BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter video game created by Irrational Games and published by 2K. It is the third part of the BioShock series and was released in 2013 for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360, and OS X. The game takes place in 1912 and follows Booker DeWitt, a man sent to the floating city of Columbia to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman who is being held there. Booker and Elizabeth get involved in a conflict between the ruling group, the nativist Founders, and the rebel group, the Vox Populi, who represent Columbia’s lower class. Elizabeth has the ability to open "Tears" in space and time, and she plays a key role in uncovering Columbia’s hidden secrets. Players control Booker throughout the game, fighting enemies and collecting supplies, while Elizabeth helps from the background.
After BioShock was released in 2007, Irrational Games and its creative director, Ken Levine, were not at first interested in making a sequel. However, they later agreed with 2K to create another BioShock game. The setting of Infinite was inspired by real events from the late 1800s, such as the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The story also reflects the idea of American exceptionalism and includes influences from more recent events, like the 2011 Occupy movement. The relationship between Booker and Elizabeth became a central part of the story, with the team working to make Elizabeth feel like a real character rather than just a helper controlled by the computer.
Developing BioShock Infinite took five years and involved hundreds of workers at Irrational Games and other studios. The process faced challenges, including delays and wasted work due to Ken Levine’s leadership style. Outside help was brought in to ensure the game was completed on time. After its release, the game received additional content, such as the story expansion Burial at Sea, which connects Infinite to the original BioShock game.
BioShock Infinite was highly praised by critics for its story, setting, visual design, and art style. It has sold over 11 million copies worldwide. The game was later released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch as part of BioShock: The Collection.
Synopsis
BioShock Infinite is set in 1912 and takes place in a floating steampunk city called "Columbia," named after the female symbol of the United States. Columbia was founded by a man named Zachary Hale Comstock, who claimed to be a prophet. The United States government supported the city as a floating world's fair to show American strength. Tensions grew between Columbia and the government after the city helped in the Boxer Rebellion without permission. Eventually, Columbia broke away from the United States and disappeared into the sky. Comstock turned the city into a government ruled by religious leaders, with himself worshiped as a prophet and the Founding Fathers of the United States treated as religious figures. Racism and unfair treatment of minorities were common in Columbia, with non-whites forced to work as laborers. By the time of the game, Columbia is on the edge of war, as the city's leaders are opposed by a group called the Vox Populi, led by Daisy Fitzroy, who fights for the rights of the city's oppressed people.
Columbia is home to "Tears," which are openings in space-time that reveal other worlds. Some people use the knowledge from these Tears to create new weapons and technology, while others copy futuristic ideas they see in the Tears and bring them into Columbia.
The player controls Booker DeWitt, a former U.S. Army soldier and ex-member of the Pinkerton Detective Agency who has a violent past. Facing debt, Booker is sent to Columbia to find a young woman named Elizabeth, who can open Tears. Elizabeth has been kept isolated in Columbia since childhood and is trained to be the city's future leader. She is protected by Songbird, a robotic bird-like creature who acts as both her friend and guard. Two people, Robert and Rosalind Lutece, guide Booker to Columbia and appear throughout his journey. Though they look like twins, they are actually the same person from two different realities who discovered how to communicate across worlds.
In July 1912, Booker arrives in Columbia and is soon hunted by authorities who believe he is a "False Shepherd" prophesied to harm Elizabeth and overthrow the city. Booker frees Elizabeth from her tower and escapes Songbird. He takes control of an airship and lies about taking Elizabeth to Paris; when she learns they are going to New York to pay his debts, she knocks him out and flees. Booker wakes up to find the airship taken by Daisy Fitzroy, who offers to return it if Booker helps arm the Vox Populi.
Booker and Elizabeth reunite and work together to get weapons from a local gunsmith. Traveling through Tears, they arrive in a world where Booker is a Vox Populi hero and war has broken out in Columbia. Elizabeth kills Fitzroy to stop her from killing a Founder boy. Booker and Elizabeth regain control of the airship, but Songbird attacks as they try to leave, and they crash back into the city. They discover a secret: Comstock, who became old and infertile from exposure to Tears, took Elizabeth from another world and killed his wife and the Luteces to hide the truth. He kept Elizabeth in Columbia and built a large Siphon to control her power.
Elizabeth is captured by Songbird and tortured into obeying Comstock. Booker is sent forward in time to 1983 by an older Elizabeth, who returns him to 1912 with information on how to control Songbird. Booker rescues Elizabeth, and they chase Comstock to his airship. Comstock demands Booker explain Elizabeth's past, but Booker drowns him in a baptismal font. Elizabeth insists Booker has forgotten his past. Together, they direct Songbird to destroy the Siphon, unleashing Elizabeth's full power.
