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BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode Two |OT| The Debt Is Paid

Anyone else have issues playing Ep.2 on Xbox 360?

When I boot up the game I get a message that says and I'm paraphrasing, "Episode 2 downloaded, get episode 1 to play the DLC". Even though I already downloaded both episodes and have beaten the first. The second episode does not show up in the game add-ons menu.

I've tried redownloading the episodes but that hasn't helped.
 
Anyone else have issues playing Ep.2 on Xbox 360?

When I boot up the game I get a message that says and I'm paraphrasing, "Episode 2 downloaded, get episode 1 to play the DLC". Even though I already downloaded both episodes and have beaten the first. The second episode does not show up in the game add-ons menu.

I've tried redownloading the episodes but that hasn't helped.

Did you download both files for episode 2?
 

Grisby

Member
Finished this the other week. Good send off for Irrational and a nice return to Rapture. Ending wasn't so great but the whole lead up was nice.

Gameplay change worked well and I generally enjoyed the stealth bits. Elizabeth's VA turned things up a notch and she really got me with some her of lines.

Crazy enough, I think Bioshock 2 might still be my favorite BS and it's sad to see it ignored here (although I understand why). However, in a funny way the Buried At Sea episodes and Clash in the Clouds made me look back on Infinite more fondly. The level design in CIC is simple but allows the combat to just shine where I felt the level and combat encounters in the vanilla game were a bit sloppy. The story episodes provided some nice growth to Elizabeth and some nice lines from Booker.

Either way, the Bioshock games have had a big impact on my gaming life and I love the series dearly. Much thanks to all the folks involved. If I ever meet any of the team in a random bar somewhere I'll get them to sing "Beyond the Sea" with me (if said bar has a karaoke machine).
 

neoism

Member
woow ep 2 maxs the shit out of my Radeon 5870 :/ get like 75C in an hour... is that not that bad..? Im pretty sure thats the hottest its gotten.
 

CassSept

Member
So I just finished Infinite several minutes ago and I want more. If so, should I grab Burial at Sea soon?

I absolutely adored Infinite. I can see problems with the gameplay, but the dynamic and FUN combat, great setting, beautiful art style, amazing atmosphere and brilliant story really made me love the game. I loved Columbia, I loved how it looked, how it sounded and seriously, I liked the story. I just finished it so my mind is still reeling, maybe the whole thing falls apart once I start analyzing it in my head but that was an enjoyable intriguing story with a mind-blowing finish (I sadly spoiled myself on
Rapture
but everything else, woah). I can see it's flaws, but it's a brilliant game and I want more from that universe!

Edit: I guess it's worth mentioning I'm yet to play TLOU, but this was one of the most well realized and best stories of the past decade in gaming, I'm being serious here, great stuff.
 
So I just finished Infinite several minutes ago and I want more. If so, should I grab Burial at Sea soon?

I absolutely adored Infinite. I can see problems with the gameplay, but the dynamic and FUN combat, great setting, beautiful art style, amazing atmosphere and brilliant story really made me love the game. I loved Columbia, I loved how it looked, how it sounded and seriously, I liked the story. I just finished it so my mind is still reeling, maybe the whole thing falls apart once I start analyzing it in my head but that was an enjoyable intriguing story with a mind-blowing finish (I sadly spoiled myself on
Rapture
but everything else, woah). I can see it's flaws, but it's a brilliant game and I want more from that universe!

Edit: I guess it's worth mentioning I'm yet to play TLOU, but this was one of the most well realized and best stories of the past decade in gaming, I'm being serious here, great stuff.

Yes, absolutely. Go for it. I think you'll enjoy it.
 

Bluth54

Member
Yeah I'm not a stealth game fan for the most part so I didn't really enjoy the stealth gameplay much either, I usually spend most of the DLC running past enemies and using invisibility to occasionally sneak past/take out enemies.
 

