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[Finale Fireworker]

While I think this is a good, well conceived essay with a lot of thought put into it, I don't think the developers put this much thought into the subject. Infinite's development was very troubled and it showed in many aspects of the final product, including the implementation of the vigor system and gaps in the story and whatnot. Unfortunately I believe a lot of this to be reading too much into the gaps in the narrative and not really reading between the lines of a finely crafted thematic work.

Thank you for reading, and thank you more so for the civil criticism. I also don't think this much thought was put into the planning of the game. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I think a lot of the merits of the original BioShock might have been by accident too. But I think WiiredShawn put it best:

I feel that one common misconception is that "the author HAD to intend everything brought forth by the analysis" or otherwise the analysis is invalid. Authorial intent is important, but it's not everything. Sometimes it's that the elements of a story are flexible in their meaning capacities, and can interact in interesting ways based on the frame applied to them. Sometimes, writers integrate themes subconsciously based on the current, salient discourses, and the value of those themes changes as audiences change. And sometimes writers are just huge nerds with more knowledge than the average person and want to forge associations between concepts and suspicions and history and texts and people - not always knowing what the end result will be, and letting the reader decide what is important to them.

Which is to say, I don't even take authorial intent into account when performing an analysis. Nevertheless, I don't intend to pose my analysis as any sort of definitive claim on the work. I really appreciate you hearing me out.

Not to mention the way they linked Rapture and Columbia seems to be lazy. Why did we need to link these two cities to get these material? As if Rapture didn't exist, Vigors won't exist.

It's definitely not an elegant plot device. I feel the same way. I mention this in my thread too. Infinite needs BioShock to be set into motion, but as an overall story Infinite has nothing to do with Rapture.

 

[WiiredShawn]

While I think this is a good, well conceived essay with a lot of thought put into it, I don't think the developers put this much thought into the subject. Infinite's development was very troubled and it showed in many aspects of the final product, including the implementation of the vigor system and gaps in the story and whatnot. Unfortunately I believe a lot of this to be reading too much into the gaps in the narrative and not really reading between the lines of a finely crafted thematic work.

You may be right, honestly, but on some level, we have to accept the work as-is, a complete "system" of meaning. What the developer ultimately intended is not really relevant to the finalized product, unless we can make those explicit connections. Thus, we're left to rely on the text itself, and if the text has evidence to support the interpretation, then it's a fair analysis. Because honestly, I know that some of those "finely crafted thematic works" we often hold up as classics could be arguably said to have "gaps" if you go looking for them, or have elements that work together even if the author just thought it "sounded good." So I don't feel this kind of inspection should be discredited because of the game's developmental troubles. We should look at the text and see what can be supported by it - and if we're going to look outside the text, we also need concrete details as evidence.

I'm speaking in the abstract, of course, having not played Infinite and still having nothing to say in that regard, ha.

 

[Wensih]

While I think this is a good, well conceived essay with a lot of thought put into it, I don't think the developers put this much thought into the subject. Infinite's development was very troubled and it showed in many aspects of the final product, including the implementation of the vigor system and gaps in the story and whatnot. Unfortunately I believe a lot of this to be reading too much into the gaps in the narrative and not really reading between the lines of a finely crafted thematic work.

Authorial intent isn't really a main concern in New Criticism.

 

[Reebot]

Interesting idea, but you're reaching pretty far to get your conclusion.

At base, you're relying on the supposed rejection of vigors on religious grounds. Its a unique concept, and one that seems pretty easy to agree with - but ultimately unsupported by the game. You've identified some ways in which users suffer, true, but the game lacks almost entirely any indication of social condemnation. Even the introduction of vigors puts them in the middle of a public fair whose participants in no way, shape, or form make any attempt to show their supposedly deep seated religious views.

There's also a lot of appropriation of visuals or story beats clearly tied to other ideas in your analysis. The false shepherd explicitly refers to Booker; it not a general prophecy or warning. Its a one-man "this guy is bad" kind of deal. The "devil's kiss" moniker was, in universe, not chosen to intentionally sabotage sales (unless you're putting forth that Fink was one of the worst businessmen alive). Again, consider the reaction of the crowd. If there was a deep-seated religious revulsion it would have been shown. But instead the masses of Colombia look at it with a sort of "oh thats neat" glance.

Also your idea that the Fink/Comstock alliance "doomed" Colombia is wholly unsupported by the game.

All in all, quality, interesting write up. I think you've put more time and effort into analyzing the world of Infinite than anyone of the dev team. But I can't agree with your conclusions.

 

[Plywood]

Excellent write-up, don't really have much else to add. I look forward to more of these.

 

[uncredited male]

Personally, I always thought the religious aspects in Infinite were more about how American culture interprets and uses religion than those actual religious ideas.

I found it hard to draw things from Infinite as I think the game suffered because of the protracted development cycle and having many game/theme identity issues. I figure it went through at least one major revisioning.

I try not to think about the DLC.

