A bit of a while ago, I was subscribed to Game Informer through GameStop's little Pro card something or other. One of the issues that popped into my mailbox on a frosty winter's day was the gorgeous cover story of Bioshock: Infinite, a game that wouldn't see release for another two years. While I hadn't even finished the first game of the series (something that I plan to rectify [#backlog]), the thought of toying around in a steampunk-styled 1700's Americana was something that I wanted dive into the very chance I got.
That sensation grew the more I read the article. Gun fights on roller coaster-style skylines, the crumbling of a society in the sky, literally shooting a horse's kick from your hand to slow-motion a group of baddies into the air - all this while you're protecting a girl. A girl, Elizabeth, who's designed to not let the game become one big escort mission. It just kept getting better.
After that article came the release of the 15-minute gameplay demo showcasing a scene where Elizabeth has a hard time controlling her strange powers. In that one instance, she brings a dying horse back to life and rejuvenates a meadow, all before losing control and sending her and the player (Booker) on a quick trip to the future. In a later sequence, skylines are traversed at high speeds as Booker takes out baddies in a wide open area.
Seeing this had me ecstatic all over again. I craved this game even more now (kinda creepy), and couldn't wait until the next year.
Besides that and two other videos, I've been keeping myself in the dark about the game.
What's wrong with being surprised? Irrational has been putting out trailer after trailer in an admittedly well-staggered form, telling folks about the enemies, the story, etc. It kinda feels like every aspect of the universe is up on YouTube at the moment, which is why I've been avoiding them.
I've already been hyped up on the article and the demo; even the voice acting videos that showed just how serious they are about making this a grand time. But that's it. (Okay, so maybe Beast of America too, but I swear...). I won't watch anymore, or even read anything else about this game because I want it to feel fresh. I want things to come as a surprise to me.
Going into a game blind (or semi-blind) can show how much trust one can put into a developer into making something fantastic. It's a bit risky when it's someone with a not so great track record, but even better when it's someone with an established stand in the industry.
Gamers don't necessarily have to watch all the trailers of an upcoming game, or read all the articles of it either. When it's something that you know you're going to love, why not just hang out and wait? It's a bit of a risk, yes, but that's the exciting bit. You don't know exactly how this game is going to turn out, just what it is. Bioshock: Infinite is a first-person, historical fiction, semi-sci-fi first person shooter set in 1700's America on a floating fortress. That's what I know, besides a few pieces of story that don't feel like spoiler territory.
And I'm stoked.
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