Bioshock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds
Producer: 2K Games
Release Date: July 30, 2013
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Dead in the Clouds
Written by Josh Schilling
It is not the busiest time of the year videogame-wise, but the first installment of the three-part, highly anticipated, downloadable content package for Bioshock Infinite was announced and suddenly released late in July. Clash in the Clouds is the title of the initial add-on and it contains a series of arena battles that accentuate the fighting styles you experienced in the main story. You are pitted against waves of enemies that increase in number and difficulty as you progress, and the overall challenge is to get high scores and to earn lots of money to unlock some interesting tidbits.
Each level contains a particular challenge that increases the intensity by tasking you to complete interesting little side-quests to earn more cash and goodies. The challenges include such things as killing exclusively with a certain type of gun, performing sky-line only kills, and combining vigors in a bunch of different ways. Earning money by doing these challenges and advancing in the levels lets you upgrade your weapons, abilities and other stuff in the vending machines that you should be very well acquainted with from the main game. All of these levels, challenges and rising body counts are spread over four different arenas within the backdrop of Columbia, the city in the clouds, and the overall DLC highlights all of the fun and interesting combat that made Bioshock Infinite one of the best games of the year.
In between the bloodshed, you can explore the small starting hub that contains various accolades and arena portals. One of the neat things about this addition is that instead of spending money trying to beef up your fighting prowess, you can choose to unlock a myriad of game-specific goodies from a museum. You can grab some of the interesting songs, some great concept art or even some additional story insight. Further immersion into this fantastic world is always a plus, and while this DLC may seem simple, it definitely adds a lot of spice to what could have been a very bland dish. After all, Clash in the Clouds is only five dollars (if you didn’t get the Season Pass) and you absolutely get your money’s worth.
These arenas aren’t easy. You will experience a great deal of death, not only by your hand, but from your enemies as well. All in all, I had a great deal of fun dropping back into this world, although some people might question the setting of Clash in the Clouds. When did this take place during the main story line? Where in Columbia does this actually take place? Nit-pick, nit-pick? Well anyone who finished the story will know otherwise and you’ll be able to add this plot-point to the infitiverse, and there it all fits perfectly. Step through the door and everything and anything is possible, even when it contains flaming crows and flying grapple-deaths.
While the concept of the first DLC installment would not seem overly imaginative, the other announcement that was made concerning the subsequent additions to Bioshock Infinite seem much more in line with what you would expect from Irrational Games. The next DLC offerings will be a two-part exploration of Rapture, the underwater city from the first Bioshock game, along with Booker and Elizabeth from Infinite. If you haven’t seen the trailer for Burial at Sea then I suggest you do so, because the appetizer of Clash in the Clouds, while certainly tasty, pales in comparison to the tantalizing, mind-twisting feast that will come out later this year. That is what we have always received from Irrational Games and Bioshock, and the next batch of DLC has the possibility of being some of the most impactful and interesting add-ons of all time.