Look, there’s a reason we called Bioshock Infinite our game of the show at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. No, it wasn’t hands-on, and no, we didn’t really get to see much outside of the presentation that 2K provided for us. But here’s the bottom line – the stuff we saw in the 20-something minute presentation was absolutely breathtaking, and something that could easily set the standard for future Bioshock games to come. Considering how revolutionary the first one was, that’s quite a step. The game deals with an ex-Pinkerton agent by the name of Booker DeWitt who’s sent to the floating independent city of Columbia to rescue a talented girl by the name of Elizabeth, who’s a lot more powerful than she seems. Upon your arrival, however, a few stooges don’t take likely to you. What’s worse, the guardian who watches over Elizabeth, a menacing half-bird/half-monster named Songbird, isn’t ready to give her up so easily.
Though Ken Levine wasn’t on hand to guide us through the presentation, there was plenty to go around with the rest of the Irrational Games team, complete with an art deco booth loaded with old-time posters and plush leather couches. From there, they started the demo, and we got an idea of what it was like to be in Columbia. The city itself looks like a routine 1920’s villa, with posters and banners and such, but there are hints of futuristic décor, including a video wall with confessing sinners and thugs carrying around modern-day weapons like shotguns. But it’s definitely got that nouveau Bioshock touch to it, with something old, something new. What impresses us technically about the demo, though, is its visual design. It runs at a near rock solid 60 frames per second, even when you’re moving at rocketing speed along the city’s elaborate railway system.
Ahh, yes, the railway system. This is clearly an innovation that Irrational has nailed in Bioshock Infinite as well. You’ve got access to a sky hook, which allows you to grab along rails and slide along for the ride, then jumping free and grabbing onto another one in the distance, despite the possible risk of high falling. It’s a clever system, and one that provides more of the thrilling moments throughout the game. You’ll also need to use it to your advantage from a defensive perspective, should enemies get the jump on you and close in. It helps to rocket to a new area, formulate a plan, and go on the attack. We only saw a few minutes of railway riding within the demo, but the effect it provides is a true rush, along the same lines of what you might experience from going up and down hills in a roller coaster. We wonder if it will have some kind of effect in a multiplayer sort of way. Can you imagine how crazy railway chases would get?
This feature preview concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read more of our thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.
