Best of 2013: #5 - BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite is #5 in our Best of 2013.

Ozzie Mejia

January 20, 2014 11:30 AM

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Columbia, the skyward world of BioShock Infinite, is one of the most beautifully-designed worlds I've ever seen in a game. It's a happy place in the sky, surrounded by colorful landscapes, cheerful citizens, and beautiful (and anachronistic) music. However, the more of Columbia I discovered, the more twisted and ugly it became, warped by racial intolerance and total religious perversion. Discovering, and subsequently unraveling, this would-be utopia had me constantly searching for collectibles (like Voxophones), trying to piece more and more of the world together.

Beyond the world, Ken Levine's characters also had me hooked. Booker DeWitt's tale is genuinely fascinating. Through his eyes, you get a perfect window into the insanity of Columbia. And of course, there's Elizabeth, the mysterious force holding Columbia afloat. Love or hate the ending, there was no denying that the tale provoked deep, thoughtful conversations about what Columbia is, who these characters are, and the very nature of the universe.

BioShock Infinite isn't a perfect game, and its gameplay rarely aspires to be more than "good." But, Columbia is one of the best virtual vacation spots of 2013, with memorable characters and a mystery worth experiencing.

The Shacknews Best of 2013 Awards were determined by ballot voting across the entire Shacknews staff. Stay tuned all this week as we reveal all our winners.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?