On Violence in BioShock Infinite

Gosh, there have been a lot of bad stories about real-world violence being attributed to video games lately. Terrible things happening. But it's kind of weird how these things are only starting to be reported in recent times, eh? I mean, violent video games have been around for decades. It's almost as if there's something else to blame. Or someONE else. Mmmm?

Anyway, that's not what I want to talk about today. Or rather, I don't really feel like I NEED to talk about it. I feel like most rational people would realize that if a person sees something violent in a video game and wants to re-create it or something, they have severe mental problems - they likely would have found inspiration from something else to follow the impulses of their sick mind. Right? Like am I crazy or does it seem like that should be pretty obvious?

Anyway, no, don't need to go into that any more. As the title suggests, I actually want to talk about violence in BioShock infinite. There were a few online publications and industry veterans that were lamenting the fact that the game is so violent, saying that they felt it detracted from the experience. Now I am not usually one to condemn people for having opinions, but this particular view is very weird to me, so I just wanted to give my thoughts on why they are completely wrong.

HOWEVER before I start, I need to point out that I will be talking about story elements from late in the game and so the rest of this post will contain massive spoilers. Of course I want everyone to read my beautiful writing, but if you haven't played it yet, BioShock Infinite is such an amazing experience that I REALLY suggest you play through with as little spoilers as possible. I wouldn't want to ruin it for you. But if you have played, are never going to play, or are silly and want to disregard my advice, read on!

So I'll just get right into it. My first point to 'defend' the violence in Infinite is that really, it just makes sense. In Columbia we've got two major groups of people, the upper class of 'Founders', and the working class, many of which join the revolution group, the 'Vox Populi'. The Founders are, of course, the rich, white, religious, racist jerks that make up most of the city's population. Though most of the population doesn't get involved directly in conflicts, the police force acts as their figurative whip to keep the working class in line.

Welcome to Columbia! Unless you're not exactly like us.

And then we've got the Vox Populi. This is a group made from the oppressed working class that is sick and tired of the Founders' tyranny. They work long hours doing awful jobs for little pay, and live in slums that are actually called 'Shantytown'. They want equality in Columbia, and they're willing to go to any extent necessary to get it.

Shantytown. The Founders aren't even worried about putting up a facade of political correctness. See? Jerks.

So, basically what we've got here are two political, religious, and racial extremist groups who hate each other. And let's be honest, whether we like it or not, hatred often leads to violence. Some of the articles against the violence in Infinite wondered if the game would have worked better if it wasn't a first person shooter. And to that I say, maybe, it probably could have worked, but regardless of what kind of game it hosts, this is a violent world. The conflict between the Founders and the Vox would happen whether the player was there or not.

Okay, so that's one point, but one of the biggest complaints these people had was how much violence was introduced by Booker himself, and of course by extension, by the player. They talk about how the first portion of the game involves Booker peacefully exploring Columbia looking for Elizabeth, and then all of a sudden that quiet saunter is broken up by a shockingly violent scene involving a Sky Hook. After that happens, of course Booker goes on a bit of a bloody rampage in his quest to get Elizabeth out of the city. And, well, that's hard to argue, because it definitely happens.

Hey, you've got a little something on your face, let me get it real quick. Theeerre you go.

But uh, my question to those complaining about that is: were you paying attention to the rest of the game? As we learn more about Booker from conversations with Elizabeth and other characters, we find out that he is kind of a violent guy. We hear about his participation in the Battle of Wounded Knee...well actually we don't hear too much, because Booker is reluctant to talk about it. In fact, it turns out that whatever Booker did there was so heinous, that, in another timeline, it forced him to willingly become reborn as a completely different person. And that's a bit of an important plot point, no?

Violence is also the driving force behind another important plot development, at least in my opinion. I am talking about the point when Booker and Elizabeth confront Fitzroy when she is threatening to kill a child, and Liz kills her by stabbing her from behind with a badass pair of scissors. I feel like up until this point, getting Elizabeth out of Columbia is just a job for Booker, as he actually states a number of times. But when he sees Elizabeth commit this grievous act of violence, he realizes that Comstock is getting exactly what he wants: Elizabeth is turning into him. I feel like this is when Booker really starts caring for Elizabeth, and starts putting her before himself. That's a pretty important point in the story in my opinion.

I feel like this is the moment when things really changed for Booker.

And finally, in more of a general point, I think that violence is utilized in the game to show the contrast between Columbia's beautiful appearance and its dark, violent reality. This kind of highlights the duality of humanity I think; the difference between the pretty lies we put on for the public, and who we really are. Really something to think about, not only in terms of those around us, but for ourselves too.

So I don't know, that last point might be a little more abstract, but whatever. That pretty much outlines how I feel about the violence in BioShock Infinite. I'm sure the game could have been made without any violence at all, and maybe it still could have been good. But I think lambasting this game for being violent is kind of ridiculous - for it to have worked without the violence, the story and world would have had to be completely different.