As the screen fades in, we see… wait, I can’t tell you that, for fear of spoiling it. Later, you meet… no, I can’t write that either! That rather sums up the treading-on-eggshells feeling I shall have to get used to writing this review.
The second episode of the Burial at Sea story DLC of Irrational Games’ Bioshock Infinite is nothing if not a love letter to fans of the series- returning players will find much to love in this new installment to the critically acclaimed franchise.
I wish to give no narrative spoilers away, so let’s first look at the new mechanics in the second episode. Focusing on stealth was- admittedly not something I was overjoyed about when the announcement was first made. First person shooters have a bad track record with introducing stealth mechanics where they’re unwelcome, but Irrational pulls it off well. We’re introduced early on to the mechanics that many gamers will be familiar with, including not stepping in water or glass when sneaking around enemies.Note that this is not through a ‘tutorial level’ or a pop up that tells the player what to do; it’s woven into what Elizabeth is doing at the beginning of the game when she encounters enemies.
This is indicative of the DLC as a whole: Irrational wants you to think and to work out what to do, not have it spoon-fed and handed to the player.
So what’s new about the DLC?
We’re given two new vigors/plasmids to stealth our way through Rapture: Peeping Tom and Ironsides. The former was perfectly tailor-made for the installment, letting the player briefly see through walls around them and even turn invisible for a short time. The latter is more combat-based, absorbing the enemy’s bullets and putting them into the player’s gun. I can’t admit to getting much use out of the vigor and (if you’re playing the game like Irrational wants you to) you shouldn’t be getting shot at too much, either. Alongside the new vigors is a new weapon- the crossbow- and the long-awaited return of multiple ammunition types: tranquilizers to take out targets quietly, noise makers to distract enemies, and gas grenades to put a group to sleep.
I cannot say anything about the story in the DLC- it’s certainly something that needs to be experienced rather than relayed, and I wish to spoil nothing for the dedicated fans like myself. Be assured of this, however: the narrative is a wonderfully woven, and has to be earned with sweat and blood.
I died more in this 5-6 hour DLC than I did in the entirety of my 1999 Mode playthrough of the main game, and I think that’s an indicator of what Irrational is hoping to do with this final installment- they’re hoping to send out their work with a bang. After the news of their soon-to-be dissolving of the company to a chosen few, I expected them to really wrap up their involvement with something big and I wasn’t disappointed.
Know this: the DLC is difficult, and that’s a good thing. Dedicated players would be satisfied with nothing less, and Levine wants you to work for your reward. This last installment is a loving goodbye letter to all fans of the series from Irrational Games, and I could not recommend it more highly to gamers who love the series.