Elizabeth opens a Tear and takes them to the underwater city of Rapture. She explains that there are many alternate worlds and versions of Booker and Elizabeth; their reality is one of many possibilities. Elizabeth reveals that Robert Lutece helped Comstock get Booker's infant daughter, Anna DeWitt, in exchange for clearing his debts. Booker tried to take Anna back, but Comstock escaped through a Tear, which caused Anna to lose a finger. Comstock raised Anna as his own daughter, Elizabeth, and her missing finger is why she can open Tears. Robert Lutece, angry at Comstock, convinced Rosalind to help bring Booker to the reality where Columbia exists to rescue Elizabeth.
Elizabeth explains that even though Comstock is dead in their world, he lives on in other realities because the Luteces have brought Bookers from many worlds to stop Comstock's cycle. To end Comstock's existence, Elizabeth takes Booker back in time to a baptism he attended after the Wounded Knee Massacre. She explains that in some realities, Booker accepted the baptism and was reborn as Comstock. Booker, joined by other Elizabeths from different worlds, allows them to drown him in a river, stopping Comstock's birth. One by one, the Elizabeths disappear, and the screen goes black.
In a post-credits scene, a Booker wakes up in his apartment on October 8, 1893. He calls for Anna and opens her door before the screen goes black.
Gameplay
BioShock Infinite is a video game that combines shooting and role-playing features. It uses similar gameplay as BioShock, with weapons, special abilities, and upgrades that work in a similar way, though they have different names. The player can carry only two weapons at a time, and can find other weapons and ammunition by defeating enemies or exploring the environment. In addition to guns and close combat, the player can use special powers called Vigors. These include abilities like shooting lightning, throwing enemies into the air to disable them, or controlling enemies and machines. Vigors can also be placed on the ground to create traps. Using Vigors requires Salt, which acts like magic points to power these abilities.
Booker, the main character, has health and a protective shield that regenerates automatically when not in battle. Health must be restored using medical kits or food. If Booker dies, the player is revived in a safe area, but this costs money, and nearby enemies are partially healed. Items called Gear provide ongoing benefits that improve strength or damage resistance. Each Gear piece fits into one of four slots, with only one item allowed per slot at a time. Extra Gear is stored in the player’s inventory. Player abilities can also be improved by finding Infusions, which increase shield strength, health, or Salt capacity.
The player faces enemies from two groups: the Founders and the Vox Populi. These enemies range from regular soldiers to Heavy Hitters, who are stronger enemies that act as mini-bosses. Automated machines throughout the city of Columbia serve as a security defense. Columbia has large, open areas that let players choose how to approach battles. The city is explored on foot or using the Sky-Line, a rail system that Booker and enemies ride with special hooks. Booker can jump on, off, and between Sky-Line tracks at any time and use one-handed weapons while riding. The hook can also be used as a melee weapon to perform special attacks on weakened enemies.
Elizabeth, a computer-controlled character, helps Booker throughout the game. She does not need protection and assists in combat by throwing useful items when needed. She can also open Tears to bring in items or environmental features, like medical kits or ledges for higher ground. Elizabeth can use a hairpin to unlock doors or find useful items. Cash, food, medical kits, ammunition, and Salt can be found throughout the game world. Vending machines allow players to buy supplies and powerful upgrades for weapons and Vigors. Optional side missions are available, requiring players to unlock safes or solve hidden puzzles. Completing these missions rewards players with supplies and upgrades. Audio logs (Voxophones) and film projectors (Kinetoscopes) scattered throughout Columbia provide more details about characters and events.
The game has four difficulty levels, with three available at the start. After completing the game on a lower difficulty or entering the Konami Code in the main menu, the hardest difficulty, "1999 Mode," becomes available. In this mode, enemies are stronger, the player loses navigational aids and aim assistance, resource management becomes more important, and death has greater consequences.
Development
In 2007, the game developer Irrational Games (then called 2K Boston) and publisher 2K Games released BioShock, which received praise from critics and sold well. Later that year, 2K Games asked Irrational about making a sequel. However, Irrational’s staff and creative director Ken Levine were tired from making BioShock and did not want to work on another game in the same series right away. Instead, Irrational and 2K agreed that some members of Irrational would form a new studio, 2K Marin, to work on the sequel. Meanwhile, Irrational’s team joined the development of a game in the XCOM franchise.
