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[JoeFu]

This thread! I love it! Thanks for all the insightful stuff and help with understanding the game even more.

The ending was seriously a trip, and the part where you have to make DeWitt give Anna away was... holy crap

That scene was really creepy too

Also really loved how the night sky looked after you stepped out of the bathysphere

made it into my wallpaper haha

 

[Incendiary]

So I started my 1999 mode play through without using dollar bill machines. I find this easier for some reason, probably because I know how to approach the different situations.

While I was playing through Hard, I intentionally stopped using Dollar Bill machines to prepare myself for my 1999 runthrough. Didn't really ever feel like I needed them. Although I understand why the achievement is called Scavenger Hunt. Heh. Gonna be scavenging all those corpses all day and all night.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

I am not sure if this has been mentioned yet (I read a ton of posts, but attention span only holds out for so long when an idea pops up in my head, and if this is mentioned I apologize)....but the story never really ends...the game may end for us, but in the universe of Bioshock Infinite, the tale of Booker/Elizabeth/Comstock never ceases.

The Lucetes seek to break the circle, but Elizabeth and Booker play "May the Circle be Unbroken" together. I think that alludes to fact that somewhere deep inside both of them, they know this story will always play out. Even though we may think the whole Comstock thing is squashed by his drowning it isn't. That explains the after ending sequence....it is all just going to happen again.

I think the inclusion of the two actors performing the song with Ken is not only there to show the actors performing, but to hit on the importance of the song within the game...to draw your attention to the song after you have already seen the ending of the game.

We only played but one version of the story, and despite what we were shown at the end to make us believe that in some way we managed to "smother" Comstock, we didn't. It is going to play out continuously and what we did was for naught.

Yeah, it very deliberately stops short at showing "our" Elizabeth disappear.

 

[symphonask]

I am not sure if this has been mentioned yet (I read a ton of posts, but attention span only holds out for so long when an idea pops up in my head, and if this is mentioned I apologize)....but the story never really ends...the game may end for us, but in the universe of Bioshock Infinite, the tale of Booker/Elizabeth/Comstock never ceases.

The Lucetes seek to break the circle, but Elizabeth and Booker play "May the Circle be Unbroken" together. I think that alludes to fact that somewhere deep inside both of them, they know this story will always play out. Even though we may think the whole Comstock thing is squashed by his drowning it isn't. That explains the after ending sequence....it is all just going to happen again.

I think the inclusion of the two actors performing the song with Ken is not only there to show the actors performing, but to hit on the importance of the song within the game...to draw your attention to the song after you have already seen the ending of the game.

We only played but one version of the story, and despite what we were shown at the end to make us believe that in some way we managed to "smother" Comstock, we didn't. It is going to play out continuously and what we did was for naught.

The song is 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken', not 'May the Circle..' - it's more of a question than a statement. Liz and Booker have done this so many times that they are questioning if the cycle will ever end.

Here are the lyrics by the way, very pertinent.

edit: right lyrics

There are loved ones in the glory
Whose dear forms you often miss.
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?
CHORUS:
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
In the joyous days of childhood
Oft they told of wondrous love
Pointed to the dying Saviour;
Now they dwell with Him above.
(Chorus)
You remember songs of heaven
Which you sang with childish voice.
Do you love the hymns they taught you,
Or are songs of earth your choice?
(Chorus)
You can picture happy gath'rings
Round the fireside long ago,
And you think of tearful partings
When they left you here below.
(Chorus)
One by one their seats were emptied.
One by one they went away.
Now the family is parted.
Will it be complete one day?
(Chorus)

 

[LiK]

This is really a story of Lutece discovering dimensional travel and just fucking everything up by "crossing the streams" so to speak, right?

pretty much

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Here are the lyrics by the way, very pertinent.

What's really funny is how on-the-nose it is for Columbia.

 

[kamicowzi]

The song is 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken', not 'May the Circle..' - it's more of a question than a statement. Liz and Booker have done this so many times that they are questioning if the cycle will ever end.

Drats! I never thought of it that way...that is a very good point.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

What do the Lettuce twins say to each other during the Anna exchange in the alley? It seems very important. Isn't that the first time they're meeting each other?

 

[Incendiary]

The ending was seriously a trip, and the part where you have to make DeWitt give Anna away was... holy crap

I think the reason this ending is so universally enjoyed is that the "Would you kindly?" moment happens during the ending. While the original Bioshock sagged because the big twist was the Act Two twist, and as such Act Three of the game is a slow descent from the game's high point, Infinite's narrative builds and builds until you finally get to the ending and them it's just bombshell after bombshell.

