Bioshock: Burial at Sea
Producer: 2K Games
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Out to Sea
Written by Josh Schilling
“The next batches of DLC have the possibility of being some of the most impactful and interesting add-ons of all time.”
That quote was how I finished my review of “Clash in the Clouds,” the initial fun-but-lacking DLC for Bioshock Infinite. Since then, the highly anticipated, two-part finale has been released, collectively titled “Burial at Sea.” It is a sad time, in a way, because the title of the finale is significant in that it is most likely the last time we experience this universe(s) through the eyes of Ken Levine, the storyteller behind one of the most fascinating, mind-churning tales in video game history. This final chapter, at least, delivers sweet closure and begins the end where it started, far under the sea in the crumbling utopia of Rapture.
Part 1 of the finale is similar in style to the main game. You run around as Booker while wielding different kinds of guns and vigor/plasmids while your supernatural cohort Elizabeth aids you in a variety of practical and unworldly ways. Following the events of Infinite, it takes a little time to acclimate the new setting into the fabric of the old, but it is definitely interesting to traipse down the thoroughfares of a humanely populated Rapture, while experiencing how life is like under the sea before everything went to hell. From there, things deteriorate,and of course you fight a bunch of bad guys while trying to find and save young Sally. The first half of the story ends with a pretty hefty twist that, while satisfying, doesn’t do anything truly different. Part 1 feels like a microcosm of the main Infinite story wrapped in the shroud of Rapture, and while normally that would be pretty fantastic, it is not one of the most impactful and interesting add-ons of all time.
Then Part 2 happened, and the game is now changed. You are no longer a dude with guns and powers, you are now Elizabeth stripped of her powers. The overall quest has not changed as you have your heart set on finding Sally, but the gameplay is changed in a few minor, but significant ways. Stealth is now extremely important as death can find you quickly and easily. Big Daddy cannot be killed so he must be avoided or persuaded, and you have to adapt to different actions and tactics in order to succeed. This gives a much appreciated breath-of-fresh-air to the overall game and only goes to accentuate the true strength of Part 2, which is the all-familiar, kick-ass, brain-cramping narrative that made Bioshock Infinite famous in the first place.
When you couple the two parts of “Burial at Sea” and see it as a whole, you understand the groundwork that the first half had to lay. The second half, as a result, fulfills the elevated expectations and brings the entire saga together for one last hurrah. You revisit many familiar characters including Andrew Ryan and friends from the original Bioshock, while tying the whole complex storyline into a logical, thought-provoking conclusion. These expansions could stand alone as a sequel, and enough cannot be said about the quality of this production from just about every area. For fans of the franchise, you must play Burial at Sea, as so many loose ends are sewn together in ways that surprise and satiate. Just like Infinite, I continue to dwell on the conclusion of this narrative, and I ponder not only the story, but the crafting of the story. This is the final piece of the puzzle that easily and lovingly fits perfectly into place. I had a wonderful time with this game, and it is an easy call to say that Burial at Sea is one of the most impactful and interesting add-ons of all time.