BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite  is a  first-person shooter  video game developed by  Irrational Games  and published by  2K Games . The third installment in the  BioShock  series ,  Infinite  was released worldwide for the  PlayStation 3 ,  Windows ,  Xbox 360 , and  OS X  platforms in 2013. The game is set in the year 1912 and follows its protagonist,  Booker DeWitt , who is sent to the airborne city of  Columbia  to retrieve a young woman held captive, named  Elizabeth . Booker rescues Elizabeth and the two become involved in a class war between the  nativist  Founders that rule Columbia and the rebel Vox Populi representing the city's  underclass . Elizabeth possesses the ability to manipulate "Tears" in the  space-time continuum  that ravage Columbia, and Booker and Elizabeth discover she is central to the city's dark secrets. The player controls Booker Dewitt throughout the game, fighting enemies and scavenging supplies, while the  computer-controlled  Elizabeth provides assistance. After the 2007 release of  BioShock , Irrational Games and creative director  Ken Levine  initially wanted to do something different than a sequel. However, they later renegotiated with 2K to work on another  BioShock  game. Irrational based the game's setting on historical events at the turn of the 20th century, such as the 1893  World's Columbian Exposition , and based the story on the concept of  American exceptionalism , while also incorporating influences from more recent events at the time such as the 2011  Occupy movement . The relationship of Book and Elizabeth became central to the story, with the team working to make Elizabeth feel like a real character rather than a computer-controlled sidekick. Development took five years to make and involved hundreds of employees at Irrational, in addition to support studios. Development was troubled, with Levine's management style resulting in wasted work and missed deadlines. Outside help was brought in to make sure the game shipped.  BioShock Infinite  was supported post-launch with  downloadable content , including the story expansion  Burial at Sea , which links  Infinite 's story to that of the original  BioShock  game. BioShock Infinite  received critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at its story, setting, and visual art design. It is often regarded as one of the best video games of the year, of the  seventh generation of consoles , and one of the  greatest video games ever made . It has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.  Infinite  was re-released on  PlayStation 4 ,  Xbox One , and  Nintendo Switch  as part of the remaster compilation  BioShock: The Collection .