The "I don't want to give her away!" part is almost as infuriating as the "Would you kindly?" because in both you don't want to do it, but you're forced too anyway. Only this time, instead of it being a cut-scene, you're forced to do it yourself through your own actions since, as Elizabeth points out, it's already happened. You can't change it.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

I think the reason this ending is so universally enjoyed is that the "Would you kindly?" moment happens during the ending. While the original Bioshock sagged because the big twist was the Act Two twist, and as such Act Three of the game is a slow descent from the game's high point, Infinite's narrative builds and builds until you finally get to the ending and them it's just bombshell after bombshell.

The "I don't want to give her away!" part is almost as infuriating as the "Would you kindly?" because in both you don't want to do it, but you're forced too anyway. Only this time, instead of it being a cut-scene, you're forced to do it yourself through your own actions since, as Elizabeth points out, it's already happened. You can't change it.

"We're not leaving this room until you do."

Chilling.

 

[LiK]

"We're not leaving this room until you do."

Chilling.

shame you can't beat up Letuce at all.

 

[show me your skeleton]

is it ever explained who the people of columbia were? it was specifically mentioned that the inhabitants of rapture were 'the best & the brightest', was there anything similar said of the columbians?


another thing: in one of the voxophones, comstock laments about an incident during the wounded knee massacre where he's taunted for having 'a little indian in him'. this causes him to act so violently during the attack, i was just wondering if there's any hint that booker has any native-american in his bloodline, or was it just military ribbing?

 

[XANDER CAGE]

is it ever explained who the people of columbia were? it was specifically mentioned that the inhabitants of rapture were 'the best & the brightest', was there anything similar said of the columbians?

People who liked the cut of Comstock's religion/jib.

 

[ruxtpin]

I can't imagine there being another Bioshock after this. Maybe another "Shock" game, but Bioshock? They did city under the sea and city in the clouds. What else is there? I mean, that's just talking location-wise, not even including the implications of the story. Of course, the implications of the story mean there's always going to be a lighthouse involved if it's Bioshock.

A city in space! A city that's super tiny! A city that's super large (and you're micro-sized)! A city's that completely upside down and hangs from the moon! A city that's invisible!

 

[Alienous]

Speaking of the intro, your mind really does try to fill in the blanks. You know vaguely about a debt, see someone dead in the lighthouse, and you (and thus Booker) assume it to mean "If you screw up, we'll kill you like him", when it could really mean any number of things.

Beautifully done.

 

[sikkinixx]

The song is 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken', not 'May the Circle..' - it's more of a question than a statement. Liz and Booker have done this so many times that they are questioning if the cycle will ever end.

Here are the lyrics by the way, very pertinent.

I think you put in the wrong version of the lyrics, the version they sing in the game are:

There are loved ones in the glory
Whose dear forms you often miss.
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?
CHORUS:
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting
In the sky, in the sky?
In the joyous days of childhood
Oft they told of wondrous love
Pointed to the dying Saviour;
Now they dwell with Him above.
(Chorus)
You remember songs of heaven
Which you sang with childish voice.
Do you love the hymns they taught you,
Or are songs of earth your choice?
(Chorus)
You can picture happy gath'rings
Round the fireside long ago,
And you think of tearful partings
When they left you here below.
(Chorus)
One by one their seats were emptied.
One by one they went away.
Now the family is parted.
Will it be complete one day?
(Chorus)

 

[TheBaronOfNA]

shame you can't beat up Letuce at all.

Why? He is the nice Letucee (the one that feels that needs to redeem his actions)

 

[scy]

A city in space! A city that's super tiny! A city that's super large (and you're micro-sized)! A city's that completely upside down and hangs from the moon! A city that's invisible!

How about a city that's a city?

 

[LiK]

Why? He is the nice Letucee (the one that feels that needs to redeem his actions)

any of them

 

[antitrop]

I think you put in the wrong version of the lyrics, the version they sing in the game are:

The one in the game is the version I sang in church growing up.

The lyrics he posted are from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band from the 60s, which is NOT what we sang in church. The proper Christian hymn was written by Ada R. Habershon in 1907.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

shame you can't beat up Letuce at all.

Why? He is the nice Letucee (the one that feels that needs to redeem his actions)

Guys, it's Lutece.

 

[LiK]

Guys, it's Lutece.

i fucked up. i'm eating lunch.

 

[scy]

Guys, it's Lutece.

Lettuce?

 

[Grief.exe]

Guys, it's Lutece.

*Lettuce

 

[show me your skeleton]

considering this was how comstock looked a few iterations ago, do you think the story was wildly different?


edit: actually, the more i look at it, the more it resembles booker. perhaps it was too obvious?

 

[symphonask]

I think you put in the wrong version of the lyrics, the version they sing in the game are:

My bad. Thanks for the correction.

 

[antitrop]

 

[GoddyofAus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKKAkrnT_o8

I encourage everyone to watch this explanation. The dude does an amazing job of explaining the science of Multiverse and string theory and how it relates to the game. His comments about all gamers playing BI and experiencing the exact same thing over and over no matter who it is is pretty pertinent as well.

Such an amazing mindfuck. Oh my god. Game of the Year, without question.