Izcarielo

Banned
m14aO5E.jpg


A little offtopic, but I wanted to share with you my new Bioshock tattoo.
Subject Delta from Bioshock 2 being engulfed by the sea.
Its missing the shading/colors (until my next appointment on 9th May).
Next tattoo will be a Thief-inspired piece on my leg. I have already think off of every detail, I just need to save the money lol
This is a big THANKS to Irrational Games/TTLG for all the awesome experiences they have created for us, the players :D
 

greenfish

Banned
I think Ken Levine have destroyed the franchise he created. I'm not gonna go into too much information. Let's say I found Bioshock to be a fairly decent spiritual sucessor to system shock, albeit a bit too easy even the hardest.

Bioshock inifinite+2 episodes completly fails on gameplay and storytelling. The story is so convoluting and it feels like it was written many years AFTER bioshock. Most scifi stories relies on time travel or dimension when they are running out of ideas. I'm never gonna replay infinite noir the episodes because the gameplay is broken and boring.

But I also refuse to belive the story how it's suppose to tie in with Bioshock 2007, it does not work.

Ken Levine is now suppose to make indie games, well good luck with that. Let another team/creator make a new bioshock game or system shock that doesn't evolve around dimensions.

Bioshock 2007 story was good because it could stand own it's own ground.

My rating on Episode 2 4 out 10.

*Superb artstyle
*Superb graphics
*Superb audio
*Terrible gameplay
*Convulted/bloated story that does not work with it's predecessors
 
I just got a glitch at the point where you
Return to Rapture to put the hair in the tube.
The whole area is just black and I can't move, did anyone else come across this and do you know of any work around?

Same here. Playing through this now. If I have to start over a chapter, I'm probably never going to play it again. How can something like that ship? Ugh.
 
Same here. Playing through this now. If I have to start over a chapter, I'm probably never going to play it again. How can something like that ship? Ugh.

That's what I ended up doing, I went back and replayed form that chapter, you will have all upgrades that you had from that point and it did work.
 
I got around to playing this the other day and finished it yesterday. That ending sure was...interesting, to say the least.

I was actually surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this DLC. It’s definitely a huge improvement over episode 1.
 

B33

Banned
Right.

I’ll preface this post by apologizing for bending the rules. I don’t know if this constitutes as a “necro-bump,” but I wanted to share my thoughts and life unfortunately got in the way of me completing this final DLC installment when it was first released.

So I finished Burial at Sea: Episode 2 not too long ago, and made it a point to let this percolate. BioShock is a pivotal game for me in many respects. I’ll never forget my play through: the atmosphere, the victories, the losses, its philosophical implications, and ultimately its major revelation. It’s a game I feel will be declared “seminal” for the following generations in due time.

All and all, I enjoyed my time with the DLC as a whole. The gameplay of Episode 2 felt refined and smoother than Episode 1, and I liked that we got to finally play as Elizabeth in a way that felt innate to the character and story.

I was rather disappointed with Episode 1’s ending, as its revelations were essentially the same as what was revealed at the end of BioShock Infinite. However, viewing Episode 1 as a prologue to Episode 2 makes the entire thing copacetic.

I appreciate Episode 1 more now that I am aware of its purpose in the grand scheme of the narrative. Both should be played within close proximity of each other, although I’d give it a bit of time after completing BioShock Infinite.

A few of my observations follow below (Be warned: SPOILERS):

  • The Big Daddy
    scene is resonant and beyond words. The dichotomy between the Little Sisters and Big Daddies has always been one of the most compelling things about the franchise. The revelation that the two physically NEED each other intrigues me and doesn’t feel forced
    . It reinforces the notion that even in pits of Rapture, there are still moments of beauty.

  • It perpetuates many of the running motifs and thematic ties found in every Irrational BioShock game: Opening doors, constants/variables, endless cycles, sacrifice, and so forth. It does this without feeling trite and leaves the game open to dissection and discussion.

  • While I don’t think the story constitutes as fan fiction, it saps a lot of the intrigue and mystery from its universe. There’s truly nowhere left to go.

  • The game’s implementation of dynamic music is invaluable, especially with its focus on stealth. When you’re in a tenuous place, tense music plays to reinforce it. Being discovered leads to music to notify the player of such. This created many micro-moments between the set pieces and felt reminiscent of Portal 2’s dynamic score. Brilliant work.

