In 2007, there was “Bioshock,” a game that pushed the first-person shooter genre forward with it’s unique setting, innovative game play, and compelling story. In 2010, there was “Bioshock 2,” a game that built upon the success of “Bioshock” while staying true to its predecessor.

In 2013, there is “Bioshock Infinite,” the latest installment in the series from Irrational Games. “Bioshock Infinite” offers a fresh experience with a mind-blowing story that certainly lives up to the legacy set before it.

“Bioshock Infinite” puts you in the shoes of Booker Dewitt, a private security contractor that’s deep in debt. He is offered a chance to erase his debt by finding and escorting Elizabeth, a mysterious girl with strange powers, from the floating city of Columbia to New York. Booker’s seemingly simple task becomes increasingly complicated as he and Elizabeth find themselves on the run from practically everybody in Columbia.

Fans of the series will find that “Bioshock Infinite” stays true to the
formula of the original. Unique setting? Check. Compelling story? Check. Innovative game play?
Check.

“Bioshock Infinite” departs from Rapture, the underwater city that captivated us in “Bioshock” and “Bioshock 2.” You will find yourself traveling to Columbia, a vibrant city that floats over America during the early 1900s. Columbia may not be Rapture, but it will more than manage to capture your imagination and take your breath away.

A complex yet beautiful story, that seems to rewrite history, will unfold as you make your way through Columbia. Various twists and turns will leave you speechless, dumbfounded, and sometimes confused. Be sure to pay attention and collect as many voxophones as you can, or you might miss some important details.

The game play of “Bioshock Infinite” blows away that of its predecessors. There are plenty of guns and psychic abilities, called “vigors,” at your disposal to fight off Columbia’s soldiers, who are relentless and at times seem endless. While these are fun to use, they aren’t anything new to the series. The new features are what really make the game play stand out amongst other first-person shooters.

The first of these features are the sky rails. Sky rails, which are normally for rail cars in Columbia, allow you to evade enemies by hopping on and riding away. You won’t be able to use any psychic abilities while on a sky rail, but that’s a sacrifice you’ll be willing to make.

The second feature is the ability to bring items, such as health packs or friendly turrets, into the battlefield through tears. Tears are portals which Elizabeth can open up. That’s all that can be said about tears since they play directly into the story of “Bioshock Infinite.”

“Bioshock Infinite” is not without its own problems. The removal of manual saves makes playing a little inconvenient. You’re forced to either play until the next auto save or lose an hour of game play.

In addition, you’re unable to pick up and use health packs at leisure. This shouldn’t be a major problem if you take your time and look around for health packs before moving on.

These are minor problems considering the numerous other things that could have gone wrong. The pros outweigh the cons by a wide, wide margin.

Overall, “Bioschock Infinite” offers an experience that only comes around once every blue moon. It lives up to its predecessors and does the series justice. Do yourself a favor and pick it up, if you haven’t already.