Bioshock Infinite: The best game probably ever.

What I expected:  A continuation of the Bioshock franchise.  I avoid most media on purpose to keep my expectations as clean as possible.  I knew that the theme this around was religion instead of politics.

What I got:  A nigh flawless execution of Bioshock.  A surprisingly violent shooter that tells an amazing story that I didn't expect at all.

What I liked:  Everything but one thing.

Art:  I loved the almost painterly style.  The characters remind me of a less exaggerated Fable, which is a good thing.  Columbia is a character all in of itself.  If the game had no combat, I would play it just to walk around the environment all day long.  Everything is alive and the inhabitants really feel like they are real people.  I loved sitting down and just listening to all the little things everyone had to say.

Story:  The story is by far the best I've ever experienced in a shooter.  A lot of the story is done through Audio logs, but I'm ok with that.  I would much prefer to listen to audio logs, and continue about my travels, then be forced to watch some awkwardly placed cutscene.  The ending was breathtaking and beautiful.  When song bird died, I almost cried.  I will admit, I had no connection to him as a character, but the way he died and the emotion they showed in his eyes........perfect.    

Characters/writing/ELIZABETH:  The dialog between the two characters was so good.  I really felt like they were real people developing a connection.  I honestly think their dialog and relationship would stand up in the best of movie history.  I actually cared about Elizabeth, and wanted to help her.  I got mad at Booker when he turned the zepp to New York and not Paris.  I have *never* gotten mad at a character's decision in a video game before.  This was pretty amazing for me.  I literally can't say enough good things here.

What I didn't like:  I'm really reaching here....

Combat:  It was good.  Gun play and plasmids felt good, but not as good as Bioshock or Bioshock 2 (2 being my favorite combat out of the series).  I really wish that I could choose to do more things with my plasmids, and half of the plasmids felt the same to me.  The water one however, was really cool.

Gun art:  The gun designs (art wise) are the most uninspired I've seen in ages.  I don't believe they were created by the same team.  Also unlike Bioshock, they don't visually upgrade.  This really annoyed me.

Final thoughts:  This is a game I will never forget.  It was so fantastic, and memorable.  Every moment was a gaming treasure to me.  I have to go back and play the other Bioshocks now.  I gladly purchased a season pass (something I have NEVER done before), and I honestly don't even care if the DLC never comes out.  I'm glad the developers have my money.

How much did I pay:  $60

How many hours did I play:   14

Dollar per Hour:  $4.29

How much would I pay for this game in perfect hindsight:  $100

Why?  My favorite game in my favorite game series.  Considering I got XCOM for free by preordering this, this is a steal in value.