![]() Does Bioshock Infinite need combat at all? The problem is so obvious that many mainstream outlets have picked it up, something I have never seen before. Combat in System Shock 2 is probably a lot less complex than that in Bioshock Infinite, but because it ties neatly into its fiction, the emergent narrative is so much more engaging.īy having this detached fighting system, a very interesting question is exposed. It is a clear example of how much the little touches in earlier games mattered. To me the overall impression is just one of disconnect. Possibly also for fear that the player might get bored. Yet again these elements are there because they were in the previous game. The game also features looting and vending machines, elements that seem to belong in neither in combat or the story. Like so many other things in the game they are there just to comply with the predefined combat mechanics. They get mentioned on some billboards at the start, but serve no further narrative purpose. The different magical spells acquired seem to be there simply because they were present in the previous game. Enemy fiction does not get any better than them being the henchmen of whichever bad guy happens to be your current antagonist. Worse still is that the elements of the battles have little to do with the story. It is just a matter of clearing waves of enemies in order to move the story forward. While it can have some charm, it very rarely creates any sort of narrative experience. It all boils down to a hectic and often chaotic spectacle. Enemies just run at you and attack, lacking any of the awareness-state nuances seen in previous Shock games. It is basically on the level of Smash TV arena like battles where you need to kill all hostiles in order to progress. On the other hand, Bioshock Infinite's combat has probably the worst narrative connection of recent memory. When fighting in System Shock 2 an engaging narrative is created one that ties neatly in with the rest of the story elements. Every enemy conveys an aspect of the story, the flow complements the overall mood and the tactics are connected with the progression of the protagonist. The grandfather of Bioshock Infinite, System Shock 2, is a great example of combat done right. I am not fond of combat in games, mostly because it is so overused, but when done well I have nothing against it. I see this as the gold standard for any work of interactive fiction, and it is through this lens that I will inspect Bioshock Infinite.įirst up, I will go over the combat. I think this is true for anybody who has interest in a videogame storytelling. The journey we take through the game becomes our narrative. We do not absorb gameplay on a purely abstract basis, we connect it to the game's virtual world and incorporate it into our subjective narrative. While we of course are able to talk about the narrative in a separate, dual world-like, sense, it is not how we live through the experience. When we take part in interactive storytelling, what we really care about is our activities and the scenarios. While not that many talk about narrative in this way, I think it is really how most of us interpret our experiences. It is not just cut-scenes and audio-logs that make up a narrative, it is also the shooting, jumping, and all other actions that I perform as a player. When I talk about the narrative in a game, I see it as the totality of the experience. By taking a closer look at Bioshock Infinite we can perhaps learn to harness its dormant potential.īefore we get into it all, I need to clear up a concept. This is also why it is so interesting to talk about it. The capability for true greatness can be seen throughout, but is constantly hindered. What really stuck to me, though, is how it abuses its own premise. I played the entire game in a couple of days, a rare thing for me, and had (mostly) fun doing so. This does not mean it is a bad game, far from it. ![]() There is a lot that is really good about the game, but the way it all comes together seems like a wasted opportunity. So I just finished Bioshock Infinite and I feel I need to write something about it.
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