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BioShock Infinite Review 2013
There's a bit near the very start of BioShock Infinite where a travelling barbershop quartet rock up to a sunny promenade and serenade a young couple with a few verses from God Only Knows, torturing pleasant, extended harmonies out of every word before floating away on their own personal sky-barge to some other part of this giant, opulent city in the clouds. You can stand there and watch the scene for a few minutes in stunned disbelief: God Only Knows wasn't released until 1966.
But that's probably the point. The 1912 setting of BioShock Infinite is shot through with deliberate anachronisms, some subtle like a Beach Boys cameo, and some that will make no qualms about time-slapping your dumb jaw to the floor. There's a dreamy weirdness that permeates the city of Columbia that isn't explained in the few hours of playtime we had with BioShock Infinite. It riffs on chance, choice, fate, determinism and quantum physics. Coin tosses give improbable results, raffle tickets are called before they're drawn with Derren Brown levels of impunity. Something's very slightly wrong with how reality works in this universe, but nobody seems to notice.
It makes sense, however, that protagonist Booker Dewitt is happy to ignore this crease in reality and just carry on with things: his objective is uncomplicated and singular: he is to infiltrate Columbia, retrieve Elizabeth and hand her over to some debtors who shout at him in his flashbacks.
He'll do this by recreating BioShock's introduction in reverse: Infinite begins with Booker at sea, removing a gun and his instructions from a metal lunchbox before entering a storm-battered lighthouse. Here he collects his ticket to Columbia, activating a rocket-powered launch-pod that propels him above the cloud layer and reveals for the first time the scale and majesty of the impossible city. Columbia is a chunk of turn-of-the-century America, a statue-infested, puritanical town around which airships buzz, clouds creep and flags flutter. It's ruled by the unhinged, hyper-religious and self-appointed prophet Comstock, who promises salvation to Columbia's citizens by shouting at them through loudspeakers every day.
It makes sense, however, that protagonist Booker Dewitt is happy to ignore this crease in reality and just carry on with things: his objective is uncomplicated and singular: he is to infiltrate Columbia, retrieve Elizabeth and hand her over to some debtors who shout at him in his flashbacks.
He'll do this by recreating BioShock's introduction in reverse: Infinite begins with Booker at sea, removing a gun and his instructions from a metal lunchbox before entering a storm-battered lighthouse. Here he collects his ticket to Columbia, activating a rocket-powered launch-pod that propels him above the cloud layer and reveals for the first time the scale and majesty of the impossible city. Columbia is a chunk of turn-of-the-century America, a statue-infested, puritanical town around which airships buzz, clouds creep and flags flutter. It's ruled by the unhinged, hyper-religious and self-appointed prophet Comstock, who promises salvation to Columbia's citizens by shouting at them through loudspeakers every day.
It seems to work, Columbia has as much of a dark cultist mindset as Rapture ever had, and you're seen as just as much a disruptive and unwelcome agent, a unruly first-person cat bouncing around next to a meticulously constructed house of cards. It's Comstock who, having somehow been tipped off as to your identity, orders your immediate death without trial. Meanwhile a rebel group, the Vox Populi, forms the opposing slice of bread in the political sandwich Booker is desperately trying to avoid putting in his mouth during his mission to liberate Elizabeth.
Though caught in the middle of this conflict, Columbia is a resolutely civilised place to explore. More so than in BioShock, more so than in games likes Deus Ex and Dishonored, levels are filled with regular people going about their business, having conversations within earshot, being animated and human as best they can. Columbia isn't abandoned or ruined, it's thriving and you enter it during its heyday, where markets and fairs fill the boardwalks, promenades and gardens with well-attired and excited gentlemen and ladies.
It's a colourful, vibrant and interactive place: you can take part in games at the carnival, which are beautifully disguised tutorials for the game's shooting and magic-casting abilities. You can peer into what you'd expect to be a coin-operated peep show, but turn out to be mini-documentaries showing the foundation of the city. You can wander and absorb as much as the fiction as you care to, like a narrative ghost wandering a storybook graveyard. And you can listen to The Beach Boys. BioShock Infinite is proper virtual escapism, like the kind you hear about in the first line of news reports, when they try to snappily explain what videogames are.
