didn't know what I was missing.

Can someone who's very knowledgeable of this game tell me if Infinite is more like the original Bioshock or Bioshock 2? ... or if this game has an entirely new and original look and feel to it? I absolutely adored BS1 but was surprisingly immensely disappointed with BS2. So, someone who's already mastered this game or knows a great deal about it, let me know what I should expect.

[QUOTE=Legend of Josh]Can someone who's very knowledgeable of this game tell me if Infinite is more like the original Bioshock or Bioshock 2? ... or if this game has an entirely new and original look and feel to it? I absolutely adored BS1 but was surprisingly immensely disappointed with BS2. So, someone who's already mastered this game or knows a great deal about it, let me know what I should expect.[/QUOTE]Infinite was the first Bioshock I ever played (I've since played the original). In terms of atmosphere, setting, and tone, I'd say Infinite varies greatly from the first two.

As someone who's not a huge fan of shooting zombie-like enemies, I very much preferred the atmosphere of Infinite. There's still unease and mystery (and gore), but it's not as closed in and claustrophobic as the originals. It feels like there's something bigger happening and the game itself is rich with political overtones (the kind that make you ponder as opposed to the kind that make you lean).

Gameplay remains similar. I personally felt the combat was better in Infinite than BS1. Too often in the original, it felt like the opponent was attacking with no rhyme or reason, often limiting strategy from my end and leading to a lot of random gunning or wrench beating. Infinite seems to allow at least a few more opportunities for a strategic and effective approach without compromising difficulty.

In short, I pretty much thought Infinite improved upon nearly everything included in BS1. Hacking is no longer present and guns cannot be visibly upgraded (power, precision, and clip size can still be increased, but no graphical upgrades to the weapons take place when performed). Those were just footnotes to me though. I actually wasn't much a fan of the puzzle hacks in the first place. Also, I think the Skyhook more than makes up for those losses anyhow.

I'm not usually a fan of this genre, but Bioshock: Infinite is one of the best games I've ever played.

[QUOTE=Rake2204]I'm with you on that 100%. I very much favored the pre-apocalyptic setting but as you said, I was so locked into the story at that point, I accepted the change without much issue. On subsequent plays, that portion of the game would stick out as my least favorite.

Also, regarding the sniper rifle, good call. I didn't try to use it extensively until my second play through. I didn't know what I was missing.[/QUOTE]
It took me a little while to realize sniper rifle was probably the way to go in a lot of battles. I don't remember which battle it was exactly, but there was one where a sniper was just sitting there right before it started, so I assumed it'd be useful; and I've stuck with that the rest of the way. I can usually pick-off all but maybe 5 enemies in a battle with a sniper rifle; and that's only because usually several will eventually make their way to where I'm hiding and I have to hit 'em with a vigor or melee attack. And obviously it's harder to kill the Crows, Handymen, Firemen, etc. with a sniper since it takes too long to get off multiple shots.

Alright, so what's the secret on what I think is the final battle where you have to protect the generator? I just tried it 3 times to no avail. I do good until the Patriots start showing up because it takes too damn long to get rid of them. I can even get through the first group of Patriots and take out two zeppelins; but by the time the second group of Patriots arrive and I get rid of them, the generator life is almost completely gone.