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As an avid buyer of collector's editions, I am beyond impressed with this one. The statue is wonderfully painted down to the smallest detail. This is one of the best painted statues I've ever seen based on a video game. Though it's not meant to be played with, it feels very sturdy. It's a bit heavy for it's size (maybe 4 lbs?) and the wingspan really makes it stand out. The art book is somewhat small, but the art inside is awesome. The cover is a slightly stained light blue cloth. The lithograph is nice enough quality to frame and put up on the wall. I am very happy I paid more for these extra additions, though I am disappointed there is no physical soundtrack (it's a download key, as is common these days). The music is one of my favorite things about this game.
The game itself is great as well. I am only a few hours in, but the music, the graphics, the story, the voice acting, it has all impressed me beyond all expectations. Highly recommend.
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Product is awesome. Statue (which is sturdy & fairly high quality, a lot better than some of my other collector's editions) is easily displayed without even unsealing the box. Though I will say it looks even better out on a shelf. The art book, like most, has some very fascinating images ranging from concept art to screen shots. Keychain looks to be quality, though I'll personally keep it in the box. The included art print is the only thing I would consider dull, the size is just a bit too small to frame by itself. The game packaging is cool, but I personally like the inside art which makes the game case look more like its from the game.Overall, Im excited to play through Bioshock Infinite over the next week or so. A+ to Irrational games!
PS: Amazon did an amazing job packaging this product: Collector's box inside a thick cardboard box for shipping, which Amazon put inside ANOTHER cardboard box to protect it even more. Thank You Amazon!
Buy Bioshock Infinite: Ultimate Songbird Edition Now
This game is utterly flawless. The plot is captivating, the characters enthralling, and the graphic design is just superb. Not only that, but getting the Ultimate Songbird edition, however pricey, is totally worth every penny. You get extra for the in-game play, and the statue of the Songbird, once you find out what it truly is, makes having it a bit more special. I highly recommend it.Read Best Reviews of Bioshock Infinite: Ultimate Songbird Edition Here
Firstly, to comment on the contents of the Collector's Edition...everything is VERY cool, from the artbook to the large statue of Songbird. The statue is very sturdy and is a quality piece. I have it displayed in my living room on top of my media stand and it fits just perfectly, even outside of a "man-cave". The Handyman figure is weak, and the other items such as the vigor keychain are well built, nice items if you are a big fan. For me, the entire purchase was for the Songbird statue, and I was not disappointed. Here is my lengthy review of the actual game. Enjoy!Over two years of hype and anticipation. The wait for Bioshock Infinite was killing me…but I was willing to be patient if it meant I was going to get an immersive, story-driven experience. It's literally been years since I looked forward to a title in the way I waited for this one. Not only did the release seem to take forever, the game was delayed not once, but twice! I thought that meant Irrational was ensuring the game was quality…was I right?
Graphics
Bioshock was the reason I bought an Xbox 360 back in 2007. The intro blew my mind. The fire on the water, the lighthouse, the lighting…it all looked amazing. Bioshock Infinite never failed to capture that same wonder, as the first time I walked through the candlelit baptism scene early in the game, I literally uttered, "Wow." Infinite looks great, but the graphics aren't as ground breaking this time around because the console has basically been pushed to its limit. Artistically however, the game really rocks, as there are numerous scenes that are very memorable, from the Hall of Heroes to Elizabeth's powers later in the game. I have to point out the negatives too, and the only thing I noticed were some frame rate issues. It doesn't ruin the experience, but it's noticeable at multiple times throughout the game.
Sound
This time around the protagonist speaks! I was a little worried about the voice acting, the dialogue, and how cheesy it could potentially be, but shame on me for being a doubter. The voice acting is very solid throughout, as the voxophones serve as one of the main drivers of the story. The score is also very unique and well done, most notably the more mellow scenes, such as the arrival into Columbia ("Hallelujah.") Also, the licensed music is pretty great. I loved the old-school music from Bioshock and Infinite continues to use the same type of songs throughout the game. "Old Time Religion" at the start of the game is catchy, yet creepy given the scene, and was a perfect choice. The music intensifies when enemies are present and calms back down once they've all been dispatched, a nice touch if you ask me. Attention to detail here is obvious and Infinite's score rivals that of blockbuster movies. Keep an ear out for the awesome Beach Boys cover, along with Tears For Fears and Cindy Lauper.
