Is a better home awaiting in the sky?
Irrational Games has promised that BioShock Infinite will be getting three story-driven add-ons over the next few months. In fact, you can buy a Season Pass right now to automatically get each DLC pack as its released and save some money in the process. Given the games ending, however, it might seem difficult to imagine where any more plot could possibly fit into the narrative.
As it turns out, there are actually quite a few stories that havent been told yet. Here are seven ideas wed like to see in the continuation of Columbias ever-changing story.
Because these ideas deal with the continuation of the story, there will be SPOILERS, so consider yourself warned!
The Martyrdom of Booker DeWitt
One of the most interesting twists in BioShock Infinite comes during the Vox Populi revolt in Finkton. Having just come through a tear, Booker and Elizabeth are totally oblivious to the history of this world until they discover posters declaring Booker a martyr of the revolution.
According to Daisy Fitzroy and a series of Voxophone recordings, when the Comstock of that reality learned that Booker had arrived in Columbia, he locked Elizabeth in his home, effectively shutting off Bookers access to her. In order to reach his target, Booker joined forces with the Vox Populi with the understanding that once they had taken Comstock House he would be free to leave with Elizabeth. Instead, Booker ended up dead. How? We dont exactly know, which makes this such an intriguing possibility for the DLC.
Fitzroys Rebellion
The full story of the Vox Populi has never been fully explained. We know that Daisy Fitzroy started the group after she was falsely accused of Lady Comstocks murder, but we dont know how she amassed such a huge fighting force in such a relatively short period of time.
Most of her soldiers seem to be disgruntled lower-class citizens under the Columbia caste system. How did Daisy convince these people to go along with her to what would almost certainly be their doom? Where did these vagrants acquire the military training and firepower needed to stage a successful government overthrow? What did they hope to accomplish once they had massacred the Founders and anyone sympathetic to them? There are so many questions about the Vox that need to be answered that it would be unthinkable if this group managed to escape explanation in one of the addon packs.
Hatching the Songbird
Voxophones in Jeremiah Finks factory seem to indicate that Fink himself had seen an amalgamation of man and machine through a tear, and that he then used this technology for his own benefit. What exactly did he see?
Is it possible that Fink looked into Rapture and learned the process of creating Big Daddies (as seen in BioShock 2)? Could this process have been adapted to create the Songbird? The mechanical beast does bear a strong resemblance in design to the hulking men of metal, and both are designed for similar protective purposes. Was this process used to create the Handymen too? Well only know for sure if one of the upcoming DLC packs lets us in on the secret to one of Columbias greatest mysteries.
The rise and ruse of Zachary Comstock
We know who Comstock is. We know why he exists. What we dont know is how he managed to get there. Between the baptism and the events of this games main story, what happened to Comstock that made him the man he is today? Tell us more about his crafty deception of an entire city. How did he manage to fool everyone in Columbia into blindly loving him--or worse, despising their poor neighbors.
Another interesting era from the pre-Infinite days is the period following Lady Comstocks death. There is a scene that is depicted in the Hall of Heroes as Comstocks Revenge. The sign calls it a time in which he brought his wrath down on Daisy Fitzroy and the Vox Populi. What happened during this time? There are no doubt some interesting battles to be relived in the early days of the Columbia civil war.
Once a Pinkerton, always a Pinkerton
Booker DeWitt was scarred by the Battle of Wounded Knee until he turned to religion to wipe away his sins. That battle was a major turning point in his life, and would make a fascinating addition to the BioShock Infinite story. Being given the opportunity to experience the events that caused Booker to start down the path to Columbia would give us even more insight on why a city in the clouds seemed like the best path of escape from his worldly troubles.
The Boxer Rebellion did not shape Booker (or Comstock, as he was called then) personally, but rather shaped all of Columbia. It was at this time that Comstock decided that it was best to cut ties and secede from the United States. The U.S. government had ordered Columbia to stand down, but Comstock insisted on crushing the rebellion in Peking. This was Booker the Pinkerton showing through his Comstock facade. As Booker told Elizabeth on the First Ladys airship dock, putting down uprisings was his specialty as a Pinkerton. The chance to see him do it firsthand would make an excellent addition to his backstory.
Return beyond the sea
The underwater city from the first two BioShock games made a brief appearance near the end of Infinite, but many players were hoping to experience more of the city. It may seem implausible in terms of storytelling, but we think most players would be willing to let that slide for a chance to once again face off against Splicers in a pre-BioShock version of the failed utopia.
Better yet, push Booker a few decades into the future and let us see how the events of the original BioShock could have been dramatically different if he had been there to help or interfere. Maybe he was there all along, helping Jack from the shadows. This is a chance for Irrational to radically alter the way we will look at the first game forever. How could they possibly pass that up?
Columbia comes home
In an alternate version of the 1980s, Elizabeth leads Columbia to attack New York. Following this story would take on a much darker tone than most of the others weve listed, but the potential storytelling payoff could be huge.
Weve already seen how the story ends if Booker rescues Elizabeth and stops Comstocks existence before it even starts. Pursuing this alternate timeline would give us a chance to see how the world would change if Booker had failed to save Elizabeth, leaving Comstock completely unchecked. It would be a much darker ending, but being able to see both sides of the coin, as the Luteces might say, would be worth it.
The possibilities are Infinite
With nearly limitless options for the anticipated DLC, Irrational certainly has their work cut out for them in choosing three that they feel can best accommodate the main campaign and fill in any narrative gaps that left players scratching their heads. Let us know what youd like to see in a BioShock Infinite addon in the comments.
Confused about the concept of a multiverse? Check out our detailed answers to all of Columbias biggest questions. If youre looking for a new adventure, you should seriously take a look at Batman: Arkham Origins.