  • I tend to dislike stealth-oriented games due to the many design pitfalls developers tumble into upon taking a swing at them, but this works quite well and feels fresh. The environment can be used in your favor or against it. Even if you’re discovered, you can still egress and save face. All of the Vigors actually felt useful and well-ingrained into the gameplay, and I found myself improvising more with them than I did in the previous installments.

  • The Big Daddies in BioShock 2 felt neutered. In BioShock, encountering a Big Daddy was a momentous thing. It required your cunning and more skill than spamming with a high-powered firearm (although that’s debatable for players later in the game). I feel Burial at Sea really captures the ferocity and unwieldy nature of the creatures, and the player’s ability to turn them against the denizens of Rapture really enforces the fact that we’re in a microcosm within a larger universe.

The DLC bridges the two universes together in a bold and engaging way. I feel these twists are organic and work, so long as you accept the ending of BioShock Infinite. This won’t persuade naysayers, and in fact, will probably incite them further… But isn’t that a hallmark to some of the best works?

I’m of the belief that if you’re going to revisit a groundbreaking game such as BioShock, you need to do so with temerity.

BioShock 2 suffered from essentially adding nothing to the overall narrative. Its events are moot. It plays it safe by placing its event after a point in which the narrative of BioShock has come to a natural conclusion, and the entire thing feels like a one-off of little importance.

With the above said,
I really don’t mind the revelation that Jack is the one who finally breaks the circle of violence and chaos. Had Booker and Elizabeth not succeeded in Infinite, the Elizabeth we play as in Burial at Sea wouldn’t have existed to give Atlas his rise and ultimately Jack his opportunity to save the Little Sisters
.

BioShock Infinite drags on at times and the gameplay unfortunately feels encumbered by the story and vice versa. I feel Burial at Sea (as a whole) blends the two with little redundancy or lag. We ultimately got most of our answers to the nagging questions from BioShock Infinite and Elizabeth’s story came to a satisfying conclusion that tied directly into the original BioShock.

Completing the DLC was bittersweet.

Working on the BioShock Infinite OT helped lift me out of a rut and got the creative gears moving again on other things. It was a gratifying experience to lend a hand and enjoy the game with all of you after many years of waiting for its release.

Irrational’s final game as the studio we’ve known it as for years is fitting. I will be content never playing another game in the BioShock universe again, and I’m happy I got to follow it through to the very end.

Thank you Elzar for letting me be a part of the final OT. Big thanks to Cystm for all of his hard work on the first OT. Kudos to Andrew for keeping our spirits alive and moving forward throughout the construction of the Infinite OT. And a big thank you to all of you out there for your support.
 

snyderman

Neo Member
I was not impressed with the ties between the two games and feel that the two stories are stronger when they standalone. I find that Burial at Sea as a whole is inconsequential to the series in regards to the two particular stories. The revelations in Burial at sea don't have an impact on the two stories nor are mentioned in either games, so it comes across as "nice to know but pointless". In fact, a lot of the revelations just open up more questions and not all of my questions regarding Infinite were answered ( the last comstock, what is the ultimate deal with Songbird and etc). Also I felt that episode 2 failed to give closure to Infinite and its characters, feeling more concerned with being a self-masturbatory glorification of the first Bioshock towards the end. I enjoyed playing as Elizabeth, the voice-acting, stealth game-play and the art direction, but the narrative overall is, to me, the equivalent to an unnecessary sequel that is not as strong and just weakens the impact of the original.
 

Altazor

Member
man, I recently completed both episodes and... damn, I kinda wish I hadn't.

Gameplay-wise, they're great. Art-wise, too. I loved seeing Rapture again (I kinda like it more than Columbia) in a better engine.

But the plot... oh god, the plot. Especially the ending. Kinda soured me on the whole, I'm considering leaving both episodes of BaS out of my "head canon". Infinite's story was pretty much complete when the base game ended. Most of the ends were tied in a nice, imaginative and striking fashion... pretty much putting the "infinite" in Bioshock. It was a great, powerful and emotional ending that closed the cycle and made you imagine whatever the hell you want to complement it.

BaS on the other hand... Elizabeth didn't deserve that. And
reducing Infinite to only a backstory to Bioshock 1
was not a good idea. It's a bit sad considering this was Irrational's swansong. Bittersweet, even. And not in a good way.
 

snyderman

Neo Member
man, I recently completed both episodes and... damn, I kinda wish I hadn't.

