Trailers: Bioshock Infinite: Windows Into Other Worlds Trailer

[NickCaligo42]

Uh maybe iot represents... Uhings coming in from other places and making things better or worse... Yeah dont know how it fitsin.

Contributions of external cultures... actually not a half-bad guess, but I don't think they really thought of that, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here pointing out how jarring it is.

I'm not really a fan of the first game, myself. I did play it, I did enjoy it well enough, it's competent...ish... but the level design kinda' stinks, the Little Sisters are a weak crutch for a morality system that the game didn't need (not to mention a heavy-handed vehicle for the game's political agenda), the constant re-routing and fetch-quests are really annoying, and I feel that the plot falls apart at the end. All in all there isn't anything it does better than its predecessors, it comes off as being really overly heavy-handed, and it can't seem to make its mind up about its design goals, and I see a lot of that coming through here as well. Thus, I stand by my statement: train wreck.

 

[Sylocat]

This is a pretty clever way of justifying the "Anything we want to happen can happen" mechanic. It allows for any plot developments they like, while limiting your capabilities simply by saying, "that's not happening in any 'adjacent' versions of Columbia" and/or "there's no tears here."

Plus, you know, it looks really fun.

In the original Bioshock, social Darwinism and genetic engineering had a clear parallel with one another. The philosophy and the science meshed effectively, though they could've done a lot better with the last act. How do alternate realities and quantum physics have anything to do with this sense of national elitism? How does picking and choosing pieces of cover in your environment effectively build the player's understanding of the philosophical end of this game?

It represents two major flaws in America:

1. Historical revisionism, where we romanticize the "what might have been" and rewrite history so we are the good guys. Now, every culture does this to some degree or another, but America is particularly fond of macho power fantasies dressed up as heroism.

2. Religion. America loves proclaiming that "God is on our side," and portraying Jesus as a white guy. Elizabeth's powers are God-like, which is why the Founders want to use her as a weapon, like America uses God as a propaganda device.

Plus, BioShock is a satire of the genre, and fond of playing with narrative judo and metafiction to reference the fourth wall. The WYK plot twist was a subversion of Objectivism in the same way that Elizabeth's semi-God-like powers are a subversion of religious fundamentalism.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

I'm actually considering getting a pre-order for this game.

As a side-note, I still don't know how these guys jump from track to track without dislocating thier shoulders. That kinda jarrs me out of it a bit.

 

[crotalidian]

I like the idea of choosing what you get from the game (I know the guy chose cover but the options looked like cover, exploding barrel, or escape route, also Levine mentioned being abble to pick a teporary ally and pull them through from other worlds (assuming you would get Tank, DPS or Medic, or even better 2 guys will help, one will join the vox trying to kill you but will have an Op'ed weapon or something

as for the whole fundamentalism and jarring soft science, its a game. As a Physics major I understand quantum Physics and multiple universe theories. I dont see an issue with how they use it, and I'm just glad they DONT seem to be using the crazily overdone time manipulation Mechanic

 

[JokerCrowe]

Fridge Brilliance: Maybe it's called Bioshock "Infinite" because there are infinite versions of Columbia that are all possible?

I can't wait to play this game, it looks like it's going to be one hell of an experience. ^.^

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

*snip* How does picking and choosing pieces of cover in your environment effectively build the player's understanding of the philosophical end of this game? *snip*

Yes, because shooting bees out of your hand was a GREAT visual metaphor for social Darwinism.

Face it guys, the first Bioshock was every bit as fantastical as this one seems to be.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I had my doubts at first, but this is starting to look pretty good.

I'm glad that there's actually some characterization this time around in comparison to the audio tapes of the first game, which made all the characters seem totally distant and unconnected to the plot.

And that bit with the horse was rather beautiful.

 

[BrainWalker]

I want Elizabeth to open a tear and bring in an alternate reality where this game is already out.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

....that's awesome and all, but I can't help thinking.......what the Flippin heck does Einstein and Heisenberg's work have to do with, essentially, Materializing things out of Thin air?

If Einstein could've figured THAT out.....we'd be fucking Golden!......perhaps literally?!

 

[teebeeohh]

wow, this looks really good, plus star wars

 

[Fayathon]

There's only one problem that I see with this game. It's using Games for Windows Live, I cannot stomach that software, and it's pretty well the only reason that I haven't reinstalled Bioshock 1/2 since I reset my computer. It's a damned shame really, because Infinite looks like a shitload of fun to me.

 

[Yankeedoodles]

This looks great! Not only is the mechanic interesting but unless I'm mistaken instead of one flying steampunk city representing critical ideas shaping turn-of-the-century America (and almost certainly Western society at large) we're getting 4?!? Hmm... what were the big ideas of that era? I suppose isolationism and national elitism is going to be the big theme of the primary Columbia. What else? Communism? Eugenics? Colonialism? Industrialization? Capitalism? Maybe I'm completely wrong about this but the possibilities really have me excited about this.

 

[Jamous]

This will probably be either incredible, or it'll work something like the morality systems in inFamous and the old Bioshocks; rather irritating.

 

[almostgold]

Anyone else read the book The Scar by China Mevielle? The whole 'possibilities' aspect is almost verbatim from that...


(Read it if you haven't. Awesome mix of weird fantasy, sci fi, and high seas swashbucklin)

 

[jamesbrown]

I agree with crotalidian, but it isn't time travel in theroy she opened up the gateway to a parallel universe that started 50-60 years before our own where the horse is alive and insted of columbia being there it is normal america where george lucas never changed the name of star wars 6. Here is some reading to help you understand the science and history of what he is talking about.

Universe in a nutshell by Stephen Hawking [http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Nutshell-Stephen-William-Hawking/dp/055380202X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308940612&sr=1-1]

Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku [http://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Worlds-Journey-Creation-Dimensions/dp/1400033721/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308939977&sr=1-2]

Physics of the impossible by Michio Kaku [http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Impossible-Scientific-Exploration-Teleportation/dp/0307278824/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308939977&sr=1-1] 

The day we found the universe by Marcia Bartusiak [http://www.amazon.com/Day-We-Found-Universe/dp/0307276600/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308940269&sr=1-1] <-- This is about the historical science achievement of which was taking place of that period

 

[ZeoAssassin]

anything to make an fps feel less linear is a good thing after seeing shit like DNF. At the very least this give us different approaches when facing enemies, in the videos case either choose cover to fight under, new weapons to help with the situation (either in the barrel or the barrel itself), or a door that probably leads to a nice spot to flank them. sounds good to me.

multiple paths of progression = WIN however small it may be

i really don't get the "its too fantastical" argument...have we forgotten that is a floating city in the sky in the early 1900s?

 

[Flying Dagger]

Why are there adverts on game trailers? this really annoys me.

 

[dstreet121]

I'm kind of disappointed by this trailer. What I loved so much about the original Bioshock was, even though the science was flimsy, it still felt like it might be in the realm of reality. This kind of thing, to me, seems to involve alternate dimensions, time travel, and basically magic which I don't feel really fits in a Bioshock game. I just don't get it.

 

[deathtopenguins]

Could be an interesting game mechanic. I'm guessing that they'll be using the multiple different objects/scenarios she can conjure to solve a puzzle, to stand in for the morality devices of the first two. For example, the ceiling is falling in on top of you and some people. Do you conjure a flimsy looking shelter for everyone, or an escape route just for you.

On a side note: Heisenberg, Einstein, Planck...pah! My favourite turn of the century physicist is Paul Dirac. A genius but so overlooked outside of Physics circles, which makes him nicely hipster friendly. Basically you can say "I liked him before he revolutionized quantum electrodynamics and he got all popular".