 

[EGM1966]

I always thought Vigors made sense - it was the overall handling of the concept of infinity and trying to link that to elements established in Bioshock that I struggled with.

I also felt too many interesting themes ultimately didn't go anywhere as the game progressed and began to focus purely on classic game mechanics (ending in a huge battle) vs resolution of thematic elements.

The ending sequence though is quite touching even though in a truly infinite series of worlds I'm not sure it's possible to achieve what is depicted. But on the other hand who really knows?

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Made some replies in bold, Reebot. Thank you for your own comments.

Interesting idea, but you're reaching pretty far to get your conclusion.

At base, you're relying on the supposed rejection of vigors on religious grounds. Its a unique concept, and one that seems pretty easy to agree with - but ultimately unsupported by the game. You've identified some ways in which users suffer, true, but the game lacks almost entirely any indication of social condemnation. Even the introduction of vigors puts them in the middle of a public fair whose participants in no way, shape, or form make any attempt to show their supposedly deep seated religious views.

I do claim that there is a religious aversion to temptation, and you're right that there is no condemnation element. The Columbians are more disinterested in Vigors than anything else. But that is only half of my claim, the other half is the completely secular temperance movement during the time period. In this era, in a society populated by elitists, vagrancy would be met with condescension over condemnation. I agree that this reading relies on historical context over explicit in-game explanation.

There's also a lot of appropriation of visuals or story beats clearly tied to other ideas in your analysis. The false shepherd explicitly refers to Booker; it not a general prophecy or warning. Its a one-man "this guy is bad" kind of deal. The "devil's kiss" moniker was, in universe, not chosen to intentionally sabotage sales (unless you're putting forth that Fink was one of the worst businessmen alive). Again, consider the reaction of the crowd. If there was a deep-seated religious revulsion it would have been shown. But instead the masses of Colombia look at it with a sort of "oh thats neat" glance.

Two things: I'm not sure where you're getting that I think Devil's Kiss was chosen to sabotage sales. Or perhaps I am misunderstanding you. I'm not sure how to reply to that part, since I don't make that assertion.

Also, what you're saying here is what I was just explaining above. It's important to remember that Columbians are nationalists more than anything else. They value the merits and morals of their overall culture, which is built on a religious foundation. But all of Columbian's population is not comprised of religious fanatics. There would be no rebellion if this was the case. The idea that CULTURAL superiority over vagrancy is equal parts responsible as the potential religious repulsion is important to my analysis, because Columbia is not a single collective identity.

Also your idea that the Fink/Comstock alliance "doomed" Colombia is wholly unsupported by the game.

I do disagree with this. Fink approached Comstock about nationalizing Fink industries into Columbia. Fink proposed bringing in all the minority workers. The circumstances of his industry, which devalued workers as tools, and the consequential rebellion of those workers, is exactly what brought Columbia down.

Had Fink not created a hostile work environment for his employees, which almost all laboring people in Columbia were working under, and had he not commodified minority laborers as fuel for his economic furnace, there would be no revolution. And all this began with the nationalization of Fink Industries.

All in all, quality, interesting write up. I think you've put more time and effort into analyzing the world of Infinite than anyone of the dev team. But I can't agree with your conclusions.

You made some great counter-points and I value your presence in this discussion.

 

[Reebot]

Made some replies in bold, Reebot. Thank you for your own comments.



You made some great counter-points and I value your presence in this discussion.

Thanks for the response.

The devil's kiss comment was made in regards to a point you had about the naming of the product; that it directly invoked the devil, and reinforced Fink's nature in that world and that of his products. I was trying to point out how this likely wasn't the case, as Fink wouldn't intentionally name his wares something that would permanently tank sales. If what I wrote still makes no sense its possible I just misread you.

The problem with the Fink/Comstock doom combo is that we are actually given a chance to see the future of Colombia with no Booker. And the city is doing great, better than ever - its launching a full-scale successful assault on the United States. The only difference between this potential future and any other is the absence of Booker, so any Fink and Comstock dealings would still be in place, and they haven't had adverse effects.

 

[PBalfredo]

Good write-up and I largely agree with your points. I think where a lot of people get lost in the connection between vigors and Infinite is that Bioshock was very overt in tying plasmids to the critical flaw in Rapture. There is a pretty direct line of thought to be drawn between the violence in Rature to the Adam dependence of the splicers to the laissez faire principles that Rapture was founded upon. In Columbia, vigors are thematically appropriate to the setting, but much of Columbia's fatal flaws exist despite the existence of vigors. With or without vigors, Comstock is still hoisting himself up as the false god, supported by the miracles of the Lutece twin's technology.

(Remind me, what were the origins of vigors again. Was it actually plasmids pulled from Bioshock's universe like the plagiarized music, or was that just a fan theory? If so, vigors are more of a side product of the real "sci fi twist" that makes Infinite possible, the Lutece's technology. For a game deep into how theology affect people, it's science that sparks the fire.)