Gameplay-wise, they're great. Art-wise, too. I loved seeing Rapture again (I kinda like it more than Columbia) in a better engine.

But the plot... oh god, the plot. Especially the ending. Kinda soured me on the whole, I'm considering leaving both episodes of BaS out of my "head canon". Infinite's story was pretty much complete when the base game ended. Most of the ends were tied in a nice, imaginative and striking fashion... pretty much putting the "infinite" in Bioshock. It was a great, powerful and emotional ending that closed the cycle and made you imagine whatever the hell you want to complement it.

BaS on the other hand... Elizabeth didn't deserve that. And
reducing Infinite to only a backstory to Bioshock 1
was not a good idea. It's a bit sad considering this was Irrational's swansong. Bittersweet, even. And not in a good way.

Liz deserved better
 

Daemul

Member
What did people think about the accurate way that BaS2 depicted the difference in strength, size and skill between Booker and Liz? I was seriously frustrated at first, because the camera height was so much lower than what I'm used to(for large parts of BaS2 I thought I was stuck in crouch mode) and Liz does a very small amount of melee damage unless you're in stealth/god mode. She also reloads weapons much slower then Booker and she can't do shit against Big Daddies, so I pretty much had to resort to stealth.

But looking back, I appreciate their effort in making the gameplay more interesting and for introducing stealth into the series, even if it was a bit overpowered at times (I mean seriously, an enemy could see you, but as long as you remained crouched and didn't bump into them they would leave you alone). It also confirmed to me that my idea for video games to accurately portray the differences in size and strength between men and women is a terrible one. I never realised just how much a change in camera height could affect my gaming experience.
 

snyderman

Neo Member
What did people think about the accurate way that BaS2 depicted the difference in strength, size and skill between Booker and Liz? I was seriously frustrated at first, because the camera height was so much lower than what I'm used to(for large parts of BaS2 I thought I was stuck in crouch mode) and Liz does a very small amount of melee damage unless you're in stealth/god mode. She also reloads weapons much slower then Booker and she can't do shit against Big Daddies, so I pretty much had to resort to stealth.

But looking back, I appreciate their effort in making the gameplay more interesting and for introducing stealth into the series, even if it was a bit overpowered at times (I mean seriously, an enemy could see you, but as long as you remained crouched and didn't bump into them they would leave you alone). It also confirmed to me that my idea for video games to accurately portray the differences in size and strength between men and women is a terrible one. I never realised just how much a change in camera height could affect my gaming experience.

I never understood how I can knock a splicers out by performing a stealth takedown by simply whacking him/her with my skyhook, but in direct melee combat my attacks do very little damage. Doesn't seem to make sense. Other than that I didn't have any qualms with the size and skill difference between Liz and Booker. I did notice that she can get drunk with just one shot of alcohol .
 

Fuchsdh

Member
What did people think about the accurate way that BaS2 depicted the difference in strength, size and skill between Booker and Liz? I was seriously frustrated at first, because the camera height was so much lower than what I'm used to(for large parts of BaS2 I thought I was stuck in crouch mode) and Liz does a very small amount of melee damage unless you're in stealth/god mode. She also reloads weapons much slower then Booker and she can't do shit against Big Daddies, so I pretty much had to resort to stealth.

But looking back, I appreciate their effort in making the gameplay more interesting and for introducing stealth into the series, even if it was a bit overpowered at times (I mean seriously, an enemy could see you, but as long as you remained crouched and didn't bump into them they would leave you alone). It also confirmed to me that my idea for video games to accurately portray the differences in size and strength between men and women is a terrible one. I never realised just how much a change in camera height could affect my gaming experience.

It's funny, in some places I didn't notice the height, in other places it feel exaggerated, like I was playing the Little Sister segment in BS2 again.
 
So finished this today and ugh...

I... I'm not crazy about where it went and am inclined to just pretend that it isn't canon. I mean, I thought the ideas leading up were fun (though I was starting to get concerned even then), but that ending/pay-off/debt/whatever the hell you wanna call it, just felt like the epitome of forced.
Like someone else said, it basically devalues Infinite's story and instead just opts to just say, "Hey, yeah we know that Bioshock1 is still everyone's fav, so enjoy this sweet fanfic..."
I also can help feel that Irrational's demise may be tied to this in that they just needed something to get out the door or something.

