Bioshock Infinite, the third in the Bioshock series albeit nothing to do with the original two Bioshock games-- with an exception for the ending. I'll preface this review that the game has had many issues since I pre-ordered it on release day of March 26, 2013.

The trailers for Bioshock Infinite cause a bit of a stir because it appeared to ditch the well trodden aquatic environment of Rapture for a strangely bright steampunk world in the clouds. How would they reconcile the new story with the old? Would the new game be worthy of the name Bioshock?

Bioshock Infinite places you as Booker De-Witt, a grumpy hired gun and veteran of the U.S. Cavalry, owing too much to too many wrong people, but there's a chance to wipe the slate clean by rescuing Elizabeth, a girl who's been imprisoned high up in the flying city of Columbia, suspended in the air...

There's always a lighthouse. There's always a man. And now, there's also a gimmick. Episode 1 of BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea isn't a story that sheds new light on BioShock lore, but is rather a story that stitches together two worlds in ways that don't enhance either of them.

Beautiful sounds and visuals; Several standout moments with intriguing allegorical implications

BioShock Infinite's mechanics and narrative devices don't make sense in Rapture; Easy; throwaway action sequences

Liked the original and this one was a bit disapointing. The ending, while interesting, was a let down and a half. No way out kinda' stuff, like Mass Effect 3. Some of the things you could do were neat, but I got bored and just trudged through til the end.

Infinite is about constants and variables. An opening seaward journey to a lighthouse echoes the original more closely than might be expected, given creative director Ken Levine's intention to differentiate beyond BioShock 2's conservative return to Rapture.

A good excuse to experiment with BioShock Infinite's often underrated combat, but the overall experience still feels somewhat underwhelming.

Survival mode suits the game's wide range of weapons and equipment well, and the Blue Ribbon challenges are a clever incentive; Some interesting unlockables and Easter eggs

None of the maps are especially well designed for straight combat and they do get extremely hard quite early on; No new gameplay features

One of the trends of this console generation is that shooters have become as disposable as sports games, quickly forgotten and discarded every Christmas in favour of an updated model. Not so BioShock .

Elizabeth is the most believable and affecting AI companion in years; Columbia's an incredible setting that sits comfortably alongside Rapture; The ending will leave your head spinning and you won't want it to stop

Some of the weapons are a little unimaginative; Vigors aren't that different to plasmids; It lacks a knock-you-down "Would You Kindly?" moment; although it comes close

A truly fantastic experience which very much lives up to the original. It has some hard hitting themes that stand out as unusually realistic, not just for a fantasy title but for games in general. Beyond that, though, it treads well-worn paths.

Presented as more of a side-story than anything else, the first episode of this two-parter moves away from Columbia and back into the familiar setting of Rapture, the underwater city from the first two