I am positively obsessed with the BioShock series, and have been for at least half of my life. I have played all three games at least three times each, and even read the non-canon novel, BioShock: Rapture.
I thinkBioShock, BioShock 2, andBioShock Infiniteare all great games in their own rights, albeit in different ways, and wholeheartedly recommend any of them to anyone who likes atmospheric shooters.
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It’s a game that likely will never have an equal, but there are a handful of titles that attempt to replicate that iconic first trip to Rapture.
All that said, considering the major departures BioShock Infinite made from its predecessors, it’s natural to weigh it against the series’ point of origin. Not only did Infinite have a completely different setting from the original game, it was also much different in tone and gameplay, not to mention story themes and composition.
To reaffirm my point,I love every BioShock game, no matter how trendy it’s become in recent years to dunk on Infinite, but of course, there can only be one winner amongst the pile.
Temporarilyputting BioShock 2 aside, which game between BioShock and BioShock Infinite tells that story of a man and a lighthouse best?
8Graphics And Aesthetic
It’s a little unfair to pit BioShock against BioShock Infinite against one another in terms of graphical fidelity as, remaster notwithstanding, they came out a good six years apart from one another.
Obviously, as the newer game, Infinite is going to have better baseline graphical quality. To even the scales, let’s look at this less from a technical perspective and more from one of aesthetics.
Both games have the same basic concept, that being a city of their particular eras transplanted into an unusual situation. While I like what Infinite’s city of Columbia is going for, though,Rapture’s architecture and style feel a little more… deliberate.
Columbia kind of just looks like an old-timey city that also happens to be flying. The fact that it is flying doesn’t inform the design as much as Rapture’s spot at the bottom of the sea does.
Rapture is full of bulkheads, glass tubes, and large vistas that regularly remind you that you’re underwater, whereas the view from a building in Columbia looks pretty normal if you just don’t glance down. Also,I’m a sucker for Art Deco. Sue me.
7Story And Setting
Story and theming has always been one of my favorite elements of the BioShock series, deep-diving on high-concept science and psychology, not to mention sociological commentary.
I think, between the two games, BioShock has a better melding of its themes and concepts than Infinite, especially since the latter gets a little too lost in the weeds.
The central driving concept behind Rapture is one ofunfettered hypercapitalism, which kind of makes sense to mesh with unethical human testing. It’s a city with no concern for safety rails, including ones regarding human health and well-being.
Columbia is meant to be diametrically opposed to Rapture, representing intense nationalism and religious zealotry. The problem is that Infinite’s high-concept quantum mechanics stuffdoesn’t mesh with that setting. They’re just sort of existing next to each other; outside of Elizabeth and the Luteces, it barely even comes up, whereassplicing is the main cause of Rapture’s fall.
As for story, well, that’s not really a conversation. As much as I like Booker and Elizabeth’s journey in Infinite,BioShock is home to one of the most well-regarded plot twists in gaming history.Kind of a forgone conclusion there.
6Locales And Setpieces
BioShock Infinite
While BioShock has the better setting and story, Infinite does know how to do more with the less it has.
The original game is a fairly subtle experience, relatively speaking, which better fits its claustrophobic, mild horror vibe. It’s fantastic for what it is, but in terms of raw spectacle and setpieces, Infinite does have the edge.
BioShock does have plenty of memorable locales and moments, but most of them don’t directly inform gameplay. Aside from, perhaps, getting frozen by Peach Wilkins or fending off Sander Cohen’s minions, most of BioShock’s big spots are meant to be seen rather than played.
Infinite is a much more bombastic experience, both in terms of cutscenes and playable setpieces.I think this is partially helped by the fact that Columbia is still a living city full of normal people, so you may see all the buildings and attractions as they’re supposed to be functioning, more or less.
There’s the big shootout at the raffle, the soldiers in the Hall of Heroes, and other bits that are equal parts playable and visually impressive.
5Primary Combat Abilities
Now, let’s talk about guns, and you can probably guess what the big sticking point was right off the bat.
In BioShock, you had what I liked to call “the pants arsenal,” wherein you could stash a variety of large weapons in your pocketsand pull them out at your leisure, boomer shooter-style. Realistic? No. Fun and utilitarian? Absolutely.
Allowing you to keep all of your guns the whole way through allowed them to grow alongside you via upgrade stations and always ensure you have the right tool for the job.
