Playing A Game BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 2 PC

It's fitting, if a little tragic, that Burial at Sea - Episode 2 brings both the BioShock property and Irrational Games altogether to a close.

From the start, this DLC episode shows more outright moxie than its lackadaisical predecessor. Where Episode 1 made some effort to show off a new way of playing BioShock, with more ammunition discipline and more deliberate encounter tactics, Episode 2 gives you no choice but to learn to be much, much more careful. Elizabeth can't take much punishment, nor can she wreak havoc with heavy armaments; instead she's reliant on stealth takedowns, silent knock-out bolts, or even more ideally, sneaking around to avoid combat entirely.

It's a genuinely refreshing take on the rote run-and-gun gameplay that BioShock Infinite previously espoused, and it's impressively executed in this episode, complete with enemy "alert" meters and stealth-unfriendly traps (walking through water or glass shards will rouse the suspicion of nearby enemies!). Although the lock-picking minigame is disappointingly simple - I still miss the original BioShock's pipe-hacking puzzles - this is otherwise as good of a game as the franchise has ever seen.

But what makes Episode 2 really commendable, and what even manages to redeem the stupefying cliffhanger ending of Episode 1, is its story. This episode does a fantastic job of building on the narrative links between Rapture and Columbia, and really adds to the BioShock and Infinite stories in meaningful ways. Rather than just connecting some dots, it composes new lore that's truly fascinating in both worlds. And all the while, the storytelling's focus on building Elizabeth's character goes well beyond what we saw in Infinite, to a place just brimming with pathos.

It all builds to an ending that, while not as dramatic a crescendo as Infinite's final scenes, is still very powerful and memorable. Like the series' greatest moments, it's not just clever fiction, but is told in a convincingly human way.

And this, ultimately, is what I like to believe serves as a fitting metaphor for Ken Levine's BioShock adventure. Through high expectations and external pressures, through the slings and arrows of the industry and workplace, and through the ambitions and downfalls of ego, BioShock tried to do what it thought best -- and put forth its best effort in doing so. No struggle is without bloodshed, and no victory is without tarnish, but it deserves to be proud of what it's accomplished.

Better than: BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 1
Not as good as: BioShock Infinite
So: ... what's next?

Rating: Awesome