Review : Burial At Sea Ep. 1 (Bioshock Infinite DLC)

Burial At Sea Episode 1 is the 2nd piece of DLC from Bioshock Infinite (It's the first story-based piece of DLC).

While it was released in the US 2 days ago, it became available to Europe yesterday. I didn't pay for it, since I have already bought the Season Pass which gives you all three pieces of DLC and "The Early Bird Special pack" for just 19.99 euros. I was really looking forward to playing this, since Bioshock Infinite is one of my favorite games of all time and it seemed to be very interesting that the series was returning to the world of Rapture from the first Bioshock game.  

Watch the trailer of Burial At Sea Ep. 1 below.

If you are a fan of the Bioshock series or Bioshock Infinite, you definitely have a pretty good idea about how the story and gameplay mix in Bioshock games. All three of the previous Bioshock games have a huge influence on this DLC, making it sort of a combination of all three. Although Burial At Sea Ep. 1 is short, it does deliver a good amount of content (I have finished it twice since yesterday; on my first playthrough I explored a lot, got every trophy/collectible and many times, I stood for a lot of time in some places, staring at the beautiful enviroment and it took me 2 and a half hours to beat. I played a second time just to see how quickly I could beat it without exploring and looking around and it took me no more than 1 hour and 40 minutes.) but Irrational Games has already expressed that it values quality over quantity, so I think they have achieved their goal. 

• Story

Even though it's too short, BAT Ep 1 manages to give you that "Bioshock" feeling. It doesn't do it to the point Bioshock or Bioshock Infinite does and that is not only due to the fact that it's short, but the fact that it just emphasizes on themes already used in previous games, so they seem familiar. But that was probably Irrational Games' intention; to create a story-based DLC with a lot of elements from previous Bioshock games, but with a different approach. Yes, the story is rushed and it doesn't really let the mystery built up like previous Bioshock games did, but it sure does a hell of a job at twisting the Bioshock Infinite plot. Though it may seem weird that it's set in Rapture (the place where the first 2 Bioshock games took place) and not in Bioshock Infinite's Columbia, there is an actual connection in both the ending of Bioshock Infinite and at certain points in the BAT Ep. 1. There are many references to both Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite and many fans will be at awe when they hear lines like "Constants and variables" or "I am in the debt collecting business" in the DLC. The main theme here, as in Bioshock Infinite, is the relationship between Booker (you) and Elizabeth, even though in BAT Ep. 1, it's not as crystal clear as in Infinite, because the story is focused on a little girl that is lost, Sally. Here, we see a much older, much more experienced and mysterious Elizabeth than we did in Infinite. She refuses to clearly state what she wants from Booker and even though all those who have played Bioshock Infinite will surely understand the story and many things Elizabeth says a lot better, she comes off as more of a mysterious woman. In Infinite, we see a weaker and more "dreamy" version of Elizabeth, whereas, here she is more strong and confident and in contrast to Infinite, she seems to be leading Booker towards the story's outcome, instead of being passive and submissive, like in Infinite. What I really liked from BAT Ep 1 was the return to a pre-fall Rapture. We get to see a lot of what was happening in Rapture before the original Bioshock. We get to see Cohen (he's as crazy as ever) and he does play a big part in the story. We get to see a lot of Rapture at its' peak era and that made me feel quite nostalgic, in a weird sort of way. And I think that is the biggest reason why I liked playing this DLC. The ending is like every other Bioshock game, a jaw-dropping, plot-twisting but much more predictable one. It's not as good as Infinites' and it's mainly because they almost head towards the same direction, but with a different approach. Its' short length is, in my opinion, what really kills the storys' impact, because even though I own and have played all of the Bioshock games and DLC, I think I would be more intrigued by Ep 1 if it was longer, because it would get to expand on the story and mull over various themes and that wouldn't damage the suspense of the story like it does now.

• Gameplay

The games' combat mixes both styles from the original Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite. Even though the combat rakes place more dark and smaller spaces like in Bioshock 1, the return of the sky-hook (which is named air-grabber in BAT) and tears from Infinite spices it up a bit with Infinites' all-across-the-area battles. Ammo and supplies are a lot scarcer than in Infinite, so you will use stealth and melee a lot more often than in Infinite. Vigors are called Plasmids now, like in Bioshock 1 and there's a new plasmid called Old Man Winter, which is reminiscent (but not identical to) the Winter Blast of Bioshock. There's a new weapon, and all weapon skins from Infinite have been re-textured to fit more the Rapture era and feel. Voxophones and Kinetoscopes return, though there are very few to be found. The combat is exceptional, like in all the previous games, but it also feels different. To make it short; BAT Ep 1 is like a splicing (double entendre here!) of all previous Bioshock games, both in terms of combat and atmosphere.

• Enviroment (Graphics, Sound, Atmosphere)

What is there to say about the exceptional environment of BAT Ep 1's version of Rapture? It's amazing. The graphics are great, like in all Bioshock games. At the beginning, the game has a more noir-like and jazzy atmosphere, mixing bright colors with great 50's design and beautiful NPCs. A lot of times, I found myself  just staring at the beauty and "shine" this world has. The world is full of details and there are many visual references to previous Bioshock games, which made me want to play Bioshock 1 again. The game merges the dark and scary enviroments of Bioshock 1&2 with Infinites' lively atmosphere. The music in the DLC isn't as great as in the previous games (Bioshock Infinite had an amazing soundtrack) but it's justified, considering its' shortness. The voice acting is as great as ever, with both Courtney Draper and Troy Baker delivering exquisite performances and with a cameo of T. Ryder Smith as Sander Cohen.

• Bottom Line

The DLC is great and even though it's short, it does deliver what we can expect from a Bioshock game. The story is good, but not great. Visually, it reaches perfection, with great sound and voice acting making for a very good atmosphere. In terms of combat, we get a very different approach that mixes everything we've seen in previous Bioshock games to make a great combination.

I believe that it's a DLC worth playing, especially for Bioshock fans. It's short, but good and  Ken Levines' team does a great job at delivering a good, quality product to the fans once again. The DLC had me begging for more and I can't wait to see what happens in episode 2. It costs 15$ on the PSN Store, but you can get all three pieces of DLC (plus a special pack for the game) for 19$, which is more worth it, in my opinion.

Rating :

4/5

Pros : Amazing atmosphere, good combat and the classic feel of Bioshock games.

Cons : Short and, at times, predictable story.