I read somewhere else here on GAF that about people saying that they wish they hadn't played this and yeah, i'm definitely inclined to agree now :(
...and it sucks too and I was just about to replay Bioshock1 for the first time in years and now I'll have this.... this thing in my head.
 

Goldrush

Member
Just finished the DLC. I love how Episode 2 is a different genre. It took advantage of being a DLC to deliver something that wouldn't work for a full game, but is interesting in small chunks. Makes me wish they would have the courage to take one of the recurring criticism/suggestion for Bioshock Infinite and make Episode 1 without any combat. That first part of Episode 1 was the most interesting part.

However, I'm just going to pretend both are non-canon. It's not the events of the game that bothers me, it's that the DLC completely destroys the mechanics of Bioshock Infinite. While the DLC shines a little more light on the original Bioshock, it's near impossible to reconcile Burial at Sea and Infinite. I loves comics so I'm used to applying retcon, but I can't figure out a way to apply the changes made in Burial at Sea without just tossing out the entire plot of Infinite.
 

snyderman

Neo Member
Just finished the DLC. I love how Episode 2 is a different genre. It took advantage of being a DLC to deliver something that wouldn't work for a full game, but is interesting in small chunks. Makes me wish they would have the courage to take one of the recurring criticism/suggestion for Bioshock Infinite and make Episode 1 without any combat. That first part of Episode 1 was the most interesting part.

However, I'm just going to pretend both are non-canon. It's not the events of the game that bothers me, it's that the DLC completely destroys the mechanics of Bioshock Infinite. While the DLC shines a little more light on the original Bioshock, it's near impossible to reconcile Burial at Sea and Infinite. I loves comics so I'm used to applying retcon, but I can't figure out a way to apply the changes made in Burial at Sea without just tossing out the entire plot of Infinite.

That seems to be what everyone is doing. It feels like X-men Origins: Wolverine in that its deemed canon by the creator(s), but the events do not match in any way with what came before and/or after.
 

Altazor

Member
lly devalues Infinite's story and instead just opts to just say, "Hey, yeah we know that Bioshock1 is still everyone's fav, so enjoy this sweet fanfic..."

I liked Rapture much more than I liked Columbia, in pretty much every way - the design, the atmosphere, even the reason behind its existence. I loved BS1's setting, and the backstory to its plot.

But I loved Infinite's characters. And that's why the ending of BaS Ep. 2 feels so wrong to me.
 

Pilgrimzero

Member
Bioshock 1 is one of my all time favorite games. Rarely do I beat a game and then immediately start it over again. The "Ayn Rand gone mad" setting was great.

That said, I liked Infinite for what it was. I liked the setting and characters. I liked the "Patriotism gone mad" setting as well.

But when they tied them both together? And the bitter sweet ending of it all. Left me unhappy.

As someone mentioned above. Liz deserved better. Her whole life was basically filled with lies, abuse, and violence. She deserved a more happy ending. Living out her days in Paris perhaps.
 

snyderman

Neo Member
Bioshock 1 is one of my all time favorite games. Rarely do I beat a game and then immediately start it over again. The "Ayn Rand gone mad" setting was great.

That said, I liked Infinite for what it was. I liked the setting and characters. I liked the "Patriotism gone mad" setting as well.

But when they tied them both together? And the bitter sweet ending of it all. Left me unhappy.

As someone mentioned above. Liz deserved better. Her whole life was basically filled with lies, abuse, and violence. She deserved a more happy ending. Living out her days in Paris perhaps.

Or just a better send off in general. She should have been the one to save Sally and the little sisters and have one last vision showing Jack saving the little sisters in an alternate reality.
 

snyderman

Neo Member
I liked Rapture much more than I liked Columbia, in pretty much every way - the design, the atmosphere, even the reason behind its existence. I loved BS1's setting, and the backstory to its plot.

But I loved Infinite's characters. And that's why the ending of BaS Ep. 2 feels so wrong to me.

I understand the feeling.
 
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