By mid-2008, Ken Levine had lost interest in the XCOM project and wanted to return to BioShock. Many Irrational employees were also unhappy that another studio, 2K Marin, was making the next BioShock game instead of Irrational. While 2K Marin worked on BioShock 2 and Irrational’s Australian office worked on XCOM, the main Irrational team began planning ideas for a new BioShock game.
In February 2008, Irrational started working on the concept for BioShock Infinite. 2K gave Irrational freedom to create the game and explore different settings, such as the city of Rapture or the Renaissance period. Eventually, they chose a floating city called Columbia as the setting. While the setting remained the same, the time period, characters, and story were still being decided as the team tested many ideas. Some ideas took months to develop but were later abandoned quickly. Ken Levine focused on small details, which made the creative process slow. Some teams at Irrational even practiced meetings with Levine to prepare for his feedback.
At the same time, the team designed multiplayer modes for the game. One mode, called Border Control, was a tower defense game set in Columbia. Another mode, named Spec-Ops, was meant to be a cooperative game for up to four players. These modes were planned to evolve after the game’s release, using environmental storytelling to show Columbia’s changing events.
Irrational expanded its team but faced challenges. Jon Chey, a key member of the original BioShock team, left the company in 2009. Chey’s team focused on technical skills, while Levine’s team focused on creativity. Chey’s departure meant Ken Levine had to take on more responsibilities, which changed the company’s culture.
Irrational worked in secret on Infinite for two-and-a-half years before announcing it in 2010. The game was shown to journalists with a teaser trailer and basic story outline. Later demos at events in 2011 helped show what the game would be like. However, the 2011 demo was not a true reflection of the game’s progress because the AI was not fully developed. Despite this, the story’s main ideas were set, but Ken Levine often changed parts of the game last minute.
As development continued, Irrational faced delays and staff leaving the company. In 2012, Jordan Thomas was hired to help manage the project. He and Ken Levine decided to cut parts of the game, including multiplayer features, to focus on the single-player story. Later, game producer Don Roy joined the team and reorganized the project’s management. Rod Fergusson, a new vice president of development, helped keep the project on track by setting clear goals.
To finish the game, Irrational worked long hours, with some staff working 12-hour days. Many game elements, such as weapons, characters, and locations, were removed from the final version. After the game was released, more than a dozen staff members left the company. Infinite took about five years to make and involved around 200 people from Irrational and outside studios. It was the last BioShock game made by Irrational, as the studio was rebranded as Ghost Story Games in 2014. The BioShock intellectual property remained with 2K Games.
Irrational’s artists were inspired by Erik Larson’s book The Devil in the White City, which describes the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. This inspired the game’s setting, which was based on turn-of-the-20th-century American culture and propaganda. The team used historical posters and images from films like The Music Man and Hello, Dolly to create visuals for Columbia. Other influences included photographs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and Sears-Roebuck catalogs.
Creating the bright, open environments of Columbia was a challenge for the team. They studied how directors like Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch made bright, sterile spaces feel scary. Early designs of Columbia were darker and inspired by Art Nouveau, but the team changed the look to avoid making the world feel too closed in, like Rapture. Instead, they focused on making Columbia feel more open and unique.
Themes
Levine said that players should make their own conclusions about the game, as many parts of BioShock Infinite are open to different interpretations. He did not provide a clear, final answer about the game's ending, explaining, "What matters most is what people think. Why should my opinion be more important than yours?" He acknowledged that the game's themes caused fans to debate and feel frustrated, but he was happy with how unclear the ending was, as it was his goal. Rob Crossley of CVG said that Levine saw the game's "Many Worlds Theory" as a storytelling tool that made the game's story unique, similar to how films allow for different interpretations.
Commentators discussed themes such as sameness, fatalism, choice, and unintended consequences, especially in the backstory and appearances of the Luteces. The idea of multiple realities was noted as similar to the fact that, unlike previous BioShock games, Infinite had only one ending, even though players could make different choices in the game. Chris Kohler of Wired explained that, like the story's alternate universes, which had similar "constants" and different "variables," the game could be played in many ways, but some elements would always remain the same. Tom Phillips of Eurogamer agreed, saying that Elizabeth's line, "We swim in different oceans, but land on the same shore," meant that players might have different experiences but would all reach the same ending. This led some to see BioShock Infinite as a "metagame" that reflects how players make different choices in games. Some commentators compared the character Comstock to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, because both claimed to have visions from angels and both involved institutionalized racism in their groups. Levine said he saw some similarities between Comstock and Smith, but he did not intend the comparison to be exact.