You can of course see this all over Columbia where it quite clear that this floating city of American Exceptionalism is very much a Southern neo-Confederate city.

That's one of the things that struck me when I was playing the game. I believe early previews of the game had Columbia fly the (time appropriate) regular American flag, but at some point Columbia adopted its own flag of the badge and stripes. In a lot of ways Columbia was a flying CSA with its derogation of Lincoln and simultaneous deification of the founding fathers in an attempt to cement legitimacy as the Real America, with Real American Values (tm)

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Thanks for the response.

The devil's kiss comment was made in regards to a point you had about the naming of the product; that it directly invoked the devil, and reinforced Fink's nature in that world and that of his products. I was trying to point out how this likely wasn't the case, as Fink wouldn't intentionally name his wares something that would permanently tank sales. If what I wrote still makes no sense its possible I just misread you.

The problem with the Fink/Comstock doom combo is that we are actually given a chance to see the future of Colombia with no Booker. And the city is doing great, better than ever - its launching a full-scale successful assault on the United States. The only difference between this potential future and any other is the absence of Booker, so any Fink and Comstock dealings would still be in place, and they haven't had adverse effects.

Your explanation of the Devil's Kiss comment makes more sense now. I ask you, then, who DID name Devil's Kiss? If not Fink, who presumably must okay any motions made by the business he overseas, then who? The whole advertising campaign at the raffle is built around devils doing magic tricks, and he is at that very raffle, you know?

And you're right! A Columbia without Booker is doing awesome. And presumably Columbia rains fire down in more universes than not when Elizabeth takes the throne.

I guess the question I must consider is whether there would never be any successful rebellions in any universes without Booker's instrumental presence. Technically, yes, because there is a universe for every possible outcome and circumstance. But we know that in most futures, the world is destroyed, because that's the whole motivating factor for the Lutece twins.

Great comments, thanks for the time. I just made mention of your comments in the OP.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Good write-up and I largely agree with your points. I think where a lot of people get lost in the connection between vigors and Infinite is that Bioshock was very overt in tying plasmids to the critical flaw in Rapture. There is a pretty direct line of thought to be drawn between the violence in Rature to the Adam dependence of the splicers to the laissez faire principles that Rapture was founded upon. In Columbia, vigors are thematically appropriate to the setting, but much of Columbia's fatal flaws exist despite the existence of vigors. With or without vigors, Comstock is still hoisting himself up as the false god, supported by the miracles of the Lutece twin's technology.

(Remind me, what were the origins of vigors again. Was it actually plasmids pulled from Bioshock's universe like the plagiarized music, or was that just a fan theory? If so, vigors are more of a side product of the real "sci fi twist" that makes Infinite possible, the Lutece's technology. For a game deep into how theology affect people, it's science that sparks the fire.)

Another great, clerical comment. Very concise and well explained.

Vigors did actually comes from Rapture. Fink observed Suchong through a tear and stole the idea/technology after he discovered his artist brother was doing the same with music.

 

[PBalfredo]

Vigors did actually comes from Rapture. Fink observed Suchong through a tear and stole the idea/technology after he discovered his artist brother was doing the same with music.

Heh, I guess that makes the common complaint that "Vigors are in Infinite just because Bioshock had plasmids" much more literal.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Heh, I guess that makes the common complaint that "Vigors are in Infinite just because Bioshock had plasmids" much more literal.

Doesn't it?

 

[Syril]

I'm at work now and can't refresh myself with the trailer, so having not seen it in some time I will have to only reflect on the memory.

The Beasts of America trailer completely misrepresents what is going on in BioShock Infinite. Elizabeth on the gallows is beyond bizarre, because even at her weakest she is extremely powerful. Elizabeth is not a fearful character. The only thing she fears is Songbird. There's no conceivable situation why a quantum dimensional super being would resign herself to be hung. Never mind the fact that they're hanging the lamb of Columbia. I guess they could be Vox? But they're probably not. They're nobody. Because nobody in this trailer is anybody.

The trailer also advertises Elizabeth as a character who needs to be saved, which she does not. Booker might spring her from the tower and the lab, but she is an otherwise autonomous character. Infinite's conceit is that BOOKER is the "girl in the tower" figure and ELIZABETH is the hero who realizes her potential and frees him.

The trailer also has a "Fuck yeah, America" tone that really doesn't make any sense in the trailer. Who are the Americans? Booker and Elizabeth? So it's imperialist? Or are the Columbians the Americans and Booker is the terrorist? The trailer is incoherent.

From what I understand the story went through a lot of reworking during development, especially regarding Elizabeth. Like at one point Elizabeth was going to have more powers in gameplay than just tearing and could do team-up attacks with Booker, and at another point opening tears would hurt her and it would have affected the story depending how much you had her do it.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

From what I understand the story went through a lot of reworking during development, especially regarding Elizabeth. Like at one point Elizabeth was going to have more powers in gameplay than just tearing and could do team-up attacks with Booker, and at another point opening tears would hurt her and it would have affected the story depending how much you had her do it.