Gameplay
At the end of the day, Infinite is an FPS, but adds a twist to the traditional run and gun formula of most games. Vigors (Plasmids), give you special abilities to assist in combat, allowing for multiple strategies when playing. Gameplay mechanics are top-notch, as everything controls very smoothly. Shooting, aiming down the sights, running (finally!), and interacting with the environment work very well and there's not much I could suggest to improve. There have been gameplay changes, many for the good, but others are a toss-up. Some vigors are new, and I found that mostly all of them are fun to use. Skylines are an awesome addition to the series, and really make battles intense and fast paced. I only wish there were more of them throughout the game. This time you can only carry two guns, a strange change akin to other shooters. Puzzles and hacking are gone, as are stockpiling first aid kits and eve. Instead we have a replenishing shield and salts must continually be found to refill your vigors. Are these good or bad changes…I don't really know. However, I was slightly disappointed in some weapon and gear options. Bioshock upgrades physically changed the weapon's appearance, but in Infinite they change nothing. Also, I liked the gun selection better in Bioshock, whereas Infinite seemed to strive for a bit more realism. Also, only four pieces of gear can be worn at a time, and most of them seemed pretty useless. These complaints are minor, but seemed like downgrades.
Campaign/Story
Well…I was hoping the campaign in Infinite would be amazing…and I wasn't disappointed. That's not saying it's completely perfect, but it's pretty freakin' good. You are Booker DeWitt, a man determined to wipe away a debt by rescuing a girl from the floating city of Columbia. I was in awe the first time I saw Columbia, with so many bright and vivid colors, complemented by unique and interesting environments. Due to the outdoor, sunny nature of the game, there isn't quite the intense paranoia feeling that was present in Rapture, but Columbia offers plenty of opportunities for emotional reactions. Shortly after your arrival you find the city is not quite as perfect as it looks, and your true adventure begins. I don't want to spoil anything, but for the first time in years, I wanted to play the game just to figure out how it all would play out. As the campaign progresses, things get weirder and weirder, and the conclusion of Infinite had me standing in front of my TV for a solid five minutes as everything unfolded. It blew my mind. The campaign is driven through interactive cut scenes, along with voxophones. The main "villain", Comstock, is fleshed out well and you'll also get to know many other minor characters. I wish there would have been a few more "bosses" as there were in Bioshock 1, but again, not a big deal. The standard enemies aren't as interesting since they are normal functioning people as opposed to adam injected splicers, but a few enemy variations kept things mixed up. Firemen, The Crow, Patriots, and Handymen will cause you trouble along the way. Despite minor shortcomings, this is one of the best campaigns I've ever played.
Lasting Appeal
Clocking in at roughly 10-15 hours on your first playthrough, Bioshock Infinite is the perfect length for me. I highly recommend you play the game on normal your first time and explore every nook and cranny of Columbia. It's very satisfying to find a hidden wall, decipher a code, or find extra rooms off the beaten path. Due to the nature of its ending, you'll immediately want to fire up a second playthrough when you're done. I played the game through on Normal, Hard, and 1999 mode, and was still finding new things my third time around. Each difficulty also forced me to change my play style, which was fun given the various vigor options. I can't wait for the three installments of single-player DLC that are on the way.
Overall
I will say before I conclude the review that Bioshock 1 is one of my top 5 games of all time. This could mean I have a slight bias when reviewing this title, but honestly, with my expectations sky high before it was released, saying Bioshock Infinite exceeded my expectations is the best complement this game can get. The gameplay mechanics are very well done, and although I hoped for some more minor characters/bosses, this was one of the best games I've played in recent memory. You owe it to yourself to at least play this game once.
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This game is great! I like playing it allot on my down time.I would buy another one to soon as I have $$.
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