Sickness and Philosphy

Frickin' stomach pains laid me up for the whole day yesterday. Let me just say, I haven't felt such uneasy feelings in my stomach since I sat through Jury Duty. Thankfully, a little R & R later, and I'm back in the swing of things. I really enjoyed what little time I had with Bioshock Infinite. As I predicted, Booker does become more likable once Elizabeth (who looks quite similar to Belle from Beauty and the Beast) is introduced to the picture. Escorting Elizabeth around Columbia is not your typical annoying escort mission; you do not have to worry about her at all. She offers aid through exploiting tears in reality and through throwing various pickup items your way. Also, I really am enjoying the choice system in the game. This is perhaps the first game I've seen that doesn't clearly define moral pathways for you, unlike, for example, InFAMOUS where you have a good and an evil path to follow, each with its own gameplay advantages and disadvantages. There are points were the right choice seems obvious, but there are other times when it isn't, like one scene soon after you rescue Elizabeth where you have the choice of executing a suspicious ticket master or just continuing on demanding tickets. I won't spoil what happens, but things like this are reasons why I think people are calling this game the best ever made. However, things that are considered ground-breaking in the video game industry usually don't remain ground-breaking for long -- other developers, seeing the popularity and success Bioshock Infinite has, will probably soon adopt this kind of story-telling for their own game. Will they use it to the same effect? Maybe not, maybe so, and maybe better. The point I'm trying to make is that while Bioshock Infinite may be the greatest game ever made to some, I think that future generations will look back on this game and scoff at it like I did at Half-Life 2. The graphic quality of video game elements may be hitting a cap, but developer creativity, technology (look at Oculus Rift), and certainly video game element quantity will never conform to any limit.