This is true. Levine has said there are six games worth of scrapped or unused content from the game's development. No E3 trailer we ever saw looked anything like what we saw the year before. When you watch the long gameplay demos and trailers, it's amazing how virtually none of it survived until release day.

Elizabeth was originally a mute middle aged woman.

 

[SystemBug]

Oh man. This thread is your magnum opus! Love reading what you have to say!

 

[Wensih]

Your explanation of the Devil's Kiss comment makes more sense now. I ask you, then, who DID name Devil's Kiss? If not Fink, who presumably must okay any motions made by the business he overseas, then who? The whole advertising campaign at the raffle is built around devils doing magic tricks, and he is at that very raffle, you know?

And you're right! A Columbia without Booker is doing awesome. And presumably Columbia rains fire down in more universes than not when Elizabeth takes the throne.

I guess the question I must consider is whether there would never be any successful rebellions in any universes without Booker's instrumental presence. Technically, yes, because there is a universe for every possible outcome and circumstance. But we know that in most futures, the world is destroyed, because that's the whole motivating factor for the Lutece twins.

Great comments, thanks for the time. I just made mention of your comments in the OP.

Reebot does have a point about the naming. I think the idea of vigors being satanic miracles and the people of Colombia rejecting them would be better implemented if the vigors such as "Devil's Kiss" was a street name given to them by the populous, like Smack or Splicers (not sure if Splicers was a street name for Adam junkies).

 

[facelike]

Didn't think I'd read the whole thing OP but i had to and it's very interesting. Now I'm breaking out my copy of Infinite.

Good work.

 

[The Technomancer]

That is a great fucking analysis. I love everything you laid out here, because it is all supported by the text in various ways. It does a lot to at least sort of redeem Infinite for me, even if I still find it a very flawed experience

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Oh man. This thread is your magnum opus! Love reading what you have to say!

Didn't think I'd read the whole thing OP but i had to and it's very interesting. Now I'm breaking out my copy of Infinite.

Good work.

That is a great fucking analysis. I love everything you laid out here, because it is all supported by the text in various ways. It does a lot to at least sort of redeem Infinite for me, even if I still find it a very flawed experience

Thank you guys very much. Comments like these make the work I put into this stuff very rewarding and encourages me to write more. I am trying to find an audience who finds my writing interesting, even if they view the subject differently, and I'm trying to make an elevated contribution to gaming criticism as a whole.

 

[Neiteio]

Amazing thread on an an amazing game. Finale, Firework, a.k.a. my personal Fonzie, a.k.a. The GAFonz, a.k.a. GAFzie, does it again!

 

[Steel]

:Interesting write-up and definitely an intriguing perspective on vigors. I admit, I definitely was one of the ones who thought vigors were in infinite just to have the same gameplay thread as the other bioshocks. Well, I still do to an extent. They probably wanted something like plasmids in the next bioshock and they then made the story follow suit. Considering your write-up makes it seem significantly less ham-fisted than I thought it was when I was playing through it. May have to give Infinite a replay soon.

Looking forward to your next write-up.

 

[Neiteio]

By the way, I interpreted RDR's "man in black" as God, not the Devil. The man tries to recalibrate John's moral compass by reminding him of the people he's hurt, and giving him opportunity to attone by helping others (the drunkard about to cheat, the nun, etc).

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Amazing thread on an an amazing game. Finale, Firework, a.k.a. my personal Fonzie, a.k.a. The GAFonz, a.k.a. GAFzie, does it again!

[*really, really poor and misinformed impersonation of The Fonz*]: "Ayyy, groovy, baby!"

By the way, I interpreted RDR's "man in black" as God, not the Devil. The man tries to recalibrate John's moral compass by reminding him of the people he's hurt, and giving him opportunity to attone by helping others (the drunkard about to cheat, the nun, etc).

Until recently I interpreted The Man in Black as Death. RDR's Man in Black feels so neutral, but foreboding, as if he is just waiting patiently to collect John's soul. Meeting John at his eventual burial site ("This is a good spot") is what really drove that home for me.

But reading more about representations of the Devil and the fact that John has many more sins than acts of virtue behind has made me lean more towards him being the Devil.

Like the Wild West, John is already doomed from the story's start. It's all over for him. And whether he is a noble gunslinger or a vicious bandit in RDR, his story ends the same. The game asks if all his final actions are enough to redeem somebody who has lived a life of crime. But the tragedy of the game is that it's too late. Call it destiny, or irony, or something else, but poor John never stood a chance. He was always going to die. He was the last of his kind, the final cowboy riding into the sunset of the final dusk of the west. Nothing he could have done could have changed that.

But the Man in black is an ambiguous figure and you can make a strong case for Death, God, or the Devil equally.

:Interesting write-up and definitely an intriguing perspective on vigors. I admit, I definitely was one of the ones who thought vigors were in infinite just to have the same gameplay thread as the other bioshocks. Well, I still do to an extent. They probably wanted something like plasmids in the next bioshock and they then made the story follow suit. Considering your write-up makes it seem significantly less ham-fisted than I thought it was when I was playing through it. May have to give Infinite a replay soon.

