The first episode for the first story DLC for BioShock Infinite, Burial at Sea, released yesterday. While I was personally excited to see Infinite's Booker and Elizabeth return to the depths where the franchise first started, it seems a number of critics where only mildly amused with what the DLC had to offer. Read for yourselves below.
PCGamesN, 6/10 - "Burial at Sea has a real pacing problem, stemming from the very literal segregation of its narrative and combat sections. It makes you finish your meat before your can start on your vegetables, where the metaphorical meat is the talking and the vegetables are the shooting. As a digested mush in your tummy, Burial at Sea is a beautiful brown ride through gaming's most iconic city and a compelling return of two remixed and much loved characters. On the plate however, its two very different games struggling to find a common ground, and both doing themselves a disservice as they try."
Eurogamer, 7/10 - "Part One of Burial at Sea is predicated on so many constants and variables that it will undoubtedly prove divisive. It feels all too brief, even as half of a two-part whole, but it delivers a rich storyline that builds to a suitably stunning climax. Its standalone price is steep, especially when you consider that there's little replay value here, yet its production values exceed those of some full-price games. It lacks variety but delivers quality; it offers plenty to ponder but misses enough to do."
Destructoid, 6.5/10 - "Don't expect a whole lot of playtime without the second piece of the package, as Episode One's narrative will last you a solid hour or so, and you can tack on another hour or two (at maximum) if you want to explore everything. While I don't want to spoil it for you, Burial leaves off on a massive cliffhanger at the very end, which is pretty much the only point where it feels relevant. I wasn't too impressed by Burial at Sea Episode One, mostly because it just doesn't add a whole lot to the overall franchise outside of the last 30 seconds, and it's simply not compelling enough. While it's quite possible that Episode Two will tie everything together in a neat bow and blow us all away, Irrational Games has yet to make a legitimate case for a return to Rapture."
IGN, 7/10 - "BioShock Infinite is a Game of the Year contender due largely to its impactful storytelling, complete with an uppercut punch of an ending -- the result of over a dozen hours of character development, careful pacing, and, yeah, a whole lot of BioShock-y action. But Infinite’s first story-driven DLC, Burial at Sea Part 1, tries to get across suspense and mystery without the luxury of taking its time, and it doesn’t work quite as well. It clocks in at roughly 90 minutes, and now that we know what the “Infinite” in BioShock Infinite truly means, it’s tougher for any BioShock story to sock us in the gut -- particularly an abridged one. Those factors dilute much of Burial at Sea’s impact, but still, a return trip to the original BioShock’s setting of Rapture -- as teased near the end of Infinite proper -- is alluring."
CVG, 7/10 - "While the general gameplay experience has been brought more in line with Infinite's predecessor, it's not an exact match...The other overriding concern is how short Burial At Sea is. On the easiest setting, one can zoom through it in just over an hour and even those players who decide to rinse it on the hardest setting will find it clocks in at just two hours tops. Given how glorious it all looks and how well it plays, Burial at Sea feels shockingly short. It's also worth noting that there hasn't really been much innovation in BioShock's gameplay since... well... BioShock. Scrounging and shooting are still the order of the day and however cerebral the plot of Burial At Sea is, one can't help but get the impression that the action feels a little repetitive at times. But then, if you're reading this, it's likely that you're part of the Cult of Rapture anyway. If that's the case, then rejoice; Burial At Sea is BioShock fan service of the very highest calibre."
You'll notice that a number of the reviews cite one of the big problems the DLC has is how short it is. Irrational Games co-founder Ken Levine has responded to these criticisms, telling Eurogamer that the studio "chose quality over quantity."
"If you zip through it then it's not a hugely long experience but if you dig deep it's probably three hours plus, if you really dig deep. But it's not the longest thing in the world.
"I think there are definitely people who are like 'Well, I want hours and hours of gamplay'. I think if that is your primary metric, this probably isn't the thing for you. If you want to feel like 'Wow, I just got a whole new experience' - that's what you get out of this. I don't read people's household budgets and I can't tell them what they should buy. We chose quality over quantity."
As hinted in Infinite's ending, Burial is an alternative history of the Booker and Elizabeth seen in Infinite. It begins in Rapture shortly before the city tore itself apart in a plasmid fueled civil war. As such, things are reasonably calmer for the time being, and it's here that that alternate versions of Booker and Elizabeth call home. During this relative peace, a rather sultry Elizabeth has turned to Booker, still an investigator, to help locate a missing girl.
"This is a love letter to the fans, but it's also the beginning of a story that will give gamers a new perspective on the BioShock universe," said Levine in a press release. "With Burial at Sea, we built a Rapture not fromBioShock and BioShock Infinite scraps and pieces, but with environments almost entirely crafted from scratch."
Gamers who have the Season Pass get free access to this and the next episode of Burial at Sea. Non-holders will have to pay $9.99 per episode. The Season Pass is still up for grabs at $19.99. It will include the initial Clash in the Clouds DLC, and the Early Bird Special pack which offers four pieces of exclusive gear.
Check out the trailer below to help you decide if you want to give this DLC a whirl.