Levine responded to critics who said Columbia was a racist society by stating the game was not making a specific point about racism. He said the game's portrayal of racism was more about reflecting how race relations were in the United States in 1912. He explained that the game was not about exploring the good and bad sides of racism, but showing how it existed during that time. He noted that historical figures like the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt were "men of their times" who had racist views because of the era they lived in. He said that not showing racism in the game would be "dishonest" to the time period. Many reviewers praised how the game handled the topic of race.
In addition to racism, the game was seen as addressing political and social issues. Themes discussed by commentators included American exceptionalism, extremism, fundamentalism, nationalism, fanaticism, cultism, populism, religion, dichotomy, free will, hope, self-loathing, denial, rebirth, and redemption.
When the game was first revealed, people from different political backgrounds accused it of criticizing either the left or the right. Levine said the game was like a "Rorschach test," meaning people would see different things in it, but many would take it negatively. The National Liberty Federation, a group in the Tea Party movement, used a propaganda mural from the game showing the Founders' racism and xenophobia on their Facebook page before it was removed. Fox News created a logo similar to BioShock Infinite's for a segment about immigration control.
Comstock was changed after Levine spoke with a developer who threatened to quit over the game's portrayal of the character and religion. The developer helped Levine rethink the idea of forgiveness in the New Testament and understand why people followed Comstock. In another case, a player who considered himself a devout Christian was upset by the forced baptism that Booker undergoes before entering Columbia and requested a refund. Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku said the baptism scene was "admirable" in the context of video games as an art form and sparked many reactions online. Some saw the baptism scenes as representing themes like free will, evil, rebirth, and redemption, not as a criticism of Christianity or religion.
Promotion and release
The game was introduced with several trailers, including one that showed the history of Columbia in a style similar to shows like In Search Of…. Irrational Games revealed the official game cover in early December 2012. Some journalists and players criticized the cover art because it did not include Elizabeth or other unique features from the game. The game's creator, Levine, explained that the cover was designed to attract players who enjoy simpler styles. Irrational Games asked players to vote on what the reversible cover art should be, and alternate cover designs were made available as downloadable files for players to print and use. For the cover and other promotional materials, such as live-action commercials, the directors hired Anna "Ormeli" Moleva, a Russian cosplayer who had previously gained attention for her recreation of Elizabeth in 2011. The game's release included various merchandise, such as replicas, figurines, a board game called BioShock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia, and a prequel novella titled BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt.
BioShock Infinite was released worldwide on March 26, 2013, for the PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 platforms. Aspyr later released a version of the game for the Mac OS platform on August 29, 2013. Two special editions were released with the game for each platform. The Special Edition included an art book, a propaganda poster, a mini-figurine of the Handyman, a keychain, the game's soundtrack, and in-game codes for special powers, as well as additional themes for consoles. The Ultimate Songbird Edition included all the items from the Special Edition, plus a Songbird statuette designed by Irrational Games' Robb Waters.
In its first week of release, BioShock Infinite was the best-selling game on Steam's digital Top 10 PC Charts. In the United States, it was the top-selling console game for March 2013, with more than 878,000 units sold. These numbers do not include digital sales through platforms like Steam. In the United Kingdom, the game debuted as the number one selling PC game and the best-selling game across all formats, topping the UK PC Retail Sales and UK All Formats video games charts. It was the second-largest game launch in the UK in 2013, after Tomb Raider, and the biggest launch for the BioShock franchise in the UK. BioShock Infinite became the first 2013 game to top the UK charts for three consecutive weeks.
Take-Two Interactive reported that the game had sold over 4 million copies by July 2013. By May 2014, it had sold an additional 2 million copies, and by the following year, it had sold a total of 11 million copies.
Reception
BioShock Infinite received very high praise from critics when it was released. Reviewers especially liked the game’s story, setting, and visual art. A website called Metacritic, which collects reviews, said the game had "universal acclaim" and gave it a score of 93–94 out of 100. This made BioShock Infinite the third-best video game of 2013, after Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us. Many critics said it was one of the best games from the seventh generation of video game consoles. IGN’s Ryan McCaffery called it "a brilliant shooter that improves the genre with new ideas in storytelling and gameplay." Joe Juba of Game Informer said it was among the best games he had ever played, while Adam Dolge of PlayStation Universe called it "one of the best first-person shooters ever made." Joel Gregory of PlayStation Official Magazine said the game was a "masterpiece" and compared it to other great games like Half-Life, Deus Ex, and the original BioShock.