Looking forward to your next write-up.

For sure, the mechanic of Vigors was decided upon well before the conceptualization of the narrative. This means they were tasked with transplanting a device developed in one story and making it part of another. They had to repurpose Plasmids into something new, despite their firm entrenchment in the narrative that originally bore them.

This thread was written because people generally don't think this transplant was well achieved and are quick to conclude Vigors have no meaning or no narrative value because they were not at a natural addition to Infinite. That's why I've written this analysis, as a defense for their presence and an explanation of their thematic purpose. Because even though it is wildly, wildly different, they are still meaningful to the narrative in a way that their absence would damage the story.

Many, many players and critics picked up on Booker being the Anti-Christ. But less connected the fact that Comstock (who is Booker) is the fully realized Anti-Christ who has led an entire city away from God by idolizing himself as a false prophet. Booker and Comstock personify all the Biblical characteristics of the Anti-Christ when the truth of their shared identity is unified.

It's funny to read early rants about Infinite as being Anti-Christian because you play as te Anti-Christ when the story is actually about stopping and destroying the Anti-Christ.

 

[Dylan]

, like many, you agree that Vigors feel misplaced in BioShock Infinite. It is a common complaint, a regular criticism, and something people cite as a weak point in BioShock Infinite's world.

Citation needed?

Out of all the complaints put forth towrads BI, I never really perceived this to be among them.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Citation needed?

Out of all the complaints put forth towrads BI, I never really perceived this to be among them.

I am surprised by this. I see it often, and have seen it consistently since 2013. This is just one example I found real quick, since I'm at work:

"The other comment I want to make about Bioshock Infinite is regarding vigors. I get why they’re there from a gameplay perspective, but I am at a complete loss as to how vigors fit into Columbia’s narrative. There is an oppressive dictatorial tone throughout Columbia, and I just don’t see how the theocratic government giving its citizens super-powers fits into that. Bioshock‘s Rapture was all about striving to reach the limits of human potential, so plasmids and genetic modification made sense there. But Columbia is a floating city built on the ideals of maintaining the status quo."

https://gamerlymusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/bioshock-infinite-with-vim-and-vigor-but-why/

 

[AWizardDidIt]

Great write-up OP. I wish vigors were explained a bit more in game but I found your analysis very compelling.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Great write-up OP. I wish vigors were explained a bit more in game but I found your analysis very compelling.

Thank you!

I also wish it was clearer in game. But, authorial intent aside, there is still enough information to make a deductive interpretation of the text. Ken Levine though, as a rule, never comments on the meaning of his games. He is not interested in telling you what he meant or didn't mean, he wants players to come to their own conclusions.

 

[kamineko]

I enjoy your topics, TC. Subbed for later reading.

 

[Neiteio]

It's funny to read early rants about Infinite as being Anti-Christian because you play as the Anti-Christ when the story is actually about stopping and destroying the Anti-Christ.

My interpretation of Infinite's main theme doesn't clash with yours, but it does shift the focus a bit.

I see Infinite as exploring Depression vs. Rationalization. In other words, how we cope with regret. Booker DeWitt is Depression; Zachary Comstock is Rationalization. Their shared past is the atrocities they committed at the Battle of Wounded Knee, as a strikebreaker, etc. They hurt many people... They know they sinned. But the difference is how they do (or do NOT) deal with this guilt.

Booker couldn't rationalize it away, so he accepted his failings full stop. He became full of self-loathing, a pale shadow of his former self, so drunk and in debt that he sold off his only child.

Booker is Depression. He rejects himself, nearly to the point of obliteration.

Comstock, on the other hand, tried to explain what he did. He absolved his bloodstained past in the fountain of faith (read: the waters of baptism, literally and figuratively). He interpreted Scripture in a way that he felt justified his deeds. He reinvented himself as a charismatic leader, and founded a city on his sense of moral superiority.

Comstock is Rationalization. He accepts himself, taking no responsibility for past transgressions.

One of the first audio diaries in the game has Comstock talking about baptism and how one man becomes two: The man who emerges from the water (the redeemed), and the man left behind in the water (the sinner). Infinite is about Booker trying to redeem himself by righting his wrongs. In a twist of irony, he achieves this by failing to emerge from the waters of baptism. This prevents Comstock from appearing in any timeline, since the universal constant is that Comstock only appears if baptism is achieved.

Booker redeems himself by electing NOT to be redeemed. In the end he realizes that while he can't change the past, he can rewrite the future. It is better to move forward and achieve some measure of good, than to limit oneself to the misdeeds of the past.

Depression, and its equally destructive twin Rationalization, are not the only way.

Until recently I interpreted The Man in Black as Death. RDR's Man in Black feels so neutral, but foreboding, as if he is just waiting patiently to collect John's soul. Meeting John at his eventual burial site ("This is a good spot") is what really drove that home for me.

