Bioshock Infinite: Demo Gameplay

We got a taste of Dewitt's adventure in the live demo of the game, which showcased the similarities to and differences from the original BioShock. The level opened up with the former agent regaining consciousness amid a bizarre collage of imagery taken from a poster that featured George Washington surrounded by minority caricatures that proclaimed, "It is our duty to protect against the foreign hordes." We got a taste of Columbia's unique architecture and construction as Dewitt began moving around. While his initial surroundings appeared to be an ordinary street alley, it became clear that was not the case as little details started to become apparent: the horse and cart making its way toward him on the street; a steam-punk-y horse mechanoid; movement beyond the shaded alley; massive buildings held aloft on blimps and hot-air balloons that appear to be in constant varied motion, a bit like waves in the ocean tide; and a smaller landmass, with a tall building and a ringing bell that comes slamming to the ground. The demo pushed Dewitt further into the clearly troubled city to reveal a grocery store on fire being sweeped, we hope, by a mechanical female. Beyond the shop, we saw a massive statue of Columbia kneeling while holding a flag. Just up the street from the statue we saw the corpse of a horse, which clearly made a case for why the locals opted for mechanical replacements.

Bioshock Infinite Debut Trailer

Totally freaking awesome!!!!

So just what is BioShock Infinite's new experience? In two words: the sky. The game is once again set in a slightly skewed version of history where humankind manages to do something incredible. In this particular case, America has created a vast flying city called Columbia, named after the poetic name for the Americas and the feminine personification of the United States of America. The sprawling airborne metropolis is ostensibly meant to be a slick, showstopping testament to the nation's ingenuity and the benefits of a democratic system that travels the world. This does actually appear to be the case…for a little while. However, the humans included a few undocumented features in the utopian flotilla (a full complement of weapons), and things go sideways. While the specifics were hazy in the presentation, we think it's safe to assume that when all is said and done, there's probably a smoking crater someplace in the world in the wake of Columbia baring its teeth. The result is that Columbia disappears into the clouds.