Many critics compared BioShock Infinite to the original BioShock, with some saying it was even better. Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly said, "If BioShock was The Godfather, then BioShock Infinite is Apocalypse Now." Adam Kovic of Machinima.com said the two games are similar but different and both are of high quality.
Critics praised the game’s story, calling it one of the best in video gaming. The story explored serious themes, and Jared Newman of Time said it encouraged players to think and discuss the game’s ideas. Adam Sessler of Rev3Games said the story was special because it let players make choices that affected the narrative. The story’s ending was mostly praised, with some critics saying it would spark debates and make players want to replay the game. Some said the ending was better than the original BioShock’s, as the game kept moving forward after the twist. However, some critics noted that the ending had plot holes and logical gaps. Many articles have been written to explain the ending.
The game’s setting, Columbia, was highly praised. Arthur Gies of Polygon said it was one of the game’s greatest features. James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid said Columbia was one of the best settings in video games, unlike the original BioShock, which reused the setting of Rapture. Critics said Columbia’s visual design was beautiful and detailed. Lucas Sullivan of GamesRadar called the game "one of the most visually captivating games ever made." The setting’s variety was also praised, as no two areas of Columbia felt the same. Critics appreciated how the game encouraged exploration, with Joe Juba saying that details like propaganda, audio logs, and events helped players understand Columbia’s world.
Elizabeth’s role in the game was widely praised. Her design as an AI partner for the player, Booker, was called "downright ingenious" by Lucas Sullivan. Critics said her ability to help in combat, find items, and open new areas made the game unique. They also said she was more than a combat partner, as she created emotional connections with players. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer said the game made players feel a "familial bond" with Elizabeth, and Sullivan said she felt like a friend. Ryan McCaffery said her presence added motivation and depth to the story, which the original BioShock lacked. Edge magazine called Elizabeth "a technical triumph," comparing her to Half-Life 2’s Alyx Vance. Critics also said Elizabeth’s relationship with Booker was central to the game’s story.
The game’s voice actors were praised, especially Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper for their roles as Booker and Elizabeth. The audio and soundtrack also received positive feedback.
While the game’s combat was mostly praised, it was also the most divisive part of the game. Tom Hoggins of The Daily Telegraph said the gunplay was not the game’s strongest feature. However, critics said the combat was an improvement over earlier BioShock games. The expanded environments were praised for encouraging tactical thinking. Tom Francis of PC Gamer and Hoggins said the new environments made combat more dynamic. The Sky-Line feature was especially praised, with Lucas Sullivan calling it a "new FPS experience" and Joel Gregory calling it a "real game-changer." Critics also liked the game’s Vigors, weapons, and upgrades, with Ryan McCaffery praising the variety of combat options.
Some critics, however, said the gameplay was repetitive and lacked excitement. Steven Burns of VideoGamer.com said the lack of progression in abilities and enemies made combat boring. Others said the game felt simpler compared to the role-playing elements of System Shock. Newman of Time said the combat felt too limited. Some critics also said the middle part of the game had flaws that made it feel padded. Mikel Reparaz of Official Xbox Magazine said the limited number of weapons and lack of upgrades made the combat less creative than the original BioShock. Critics also said the game’s "meager" death penalty made it less challenging.
The game’s depiction of violence was widely discussed. Chris Plante of Polygon said the violence might turn off players who care more about the story than action. He said the game did not explain its violence in the same way films might, and the large number of lives lost felt too cold and efficient.
Post-release
Irrational Games released two major downloadable content pieces for the game. The first is Clash in the Clouds, a non-story combat mode where players fight waves of enemies on maps inspired by the game's settings. It was released on July 30, 2013. The second is Burial at Sea, a story-based expansion set in Rapture that connects Infinite to the original BioShock game. This expansion has two episodes: the first was released on November 12, 2013, and the second on March 25, 2014. BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition, which includes the main game, Clash in the Clouds, and Burial at Sea, was released on November 4, 2014. A Linux version of the game, developed by Virtual Programming, was released on March 17, 2015.
BioShock Infinite and Burial at Sea were remastered and released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as part of BioShock: The Collection in September 2016. At that time, the Windows version of Infinite was already considered equal to the console version and received no additional updates. A standalone version of BioShock Infinite (including Burial at Sea) and The Collection were released for the Nintendo Switch on May 29, 2020.
On September 3, 2022, BioShock Infinite and its predecessors received the "Quality of Life Update," which added a launcher developed by 2K Games. This update caused problems for Linux and Steam Deck users, as it broke compatibility. It was also criticized for adding telemetry features and negatively affecting game performance. Two years later, in 2024, 2K Games removed the launcher.