But reading more about representations of the Devil and the fact that John has many more sins than acts of virtue behind has made me lean more towards him being the Devil.

Like the Wild West, John is already doomed from the story's start. It's all over for him. And whether he is a noble gunslinger or a vicious bandit in RDR, his story ends the same. The game asks if all his final actions are enough to redeem somebody who has lived a life of crime. But the tragedy of the game is that it's too late. Call it destiny, or irony, or something else, but poor John never stood a chance. He was always going to die. He was the last of his kind, the final cowboy riding into the sunset of the final dusk of the west. Nothing he could have done could have changed that.

But the Man in black is an ambiguous figure and you can make a strong case for Death, God, or the Devil equally.

My interpretation is the Man in Black is God, rather than the Devil or Death, because the Man in Black encourages John to do good.

Reminding John that his time on Earth is finite (the final scene with the Man in Black, where he talks about John's grave) seems less like Death waiting to collect John's soul, and more like God reminding John that while he has sinned, he can still make the best of his remaining time, and do good.

The way the feds take advantage of John, betray him and kill him, while the Man in Black offers a second chance, could be seen as saying that no one is beyond redemption in the eyes of God... and our society grows distant from God when we're not as forgiving.

 

[Olengie]

Loved reading this all the way through. Thanks OP.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

My interpretation of Infinite's main theme doesn't clash with yours, but it does shift the focus.

I see Infinite as exploring Depression vs. Rationalization. In other words, how we cope with regret. Booker DeWitt is Depression; Zachary Comstock is Rationalization. Their shared past is the atrocities they committed at the Battle of Wounded Knee, as a strikebreaker, etc. They hurt many people... They know they sinned. But the difference is how they do (or do NOT) deal with this guilt.

Booker couldn't rationalize it away, so he accepted his failings full stop. He became full of self-loathing, a pale shadow of his former self, so drunk and in debt that he sold off his only child.

Booker is Depression. He rejects himself.

Comstock, on the other hand, tried to explain what he did. He absolved his bloodstained past in the fountain of faith (read: the waters of baptism, literally and figuratively). He interpreted Scripture in a way that he felt justified his deeds. He reinvented himself as a charismatic leader, and founded a city on his sense of moral superiority.

Comstock is Rationalization. He accepts himself.

One of the first audio diaries in the game has Comstock talking about baptism and how one man becomes two: The man who emerges from the water (the redeemed), and the man left behind in the water (the sinner). Infinite is about Booker trying to redeem himself by righting his wrongs.

In a twist of irony, he achieves this by failing to emerge from the waters of baptism. This prevents Comstock from appearing in any timeline, since the universal constant is that Comstock only appears if baptism is achieved.

Booker redeems himself by electing NOT to be redeemed. In the end he realizes that while he can't change the past, he can rewrite the future. It is better to move forward and achieve some measure of good, than to limit oneself to the misdeeds of the past.

Depression, and its equally destructive twin Rationalization, are not the only way.

This is also my own interpretation of the grief theme as well, nearly to the letter. Infinite is a multi-faceted story, and I consider guilt and grief to be the emotional core of the narrative as well. More than anything else - more than God or nationalism or industry - Infinite is a story about grief.

One of my more favorite things about Infinite is that Booker locks himself in his office for ten years, imprisoned by his guilt, making him the imprisoned figure that is rescued by Elizabeth, who frees him from his complex.

So we are in agreement there. But I had forgotten while writing this that obviously Booker's final baptism is an incomplete ritual. He does not emerge redeemed. He accepts himself. Which is not the same as redemption. I made an edit to the OP reflecting this acknowledgement.

My interpretation is the Man in Black is God, rather than the Devil or Death, because the Man in Black encourages John to do good. Reminding John that his time on Earth is finite (the final scene with the Man in Black, where he talks about John's grave) seems less like Death waiting to collect John's soul, and more like God reminding John that while he has sinned, he can still make the best of his remaining time, and do good.

The way the feds take advantage of John, betray him and kill him, while the Man in Black offers a second chance, could be seen as saying that no one is beyond redemption in the eyes of God... and our society grows distant from God when we're not as forgiving.

I like this a lot.

 

[Dylan]

I am surprised by this. I see it often, and have seen it consistently since 2013. This is just one example I found real quick, since I'm at work:

Don't get me wrong, I think your essay is good. But I think you sold yourself short by framing it as "A response to some common complaints" as opposed to "An in depth-analysis and discussion which compares and contrasts the use of plasmids and vigors in the Bioshock series."

Either way, good work man.