Infinite, on the other hand, opted to follow the crowd at the time and limit you to just two guns at a time.
There are two things that irk me about this: first, ofInfinite’s thirteen weapons, eight of them are just reskins of each other with slightly different firing styles, and one, the Peppermill, is a single-use drop from Motorized Patriots. It feels like disingenuous, artificial bloat.
The other problem is that, since you can only carry two weapons at a time, basic combat feels more limited. If you just happen to not have a good gun for a combat encounter, it becomes unnecessarily more difficult.
4Secondary Combat Abilities
While BioShock has the edge in primary combat tactics, Infinite goes a little further with its secondary mechanics. The only secondary mechanic in BioShock is using Plasmids, which you have to swap to from your gun because dual-wielding wasn’t a thing until BioShock 2.
Using Plasmids is fun, especially when you learn to synergize them, but once you have a couple of good combos down, that’s all you really need. There are the additional ammo types for your guns, but I’d consider that part of primary combat, and a small element besides.
Every Plasmid In BioShock, Ranked
Plasmids are a vital part of BioShock’s combat mechanics. Which Plasmids are best? This list will help players decide.
Infinite’s Vigors are roughly the same as Plasmids, albeit with a slightly greater emphasis on trap-layingand the ability to quick-fire them. However, Vigors aren’t the only thing at your disposal. There’s also Elizabeth’s tears for calling up supplies and allies, and my personal favorite gimmick, the Skylines.
“Swashbuckling” is a term that was tossed around a lot at Infinite’s height, and the Skylines are the reason why — latching on, flying around, and leaping at a punk is always an absolute hoot.
3Customization And Builds
The matter of builds and customizations in both games is a little tricky, because they approach the matter very similarly.
In BioShock, you have threeGene Tonic slotsfor applying combat, engineering, and physical buffs, while Infinite has four Gear slots for hats, shirts, pants, and boots, all of which have widely variable effects.
While these systems are very similar,I like BioShock’s slightly more, just because Gene Tonics are more clearly differentiated by their categories.
As for building up your character, if I’m being honest, neither game goes about it in a manner I particularly like.
You gotta spend your hard-earned ADAM on health and EVE upgrades in BioShock at Gatherer’s Garden machines, while Infinite lets you increase only one level between your health, Salts, and shield whenever you find a hidden Infusion bottle.
If I had to pick one, it’d be BioShock, just because you can choose when to upgrade your stats, whereas Infinite forces you to make a choice whenever you happen to stumble on an Infusion, which might not happen again for a while.
2Enemy Variety
Considering Rapture is already half-sunk by the time you arrive in BioShock, it does make sense that there’s not much in the way of enemy variety.
Everyone directly opposing you is some manner of Splicer, and the only type with more overt physical mutations are the Spider Splicers. Every other Splicer type fights like a more or less normal human NPC, whether they’re melee brawlers, shooters, or Houdinis disappearing and throwing fireballs.
There are the Big Daddies, who are great, but they’re more like damage sponges than mechanically interesting foes.
Infinite, meanwhile, pulled out all the stops for its enemy variety, to the point of advertising every major type pre-release.
In addition to the regular human officers and soldiers,you have the Firemen, the Handymen, the Zealots, and the Motorized Patriots, not to mention much more varied forms of security like turrets and Mosquitoes.
There’s also more in the way of distinctive enemies and boss encounters, like the Siren and the Boys of Silence. Compared to BioShock’s bosses, who are mostly just slightly stronger Splicers, it’s nice to have something a little more distinct that requires a different combat strategy.
And so, perhaps unsurprisingly,the winner of our little tête-à-tête is the original BioShock with a 4-3 lead.
Just to reiterate, I do love BioShock Infinite, genuinely and with all my heart. It’s a lot of fun to play, and while the setting is a little bit too up its own butt with high-concept science, Booker and Elizabeth are fun and endearing protagonists with an interesting dual character arc.
BioShock, however, was the game that started it all, and knew how to properly tie all of its mechanics and concepts together into a cohesive whole. Yeah, it’s not as feature rich or bombastic, but its smaller scale makes more sense with its sunken city aesthetic.
It’s still just as fun to play because it properly sets your expectations, as opposed to Infinite getting carried away with itself. Jack may not be as well characterized as Booker and Elizabeth, but that’s also by design;he’s supposed to be a blank slate, because that’s what gives the big twist its enduring punch.
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