I didn't like the shooting in BioShock, there was a pane of cognitive mind-glass somewhere between my mouse hand and the game's lazily clunking controls that made me feel removed from an otherwise welcoming world. It probably had something to do with mouse acceleration, it nearly always does, but BioShock Infinite doesn't suffer from this sluggishness. It's fast and snappy, your weapons crack loudly and headshots are fatal, movement is swift and sharp, enemy AI is clever enough to force you to move through combat arenas. Those rollercoaster rails that wind and arc between platforms are remarkably easy to use and, thankfully, it's either impossible or suitably difficult to murder yourself while grinding along them. Similarly, Irrational have recognised precisely how irritating it would be if falling into the clouds resulted in anything other resetting you at the position where you fell off. So don't worry about that either.
Your Vigor powers are partly carried over from the previous BioShock. You can summon flocks of crows to pester enemies, which is a lot like that time you summoned swarms of bees to pester enemies. The new Bucking Bronco Vigor jolts enemies skywards, another launches firebombs from your fist, while a more tactical minded Vigor can possess mechanical turrets, temporarily turning them friendly. Certain Vigors can also be placed as traps that activate as enemies walk over them, increasing your options and allowing you to play defensively when the odds are stacked against you.
Elizabeth follows you around too. On your instruction, she's able to open up 'tears' in space and 'pull through' objects from parallel dimensions. In practical terms that means she can make useful things appear at certain pre-defined positions in the game: she could conjure up a turret placement, or an ammo cache, or a sky-hook that you could latch on to in order to access a higher platform. She can only open up one of these tears at a time however, so choosing which ones to utilise can transform the course of a firefight.
Shawn Elliott told us about how these encounters play out later in the game, as the arenas become multi-tiered battlefields pocked with strategic strong points and populated by warring factions. Though it's Elizabeth who's opening and closing these tears, she's never unavailable in a gameplay sense: that is to say, if you give the order for a trans-dimensional turret to be pulled through a tear, it will happen instantly, no matter her position on the map, as if you'd just done it yourself. Your ally in Infinite is entirely helpful, not even an occasional liability. She even throws you ammo and health when you need it most.
You can now also find apparel to wear in a limited number of slots, with each item of clothing offering a new ability. There's a hat that makes you more accurate when shooting from skylines. There are some trousers that let you, erm, hurt people more. The early items were tame enough, but rare. I expect increasingly powerful trousers will be found later in the game.
This sine wave of violent, explosive peaks and peaceful, exploratory troughs are mutually complementary. After rescuing Elizabeth from her tower, you're hounded by the terrifying, mechanical songbird, a twenty-foot tall clockwork avian horror bound in leather skin and powered by arcane motors set behind glowing, staring eyes. It shrieks and trashes as it tries and fails to keep Elizabeth inside the tower: a pitiful monster, a dumb, misunderstood metal giant doing what it must to protect something it cares about. In its tick-tock brain, you're the bad guy. You're the worst guy.
The songbird is Infinite's Big Daddy, minus humanity, plus canary. In a frantic huff it destroys Elizabeth's tower (a monolithic, hollowed-out angel that dominates Columbia's skyline) as you escape, sending you both plunging into the water below. You wash up on an artificial beach, still aboard the floating city (which you only now realise boasts its own miniature seafront, a sandy shore whose fake ocean tumbles over a precipice and falls away into the vast blue sky beneath).
The pace of the game slows here. Elizabeth is missing, but not for long. Infinite bucks the "oh no I lost the person I'm looking for when I fell into the ocean" trope, and she can be found dancing on the nearby pier with fellow beach revellers. Her first experience of music outside of her prison perfectly frames both her childish naivety and Booker's grimly sober-faced approach to his task. That is to say, Booker don't dance. He does, if you want, explore the beach and poke around some bins while the heat's died down. Elizabeth excitedly scoots about, fascinated by the world around her and pelting the oddly stoic Booker with questions.
The locations you then travel to in pursuit of a means to escape Columbia are hugely varied: the city has room enough for sun-bleached gardens, churches with vast interiors, dark museums and foreboding catacombs. Some of the set-pieces feel recycled however: there's a sense of deja vu as you wander through a historical battle re-enactment while a disembodied voice monologues over loudspeaker. And whether deliberate or not, that Booker's backstory is a mystery to the player leads you to question his motives at certain points, creating a sort of cognitive dissonance between your actions as a player and his dialogue as a character. Again, like with the time-weirdness, and knowing how Irrational works, that's probably partially the point.
Also, while I'm thinking about it, looting cash registers and bins and listening to audio diaries isn't fun, it's weird and creepy and antiquated. Nobody has ever kept an audio diary at any point in history, they are the least believable part of your magical flying, crow-obsessed city.