I guess the only thing I would add is that we can only assume the game mechanics of BI, such as vigors, are interwoven into the story/narrative exactly as Levine intended. This is of course a constant limitation in games criticism. In literary criticism, it is taken for granted that every word in a book was placed as a result of the authors' creative vision. In film, we hear stories of plots and endings being changed as a result of budget and/or production issues. With games, and especially high budget games, it's almost guaranteed that entire ideas, be they story, gameplay, or both, will eventually be scrapped in order to produce the finished product within a reasonable timeframe. So while I think your analysis of Vigors in Columbia is spot-on pertaining to the Bioshock Infinite that we played, I can't help but wonder if there maybe wasn't some more specific details left out of the final product.

For example, why wouldn't the Vox Populi use Vigors? Their rejection of Comstock's ideology could lead them to exploiting vigors for use in their cause. Maybe they would have in an alternate version of BI? Who knows.

 

[Neiteio]

This is also my own interpretation of the grief theme as well, nearly to the letter. Infinite is a multi-faceted story, and I consider guilt and grief to be the emotional core of the narrative as well. More than anything else - more than God or nationalism or industry - Infinite is a story about grief.

One of my more favorite things about Infinite is that Booker locks himself in his office for ten years, imprisoned by his guilt, making him the imprisoned figure that is rescued by Elizabeth, who frees him from his complex.

So we are in agreement there. But I had forgotten while writing this that obviously Booker's final baptism is an incomplete ritual. He does not emerge redeemed. He accepts himself. Which is not the same as redemption. I made an edit to the OP reflecting this acknowledgement.

Ooo, never thought about the parallel between Booker's self-containment to his office, and Elizabeth in the tower.

I like this a lot.

Thanks.

 

[CreepingFear]

This thread inspired me to play Infinite again when I get my g-sync 144hz monitor and the 980 Ti Classified. Thanks!

 

[Neiteio]

For example, why wouldn't the Vox Populi use Vigors? Their rejection of Comstock's ideology could lead them to exploiting vigors for use in their cause. Maybe they would have in an alternate version of BI? Who knows.

I think this particular point can be explained: While vigors might have offered the Vox a tactical edge, they're still people at the end of the day — just as likely to find vigors unnatural and potentially dangerous as the common folk of Columbia (from whom they emerged). Also, Fink is on Comstock's side, and Fink controls the means of production and distribution where vigors are concerned.

I agree with your overarching point that games, as works of art, are sometimes compromised by the circumstances of their development, so much so that not every detail may be explained by the narrative in-game.

 

[Pizza]

Everything in the op is roughly how I felt about vigours! (LOVED infinite, thematic shift and all)


Also fink totally made vigours while studying rapture through tears right? I feel like that was stated in game somewhere for sure.

So a not-snake-oil-salesman steals incredibly dangerous ideas from a doomed civilization and unsuccessfully tried to sell these extravagant products to a wary audience, but since he's merely copying these ideas instead of producing them extended use turns people into monsters.


Seems to make 100% thematic sense to me! I felt vigours were well explained

 

[WiiredShawn]

In literary criticism, it is taken for granted that every word in a book was placed as a result of the authors' creative vision.

I just wanted to say, while the issue of budgets/time constraints is a fair concern, I don't believe that literature is immune to this problem (and maybe that's a problem for literary criticism to deal with). Books are printed by publishers, most of whom have a clear market focus, issue specific budgets, and adhere to certain publication schedules. Moreover, a piece of literature is not always the singular vision of the author. In The Sun Also Rises, for instance, Hemingway made considerable changes to the introduction of the story based on advice from his friend, F. Scott Fitzgerald. It happens that editors, friends, family members, or simply the author's perception of the immediate audience shape the work, alongside the constraints imposed by a publisher. Material is left out, altered, or stumbled upon as frequently in books as in other mediums.

In other words, I don't see much reason to worry about whether games (or even films) have a specific issue with their textual coherence that books do not. Certainly, the fact that books can be more easily constructed by singular authors allows that medium to create more "stable" text - but it's a relative measure. If we accept the basic tenets of postmodernism, no text is inherently stable, anyway. My perspective is that few artists enter a project with a perfectly shaped "vision" for it. Sometimes the best expressions occur at the intersection of talent and chance. Sometimes a troubled development can produce a exquisite creation. You have to take the text for what it is.

 

[Dylan]

I just wanted to say, while the issue of budgets/time constraints is a fair concern, I don't believe that literature is immune to this problem (and maybe that's a problem for literary criticism to deal with).

I agree, and that did cross my mind but didn't want to derail my own post. I think on the whole though, the gulf between works of writing and works of game development is still fairly huge in this regard.

 

[AlphaStriker]

Great write up! One of the best posts I've read on NeoGaf.

 

[Dylan]

I agree with your overarching point that games, as works of art, are sometimes compromised by the circumstances of their development, so much so that not every detail may be explained by the narrative in-game.

That isn't to say I'd prefer that every game explain everything in overt detail. My favourite game so far this year is Axiom Verge, which purposely leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and I think the story succeeds tremendously because of it.

Interestingly, Axiom Verge is an example of a game which really is one man's vision.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Great write up! One of the best posts I've read on NeoGaf.

Fans of this piece might also enjoy this shameless plug for my Last of Us thread, which I completed last month.

