The BioShock franchise is at the forefront of storytelling in modern video games. They create lived-in worlds that on their own are fantastic and captivating stories, but they also add in thought provoking plots within these places of wonder that deal with philosophy, quantum physics, and more.
With the fourth game in the series being rumored to be announced soon, it makes one wonder, which offers the better experience, the dark murky depths presented in the first game, or the captivating city in the sky depicted in BioShock Infinite.
To find out which is better, would you kindly read through these 5 qualities of each so you can better make up your own mind?
10 BioShock – Intro
The intro for BioShock is still one of the most iconic parts of the game, fresh in the minds of those who have played it nearly 15 years ago. Starting on a plane everything is peaceful until the plane starts to go down. You emerge from the wreckage in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and find a large pillar-like building with a submarine in it. After hopping in you are quickly shot deep into the ocean while hearing the ideology of a man who decided to flee church and state to find respite under the waves before the reveal of a massive city in the sea – Rapture.
9 BioShock Infinite – Intro
Somewhat similar to the start of the first game, in BioShock Infinite you are in a boat and brought to an island with zero exposition. At the top of the building you were dropped off at are three bells which you must ring a set amount of times. The sky begins to glow red and a horn echoes in the distance. You are then presented a seat which you sit in before being strapped in. A machine forms around you and you are shot thousands of feet into the air until a massive city in the sky is presented to you and a piano ballad plays in the background – this is Columbia.
8 BioShock – Semi-Open World
The majority of BioShock is set in large open areas that you can explore to find gear, hunt for Big Daddy’s, or just take in the swinging music. You can travel between these large areas at will, giving the game a semi-open, cohesive feel that rewards exploration.
In BioShock Infinite, the game is much more linear, with each part of the game taking place within a different section that you never return to. This is mostly due to the game’s emphasis on story but the semi-open world is a feature that is sorely missed.
7 BioShock Infinite – Skyhook
The skyhook is a claw that you attach to your hand so you can swing from air tracks that are found in most areas of the game. This is not only a fun way to get around but is also a good way to get the jump on your enemies.
The skyhook becomes even more integral later in the game when battles take place in large open areas with tracks all over them. You can use the tracks to take the fight in close to your opponents or get to higher ground so you can pick off enemies from a distance.
6 BioShock – Story
The story of BioShock is centered around the city the game takes place in, Rapture. You are a nameless and voiceless protagonist with a convenient radio buddy who is helping you get around the city so you can find a way to get out before being killed by one of the many residents who have a serious case of cabin fever.
Before you are about to make your escape, your radio buddy asks if you could kindly save his wife and child as they are trapped within the city. As the game progresses you realize that things are not what they seem.
5 BioShock Infinite – Story
In BioShock Infinite, your character is given both a name and voice. You are Booker Dewitt, a bounty hunter who has been sent to Columbia to get a girl named Elizabeth. You have a dark past and a lot of debt so are offered the chance to wipe away your debt if you save the girl.
In Columbia is a man named Comstock who is thought to be a prophet, with the residents of the city worshiping him like a God. Comstock and all of his fanatic followers stand between you and Elizabeth so escape is not easy.
4 BioShock – Big Daddys
The Big Daddys are an essential part of BioShock and were at the center of all of the game’s marketing when it was first released. Big Daddys are genetically mutated humans that have had their bodies directly grafted into diving suits. They have one goal and that is to protect Little Sisters while they go around Rapture and collect ADAM, a substance with the power to splice human DNA.
Each area of the game has a set amount of Big Daddys and you must take them out before you can kill or spare the Little Sisters they accompany.
3 BioShock Infinite – Enemy Variety
BioShock Infinite decided to ditch the iconic Big Daddys found in the first two games and instead have a large variety of enemies that the player has to contend with. There are the Fireman and Crow both of which embody the tonic that they introduce into the game and can be a pain, especially if they are in a group with other enemies. There are also larger enemies like the Motorized Patriots who are large robots with chain guns that are modeled after one of America’s founding Fathers and the Handyman, a large half-man half-machine giant who slams around with his large fist.
2 BioShock – Rapture
At the center of the BioShock games are their settings. The original BioShock has Rapture, an underwater city created by very wealthy people who no longer wanted to be shackled by the Government’s rules or the moral majority seen in society. Freed from the persecution of others, the inhabitants created plasmids, gene splicing injections that allow you to shoot elements and other objects out of your hands. Before long, the overwhelming amount of gene augmentation and cabin fever from being stuck inside the city caused many to go insane and the entire city was soon compromised.
1 BioShock Infinite – Columbia
Similar to Rapture, Columbia was created by the wealthy to escape society. However, the purpose of Columbia wasn’t to live freely but instead live by spiritual dogma and stay away from a world that by the founders’ standards was vile and barbaric.
All of the city’s buildings sit high above the clouds, suspended by hot air balloons and steam-punk like motors. While the city of Columbia is beautiful and angelic in appearance, just under the surface is a society that follows an ideology that promotes bigotry and racism. In response to this, the Vox Populi, an underground rebellion, was formed.
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