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Preview

Bioshock Infinite

Five Things We Learned At E3
by Joe Juba on Jun 07, 2011 at 04:20 PM
Platform PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac
Publisher 2K Games
Developer Irrational Games
Release
Rating Mature

BioShock Infinite is one of the most impressive titles on the E3 show floor, which is saying something considering all of the offerings on display. Irrational Games is showing a hefty chunk of gameplay that teaches us some things we didn't know about Columbia.

For a play-by-play of the sequence, you should check out this preview, since the demo is essentially the same. However, amid the stunning footage, a few new important details surfaced.

1. "Him" is now Songbird
The massive creature that is Elizabeth's pursuer and former jailor was formerly only cryptically referred to as "Him." Now it has a name; Booker, Elizabeth, and even fear-mongering posters reference the hulking beast as Songbird.

2. Elizabeth's Mysterious Ability Is Ridiculously Powerful
She is an instrumental part of the conflict between the factions of Columbia, but why would everyone want Elizabeth? Because her special power isn't something small. She has the ability to manipulate tears in reality; it appears that she can fold different realities and different time periods over each other, which seems like a pretty big deal.

3. The Shimmers Make Sense
The strange blue shimmers (and anachronous imagery) that appeared in early demos were probably nods to the existence of the tears in reality that Elizabeth is able to manipulate. Even though we didn't know about the power back then, it seems like Irrational knew what was going on.

4. We Know Why Columbia Vanished
Irrational didn't initially reveal why Columbia faded from public view, describing it only as an "international incident." Now we know that during the Boxer Rebellion, Columbia opened fire on Chinese citizens.

5. The Founders Have A Leader

Well, both the Founders and the Vox Populi probably have leaders, but only the Founders' has currently be revealed. His name is Comstock, and Elizabeth and Booker believe he can help them. While no Vox Populi leader has been named, I did see a young woman's image being projected onto red banners spouting Vox rhetoric.

Those are the smaller tidbits, but if you're hungry for more BioShock Infinite info, we've got you covered. You can read the original cover story here, check out a video and new assets here, and see more exclusive features here.

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Bioshock Infinitecover

Bioshock Infinite

Platform:
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac
Release Date: