Recent reviews by Deathbagel

Wow... this game was quite the experience. The visuals were stunning, both in terms of art style and just graphics. The opening portion of the game was an incredible sensory experience, I felt so immersed. The ending (well not the very ending, which got a bit conceited and cinematic imo, but the last truly playable portions) were also very intense. It isn't something I normally notice in a game, but the sound design was phenomenal, and contributed a lot to the game.

Really impressive, and surprising to me was that it made me actually care about Elizabeth. Every time she was in danger I actually panicked, and the penultimate chapter was an emotional roller coaster as a result. The designers did a good job of integrating her powers into combat I felt (although I wish there was a noticeable difference between her reviving you and whatever the hell happened when she didn't).

Sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the original bioshock. Both games looked fantastic, had solid gameplay, and compelling stories. But like its predecessor, Bioshock Infinite slumps, though instead of at the end it does so in the early-middle portions. After 'the fall' I found the next portions boring and repetitive, at least compared to the other parts of the game. I didn't find the music as interesting (though it still suited the game), and I passionately hate whoever decided to bastardize Chopin's beautiful Nocturne op 9 no 2 by playing it on repeat through a tinny radio filter...

The real problem with the game though compared with Bioshock was its level design. Like I said, it looked phenomenal, but a lot of the time it didn't feel like a real place. In my opinino that was the best part of Rapture, was that all of its levels (except perhaps the last few, and that's maybe why they sucked) felt like very real places, while simultaenously allowing for varied gameplay. Columbia by contrast felt very linear and closed-off. Throughout most of the game, I didn't feel like I was navigating a real place so much as a video game level, and there was at a couple points (to my horror) actual backtracking. It wasn't terribly designed, but compared to a masterpiece of design like Bioshock it was dissappointing. On a related note, I felt like the backstory wasn't quite as rich as in Bioshock, with what felt like far fewer recordings. The game itself seemed shorter as well.

Overall, I would recommend the game. It's gorgeous both visually and auditorily, and its main characters were compelling. However, its level design was inferior to Bioshock, and the world had less depth to it overall. Certainly a top game of the year, and worth anyone's time, but it's not a legendary game like its predecessor.