Everything else is fantastic. Without wanting to slip into meaningless hyperbole, BioShock Infinite could easily be the best game Irrational's ever created: an intelligent collaboration of weird Jules Verne futurism, steampunk science-fiction, time-travelling soundtracks, magic hands and clockwork birds. It's a truly fascinating and original setting around which Irrational has built a vastly improved set of shooter mechanics and an ideal vehicle for a clever and intriguing story.
BioShock is out March 26.
Top 10 Ultimate Gaming Keyboards 2013
10. Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard
PROS:
Offers up to 25
programmable macros. Easy on-the-fly macro recording. Roccat Talk lets you pair
with another device for enhanced functionality.
CONS:
Integrated wrist rest makes for a giant footprint.
Key labels can be difficult to read in low light. Backlight color not
adjustable.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Roccat Isku is a solid
gaming keyboard with good overall functionality, but a few details about it
might not appeal to everyone.
The Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 list) hits the right notes on the necessities with its swappable profiles and 25 programmable macro keys, and offers additional useful features like Roccat Talk, an app that lets the keyboard work in tandem with other compatible devices (such as a mouse). Unfortunately, the Isku slips on the more intangible elements that make a good gaming keyboard, with plasticky construction, too-slick keys, and a backlight that actually reduced key visibility in some circumstances.
9. Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard RK-9000I
PROS:
Striking
black and white design. Excellent mechanical keys and solid construction.
Available with connections for both USB and PS/2.
CONS:
Lacks common features,
like media and volume controls. No advanced programmable features. Short
four-foot cable.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Rosewill RK-9000I is a very
well-made mechanical keyboard for gamers and typists alike, but the bare bones
design might be a little too basic for most.
The Rosewill RK-9000I ($99.99 direct) is the special edition of the RK-9000, a high-end mechanical keyboard. Ditching Rosewill's usual black and red color scheme for white with black keys, it's a slick looking variation on the basic keyboard, and the back to basics approach will appeal to typists and gamers who don't want to mess with extra features. With solid construction inside and out, the Rosewill RK-9000I is a good keyboard for anyone who wants smooth typing and a minimum of extras.
8. Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite
PROS:
Mechanical switches provide audio and tactile feedback. Backlit.
CONS:
Stylized font on keys is
hard to read. No backlight customization. Poor shielding for pass-thru ports.
Smudge-prone finish.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite is a solid mechanical
gaming keyboard, but it has its flaws, like a smudge prone-finish and poorly
shielded connections.
The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite ($139.99 direct) is Razer's current top-of-the-line mechanical gaming keyboard, and Razer knows the business well—its previous model, the Razer Black Widow Ultimate (2012), earned our Editors' Choice. Since then, other keyboards have come onto the market with competitive designs and a wide array of unique features, but the Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2013 Elite is still one of the better mechanical gaming keyboards available.
7. Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Gaming Keyboard
PROS:
Super-customizable. Tons of features. Touch screen is handy.
CONS:
Extremely expensive.
Doesn't use mechanical keyswitches. Complicated to hook up.
BOTTOM LINE:
The MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is
an impressive, feature-filled gaming keyboard, but it's extremely expensive and
doesn't use mechanical switches (though its membrane switches are very
responsive).
If the Das Keyboard $125.99 at Walmart.com is the Cadillac of keyboards (and it is), the MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is the Batmobile of keyboards. I've never seen so complicated or full-featured a gaming keyboard before, and at $299.99 (list) it better be. This has everything from an LCD screen and backlit keys to a modular design and customizable macros. Its only weaknesses are its extremely high price and its membrane keyboard design.
6. Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
PROS:
Switchblade UI. Adjustable multi-color backlight. Razer Synapse
2.0. Fully programmable.
CONS:
Mediocre keys. Pricey.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
is the only gaming keyboard to consider, if you want to use Razer's Switchblade
UI without shelling out the price of a premium gaming laptop. For everyone
else, however, there are better (and cheaper) options out there.
Premium bells and whistles are expensive under any circumstances, but when it comes to gaming equipment, those extras are sometimes pricey enough to cost an arm and a leg even when paired with middling core features. Case in point: the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate. Headlining with the same Switchblade touch-screen interface seen on the Razer Blade (2012), the DeathStalker Ultimate is considerably more expensive than most premium gaming keyboards (at $249.99), in spite of its crummy keys.
5. Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
PROS:
Dual-zone backlight. Programmable macros with swappable
profiles. Built-in media controls and volume knob.
CONS:
Pricey. Plastic construction.
