2K Games BioShock Infinite: Ultimate Songbird Edition - PC

The Songbird statue that comes in this collectors edition I found to be very impressive, it exudes quality.The paint job it highly detailed, and all the parts fit snugly together.

It's clear that the Ultimate Songbird Edition pours most of its efforts into the Songbird statue, which is a fairly marvelous sculpt of the character from the game. Every object in the Ultimate Songbird Edition is lovingly packed in boxes/materials that mimic the advertising of the time the game is set in. However, the very high price of the Ultimate Songbird Edition is bound to disappoint when you see the quality of the other items added to this edition.- the 'Handyman board game figurine' is tiny and poorly molded.- the Murder of Crows keychain isn't as well-made as the 'key' keychain that comes with the limited edition strategy guide, and I doubt it would hold up to actual use- the digital soundtrack is a code you may use one time to download...and while it does contain several pieces of the music, it's also missing several tracks that I was really looking forward to having- the art book is small, but nice. I wasn't expecting a big coffee-table tome, but larger pages (like other collectors' bundles do) would make the book more worth the expense. It is bound in a cloth cover with molded seal that adds to the tactile feel of the book, and the cover deliberately has an 'aged' look.Apart from these drawbacks, the package is good--just expensive. Now, let's talk about the game.The great thing about the original Bioshock is that it contained a fairly well defined story that wraps itself up neatly, beginning to end. This was the Achilles heel of Bioshock 2: in order to give us more of the same, it tried to retread familiar ground in a different way.Bioshock Infinite represents a wonderful departure from that: there is that balance of retaining the best elements of the previous games while moving into an all-new setting and world. There are parts of the story that may not make sense--and may even frustrate fans of the previous games--but if you stick with it, the story will start to come together in an amazing way that ties it all together oh-so-neatly. A lot of the story elements are clever in the way the Doctor Who TV series is: strange events and the tiniest details end up meaning a lot in a bigger-picture story later on, with many unexpected twists and turns in the plot. While you can still find audio recordings that fill in the story, you can also view many short 'Kinetoscope' films placed throughout the world.Bioshock Infinite takes place in a fantasy floating city named Columbia. The time is the early 20th Century, around the end of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the age of the Tycoon. In Columbia, the symbolism of Freemasonry, American history and Christianity have melded together to make American idealism and traditions sacred. The city's founder Zachary Comstock views the world below as fraught with sin, and has poured his hopes and dreams for the future into his daughter Elizabeth, a young woman with a very unusual power to open 'tears' in reality that bleed through to alternate timelines. It is up to you to rescue Elizabeth before Comstock turns her power towards destroying the world below. You play Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton detective who got in over his head with the wrong people, and must now retrieve Elizabeth to 'wipe the slate clean.' Where the original Bioshock had Adam (to give you unusual abilities) and Eve (to power those abilities), we rename them 'Tonics' (the powers) and 'Salts' (the fuel for those powers). Enemies can be fairly smart on the hardest difficulties, and if you use your abilities creatively you will find yourself rewarded: for example, you can easily set a trap for an enemy to walk through.Gameplay for Bioshock Infinite is fairly streamlined: there isn't a 'hacking' component per se. You ask Elizabeth to help you unlock doors and safes and you collect keys to help her. You 'hack' vending machines using a power instead of playing a puzzle or quicktime game like the previous Bioshock titles. Powers and weapons are easy to upgrade, but you can't have everything so you are forced to make choices about what to improve and what to leave behind. Weapon upgrades are no longer hard-to-find: there are vending machines on every level that let you buy upgrades.What makes Bioshock Infinite amazing is not just the uniqueness of the vision or the well fleshed-out spectacle of the city: it is the story. You come to Columbia in the midst of a power struggle: the Founders are the wealthy conservatives who believe in racial purity, while the Vox Populi are sick of being at the bottom of society's barrel. There are racist and supremacist elements throughout the city, and yet the tension between these two factions mirrors the Occupy Movement and other events of modern day. It takes about 10-15 hours to get through the main story, but it is enjoyable enough for replay. I found myself wanting to try different combinations of abilities and re-do key battles in different ways.One of the best things about Bioshock Infinite's gameplay is that Elizabeth isn't in so much danger that you have to worry about protecting her. When a fight breaks out, she takes cover. She's also more like a 'bot co-op partner: when you're low on ammo, health or salts, she'll try to toss things to you to keep you alive. Idle moments typically have her rummaging around looking for loot for you, and she'll randomly flip money your way if you need cash. It makes for a great 'partner' dynamic.If you're a fan of the series, accept that this isn't Rapture any more and you should enjoy the fact that we still have a strong story, interesting characters, and a fascinating world that is very replayable. If you're new to the series, Bioshock Infinite is a valiant entry that stands strong on its own. I've deliberately left a few details out of this review for you to discover and enjoy, and I certainly hope you do.

Either buy this expensive version with the AWESOME 9" tall, 15" wingspan statue of Songbird, or just buy the game itself. Probably a little over priced, but if you want the statue, you pay the $$. If you're not that into collecting, just buy the game. The Premium edition or whatever int worth the $$. The game itself is pretty cool, not open world environment, and looks like they spent more in the Art department than the Mechanics department, but it is a sight to behold. I liked Bioshock for it's dark, eerie qualities, while this one is quite bright and the enemies are ridiculously difficult. (I am playing on Hard though).

100% Worth it. Game is amazing, figure is sculpted so well and the wings fit together so snugly. I can't begin to say enough good things about the figure. Packaging is great and your figure will not break. Artbook is small and cute, not the same as the one you can buy separately.

Bioshock is the best, and this does not disappoint. If you're a fan, or if you're looking for a gift, this game is great.