Booker DeWitt is a man out of his element — a ‘fish’ 20,000 feet above water. Similar to the previous Bioshock games, the protagonist enters a lighthouse and, in doing so, is sent to the new and strange world of Colombia. With his arrival, a series of events unfolds, raising questions regarding morality and politics.

Unlike the previous games, which take place underwater, Bioshock Infinite takes place in a flying “utopia” known as Colombia, a city built on patriotism and religious fanaticism that seceded from the Union around 1901. From the game’s promotions, the players can see Colombia as a bright, carefree world. Under this convincing facade is a storm, which has been brewing for a long time.

Death and life are keys to the plot of Bioshock Infinite, and it has its own version of BioShock’s much-reviled vita chambers. However, the way these mechanisms are explained in the story is vital to the game’s plot and mystery.

Bioshock Infinite has targeted its ambition precisely — abandoning co-operative play, multiplayer death match and other features that are important for other modern games — in order to tell a single, cohesive story, with a beginning, middle and end.

Going in, I had to question whether Infinite could live up to the BioShock brand name after having discarded its signature world of Rapture, with its Big Daddies, Little Sisters, and Splitters. On the way out, I cannot decide which game is better. In total, BioShock Infinite is a brilliant shooter game that nudges the entire genre forward with innovations in both storytelling and gameplay. However, it trips over itself in several places, but not in any way that should keep you from embracing it with your utmost enthusiasm.

Bioshock Infinite, at a mere $60 in an increasingly expensive category, is an experience that accentuates a dull video game market and adds to player’s worldview.