Detachable wrist rest detaches too easily.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Logitech G710+ gaming
mechanical keyboard is a solid gaming keyboard that offers some of the best
features for gaming, but cheap construction makes the price feel excessive.
Logitech has been making keyboards for years, and gaming keyboards for nearly as long, but it's been noticeably absent on the mechanical keyboard front, opting instead for the less expensive silicone dome switches. This all changes with the Logitech G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard, which utilizes Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches, and offers several functions that gamers will welcome with open arms, like dual-zone backlighting, programmable macro keys, and built-in media controls. It's a solid gaming keyboard, but you might want to pick it up on sale—the price is just a little too high.
4. Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition
PROS:
Quality construction with Cherry MX Blue mechanical switches.
10-key anti-ghosting. Detachable USB cable. Includes travel case.
CONS:
Compact design removes numeric
pad.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Razer BlackWidow Tournament
Edition mechanical keyboard is touted as being travel friendly, but the compact
build only limits the functionality.
The Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition takes the solid Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite$142.44 at ReStockIt.com—a including the mechanical, backlit keys—and lops off the 10-key pad, making a more compact keyboard that is easier to pack up and take along for a LAN party or tournament.
3. Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard
PROS:
Ergonomic comfort and superior control. Programmable
22-button keypad with swappable maps and profiles. Onboard memory. Extra long
cable.
CONS:
Steep learning curve. Labor
intensive setup. Not Plug-and-Play. Clickable joystick is difficult to click.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Logitech G13 Advanced
Gamepad is definitely a niche product, but with a comfortable design and wide
array of features, it's a good fit for the diehard gamer.
While gamers have plenty of specialized mice and keyboards to choose from, sometimes you want a device that gives you a little more control. Sometimes, you just don't want an entire keyboard. For times like these, there is the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard $49.99 at Amazon, a separate gaming keypad that gives you all of your WASD controls, programmable macro keys, and quick-fire commands, without the bulk of a keyboard and with the added comfort of a use-specific design. If you're looking for a way to step your gaming, this could be it.
2. Corsair Vengeance K60
PROS:
Great typing experience with springy mechanical switches.
Swappable keycaps. Built-in media controls and volume knob. USB pass-through.
Detachable palm-rest.
CONS:
Palm rest is left-hand only.
Silicone dome switches used for some keys.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Corsair Vengeance K60
keyboard is a weapon built to a gamer's specs, with a left-handed wrist rest
and 10 swappable sculpted keys.
When you hop onto the gaming grid to engage in combat, the keyboard you type on for work just won't do. You don't want a keyboard, you want a weapon, crafted for reliability and fitted to your specific needs. Corsair has delivered just that with the Vengeance K60 gaming keyboard ($109.99 direct). It's a solid gaming keyboard that offers a little something extra by way of a specially shaped and positioned wrist rest and 10 swappable keys sculpted and textured to make navigating through a digital combat zone as easy as walking in real life.
Design and Features
The K60 has a two-toned color scheme with a bare brushed aluminum deck studded with black plastic keycaps, similar to its Editors'-Choice-winning sibling, the Corsair Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars). The plastic caps are made of black plastic, and use Cherry MX Red mechanical switches—the same used on top keyboards like the Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars)—for all of the typing keys and the numeric pad, but uses cheaper silicone dome switches under the lesser-used function keys. There's also no backlight, so gaming in low light may leave you in the dark, so to speak.
The K60 has a two-toned color scheme with a bare brushed aluminum deck studded with black plastic keycaps, similar to its Editors'-Choice-winning sibling, the Corsair Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars). The plastic caps are made of black plastic, and use Cherry MX Red mechanical switches—the same used on top keyboards like the Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars)—for all of the typing keys and the numeric pad, but uses cheaper silicone dome switches under the lesser-used function keys. There's also no backlight, so gaming in low light may leave you in the dark, so to speak.
1. Corsair Vengeance K90
PROS:
Great typing experience with springy mechanical switches.
Adjustable backlight. 18 programmable macro keys. Built-in media controls and
volume knob. On board memory. USB pass through. Detachable palm-rest.
CONS:
Palm rest collects crumbs.
Silicone dome switches used for some keys.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Corsair Vengeance K90
gaming keyboard pairs a well-built gaming keyboard with a smorgasbord of
customization, media controls and ergonomic features.