That isn't to say I'd prefer that every game explain everything in overt detail. My favourite game so far this year is Axiom Verge, which purposely leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and I think the story succeeds tremendously because of it.

Interestingly, Axiom Verge is an example of a game which really is one man's vision.

I cannot wait for Axiom Verge to hit Vita. My most anticipated game of 2015. So stoked even just thinking about it.

 

[Neiteio]

That isn't to say I'd prefer that every game explain everything in overt detail. My favourite game so far this year is Axiom Verge, which purposely leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and I think the story succeeds tremendously because of it.

Interestingly, Axiom Verge is an example of a game which really is one man's vision.

Yeah, sometimes there's real power in leaving details ambiguous or unexplained. I think the Souls series is masterful at this. Just enough detail in the item descriptions, etc., to piece together much of what happened, but still enough open to interpretation that the game has a sense of mystery, which in turn kindles the imagination. :-3

 

[Red]

Thanks, OP. Appreciate the thought and time put into this. Articulates subtle points important to both games, things not necessarily overlooked but left unremembered.

 

[Dylan]

I cannot wait for Axiom Verge to hit Vita. My most anticipated game of 2015. So stoked even just thinking about it.

If you ever decide to write an essay on the plot of Axiom Verge, PM me the link, I'll be there front-row centre.

 

[III-V]

For example, why wouldn't the Vox Populi use Vigors? Their rejection of Comstock's ideology could lead them to exploiting vigors for use in their cause. Maybe they would have in an alternate version of BI? Who knows.

I think this makes a good point.


Anyway, well written FF, I always enjoy reading through your OPs.

I think some of the messages of this game got mixed up or shuffled a bit to far, but it was really enjoyable playing as Booker and seeing Columbia, the 'old-time' atmosphere and I really enjoyed the baptism and rebirth themes.


Will The Circle Be Unbroken: this song really made me stop and think about this game. I believe that it is so strongly tied to the game and its narrative. A second play through and you can realize that it was foreshadowing Bookers relationship to Comstock and the choice that will be made in the end to effectively 'break the circle'.

 

[Neiteio]

I have BioShock Infinite on PC, but I'd really like it remastered on PS4, since I play my PS4 more often. Love showing this game to people. I start with the opening, and then skip ahead to the tower and the beach. I show them a bit of the gunplay, vigors, etc., as well. Really opens their eyes to the incredible world-building and thematic depth games can have while still retaining all of the fun action, etc.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken: this song really made me stop and think about this game. I believe that it is so strongly tied to the game and its narrative. A second play through and you can realize that it was foreshadowing Bookers relationship to Comstock and the choice that will be made in the end to effectively 'break the circle'.

Exactly. In a larger sense, it also speaks to how each person's way of dealing with grief can have profound consequences for the rest of the world. To stop the cycle of hate, violence, etc., we must accept it is wrong, and rather than succumbing to depression or perpetuating more harm with rationalization, we must resolve to do right.

 

[Aces&Eights]

This is one of the most comprehensive OPs I have read on GAF. Very well written.

My two cents would be that the citizens of Columbia live pretty high on the hog, therefore, don't really have a need to enhance their reality. I mean, if we look at rampant drug addiction to life ruining substances like crack, meth and heroin, we see that the poorest of the population are typically the ones engaged. (Of course there is addiction in all social classes but we don't see a lot of homeless CEOs panhandling for spare change). Please note that this isn't indicative of specific races, rather income classes.

Therfore, I can't see the citizens of Columbia even having a desire for something like a Vigor. They have the "perfect life" so to speak. Why bother? Mind altering drugs and substances are usually sought after by those who find a need to escape their reality.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Anyway, well written FF, I always enjoy reading through your OPs.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken: this song really made me stop and think about this game. I believe that it is so strongly tied to the game and its narrative. A second play through and you can realize that it was foreshadowing Bookers relationship to Comstock and the choice that will be made in the end to effectively 'break the circle'.

There is a meta-interpretation I have mused over with some friends that the "circle" can only be broken if you never play BioShock Infinite again. Because every time you replay the game, you restart the cycle. You enter the game through a tear (fact) and begin playing a different universe from what you played before.

It's established that every time Booker dies, the player resumes the game at a similar point in a different universe. Every time Booker dies, the Lutece try again. Or simply have another Booker already in motion. Every time you respawn, you are a different Booker.

So every time you replay Infinite, you are spawning another Infinite through another tear. The cycle is unbroken (the etymology of "unbroken" can be interpreted as UNbreaking the circle, which WAS broken previously), and continues. The song isn't asking rhetorically, it's asking you.

This mirrors the meta that the only way the physical player can "beat" BioShock 1 is to turn off the game when Atlas tells you to insert the key into the control panel. BioShock says you do whatever you're told, regardless of the consequences, because you have been programmed to do it. You are a slave. And even when it tells you this, you still do what Atlas says and put the key into the machine.

Because you are a slave, and a slave obeys.