BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite is a narrative single-player shooter by Irrational Games. It is set in the floating city of Columbia in 1912. The heavily indebted former soldier Booker DeWitt is supposed to free Elizabeth from her captivity there. The supposed rescue mission turns into an escape through a society whose glittering facade is marked by violence and ideological conflict.

Unlike the first two BioShock games, Infinite does not initially take place in the underwater city of Rapture. The series connects it through themes like power, utopia and their consequences, and the combination of firearms and extraordinary abilities.

The original version was released on Mar 26, 2013 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Later, versions for macOS and Linux followed as part of the PC version. In September 2016, BioShock Infinite was released as part of BioShock: The Collection, or as the Complete Edition, natively on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Nintendo Switch version of BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition followed on May 29, 2020.

Later inclusion in bundles is not a new game, and a buyable Complete Edition is not automatically an additional platform. The original PC version exists alongside the newer console versions.

There are six standalone platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The PC version includes Windows, macOS and Linux. PS4 and Xbox One received their own versions as part of the Collection release; on Switch, the Complete Edition is included.

On PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, the title may be playable through backward compatibility, depending on store and hardware. This is not proof of a standalone native PS5 or Xbox Series version.

BioShock Infinite combines fast gunfights with Vigors, supernatural powers that let Booker shock enemies, set them on fire or overwhelm them with a flock of crows. Weapons and powers can be combined. The moving Sky-Lines connect wide sections of Columbia and allow quick repositioning even during fights.

Elizabeth is a companion important to the story and helps in many fights. Her ability to open rifts between realities can make cover, tools or strategic options accessible. The campaign remains a scripted single-player journey, not a co-op shooter.

The main story expansion is Burial at Sea in two episodes. It sends Booker and Elizabeth to Rapture and narratively connects the locations of the BioShock series. Clash in the Clouds adds standalone combat challenges across four arenas. Columbia's Finest, by contrast, provides additional gear and bonuses and is not one of the narrative expansions.

The Complete Edition and BioShock: The Collection bundle the single-player add-on content. A season pass or DLC pack requires the matching base game on the original platforms and is not treated as a new standalone native release.

2K lists the historical minimum requirements for Windows as a Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz or Athlon X2 at 2.7 GHz, 2 GB RAM, a DirectX 10-capable Radeon HD 3870, GeForce 8800 GT or Intel HD 3000, and 20 GB of free storage. Recommended are a quad-core processor, 4 GB RAM, a Radeon HD 6950 or GeForce GTX 560, and 30 GB of storage space.

The operating systems listed on the publisher's page, Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7 SP1, were reference systems at the time, not a guarantee of support for current operating systems and Steam clients.

Columbia first appears as a technologically advanced American showcase city. Behind magnificent streets, airships and seemingly harmonious squares lie exclusion, nationalism and social conflict. The city is more than a backdrop: its institutions and competing groups determine where Booker and Elizabeth go and what resistance they face.

The visual design combines historic architecture and fairground atmosphere with fantastical technology. As the journey shifts from busy squares to the less visible sides of Columbia, the story about power, ideology and personal responsibility gains weight.

Elizabeth is the person Booker is meant to get out of Columbia. She accompanies him for much of the story, explores locations, reacts to the surroundings and draws on her unusual abilities. Her Tears, rifts that briefly open access to items or alternative options in combat.

This ability is both the narrative core and a lasting gameplay element. The relationship between Booker and Elizabeth develops along the main story; the campaign is not built around freely assembled missions or interchangeable companions.

With a Sky-Hook, Booker glides along the fast rails of the floating city, jumps between positions and attacks enemies on the move. Vigors complement firearms with elemental and other supernatural effects. Combining both lets you control enemy groups and approach contested areas in different ways.

Combat remains linear within the campaign but allows room for choice in weapons, powers, cover and movement routes within individual encounters. Elizabeth's interventions expand these tactical options.

These names refer to different bundles: the original BioShock Infinite is the base game. The Complete Edition bundles the title with Burial at Sea, Clash in the Clouds and other single-player add-ons. BioShock: The Collection also includes the modernized versions of the first two BioShock games.

On Nintendo Switch, the standalone Infinite version is called The Complete Edition. It remains the same native Switch platform and is neither a separate sequel nor proof of additional PS5 or Xbox Series releases.

BioShock Infinite offers a fully scripted single-player campaign. A cooperative multiplayer mode is not part of the base game. If you want more challenge, you can unlock the harder 1999 mode, where resource decisions and preparing for fights matter more.

The separate combat arenas of Clash in the Clouds are an add-on to the main game. They neither replace its narrative campaign nor create a second native game version.