I’ve been to Columbia – Bioshock Infinite

It’s eerie to waltz around a world I’ve seen in trailers on and off since 2011. Eerie and awe-inspiring. Columbia is another City 17; avid gamers will hopefully feel happy to hear me draw the comparison.

There’s been so much said about the game, both from two years’ worth of previews and advance (groan) exclusive reviews over the past week. I won’t waste your time with fluff; here are some (spoiler-free) thoughts from my five-hour foray into Columbia so far.

Yes. The city is its own, gorgeous, living, breathing character. It’s definitely an evolved experiment in city and world-building, just as Rapture was six (!) years ago. There’s something beautiful about seeing a world before its possible ruin. People still live in Columbia upon your arrival, and it’s a bizarre, inexplicable joy to let yourself soak in the details of the disturbing status quo before the game catapults you into action.

I can’t quite say enough about the first half hour of Infinite. Deliberately evocative of Bioshock’s descent into Rapture in so many, lovingly referential ways, every fan of the original will grin ear to ear as they are welcomed to another one of Ken Levine’s ‘what-if’ constructions.

If you have a competent sound system, you’re going to be kissing it every time you fire this game up. I’ve never been so enthralled by a game’s sound design in my life. From beautiful, precision surround, to incredible atmosphere-building effects and mesmerizing score, Infinite is an absolute treat for the ears.

Listen for the way the soundtrack dynamically adjusts to your actions, in and out of combat. Dissonant piano strokes will punctuate every kill, and a blare of strings will tell you you’re safe. Many games do this; many games even do it well, like Infinite. But this game’s efforts in this arena are loud, totally in-your-face, and unrelenting. Infinite’s sound will grab you by the balls and squeeze until you hit the same note it’s singing. It’s intoxicating during play, and instrumental in immersing yourself in Columbia.

The city, on that note, is an absolute marvel. I say this about the art and design of the city, despite the fact that up close, it can turn into a muddy mess on the console versions of the game. Playing on a PS3, it’s definitely not pretty under intense scrutiny, but the overall design and spectacle will absolutely trump that the more you play. Columbia is a true wonder to behold. You will love being in it, and being part of a place that begins to go to hell as the story develops. You might even feel, as I did, like you were there at the flashpoint in the city’s history, as if you were there when New Year’s Eve came around at Rapture, when everything came apart.

Elizabeth is my favorite A.I. companion in gaming, although I suppose I haven’t worked with too many. Resident Evil 4’s Ashley is probably my old standard, and Elizabeth beats her out in every way.

I think I fell in love with her when she got excited, ran ahead of me, and peered over the edge of a balcony, gazing in wonder at the world below and around her. I can’t explain why, but it was a beautiful moment.

I sympathize with the Infinite team; they say they’re worried that the months and months of effort put into Elizabeth’s behavior will be overlooked by run’n’gun players. It likely will be.

If you’re looking to blow the game away, do a speed run, kill everything in sight, maximize your loot, or view the game as a checklist to a Platinum trophy or Achievement landmark, you may very well miss the beauty on display in this game, from Columbia, Elizabeth, or any of the other wonderful aspects of Infinite’s world.

Seriously — take the time to smell the roses with this one, folks. It’s really something special.

Final notes:

• Skyline (Sky-Hook?) combat and travel is as thrilling as you expect. While it isn’t really helping you travel from area to area, it does totally transform how you think about combat and movement in any fixed area. It’s very, very exciting and well-executed.

• The game’s gallery of mini-bosses are such a treat; I won’t spoil a thing for those who’ve avoided details. Just know that the enemies you face blow the generic splicers of Bioshock away. Each has an incredible signature combination of sounds and visuals associated with their arrival; whether it’s a Columbia police officer screaming “the Fireman is coming!”, or Elizabeth yelling out when birds suddenly fly by, “Crow!”, or hearing and feeling the rhythmic thud of a Motorized Patriot, you will know when something’s coming for you. Being hunted hasn’t felt this fun in awhile.

• Playstation Move support on the PS3 is…functional. I dug it for an area or two, and then found myself switching back quickly. Don’t let it be the deciding factor for you. And on that note, in speaking with colleagues and friends who’ve played the 360 version, it would seem the PS3 version has a slight edge (once you enable V-Sync) – the 360 version reportedly stutters a little more. Again, take everything with a grain of salt. By all accounts however, the PC version blows them both the fuck away visually; little wonder, in 2013.

Give this game your full attention on Tuesday, friends. It’s finally here.