Taking Bioshock to New Heights
A little more than half a century before the underwater city of Rapture meets its demise, The US government launched a floating city in the sky, known only as "Columbia", and released it to public view. After a few months, it was revealed that the purpose of "Columbia" was more than just a publicity stunt, Columbia disappeared, and after a few years it is little more than a legend.
Bioshock: Infinite, Irrational Games' third installment in the Bioshock series, takes place approximately 12 years after the mysterious disappearance of Columbia; in 1912, detective Booker DeWitt is contacted by men asking him to rescue a woman known as Elizabeth from the long lost city of Columbia.
In Bioshock: Infinite, you play as Booker DeWitt, a retired detective who is plunged into a journey that takes Bioshock and completely reinvents it. Once tasked with rescuing Elizabeth, Booker makes his way to Columbia, only to find out that civil war has been active in Columbia since its disappearance, and purely because of Elizabeth.
The city is divided into two factions: The Founders, who desire Elizabeth's power to bring peace back to Columbia; and the Vox Populi, who believe that Elizabeth is the only thing keeping Columbia intact, and wou
ld rather have her killed than let the Founders have access to her and the power to corrupt her. To complicate matters even further, Elizabeth will not leave Columbia, no matter how much you try to persuade her, until she finds out exactly WHY she was given the power she has.
Another major obstacle in the game is Songbird, a large mechanical dragon who guards Elizabeth, and will stop at nothing to keep her safe from everyone else, including you. Columbia also is full of rips in time; somemtimes strange effects can be the result of these rips, such as a marquee for Return of the Jedi, in 1912, or strange ripples in the lights which you will find all over Columbia.
Columbia itself is themed very much like the 1893 World's Fair, with American flags all over the place, and tons of other cultural influences, causing you to expect fourth of July fireworks at any given moment. Columbia's primary method of transportation is known as the "Skyline" a large rail system used to transport inhabitants and others around the city. Further on in the game, the player will encounter the Handymen, previously hailed as "Alphas", who are hulking humanoid monstrosities, with a human heart, a wooden hand, and a very American handlebar mustache to top it all off.
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