Corsair has long had a finger on the pulse of PC gaming, but with its newest keyboard, the Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct), it scores a solid victory—the K90 is among the best high-performance keyboards you can buy. Mechanical keyboards are the way to go for high-performance gamers, with top of the line offerings like the Razer Black Widow Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars) and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars) utilizing the springy, noisy keys for their superior performance, long-term durability, and less force needed to register keystrokes. Combine this with built-in media controls, on-board memory, and a whopping 18-keys dedicated to custom macros, and the Corsair Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon is one gaming keyboard that's hard to beat.
CHECK OUT TOP 10 GAMING MOUSE 2013
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Top 10 Gaming Mouse 2013
True gamers know the importance of investing in a durable mouse. These gaming mice contribute significantly to user control and accuracy during gaming sessions. Leave it as an afterthought, and expect to perform poorly.
Some gaming mice are extremely high-end while others are more simplistic in design and cost; but many behave in the same manner. So, which mouse is the best?
To find out, we have compiled a list of the top 10 gaming mice based on Amazon user ratings. The countdown begins in descending order, with #1 being the most recommended product.
This Mad Catz R.A.T. mouse is all about fast and smooth accuracy. It features a precision control button that slows down the cursor to execute sniping, as well as a speed control button. With two scroll wheels and a metal foot users can expect smooth and reliable performance for extended use. It even comes with a built in hand tool, that can widen the thumb rest, for a more personalized and comfortable experience.
This wireless, USB receiver mouse is designed for comfort for extended web browsing and gaming. It features a DPI button that offers two pointing speeds; and has 4 metallic weights allowing users to set their preferred weight for personalized speed and performance. Running on AAA batteries this mouse is also portable for on the go use.
Its comfortable design with soft rubber grips, contoured ergonomically to shape your palm, means the most comfort for extended gaming sessions. And its super-smooth feet roll across nearly every surface. Its dual lens means advanced precision for fluid use. And with 1600 dpi high-definition optical technology, that delivers 2-4 times the sensitivity of standard optical mice, means more smooth and precise tracking.
Expect reliable performance with this Corsair mouse designed for comfort and maximum gaming experience, that even comes with a dedicated sniper button. Users can instantly adjust the DPI for precise control when switching between different sensitivity settings. This mouse even had lift detection for accurate tracking and cursor placement – making this a smooth, reliable mouse experience.
This Logitech mouse puts your personalized comfort in mind with its sculpted shape and tuned buttons. It includes a 12-button thumb panel for users to navigate quickly without having to look away from the screen. This panel can also be color customized and set to personal DPI levels or button assignments. And with a G-shift ring-finger button users can double the number of actions while gaming.
Released on June 14, 2012, this PC gaming mouse is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
This Razer mouse has reliability in mind with its seven foot light-weighted, braided fiber cable, and gold-plated USB connector. It also had a scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions, and mouse buttons with anti-slip rubber coating; giving users the perfect combination of comfort and precision while gaming.
Considering this mouse was released on September 22, 2009, it is impressive that it’s still currently ranked #19 in the Gaming Mice category on Amazon.com.
Never run out of power with this USB recharging mouse that keeps your extended gaming sessions in best interest. It also has a high-precision laser tracker and on-board memory that stores up to five game profiles. And powering at 1,000 reports per second, this full speed wireless Logitech responds quickly without being tied down. Curved to fit the palm of your hand, it also had gliding feet for total control.
Released on July 6, 2010, it is ranked #2 in the Gaming Mice category on Amazon.com.
Recently released on November 21, 2012, this Anker mouse features 8000 DPI high-precision laser for better cursor control, made specifically for gaming. It stores up to two gaming profiles and has nine programmable buttons for a personalized experience. And with no-slip buttons and protective, smooth-gliding underside users can expect total control and accuracy while gaming. A six-foot braided fiber cable and gold plated USB connector also makes this mouse every reliable.
No matter what hand speed, this Logitech mouse delivers precision targeting, and pinpoint accuracy with its 3600 DPI optical engine. It also has in-game sensitivity switching, allowing users to choose between four DPI levels for either precise targeting, or extremely fast maneuvering. It also has sculpted grips, low-friction feet, and long-life buttons for marathon gaming.
This PC made mouse is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. It released on June 9, 2011.
The USB 2.0 interface Cobra E-3blue mouse functions on 3 DPI levels – 400/800/and 1600dpi, which means more user sensitivity control for an accurate gaming experience. It also has six buttons with a scroll wheel, and a frame rate of 4000 frames per second. Comfortable for all hand sizes, this light as a feather mouse is designed for durability at a great average price of $15.
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