Click here for the complete and online Bioshock Infinite Walkthrough which guides you from start to finish for this game of the year nominee action thriller.
Bioshock Infinite is a pretty straightforward game. One that makes it difficult for the player to get lost, and also doesn't opt to punish the player too harshly when he or she fails. As a result it can feel a little strange to even think you'd need a strategy guide to such a game. And fair enough you probably don't. If, however, you find yourself stuck for any reason this is actually a decent guide. It's also decent because it truly helps to supplement the game.
The guide begins with a forward from Kevin Levine. He tells about how much he particularly loves strategy guides. Particularly for things such as developer commentary and sometimes having some really in depth knowledge of the game. Bradygames is no Future Press, Piggyback Interactive or early Versus Books. And from time to time I've been unusually frustrated with their guides, but I was not disappointed with this one. Kevin Levine has a nice forward that welcomes you to Bioshock Infinite and the Strategy Guide. A forward that reminds us that sometimes having a strategy guide isn't always about getting random "tips." It's okay to enjoy a strategy guide for the artwork, screenshots, diagrams and developer interviews, if they're included.
[Click here for the online version of the Bioshock Infinite Walkthrough Strategy Guide]
The guide quickly jumps into all the basics of the game. From the basic controls and movements to talking about all the gear and vigors. All these things are explained in great detail in the game itself, but there's nothing wrong with having a reference tool right beside you as well. Likewise, it provides some pretty good strategies on how to use vigors or how to develope and utilize your gear. All this stuff at the beginning is great. In the past I've been increasingly annoyed that Bradygames often fails to note the differences between difficulty levels, but here they actually make sure to put in a handy chart detailing the biggest. So for the beginner or the expert they can use this guide to look and see what they're in store for whichever difficulty they choose to go on.
You are probably more interested in the walkthrough. And sure enough this is actually where the guide is pretty cool. Each particular chapter of Bioshock Infinite has a list of objectives. Brady games keeps their layout and walkthrough simple here. When a new objective comes up like say... "Find the Monument," it has it's own subsection dedicated to just that objective. It makes using the game guide really simple and easy. There are also detailed maps that point all of the items in an area. It doesn't just stop there. Any Voxphone it details where you can find it, who authored it and may even give insight as to what it says. It'll also call out new weapons, Vigors and gear as well. The walkthrough is pretty user friendly and a lot more to the point than many of Bradygames previous outings. There is still a lot of unused space, but at least this time it isn't filled with unusually large screenshots, but actually with artowrk. And it's pretty nice to look at.
One of the best things about the guide, in fact, is the actual layout and character of it. By that I mean that it thematically resembles the game itself. The pages look like they come from the game. It is a good compliment to the game. Especially with some of the artwork. Likewise, there are pulled quotes from the game that are also displayed on some of the pages. It's actually just a nice to guide to flip through from time to time. And the walkthrough is actually good and competent, providing some great strategies. Some directly from the actual game developers themselves who worked alongside the developers of the strategy guide. Also, a really neat thing is that you'll find some commentary from the developers on some of the pages of the guide. It isn't quite as in depth as other guides, but it shows that Bradygames is moving in the right direction to providing supplement as well as strategy. Reading some of the commentary from the developers was actually really enlightening. For those curious about some of the things they just experienced, you can really learn from it.
Once we get beyond that we get into the enemies. Here you'll get strategies and a breakdown of health and strength. Pretty basic stuff, but a lot more depth than you'd expect here. What I really like about this guide is that Bradygames actually went that extra step and provided an achievement/trophy guide. Not just a list of all the achievements and trophies, but actual strategies on how to get some of them.
If there was anything a little strange, it might be that Kevin Levine and his team didn't really offer any developer interviews or too much else beyond the development commentary. This isn't a big deal, but after seeing how well crafted the rest of the guide was, I had hoped that we might see an interview or two after everything else. It is no big loss. The important thing is that for those who may be stuck, Bioshock Infinite has a pretty decent strategy guide to accompany it.
So remember, if you do get stuck, stumped or frustrated, avoiding the videos on this one might be in your best interest, and just get the complete online Bioshock Infinite Walkthrough available right there on GameGuidedog.