 

[LiK]

considering this was how comstock looked a few iterations ago, do you think the story was wildly different?

i'm guessing the beard would make him harder to figure it out it was Booker.

 

[Jofamo]

It's amusing to think that the actions at the end, killing Booker before he has a chance to become Comstock, also would result in Columbia never existing, and everyone who was born there never existing.

You basically robbed loads of folks their chance at life, guys. I bet not all of them were racists biggots.

Or do you think Lutece would have raised Columbia with or without Comstock?

 

[XANDER CAGE]

considering this was how comstock looked a few iterations ago, do you think the story was wildly different?

That really does look like a slightly more prim Booker. I wonder if they added the beard/rapid aging thing to make it less obvious.

 

[Stark]

considering this was how comstock looked a few iterations ago, do you think the story was wildly different?

Didn't Levine say he had trouble writing Comstock till he talked to one of the team members?

 

[Incendiary]

Something I just noticed, going through some screenshots people took on other websites.

When Elizabeth talks to Booker after killing Daisy, she asks "How do you live with it? How do you wash away the things that you've done?" Booker replies "You learn to live with it." Considering the baptism and how literally Booker walks away from washing away his sins and it's the primary difference between him and Comstock...damn this game is clever. There's got to be tons of these little things scattered throughout the game.

This is how you make single-player games have replay value, folks.

 

[Gandie]

Just started my second playthrough. C is for Comstock right? And he's asking the lighthouse guy to stop booker?

 

[Alienous]

Just started my second playthrough. C is for Comstock right? And he's asking the lighthouse guy to stop booker?

Last page covers this pretty well, but yeah.

 

[Jofamo]

That really does look like a slightly more prim Booker. I wonder if they added the beard/rapid aging thing to make it less obvious.

Also of note in these early trailers is the full American Flag, state stars and all. In the final game, the flag only has one large star, to signify Columbia breaking off from the union. Perhaps that was a later addition to the plot.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

What do the pins on the map signify?

 

[scy]

Idle curiosity, is it ever mentioned how Comstock made all of his money?

 

[LiK]

What do the pins on the map signify?

i'm guessing all the cities they will attack.

 

[Ikuu]

Idle curiosity, is it ever mentioned how Comstock made all of his money?

He was taking the money from his followers (think it was 50%).

 

[show me your skeleton]

Idle curiosity, is it ever mentioned how Comstock made all of his money?

political rallying, i assume. he's not wracked by guilt re: wounded knee & is instead inspired by it to become a political leader, tapping into the fears of the time.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

What do the pins on the map signify?

Boarding locations. Just to the right of the map, there's a schedule of when they'll be where.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Idle curiosity, is it ever mentioned how Comstock made all of his money?

Tithes. He had followers before Columbia, and I imagine they kept on comin' after the fact.

 

[scy]

He was taking the money from his followers (think it was 50%).

That's after he funds Columbia. Where's that original money come from? The funds used to back Lutece's research that makes Columbia a reality. Booker that walked away from the baptism was a poor man who was trying to make his fortune gambling.

political rallying, i assume. he's not wracked by guilt re: wounded knee & is instead inspired by it to become a political leader, tapping into the fears of the time.

Tithes. He had followers before Columbia, and I imagine they kept on comin' after the fact.

That's a lot of money from just them over the course of a few years.

 

[LiK]

Idle curiosity, is it ever mentioned how Comstock made all of his money?

If you go into a location in the bank, Elizabeth will point out from reading the books that 50% of what everyone earned went straight to him.

before then, probably people giving him all their money cuz he's like a cult leader.

 

[show me your skeleton]

just thought that the quote at the very beginning, regarding memories being constructed etc., tells us so much, right from the get-go, without us realising.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

i'm guessing all the cities they will attack.

This seems like a silly thing to have down below.

Boarding locations. Just to the right of the map, there's a schedule of when they'll be where.

That makes more sense. I'd like to see some of those locations in the DLC.

That's a lot of money from just them over the course of a few years.

50% of everyone's income adds up fast.

 

[sikkinixx]

Idle curiosity, is it ever mentioned how Comstock made all of his money?

He was taking the money from his followers (think it was 50%).

Yeah Elizabeth says in the bank that he takes a 50% tithe from all the people of Columbia, to which Booker replies he needs to get into the prophet business.

Which I took as a dig against religious donations.

 

[Riposte]

I can't imagine there being another Bioshock after this. Maybe another "Shock" game, but Bioshock? They did city under the sea and city in the clouds. What else is there? I mean, that's just talking location-wise, not even including the implications of the story. Of course, the implications of the story mean there's always going to be a lighthouse involved if it's Bioshock.

A City of Lighthouses.

 

[GoddyofAus]

I just recalled, anyone who has watched the anime Steins;Gate would have seen a lot of parallels in the themes of multiverses that BI and that show share. Awesome stuff.