A decade after launch, many Bioshock Infinite players aren't that fond of the acclaimed FPS.
BioShock Infinite launched on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 ten years ago this month. It marked a radical change of direction for the series, shifting it from the gloomy underwater setting of Rapture to the colourful airborne city of Columbia. Despite being very different from what came before, it garnered high praise from fans and critics alike when it initially launched. Yet, a decade later, players seem to feel differently.
In a tweet, game developer Dave Oshry wrote, "Not sure any game in history has had such a negative shift in opinion since it originally launched to unanimous praise and every GOTY award imaginable."
He refers to an earlier tweet posted last week by our friends at PC Gamer, which asked fans what score they would award Bioshock Infinite today. Looking at the responses, most players would seemingly now give it around a five or a six, though others would go even lower than that.
Not sure any game in history has had such a negative shift in opinion since it originally launched to unanimous praise and every GOTY award imaginable. https://t.co/f8rC6LzsP0March 4, 2023
Players have a multitude of reasons for rating it down, not least of which is its story. "It tries to make racism a 'both sides are bad' styled argument which is... gross, even if unintentional," says one player in the comments. They add, "I also think the game dragged in some places. I was getting really sick of it around the 8 hour mark." Another writes, "It has identity issues gameplay-wise, and the plot is a messy mix of dysfunction, both sides are bad, diet racism, and aggressive self-aggrandizement. The DLC does not improve things. Barely feels like Bioshock. 5/10. Unremarkable and inconsistent."
Others have found some positive points but are still unimpressed with Bioshock Infinite overall. User @RazielZnot writes, "Even though this is the most beautiful game on UE3 I didn't like it at all and my score is 5/10. This game has no soul, it's just a product." Meanwhile, @SotirisGalanos gives it a 6/10 saying, "the only good thing from this game is Elizabeth. Anything else is mid at best. And it doesn't even give me any Bioshock vibes." User @NateKeww feels similarly, "6/10, and like 5 of the points it manages are art and environment design (not level design)," they write. "Game sparks no remembrance at all when it comes to specific gameplay moments or genre innovation. Felt like a downgrade from the previous entries in multiple ways."
Elsewhere in the comments, a user describes it as the "weakest in the Bioshock series," while another says that it's "maybe the only 9/10 game that, with time, everyone can agree is a bad, boring and half-baked 6/10.
During last year's Game Awards, Ghost Story Games, the studio co-founded by BioShock creator Ken Levine, unveiled its debut game, a narrative-driven single-player shooter called Judas.
Check out our Bioshock 4 guide for everything we currently know about the series' next installment.
